Picture Car Glossary
high-speed camera pass on a picture car
What is a high-speed camera pass on a picture car?
Updated June 2026 · Revolution Picture Cars
Also called speed pass.
A high-speed camera pass on a picture car is a driving sequence in which the vehicle travels at elevated speed past a stationary or tracking camera position to capture dramatic slow-motion footage when the film is played back at standard frame rate.
High-speed passes are captured using high-frame-rate cameras (typically 120–1000 fps) and require the stunt coordinator to approve vehicle speed, road conditions, safety buffer zones, and camera-to-vehicle proximity before each pass. The combination of real speed and slow-motion playback creates some of the most viscerally exciting picture car footage in cinema.
Example
A car runs past a locked-off camera at 70mph for a two-second cut. It needs a closed road, a stunt driver, a measured run-up and run-off, and enough resets in the schedule for four or five passes.
Figures are illustrative, chosen to show the mechanics rather than to quote market rates.
Where you'll see it
Planned with stunts and locations, and dependent on the road lockoff for its window.
Common mistake
Scheduling one pass. A usable high-speed pass takes several attempts, and each reset means returning the car to the top of the run, which is where the time goes.
Related questions
- What does a high-speed pass require?
- A closed or controlled road, a stunt driver, a measured run-up and run-off, and enough reset time in the schedule for repeated attempts.
- How long does each reset take?
- As long as it takes to drive back to the start, which on a long run can be several minutes, so the number of passes is set by the road not the crew.
Official sources
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