
SCENE 01 / CAR FILMING
Car Filming Services
Professional vehicle cinematography with tracking vehicles and road management across New York.
Car filming encompasses the techniques and equipment used to capture vehicles in motion, from chase sequences along the FDR Drive to dialogue scenes crossing the Brooklyn Bridge. New York's iconic streets—from the West Side Highway to Times Square—offer the world's most recognizable urban backdrops for automotive cinematography.
We coordinate comprehensive car filming setups including camera vehicles, mounting rigs, and road closure arrangements through the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) and the NYPD Movie & TV Unit. Our team manages permits, police coordination, and safety planning to ensure your vehicular sequences are captured safely, legally, and with the dynamic visual impact your project requires.
Capabilities
Complete Vehicle Filming Services
From dynamic chase sequences to elegant automotive commercials, our vehicle filming teams deliver cinema-quality shots with full logistical support.
01
Tracking Vehicles
- Camera tracking cars
- Insert car rigs
- Process trailer setups
- Low-loader platforms
- Motorcycle tracking
Dynamic Shots
02
Camera Systems
- Russian arm cranes
- Stabilized heads
- Hood & door mounts
- Interior POV rigs
- 360° capture systems
Cinema Quality
03
Road Management
- Road closure permits
- Traffic control
- Police coordination
- Safety marshals
- Route planning
Full Support
04
Stunt Coordination
- Precision drivers
- Stunt coordinators
- Safety vehicles
- Chase sequences
- Performance driving
Action Expertise
On Location
Russian Arm and process trailers from FDR Drive to the BQE
Here is how the work lines up. Car filming in New York runs along the city's most cinematic corridors — the FDR Drive curving past the East River, the West Side Highway through Riverside Park, the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in Brooklyn Heights, the I-87 Major Deegan up to the Bronx, the I-95 Bruckner Expressway and the iconic crossings at the Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg, George Washington, Verrazzano-Narrows and Robert F. Kennedy bridges.
Tracking-vehicle work draws on the Chapman/Leonard New York fleet, Cinetech NY camera cars and the Sandcrane mounting-rig stock, with Russian Arm ops based out of Brooklyn and Long Island City handling the gyro-stabilised crane work that has covered Uncut Gems, Good Time, John Wick Chapter 2, Marvel's Spider-Man NY pickups and the recent Marvelous Mrs. Maisel period plates.
Process trailers, low-loaders and insert cars cover the dialogue plates and interior-rig work that feature production demands, with the marine variant of the same rigs handling Hudson River, East River and New York Harbor boat-mount sequences for the Bond, Mission Impossible and Apple TV+ slate. Upstate Hudson Valley, Long Island parkway and Catskills corridors extend the operating territory for productions that need open-road plates.
Permit work runs through the Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) Made in NY film permit, the NYPD Movie & TV Unit for street closures, the MTA Bridges & Tunnels office for any bridge or tunnel filming, and the NYS Department of Transportation for state-route and Thruway shoots. The autostrade-matching corridors — the FDR, BQE, I-87, I-95 and Long Island Expressway — need major lead time and dedicated traffic-management plans, with the NYPD Highway Patrol lining up rolling closures and the Port Authority involved for tunnel and crossings under their regions.
Stunt drivers are sourced through the Teamsters Local 817 driver pool — the same group that has covered the major New York features and episodic shows for decades — with precision drivers skilled on the Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche and Aston Martin brand work that flows through the Madison Avenue agency network. The 30% New York State Film Tax Credit with the 10% NYC uplift applies to qualifying vehicle-unit spend. Our coordinators handle the Empire State Development paperwork alongside the IATSE Local 600 camera-crew and Local 817 driver documentation through final audit.
FAQ
Vehicle Cinematography Expertise
What is a Russian arm?
A Russian arm is a gyro-stabilized crane mounted on a tracking vehicle that allows smooth, dynamic camera movements while following or circling a moving vehicle. It provides Hollywood-quality automotive shots with full 360-degree movement capability.
Can you arrange road closures in New York?
Yes, we coordinate road closures throughout New York. This involves city permits, police coordination, traffic management plans, and marshal teams. Lead times vary by location—Manhattan requires more advance planning than rural areas.
What tracking vehicles do you provide?
We provide camera cars with various mounting options, Russian arm vehicles, pursuit vehicles for chase sequences, insert cars for interior shots, process trailers for controlled filming, and low-loaders for static vehicle shots while moving.
Do you provide stunt drivers?
Yes, we work with experienced precision and stunt drivers who specialize in film work. They understand camera requirements and can execute complex driving sequences safely while hitting precise marks for cinematography.
Can you film on highways and motorways?
Highway filming requires special authorization from New York authorities. We can arrange motorway filming with proper permits, safety measures, and coordination with highway operators. These shoots require significant advance planning.
How far in advance should we book vehicle filming?
We recommend 3-4 weeks minimum for vehicle shoots requiring road closures or special permits. Simple tracking shots on private property can be arranged more quickly. Complex sequences with stunts need longer preparation.
Related Services
Productions in New York that need this often pair it with Vehicle Mounting, Helicopter Filming, and Live Streaming for full coverage. Most projects also draw on Boom Operators and LED Lighting Systems.
On Set
Need Vehicle Filming?
Tell us about your automotive shots and we'll coordinate experienced vehicle teams.