Bugatti Chiron at 250 mph

How do you shoot car-to-car footage of a Bugatti Chiron at 250 mph?

In 2017, a short video appeared on the Internet. It showed a Bugatti Chiron doing something massively impressive. The car went from a standstill up to 400 km/h and then back down to 0. While that bit is neat, the fact the Chiron accomplished this in just 42 seconds is even more amazing. What really captured my attention at the time, however, was the footage used in the video.

It’s wonderfully cinematic. The music is perfectly matched to the dramatic content shown. All of the shots work so well and having Juan Pablo Montoya star alongside the car itself is just another treat. But how do you capture car-to-car footage of a vehicle going 250 miles per hour?

The team behind the spot has published a video detailing just that. And it’s as simple as you’d expect. You use two Chirons. One with a gimbal mounted to the back to capture the star car.

Even with that bit spoiled (and is it really spoiled), the whole video is a great behind-the-scenes look at how something like this comes together. Take a look, it’s worth your time.

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7 responses to “How do you shoot car-to-car footage of a Bugatti Chiron at 250 mph?”

  1. outback_ute Avatar
    outback_ute

    It takes a Mopar to catch a Mopar?

    1. 0A5599 Avatar
      0A5599

      That line was from the wrong version of the movie, so I’ll leave this here instead.

      1. outback_ute Avatar
        outback_ute

        You are correct

  2. nanoop Avatar

    Some things I have learned from this:
    Pure speed is, visually, boring, so they added artificial camera shake. This in turn made it look like the splash video of some NfS game, because it somehow feels “off reality”. I thought the smooth shot was conveying more of the crazy length of the straightaway and how the car is eating up tarmac. Most importantly, the sound told me how fast it really was, this must be kind of boring with an EV.
    It is surprising how some things that are obvious to some are surprising to others: A weathered car shooter didn’t consider the blur from exhaust fumes, huh. On the other hand, clamping a nearly complete drone to a car as gimbal camera mount is pretty clever though.

  3. nanoop Avatar

    Some things I have learned from this:
    Pure speed is, visually, boring, so they added artificial camera shake. This in turn made it look like the splash video of some NfS game, because it somehow feels “off reality”. I thought the smooth shot was conveying more of the crazy length of the straightaway and how the car is eating up tarmac. Most importantly, the sound told me how fast it really was, this must be kind of boring with an EV.
    It is surprising how some things that are obvious to some are surprising to others: A weathered car shooter didn’t consider the blur from exhaust fumes, huh. On the other hand, clamping a nearly complete drone to a car as gimbal camera mount is pretty clever though.

    1. Jeff Glucker Avatar
      Jeff Glucker

      The drone as gimbal thing as become a bit more common in the last few years. Easier to mount than an actual full-size gimbal, and the micro 4/3 lens options for them means your footage can be great.

  4. Tiberiuswise Avatar

    Want to know if it’s really going 250? Watch the fuel gauge.