How To Elevate Your Brand With Automotive Video Production

From pickup trucks barreling over rough, off-road conditions to sports cars speeding down empty roads, automotive videos grab viewers' attention and show them that their next vehicle can do everything they want. Of course, a lot more goes into these videos than meets the eye. 

Find out everything you need to know about automotive video production to plan your next promotional video. 

What Is Automotive Video Production?

Automotive videography primarily focuses on promoting and advertising vehicles, highlighting their unique driving capabilities and design. It combines various types of automotive videos — including rig shots, dashcam footage, drone shots, and technical animation — to give viewers an all-encompassing look at the car. Whether you're preparing a commercial, a visual tour, or event coverage, this type of video production is almost always handled professionally, primarily due to its complex technical needs. 

Why Creative and Technical Excellence Matter

Creativity and experience elevate any type of film production, but they're especially crucial for automotive video advertising. This is predominantly because moving vehicles are incredibly challenging to capture on camera while maintaining image composition, focus, and quality, especially without practice.

Let's say you want an exterior shot of a sports car driving down a long, empty road. The best way to capture this is typically to attach a camera rig to the back of another vehicle that will drive in front of the sports car. Beyond a secure camera setup that won't shake, you'll also need at least two safe, well-trained drivers who know the camera framing and a camera operator to meticulously pull focus as both vehicles speed down the road. It's definitely achievable, but you'll need the right equipment and an experienced production team. 

The Full Automotive Video Production Process

Automotive event video production requires much more work and planning than simply filming. A professional production company can guide you through each stage of video production while empowering you with the necessary resources and equipment. 

Discovery: Understanding Brand, Audience & Vehicle

To start, lay out your video content goals, whether you need promotional videos for social media, product demos for your website, or internal training videos. Next, research your target audience, the best platforms to reach them on, and your past key performance indicators (KPIs) online. 

Use what you've learned to develop a marketing strategy that reaches potential customers with unique creative concepts while retaining your core message. Defining your exact business goals and audience also helps you estimate a realistic production budget based on your estimated return on investment (ROI).

Pre-Production Planning: Script, Storyboard & Schedule

Storyboard and script your video to plan out every visual on paper and give yourself the time to decide what works for your brand goals. As you go, consider practical ways to capture each shot in your storyboard, such as with camera rigs, drones, or green screens for interior vehicle shots.

Once you have a script you're happy with, start planning out the logistics for the actual days of production, including:

• Shot lists and script breakdowns

• Cameras and equipment

• Location scouting and permits

• Crew budget and schedule

• Talent and stunt drivers

• Craft services and food

• Rehearsals and safety training

Post-Production: Editing, Sound Design & Final Touches

Your schedule and budget should also account for post-production, especially if you want a crisp finished picture. Professional video editors cut footage down to its best clips and sound bites and then juxtapose, color grade, and reframe it perfectly for every social media platform. 

While visuals are essential, viewers will also want to hear the vehicle's engine rev. Post-production teams clean up the footage's existing audio and combine it with ambient noises and stock audio for a pristine and immersive soundtrack. Effective audio usage elevates your automotive video content to the next level, leaving a lasting impression on every viewer.

Filming Techniques That Drive Impact

Automotive videography requires a high level of technical expertise and, most importantly, creativity, especially if you want to show viewers something new. 

Ensuring Quality and Creative Consistency

Outdoor shots of your vehicle in motion look great in promotional videos, and they're pretty much essential if you're marketing an outdoor vehicle. Still, there's likely a lot you can show off without ever leaving a studio.

For instance, if you need close-up shots highlighting your vehicle's features, you could use bright lights and large "bounce board" reflectors to simulate an outdoor setting. This way, you can take your time capturing the exact shots you want without driving up your budget, worrying about the weather, or risking inconsistent lighting. 

As time-consuming as it may seem, be sure to watch playback footage to guarantee you've captured the shots you want. This lets you fine-tune the next shot to your exact quality standards. Plus, you'll avoid paying to reshoot everything another day.

