[Chuck Anderson]

I'm confident there are legitimate opportunities to rent to legit projects, but in dealing with production companies & various directors over time makes me vary leery. It's usually not anything malicious, its just that everything on a set is viewed as expendable in making the film. Also... prop masters are hired employees for the project too and don't usually see a reason to stick their necks out to protect your investment (especially if working for a diva director). If the director wants the vehicle painted or canvas torn, or the windshield looks better cracked, someone had better make that happen or get berated and fired (and possibly lose out on future gigs). Not to sound overly dramatic, but if you're a production free lancer in a smaller town that doesn't have many opportunities, saying "no" to a director can kill your career.

When I had the M20 armoured car, I would get calls from small time producers wanting to "give me the opportunity to have my vehicle in a film". One in particular wanted me to transport it to a location, drop it off, and come pick it up when they were done (all on my dime). After laughing and telling him "not a chance", he asked me if I "wasn't interested in honoring Vets". In most cases, they seem to think you'll roll over and piddle all over yourself to get to be in a talkie.

Here's a worst case story: I think it was in the late 70's or early 80's in Utah. Someone was filming a movie and needed a halftrack. They found a collector that had two halftracks and agreed to rent one to the production company. At the end of the shoot, they were filming a scene where the halftrack is at the end of a bridge (either crossing and stopping or acting as a blockade... I don't know) and somehow the halftrack ended up upside down in the river, unplanned and un-agreed upon. Without telling the owner what had happened, the company called the owner and asked if they could rent his second track, (of course they would come and pick it up). He agreed and they came and got it. They finished the shoot and called the owner telling him he could come and pick up his vehicles, still not telling him about the one in the river. When he found out, he tried to sue the production company but they didn't exist anymore. Sometimes film projects form corporations for the length of the production (for accounting) and dissolve the corporation immediately after filming wraps.

Although this post sounds extremely negative, I'm not saying to forget offering your vehicles for filmwork and/or other events. What I am saying is BE VERY CAREFUL!