Yet Another Model S Factory Tour Video

[smorgasbord]

Yet Another Model S Factory Tour Video - New Director's Cut Version!

Yeah, I know I'm 4 months late in posting this. What happened was that I lost half my footage (warning: don't use Canon's XF Utility!) transferring it to my computer. What was left was, well, uninspiring. But, I finally decided to make the best out of what I had, so here it is. Its saving grace is that it has comments from a short interview we did with Elon Musk at the event. In addition, there's the obligatory Model S test ride, shots of the factory robots, a shot of my wife and I driving up in our Roadster, and some footage of the paint process:

[video=vimeo;36218991]http://vimeo.com/36218991[/video]

Link: Tesla Factory Tour, Model S Ride, Elon Musk comments

Edit, Feb 7, 2012: Just uploaded a "Director's Cut," which includes a couple extra factory shots, plus Tesla employees discussing use of CMT (Cold Metal Transfer) for welding the aluminum without high heat, and a description of the paint processes, starting with an 11 step metal preparation including electro-coat, primer, base coat, and then clear coat. Also, the test ride has a close up of the speedo as the car hits 74MPH on the runway. Note how quiet it is in the car getting to that speed.

 

[T@oo]

Vimeo is great. But I can't play it iOS devices. Their official App is buggy as hell and completely useless.

 

[Bearman]

Thanks smorgasbord! Nice video

 

[tdelta1000]

I think its a great video because you share some views that I have not seen before.

 

[Mycroft]

The audio quality was much better than any other test drive video out there, except for Tesla's own.

 

[efusco]

Best one I've seen yet, well edited, great quality audio and video.

 

[Mycroft]

The two-camera editing was superb. Good job smorgasbord! You show great promise in the video documentary field.

 

[smorgasbord]

The audio quality was much better than any other test drive video out there, except for Tesla's own.

I asked the driver to turn off the stereo (and cut that part out).

Best one I've seen yet, well edited, great quality audio and video.

Thanks guys. In the fish that got away category, I had another 80 minutes of absolutely great footage that's probably gone forever (PM me if you have expertise in recovering munged data that was then copied):

We had walked the stamping, plastics, and paint factory lines, and had fabulous one on one interviews with the people working the equipment. Almost all of them had worked those same machines for Toyota/GM before - some for decades (so much for Tesla being an inexperienced car company). They were uniformly thrilled not only to be back working with "their babies," but happy to be creating vehicles that were kinder on the environment, and were looking forward to the Gen-3 models they themselves could afford. Knowing that these were the people building my car is a great feeling, both in terms Americans getting jobs for which they are highly skilled and qualified for, and also in terms of the resulting quality of the vehicle itself. They know what they're doing and they enjoy doing it as part of Tesla. A win-win-win all around.

 

[Mycroft]

I'm assuming you tried accessing the original camera media directly via files through the USB channel and not using Canon's utility. Your best bet would be to dig into Canon user forums.

 

[smorgasbord]

I'm assuming you tried accessing the original camera media directly via files through the USB channel and not using Canon's utility. Your best bet would be to dig into Canon user forums.

Yeah, and calling Canon Professional Support. What happens is that XF Utility writes data on the CompactFlash cards, even in read mode. If you remove a card without actually Ejecting it in the OS, it doesn't know you've swapped cards and so overwrites data onto the second card. The data it overwrites appears to be file/folder/preview information.

I think it's a serious bug that software intended to transfer data off of a card containing the only copy of your footage would write data to that card under any circumstances. Even though I did make a mistake that should not have been the fatal mistake it turned out to be. By the time I figured it out, I had formatted the card and written new data onto it, but I still think many of the files could have been restored - I just wasn't willing to spend several hundreds of dollars to get them back.

My rule now is never to use XF Utility. If it's writing to my original footage card, it could have an internal bug that would similarly mess up the files. It should treat those cards as read-only and never ever have the potential to mess them up. Now I just use the OS to copy the card's contents and Premiere opens them just fine.

 

[Mycroft]

Ouch, that sucks! Of course you learn about it from a non-repeatable event. At least it wasn't your wedding or something serious!

 

[smorgasbord]

Just replaced the video (same link) with a "Director's Cut" version, which includes a couple extra factory shots, plus Tesla employees discussing use of CMT (Cold Metal Transfer) for welding the aluminum without high heat, and describing the paint processes, which starts with an 11 step metal preparation, primer, base coat, and then clear coat. Also, the test ride has a close up of the speedo as the car hits 74MPH on the runway. Note how quiet it is in the car getting to that speed.

 

[dsm363]

Yeah, I know I'm 4 months late in posting this. What happened was that I lost half my footage (warning: don't use Canon's XF Utility!) transferring it to my computer. What was left was, well, uninspiring. But, I finally decided to make the best out of what I had, so here it is. Its saving grace is that it has comments from a short interview we did with Elon Musk at the event. In addition, there's the obligatory Model S test ride, shots of the factory robots, a shot of my wife and I driving up in our Roadster, and some footage of the paint process

Awesome video again. Can't wait for the Model S reflections video you're working on:smile:

 

[Mycroft]

Fantastic smorgasbord! One of my clients is a welding supply firm; they'll especially enjoy the CMT bit. Love the interview of the paint guy! I'm going to be even more diligent against dings and scratches!

 

[jcstp]

super video!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope you make an other video with the reflections with the model S, the same way you did with the roadster! That video was just gorgeous!!!!!!!!!

Roadster Reflections

 

[smorgasbord]

I hope you make another video with the reflections with the model S...

Thanks, but I don't know that I'd get yet another gray car. Besides, having done the reflections thing I'd probably be more interested in doing something different.

All I need is for Tesla to let me have a Beta or Release Candidate vehicle for a couple of days. I promise to return it with hundreds of miles more on the odometer and no suction cup marks. :biggrin:

 

[jcstp]

Thanks, but I don't know that I'd get yet another gray car. Besides, having done the reflections thing I'd probably be more interested in doing something different.

All I need is for Tesla to let me have a Beta or Release Candidate vehicle for a couple of days. I promise to return it with hundreds of miles more on the odometer and no suction cup marks. :biggrin:

:biggrin:

 

[doug]

Nicely shot and edited vid!!

Around the 3 minute mark, it sounds to me that the paint technician is referring the the thickness of the paint in units of mils, but it seems the person asking questions is confusing it with millimeters. A mil is one thousandth of an inch.

1 mil = 0.001 inches = 0.0254 mm = 25.4 microns

 

[smorgasbord]

You are correct on all fronts, Doug!

Listening to what these guys do (cut apart cars to check paint thickness inside and out), and seeing all the Model S bodies at the factory, it sure seems that Tesla is building a lot of Model S bodies. My guess is that since they're aluminum, they're pretty easily recycled.

 

[Doug_G]

You are correct on all fronts, Doug!

Listening to what these guys do (cut apart cars to check paint thickness inside and out), and seeing all the Model S bodies at the factory, it sure seems that Tesla is building a lot of Model S bodies. My guess is that since they're aluminum, they're pretty easily recycled.

For sure any wastage will be recovered and recycled because it's valuable.

Machine shops often have to shave off 80% - 90% of the aluminum stock when they make a part, and all of that is recycled. That fact makes a big difference to the part cost!