How to Film a Car Commercial
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Here's a short, clean, and engaging blog post version of your EPIC solo car commercial shoot—perfect for creatives and aspiring filmmakers looking for inspiration:
How I Shot an Epic Solo Car Commercial | Honda S2000 Behind the Scenes
Hey friends! I recently filmed a cinematic spec commercial for the iconic Honda S2000—all with minimal gear, just a few friends, and a lot of planning. Here’s how you can do it too!
Why Shoot Your Own Car Commercial?
Passion projects like this are a great way to:
Build your portfolio
Practice your cinematography
Collaborate with friends
Get creative without client pressure
Pre-Production: Plan Like a Pro
Before I touched the camera, I:
Watched tons of car ads for inspiration
Made a mood board with style references
Used Milanote (free version) to plan every shot
Scouted quiet locations (rooftop parking lot + empty country road) using Google Maps & Earth
Scheduled the shoot on a Saturday evening to avoid traffic and parked cars
Filming Tricks & Techniques
Use reverse shots for tight timing—e.g., reverse the wheel into frame
Fake the driving shots—filmed close-ups of the clutch and gas pedal while parked
Zoom trick: Use Sony’s “Clear Image Zoom” for tighter shots without quality loss
Car rig test: Mounted my A7 III to the car using a suction rig (it worked! But we didn’t drive fast 😅)
Atmosphere: Sprayed haze and used light flares for that dreamy cinematic look
Post-production magic: Used content-aware fill in After Effects to remove a rogue car from a drone shot
Timing is Everything
I scouted my second location beforehand and picked sunset for better lighting and epic golden hour vibes. Planning this made a huge difference in the final look.
Bonus Transition Shot
For one scene, I did a close-up push-in on the muffler and blended it with stock footage of smoke and clouds to transition into the next drone shot. Cheap trick, cool effect.
Final Thoughts
Shooting this spec ad was such a blast. It reminded me how much you can create with a small team, thoughtful planning, and the gear you already have.
If you’re looking to step up your filmmaking game, challenge yourself with a spec shoot like this. You'll learn fast—and have fun doing it.
