Ever bring out your winter jacket and find $20 hiding in the pocket?  I have, and it's a pretty exciting moment when you think of all that can be done with that surprise cash.  I found the same joy while going through our North Carolina folder and finding some footage that had yet to be upload, yet to be shared.  Oh the shows they could be on!  Take a virtual tour here and see why it made me smile:

Coming from a small town, it was like a little glimpse of home, but with all that seems to be happening here, it's definitely not one of those "everything closes before 9PM" cities.  From unique residential neighborhoods to commercial spaces with character, there's something here worth exploring.  Perhaps they'll find there way into your next project.  

With a library growing to over 2600 clip sets from around the world, an ever growing staff, and relationships with some of the most amazing, talented studios and networks from across the globe, all of us here at Driving Plates have so much to be thankful for.  Simply saying "thanks" doesn't seem to suffice when it comes to the gravitas of all that we've experienced this past year,  but we are truly grateful for the opportunities, lessons, and clients that have helped us keep our doors open, and have allowed us to thrive.

A big shout out to all who have worked with us, recommended us, hired us, laughed with us, and gotten us to this point in our business.  We are truly grateful and look forward to what the future holds for us all.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM ALL OF US HERE AT DRIVING PLATES!

When you think of Oakland, California, you may not get the same mental pictures as when you think of, say, Beverly Hills or Malibu.  We want to help Oakland out a little bit, sharing some fun facts that make us think twice about dismissing this interesting city.

1.  Oakland has it's own Nessie!  That's right, Lake Merritt in Oakland, CA is rumored to have.....wait for it....and "Oak-ness Monster".  Sign me up!

2.  Oakland has the MOST ARTISTS per capita than any other US city!  All of us here at Driving Plates are filmmakers, so this fact makes us very happy indeed!

3.  The city provides a great background for some pretty memorable driving scenes.  You haven't seen traffic until you've checked out this album, plus there's actually clouds present (what? weather in California?), really unique industrial areas, and some very scenic drives.  Check out the album but revisit again soon: we have over 100 clips sets from Oakland!!! 

Just click HERE to explore the whole album!  Enjoy Oakland...we sure did!

Saipan.  It's a tropical paradise filled with flame trees, rare birds, and breathtaking views.  It's an island rarely talked about but, once you visit, it won't easily be forgotten.  Fun fact: the Guinness Book of World Records states Saipan to have the least fluctuating climate in the world, staying around a temperate 84 degrees.  Sounds pretty rough.  

Driving Plates had the opportunity and privilege to shoot footage in this US commonwealth, and are happy to announce they are finally edited and ready for purchase.  Take a virtual tour through Saipan through the eyes of Driving Plates, and check out the entire collection here: SAIPAN

You couldn't pay any of us to go back to our preteen years, which makes the feature film "Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life" seem to resonate with, well, everybody!  Our client's first trailer is out, and you can catch our work a little over halfway in.  

It's great to see some of our favorite Pasadena footage help bring together a feature film that is sure to be a fun, nostalgic ride!  Mark your calendars for October 7th, and watch the teaser here:

Just when you thought there wasn't more to love about New York, our editors have processed almost 50 additional clips of this beautiful city, with a focus on it's unique bridges.

Shot during the "golden hour", this footage is truly breathtaking.  Makes us wanna go on a road trip...minus the New York traffic!

Check out the newly updated album here: New York, NY.

Kevin Spacey as a talking cat?  Jennifer Garner as a caring mother?  AndChristopher Walken as a zany pet shop owner?!  From the looks of it, "Nine Lives" seems like comedic magic!  Our work makes an appearance in the film as well, so grab the kids, stock up on snacks, and head to theaters tomorrow to enjoy what looks to be a feel-good, family comedy!

Especially in 4K!  Our New York library is expanding to include some great plates of Harlem, the Upper East Side, Manhattan, and more!  Get the 360 New York driving experience, and check out our new clips today! 

Toronto doubles for Washington DC for some motorcade environments we just shot for Designated Survivor.  The precision driving team and second unit crew were as on point and professional as anyone could want.  A true pleasure to contribute to what looks like a promising show.  Here's the trailer featuring our night motorcade footage from February, be sure to tune in to ABC in September for the premier.

This week, our online library surpassed the 2,000 mark, meaning we have the most comprehensive driving footage library IN THE WORLD!  We are humbled and proud to have shot in so many amazing countries; from Morocco to Cuba, from Paris to Prague, we've taken our rig across the globe to capture some amazing places.  We are so happy to have filled such a need, and even more grateful that we enjoy doing it!

And the clips that brought us to this mark are right in our own backyard: The Salton Sea.  Check them out by clicking the picture below!

Of course, we wouldn't be here without the amazing clients who have supported us along the way.  Thanks to all of you!  Keep your eyes peeled: more footage is uploading as we speak!

The library continues to grow as we introduce Minneapolis, MN, available in 4K and HD!  

With both freeway, rural, and residential, there's great variety if you're looking for a Midwestern town in the wintertime.  Just watching these clips render made us shiver!  Consider them an early Christmas present for all your VFX needs.  Click the image below to preview the new footage, and stop by the website to browse our expanding, 2000+ clip library!

Walking in a Winter Wonderland...or at least driving!

“Election Year...is the best “Purge” film yet”

— Variety

So happy to see a client finding an audience!  Check out "The Purge" in theaters now...IF YOU DARE!

It was great seeing Driving Plates pop up on one of our television client's shows, "Veep".  Not only is this show superbly written and craftily acted, but we also think that the VFX artists did a great job incorporating the footage.  They certainly helped set the atmosphere; nice work "Veep"!  Catch episode 507 on HBO.  

We've been hard at work optimizing our 4k pipeline and the first of many additions to the library is ready.  Ouarzazate is the first of an extensive library from Morocco.   Over 75 clips are now available from desert landscapes to quiet villages.

Have a look and contact us for more information.

Ouarzazate, Morocco

Tickets are now on sale for another feature client, Compadres.  As a Mexican/US co-production, this is one of our first international projects and we are very happy to see our work in the trailer!  It looks like its going to be an entertaining excuse to power through some popcorn!  In theaters now.

We are very excited to see the publicity ramping up for another feature client, The Purge - Election Year.  We were tasked with shooting empty urban streets for scenes in the middle of the "purge" and downtown Los Angeles at 3am on a Tuesday night rose (or slept through) the occasion.

2016 is proving to be a banner year and we thought it would be fun to look back at some of the great work our clients have been turning out using our footage.  Have a look at our new demo reel, this one is green screen content only.  A projection demo reel is in the works.

So, what to do when you have a sequence from the cockpit of an RV?  

Busy prepping for the motorcade shoot this evening for Dedicated Survivor with Kiefer Sutherland.  Such a pleasure to be working with David Mullen and his crew.  Note to self, Toronto gets COLD!

We've just wrapped our second shoot in Rome, Italy adding winter and summer to our ever growing library.  We are focusing a lot of energy on building our international inventory and will have new announcements for a dozen new countries soon!