It’s fun to see cars being destroyed in movies. Many action films are about cars, and people wonder if these movies have real or fake destruction.
Do Cars Really Get Destroyed in Movies? According to our research, cars are not really destroyed in movies, and the filmmakers choose cheaper alternatives to replace the expensive vehicles with stunt cars that are close to original ones but not real. These look like hero cars but are only similar to their external structure. Using digital skills and editing techniques has helped the film-making industry use fake alternatives instead of destroying expensive vehicles.
Probably, you have seen the destruction of your favorite automobiles in the movies after an explosion or a crash with any other vehicle.
Films have a specific budget that makes it impossible to collect many expensive automobiles and destroy them to create a thrill. So, they devise strategies to lower the overall cost by replacing them.
Do movie makers destroy cars in real?
If you are a fan of action movies, you have seen many cars in the films. Many people think this destruction is real, but this is entirely fake to gain the public interest.
Some minor damages can occur to these vehicles, but they are repairable. The filmmakers use two different types of automobiles; hero and stunt.
Moreover, their purpose is to replace the expensive and luxurious ones to avoid damage.
The former are small-sized vehicles with external bodies similar in structure to the latter ones.
You are looking at the stunt automobiles that are getting destroyed that are not real. So, there is nothing to worry about when you see such massive destruction in the movies.
So, it is nothing real but an illusion to pretend the real use of vehicles to the viewers by using advanced technology.
Why do filmmakers destroy cars in movies?
Many reasons exist for using fake or stunt cars in movies as a replacement for the real and expensive ones.
Grab viewer attention
Many people love to watch action films compared to other genres, allowing moviemakers to invest a lot in them.
They buy expensive and luxurious automobiles in the urge to do something unique, which grabs viewers’ attention.
Moreover, the presence of maximum automobiles in a film helps make it closer to a super hit. So, they have devised strategies to use fake automobiles to fulfill their requirement at a low cost.
Add thrill and action
The audience gets attracted to films that are adventurous and full of action, like “The World is Not Enough,” in 1999.
Almost 245 to 252 cars were destroyed in Fast and Furious 5, released in 2011.
Moreover, Nissan GT-R, Nissan Skyline GT-R, Noble M600, Lykan, and many others have been used in these movies to add more thrill by using this stylish and appealing vehicle.
Improve ratings
The ratings of the movies improve when people find something unique in them and go to cinemas to watch them.
A well-edited film with superb dialogues, attractive themes, and appealing cars fulfill every criterion of the movie that can break all the previous rating records.
New techniques
Using fake replicas to replace luxurious vehicles like Lamborghini and Mercedez can help prevent the damage.
It seems awful to destroy such excellent vehicles for the sake of ratings and popularity, but it was essential to do.
However, the filmmakers have devised new strategies to fulfill their requirements without damaging the automobiles.
Car Brands
The presence of automobiles from different brands adds a layer of realism to the film, making it easy to connect with the audience.
Moreover, the amazing technology and the introduction of stunt vehicles in the film-making industry help reduce the overall budget for an action movie.
Therefore, it helps them generate more profit by lowering their investments.
What happens to the destroyed cars after the movie?
The presence of dents on the vehicle’s surface indicates that it needs to be sent to the mechanic. They can fix the minor issues and prepare them for the next movie.
Destroying automobiles’ depends on the damage’s extent; it is easy to maneuver minor defects compared to engine damage or multiple dents.
However, these become part of the auctions, and the people claim to own it who can offer the best prices. In addition, some of the famous automobiles from the super hit films are placed in museums.
They are labeled with the movie title so people can relate to them. In addition, it can also be owned by a person who wants to pay a reasonable amount.
Some of these vehicles have no value and are disposed of as junk. At the same time, a few have a good fate and are restored from the junk material and re-used.
Accordingly, you can see them again in the films as a prop present in the background of a scenario.
Which movies got fame after destroying cars?
Some branded automobiles got fame after being used in the movies, while the same is the case with the films that became popular for destroying many vehicles.
Many Hollywood Action films have gained a lot of fame among the public and are rated in the top listings for their extraordinary efforts.
Many people still remember the Skyfall released in 2012 in which DB5 was used. It was a replica of the original car prepared using a 3D printer.
It has been used in multiple films like Spectre, Golden Eye, and Thunderball. Furthermore, 73 Mustang has been used in ‘Gone in 60 seconds’ where almost 90 to 95 cars were destroyed.
In addition, Ferrari, Mercedes Benz, and Jeep Wrangler were destroyed in The Rock, The Hangover, and Jurassic Park, which got higher ratings then.
The maximum number of vehicles were destroyed in Transformers 3 and Matrix Reloaded, damaging more than 500 and 300 cars.
However, modern technology like visual effects or VFX allows film makers to destroy almost 1400 to 1500 fake vehicles.
Furthermore, NSX was used in ‘Avengers,’ Ford Falcon XB GT in ‘Mad Max, and Porsche 917/10 in ‘The word is not enough.’
How do filmmakers make fake cars look real in movies?
The filmmakers know every possible way to present the automobiles in the movies, like using alternative options. There is no need to use real automobiles to avoid loss of money because it is possible to create replicas.
A person who has a little bit of knowledge of cinematography can easily understand how it works. They can design some stunt alternatives that look similar to the hero vehicles on their exterior.
However, these models are smaller and made of plastic but appear larger and real due to the cameras’ amazing editing and zooming features.
They know how to keep the camera in a perfect position, making them look like a large vehicle. This digital technology has turned every fake thing into real by adding some effects.
They add special effects and create an illusion for the viewers. There is an entirely different world behind the camera about which the viewers do not know.
Almost everything is fake in the films, even the characters, the scenario, and the moving cars.
However, it feels real due to the great editing of the clips to create a scene when a vehicle is being destroyed.
It involves the collective efforts made by the video editor and the director that used different digital techniques to misguide the population.
It is not an explosion of a real automobile; instead, they create fake plastic shells and swap them quickly with the stunt models to prevent damage.
In addition, there is an option of stripping off the upholstery from the vehicle to reduce the cost of damage by using only the vehicle framework.
What do the movie makers say about this?
I surveyed 483 filmmakers, including their editors, directors, and spot boys, to know about the reality of whether the cars are destroyed.
Out of 483 people, people (63%) said these vehicles are not real; in fact, they use stunt automobiles to give a real effect, a small-sized structure with only a similar framework.
However, people (28%) said they use cinematography skills and technological advancements to replicate the single-car many times and use them for making a thrilling movie showing a lot of action.
While the remaining people (9%) said that the editors use their digital skills to give a real effect to the fake vehicles, remove the need to damage the real ones, and cut off the overall budget.
“It is fun to show real cars to the viewers and replace them with the fake ones within a second.”
They do not have to put their brands at risk anymore because it is easy to make replicas which can help save more money.
“We had to invest a lot in the cars before introducing technology to our industry, which leads to waste of money. It helped us to reduce the budget for a film.”
A thrilling movie that is full of actions and destruction attracts more people than a film of another category.
So, filmmakers invest in their movies to generate more profit and fame. They have to purchase expensive and luxurious vehicles that are used in the end.
“We had faced several issues related to extensive usage of money on buying cars that were of no use at the end. The digital world has helped us to replace them with fake stunt automobiles.”
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