We all love good Porsche films / videos, so I thought I'd start a more technical thread on how to make them, and what makes them good. I'd love it if some professional photographers / videographers / filmmakers would chime in with their advice.
I'll start by sharing a couple of videos I found on YouTube that were shot by Porsche for their new Targa. A lot of the shots are raw, without music or other embellishments, so it's easier to study them to get a feel for what the individual shots are.
â–º NEW Porsche 911 Targa 4S - DRIVING - YouTube
More of the same here, but with a few different shots and locations.
â–º 2015 Porsche 911 Targa - DRIVING - YouTube
Obviously, some of these shots can't be done without high end professional equipment (i.e. the moving crane shots), but many can be replicated with a good video camera and a tripod, or maybe a good camera sticking out another car's window.
Some things I would take from these videos:
Notice there isn't one shot with a fixed camera shooting out from inside the car…i.e. a driver's POV. We all shoot in-car shots, they're fun and easy, but too much in a video is boring, IMO. I'd rather see your car moving through a scene. I know exterior shots take more time (and another person or two), but they're far more interesting once edited together.
Note the amount of movement in the camera itself. This is challenging without professional equipment, but even a simple single movement (like panning the camera with the car's movement, or a "dolly" shot - moving the camera along with the car or toward or away from the car) can enhance the video.
The lighting is nearly "magic hour" lighting…summer late afternoons and evenings when the sun is lower. This creates a warm light with good color and visual drama. Mid-day sunshine tends to be too bright and washes out a scene (without high end equipment). Overcast days can actually work pretty well too, clouds perform like a natural diffuser which makes the car's paint look smooth.
There are a number of shots that don't show the whole car. As lone shots, they're missing something, but when edited with so many other shots, they don't look out of place at all. Don't be afraid to have the car fill up the screen!
Again, these are professionally shot films on closed roads, but if you can, try to find a location that has as little traffic as possible. Other cars are distracting…god forbid they might be more interesting!
That's about all I can think of off the top of my head. Again, I'm hoping some real pros might chime in here with other tips and suggestions for shooting, and maybe even share what equipment they use (how 'bout some photos of some cool rigs used?). I'd also love to see links to good examples of true "films" (like these -
http://www.petrolicious.com).
The goal, IMO, is not for everyone to make their own personal "Urban Outlaw", but maybe to see more three-four minute films made that better represent these cool cars. I hope it inspires!