Special FX - Spray Painting a Car

Hi. We need to have a shot in a film where there is spray paint on a car, either on the windscreen or on the paintwork, don't matter where. But we don't want to actually damage the car. It's my dad's car, you see.

We were thinking about getting some sort of plastic or something but can anyone think of a better way?

Thanks
 
Go to a junkyard and buy a matching fender or side-panel or door or whatever, and use that for a closeup or insert shot. Don't get a glass windshield, 'cos then you'll need to dress whatever is visible through the glass anyway.

If you later need to show a wider establishing shot of the whole vehicle, you can get custom-printed decals (large ones), with your "graffiti" design printed on it, to slap onto the car itself. If you can't afford a custom decal to be printed, there are a few AEFX tutorials on how to add graffiti over at Creative Cow.

By using both a "real" closeup and a wider fake shot, you can sell the illusion.

Be very careful with spraycans. There's a lot of misting when using those, and a small bit of wind can carry airborne paint particles a long way. I managed to spritz my truck from 20 feet away, when marking a trashcan one time. :(
 
Shot 1 - Exterior, Actor walks up to car shaking can of spray paint. Positions to spray...

Shot 2 - Interior, Actor's arm raises and "sprays" side of car.
(From inside the car you can't see what's actually happening below the window + record and add spray can audio in post).
Actor stands, admires handiwork.

Shot 3 - Exterior, Actor walks away revealing handiwork on side of car.
(Clear plastic wrap has been applied to car door, rest of car had been masked off while spray paint applied, masking now removed. Position car and camera so that sunlight doesn't reveal the plastic wrap cheat).
 
We don't need to actually see the person spraying the car. We need someone who walks to his car see the spray paint and we want it to look like spray paint, not like it's been painted on with a brush.

Thanks 2001 productions. I've never heard of that brand (I'm in the uk) but will look it up.
 
I would make a transparent png file of the spraypaint that will be on the car. then motion track it to the footage of the car (if its a moving camera) and correct accordingly.

That's along the lines of what I would've suggested. Even a locked-off shot would work, if you didn't want to mess with camera matching / tracking.
 
Go to a auto graveyard, get a door that matches (make model and color) and replace the door for the shoot, then put the original back after you're done... like it never happened ;)
 
You actually can spray paint the car without damaging it. First, wash the car well with a degreasing detergent. Next, wax that sucka like it ain't no thang! (sorry I was channeling Jason Mewes there), but seriously wax the living hell out of it with a good hard carnuba wax from a can, not a bottle (glass and trim too). If there is any part of the car that is unpainted rubber other than the tires, rub Vasoline into the rubber. You can now spray paint the car and the paint comes off with a light buffing with polishing compound. Plus, the car will look better after you're done than it ever did before. It's a nice way to say 'Thanks, Dad'.
 
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