Do i need to contact GM Headquarters about using a car in a movie that’s going to be sold?

Question by Controlld67: Do i need to contact GM Headquarters about using a car in a movie that’s going to be sold?
Hey there!

My friend and I are going to be making a movie this coming Summer and into Fall. We’ve already got a script basically written out, but it’s only thirty pages, therefore, not very long. Anyways, in the script, we’ve written that two vehicles play a crucial part of the movie. As in, the vehicles would be driven, searched, video taped from inside out, basically.

What i want to know is this: If my friend and I plan to sell this movie, which wouldn’t get much in profit anyways seeing as it’s extremely low budget, would we have to contact the Manufacturers of the vehicles for permission on using the cars in the movie? Would Royalties have to be paid? Is there a way we can film it without getting sued? (For example, blurring out the logo/name of the car or putting duct tape over the logo/name?) Or could we just acknowledge the use of the vehicles in the end credits?

Best answer:

Answer by Phil
You don’t need their permission at all to film their cars you just need the permission of the owners of the cars. You can take pictures on the street of any car that goes by, right? If I made a film in my kitchen I wouldn’t have to get Maytag’s permission would I? Do I have to hide the cereal boxes? Nope.

In fact companies pay film producers to put their logos and products into their films.

Now if you were making a movie that actually impugned their brand I’d want to talk to a lawyer about it, but otherwise shoot away. If the movie is really good you can ask them if they’d like to pay for product placement but usually they don’t pay after the movie is made.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!