Visual Standards, Branding, and Delivery

Make sure your video reflects your company standards, from your brand's color palette to your overall video marketing goals. For example, if you're advertising for a dealership, are you only trying to sell the specific car on screen, or are you speaking for the quality of every vehicle in your lot? Prioritizing brand awareness in your video content can leave lasting impressions that gradually drive potential customers through the marketing funnel, even if they don't need a new car right now.

Finally, consider where viewers will see your video. Your videos will benefit from various formats and lengths on different social media platforms, whether you need a short, portrait-style video for Instagram or a landscape-style explainer video on LinkedIn. Additionally, consider which video formats would work best for your vehicle's product pages, as the right explainer or demo videos could encourage potential buyers to actually hit "Purchase."

Popular Types of Automotive Video Content

The top types of video content for the automotive industry include:

• Branded content and commercials: These are typically 30-second videos that promote your vehicle while speaking to your brand's notability. Broadcast-ready videos for TV and over-the-top (OTT) advertising require higher-quality camera equipment and production planning. 

• Social media and short-form videos: These brand-building videos cover various topics, including customer testimonials, car vlogs, online trends, and more, especially if you team up with affiliate content creators. 

• Product demos and explainers: These long-form videos give potential customers an in-depth look at your vehicle or service processes. They often combine vehicle footage with complex animations that bring blueprints and interior designs to life for a more comprehensive understanding.

Choosing the Right Talent & Locations

Your casting needs depend on the types of automotive shoots you're planning. While not always necessary, it's always safer to work with experienced stunt drivers, especially if you're capturing anything off-road or requiring precise maneuvering. 

Depending on whether your ad has interior shots or dialogue, you may also need to cast actors for your drivers and passengers. Consider your target audience and any relevant customer personas you've created during this casting process.

Beyond talent, check out at least a few locations if you're filming outdoors. Consider the message or "vibe" each location could leave viewers with and whether it appeals to your audience and brand aesthetic. For example, a city street would suit a Chicago-based business better than a desert road. 

Using Advanced Technology in Automotive Shoots

Automotive content creation requires more technical tools and skills than standard video productions. An experienced professional team can be your ultimate support and guide to video production throughout this process.

Camera Gear, Drones & Motion Rigs

Your automotive video production will likely benefit from the following types of camera equipment:

• Gimbals and stabilizers: These keep your camera in a fixed position, even during moving or tracking shots, for cleaner footage.

• Motion rigs: These act in a somewhat opposite way to gimbals, creating deliberate vibrations to simulate vehicle movement, even when filming indoors with a turned-off car. 

• Car camera rigs and mounts: These attach to different sides of vehicles to capture them (or other cars) driving from various creative angles.

• Drones: These capture unique overhead or tracking shots at high speeds, but they require training and licensing to use commercially. 

If you're ever in doubt, partner with video professionals who are experienced with technical film equipment. Careful planning, prep, and attention to detail can prevent a camera from falling off its rig or a drone from losing its battery mid-shot. 

Special Effects, CGI & Real-Time Rendering

Animation and computer-generated imagery (CGI) enhance your promotional videos by offering an inside look at your vehicle's design and unique features. These are especially useful for virtual tours, letting car experts see the exact details they want to know about with real-time rendering. 

How to Capture the Soul of a Vehicle

Promoting a vehicle requires you to lean into its strengths, including its power, speed, performance, and any unique capabilities. As you develop creative concepts, brainstorm ways to portray those strengths, whether with a fast-paced tracking shot or by demonstrating how fast the vehicle can zip past the camera. Highlight how your brand's unique craftsmanship and design details offer something potential customers won't find in any other brand. 

Automotive Video as a B2B Marketing Tool

Your automotive video advertising campaign can also benefit your business-to-business (B2B) goals by building trust with supply chains, distributors, leasing companies, and others in the auto industry. LinkedIn, in particular, is an excellent platform for B2B marketing and industry-related brand awareness. 

How Video Builds Trust and Differentiation in the Automotive Industry

High-quality videos can raise your ROI, brand awareness, and video KPIs for success across different digital platforms. Get started with automotive video production by contacting an expert production team.