Teslas in Movies & TV

[TunaBug]

I think the premise of that movie involves total loss of grid power so electric cars become useless.

Great. More EV fear mongering. The pumps at the gas station run on electricity, as do the credit card readers, as does the ATM you run to because the card reader is down.

In December 2006(?) the Seattle area had excessive rain which saturated the ground followed by freezing rain whose weight, coupled with the saturated ground, brought down a lot of trees, taking out a lot of electrical lines all over the region. Whole neighborhoods were without power for weeks, including commercial districts. Plenty of news stories about people being so desparate for gas that when a station owner could get a generator to run there would be brawls to get to the gas.

 

[israndy]

Gemini (2017) Modern crime drama, shiny red Model S

Gemini (2017)

Zoë Kravitz and Lola Kirke in Gemini (2017)

www.imdb.com

 

[israndy]

This weeks episode of FBI: Most Wanted included a Red Tesla Model 3 and a Polestar both owned by the suspect and her boyfriend

 

[wdolson]

Last week's episode of Truth Be Told had a 2021 refresh Model S. One of the characters was poking around inside the car looking for clues.

 

[tps5352]

My (prior) contributions to discussing film (TV and movie) sightings (perhaps these specific sightings were already noted previously in this Thread?):

• "South Park" (Season 1,436)
• "Rabbit Hole" Season 1 (unfortunately cancelled)
• "Invasion" (Season 1) (unfortunately not [yet] cancelled)
  |
  and now, of course (lots of attention being paid to)
  |
• "Leave the World Behind"

*****​

SPOILER ALERT! for the film, "Leave the World Behind" If you haven't seen this movie, and plan to, skip this next section.

Concerning the use of Tesla cars in film "Leave the World Behind"--in this case in an apocalyptic psychological thriller--I do not know if the film-makers sought a business relationship with Tesla. (I.e., did money exchange hands?) I assume so, but maybe not. I also assume that special affects were used so that very few cars were actually damaged (and that those might have been prior legitimate wrecked vehicles).

Regardless, unlike some reviewers I look upon their (the cars') inclusion as "positive" publicity for Tesla, despite the fact that this clever "Tesla scene" in the film was on the face of it rather unsettling and sinister. Why?

• There is an early 20th Century saying that all publicity is good publicity.
• Given a little thought, most existing and potential (i.e., knowledgeable) electric car customers will quickly realize that many cars now have some level of self-driving functions, and that an increasing number of brands and models might potentially be hacked (and used for evil) in a work of fiction--not just a Tesla. (I grant that certain [ignorant] non-electric car owners may be prone view the Tesla cars in the movie, and hence in real life, with some alarm. Some people seek out (flimsy) excuses to bolster their already existing biases, right?)
• The closeup of the Tesla car Monroney label, with its language about full self driving, was a nice touch, and clearly promotes the brand and this product.
• Another positive: in the scene scores of unmanned) Tesla cars ram into each other (at speed, front-into-back) along a two lane roadway leaving long twin lines of (CGI?) wrecked vehicles. However, if you look closely you see relatively little damage to the cars. Was this intended or just a byproduct of (money-saving) production? Either way, it leaves the (relatively true) impression that Tesla cars are good at surviving collisions.

That was my take-away. Others may feel differently.

 

[hcsharp]

My (prior) contributions to discussing film (TV and movie) sightings (perhaps these specific sightings were already noted previously in this Thread?):

• "South Park" (Season 1,436)
• "Rabbit Hole" Season 1 (unfortunately cancelled)
• "Invasion" (Season 1) (unfortunately not [yet] cancelled)
  |
  and now, of course (lots of attention being paid to)
  |
• "Leave the World Behind"

*****​

SPOILER ALERT! for the film, "Leave the World Behind" If you haven't seen this movie, and plan to, skip this next section.

Concerning the use of Tesla cars in film "Leave the World Behind"--in this case in an apocalyptic psychological thriller--I do not know if the film-makers sought a business relationship with Tesla. (I.e., did money exchange hands?) I assume so, but maybe not. I also assume that special affects were used so that very few cars were actually damaged (and that those might have been prior legitimate wrecked vehicles).

Regardless, unlike some reviewers I look upon their (the cars') inclusion as "positive" publicity for Tesla, despite the fact that this clever "Tesla scene" in the film was on the face of it rather unsettling and sinister. Why?

