How Gran Turismo Pulled Off The Game's Chase Camera For The Movie

Few things get the heart pumping as much as a high-octane race with some of the fastest cars imaginable. The upcoming "Gran Turismo" movie is inspired by real events involving the video game franchise of the same name, and it will feature plenty of expensive cars moving at incredible speeds through some perilous courses. Considering how beloved the "Gran Turismo" line of video games are, director Neil Blomkamp knew he had to absolutely nail the look and feel of the series, and it seems as if the director paid particular focus to the camera angles of the video game.

Speaking with the official PlayStation Blog, Blomkamp explained how the production crew was able to capture the chase camera vibe present in the video games. He said, "Well, it really came down to creating something that would just be cool to watch on a large cinema screen, and for that we doubled down on FPV drones to carry IMAX sensor-approved cameras. There's a ton of airborne, high-speed drone work in the film, and we utilized a pursuit-arm mounted to a high-speed vehicle. In this case, we actually mounted it to an R35 GTR, which could actually keep pace (pretty much) with a lot of the GT3 cars in the film."

Neil Blomkamp continued, "So between that car and the drone work, you already have some cool dynamic angles. But, I was also obsessed with recreating camera angles players know from the game: so, for the third-person chase perspective, we built an R1 rig that could position a camera such that the entire car would fit within the frame. To capture the driver's POV (cockpit view), our stunt driver would lie back so we could mount a camera where his head should be. We liked including nods to the game in these kinds of ways."

Checking out the trailer for "Gran Turismo," one can see what Blomkamp was talking about when it came to capturing the spirit of the video game. However, if it isn't already apparent, the "Gran Turismo" movie isn't just based on the racing simulator but rather the real-life story of a young adult who is so proficient at the game that he earned a spot in an actual race. From there, main character Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe) parlays those skills into a professional racing career, which helps to explain why trainer Jack Salter (David Harbour) makes such serious overtones throughout the trailer for "Gran Turismo."

At least it is now known how "Gran Turismo" can create such faithful camera angles, and it is through a combination of high-speed drones and cameras attached to fast cars.