A Picture Car

A line from my Studio Tour script: "Absolutely any vehicle the camera sees is called a 'picture car.' Between you and me, some of these cars are bigger stars than the actors who drove them! Coming up on the left, we have a famous cruise in..."

It's not just Kit, Herby and the DeLorean; background vehicles are required to fill the street and help create the setting. Stock taxis and cop cars and other specifics are owned by studio transportation department, but street cars come from background actors. "Bookable cars" are usually no more than five to ten years old, NOT white, red or black and not SUVs. So, my black '98 hadn't worked before today.

Thanks to the awesome background coordinator on "24," she's making her TV debute on 20th Century FOX's New York Street!









I'd had my hesitations about booking my car. I've seen background let other people drive their car. Not cool. When you are away from it, like for lunch, you have to leave it unlocked, with a key in it in case production needs to move it! I would not do that if I was on location, but here on the lot, it seemed safe. Some background complain that the measly fifteen extra dollars you get doesn't pay for the gas you idle away.

Despite all that, I never want to do regular background again! I'm such a loner, I loved being in my comfy car by myself with all my stuff and radio, driving in circles! It was fantastic! Now I'm a pedestrian again but might be back in my car when the sun goes down.