• There is an early 20th Century saying that all publicity is good publicity.
• Given a little thought, most existing and potential (i.e., knowledgeable) electric car customers will quickly realize that many cars now have some level of self-driving functions, and that an increasing number of brands and models might potentially be hacked (and used for evil) in a work of fiction--not just a Tesla. (I grant that certain [ignorant] non-electric car owners may be prone view the Tesla cars in the movie, and hence in real life, with some alarm. Some people seek out (flimsy) excuses to bolster their already existing biases, right?)
• The closeup of the Tesla car Monroney label, with its language about full self driving, was a nice touch, and clearly promotes the brand and this product.
• Another positive: in the scene scores of unmanned) Tesla cars ram into each other (at speed, front-into-back) along a two lane roadway leaving long twin lines of (CGI?) wrecked vehicles. However, if you look closely you see relatively little damage to the cars. Was this intended or just a byproduct of (money-saving) production? Either way, it leaves the (relatively true) impression that Tesla cars are good at surviving collisions.

That was my take-away. Others may feel differently.

I watched this movie and really liked it. Thought provoking about many things. I have to wonder how they created that scene with all the crashed and crashing Teslas. Was that all special effects? Were those real cars? Where did they get them and why did they use only white ones?

 

[tps5352]

I watched this movie and really liked it. Thought provoking about many things. I have to wonder how they created that scene with all the crashed and crashing Teslas. Was that all special effects? Were those real cars? Where did they get them and why did they use only white ones?

Notes: more spoilers for "Leave the World Behind." Don't read if you haven't seen the movie.

*****​

My understanding is that a LOT of outdoor scenes in both movies and television are now full of green-screen/CGI (computer-generated images) or whatever. Some of it is to create exotic locales without having to leave the Hollywood (or Vancouver or Georgia or London) studio/back lot. Another reason is to create large numbers of people, animals, or other objects (that would otherise be expensive to pay for if real).

For example, say there is a crowd or battle scene with scores of people. The individuals directly around the stars (where the cameras are mostly aimed) are probably real actors/extras filmed at the same time the leads are. But the farther away the other people/soldiers in a shot are, the more likely they are to be photographic copies and/or CGI renderings. Hollywood has been doing this for many years.

So for this movie, where the Model 3s just kept crashing and forming long parallel lines of disabled cars, some or (in some shots) even all of the cars may be CGI. If real cars were used for some shots, they could be rented (if in good condition) from businesses that supply props to film companies or purchased (from wrecking yards) to shoot the closest damaged cars. (Wrecked cars father along the line are most likely CGI images.)

As to why all white,...not sure. Because most Tesla cars are white? For a more dramatic effect? To visually emphasize the disconcerting, non-human/AI nature of the hacking? Don't know.

I am not involved in the film industry. Someone else may know more about all this.

 

[kabin]

As to why all white,...not sure. Because most Tesla cars are white? For a more dramatic effect? To visually emphasize the disconcerting, non-human/AI nature of the hacking? Don't know.

I am not involved in the film industry. Someone else may know more about all this.

It appeared the Teslas were grouped in differing colors with the closest group being white. Suggesting they rolled out from the factory or quicker to duplicate in CGI?

 

[israndy]

Mr.Robot Season 4 episode 12:

Looks like everyone drives white cars in that universe.

Using all white cars has happened before, there are a lot of them, that is correct, it may also just be a style choice

 

[swaltner]

Not a Tesla vehicle, but a Tesla Supercharger in the background of a shot in S1E4 of Tracker on CBS - supposedly in Missoula, MT.

 

[ecarfan]

Not a Tesla vehicle, but a Tesla Supercharger in the background of a shot in S1E4 of Tracker on CBS - supposedly in Missoula, MT.

Nope. Here is the Missoula MT Supercharger. There is a new on nearby in Wye but it’s not that one either. See post #52 on this page.

 

[wdolson]

Tracker is filmed in British Columbia, so it's probably an SC somewhere in BC
Tracker (TV Series 2024– ) - Filming & production - IMDb

 

[winfield100]

Tesla S new model, Equalizer, Season 3 episode 1, driven by Mel.

 

[wdolson]

Tesla S new model, Equalizer, Season 3 episode 1, driven by Mel.

She had that last season. I thought the door handles were chrome, so it's not the latest refresh.

 

[hill Clinton]

Mercedes used to have Brake by Wire and went back to the mechanical linkage, because of reliability reasons. The idea is great and perfect for commercial aircraft But aviation is a completely different animal, cost wise as well.

 

[israndy]

Tesla in FBI: Most Wanted this week was used as a murder weapon by an AI by remotely putting the car in drive inside a garage and crushing the victim against the door.

Seems rather bad publicity for the brand, and raising fears of AVs

 

[ai4px]

Tesla in FBI: Most Wanted this week was used as a murder weapon by an AI by remotely putting the car in drive inside a garage and crushing the victim against the door.

Seems rather bad publicity for the brand, and raising fears of AVs

Ohhhh.. crushed the guy.... I figured they'd say the car started remotely in the garage and asphyxiated the guy. lol.