Exclusive Gran Turismo movie behind the scenes clip shows how its high-octane races were made
Turbocharging the action
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Sony’sGran Turismomovie is packed with adrenaline-pumping racing action – and TechRadar can exclusively reveal how those sequences were brought to life.
Based on a true story,Gran Turismofollows Jann Mardenborough (Archie Madekwe), a teenage gamer who uses his skills to become a professional race car driver.Stranger Things' David Harbour,The Lord of the Ringsmovie alumnus Orlando Bloom, andThe Wheel of Time’s Josha Stradwoski are among the film’s starry supporting cast.
Given its premise, it’ll come as no surprise to learn thatGran Turismo– one of 2023’s manynew movies– contains plenty of high-octane, hairpin bend-fuelled scenes. With conventional cameras unable to keep up with the turbocharged action – some of the film’s racing cars exceeded speeds of 200 miles per hour / 321 kilometers per hour – the film’s crew had to get creative with shooting them.
The solution? Hire a fleet of the world’sbest dronesto shoot the high-speed footage. Ahead of the movie’s home entertainment release, TechRadar can exclusively share a behind-the-scenes clip of how director Neill Blomkamp (District 9) and cinematographer Jacques Jouffret (Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan) achieved their vision. Check it out below:
“FPV [first-person view] drones are used extensively in real-life racing,” Blomkamp revealed. “That’s where the inspiration came from, but they haven’t been used in a racing film. They give us the most vibrant, middle-of-the-action point of view.”
“The FPV drones can keep up with the cars,” Jouffret added. “What was important for Neill is [to see] the cars going at full speed.”
To that end, the crew used a fleet of FPV drones to capture events happening at breakneck speeds. The Freely Alta-X, arguably the world’s toughest drone that’s capable of carrying huge payloads, such as heavy4Kcameras, was one the crew’s most-trusted devices. Quad Standard Labs' Shendrones Thicc Cinelifter was also heavily used due to its ability to be fitted with Blackmagic’s Pocket Cinema Camera.
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For shots that required a steadier and crisper feel,Gran Turismo’s camera team turned to manufacturers of more popular cinematic drones. TheDJIMavic 2 Pro and DJI Inspire 2 were two such pieces of camera-based equipment used for these sequences, which won’t be a shock to drone experts. Indeed, in ourDJI Mavic 2 Pro reviewandDJI Inspire 2 review, we gave them 4.5 out of 5 stars for their exceptional performance in the field. Little wonder, then, that they were regularly used onGran Turismo’s set.
Here’s a full rundown of every drone used during theGran Turismo movie’s development, including how many of each were employed:
Sony’sGran Turismomovie is available to buy or rent now onAppleTV,Google Play, theMicrosoftStore,Prime Video, and YouTube. The racing action flick speeds its way onto DVD, Blu-ray, and 4K Ultra Blu-ray on November 7.
No official release date has been set for its launch on one of thebest streaming servicesyet, although it’s expected to joinNetflix’s movie library before the end of 2023.
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As TechRadar’s senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You’ll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.
An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as thisMoon Knight TV spot.
Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across.
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