Picture Car Glossary
hostess tray vehicle mount
What is a hostess tray vehicle mount?
Updated June 2026 · Revolution Picture Cars
Also called hostess tray, or tray mount.
A hostess tray vehicle mount is a flat, sled-style camera mounting platform designed to attach directly to a vehicle's hood, trunk, or roof using suction cups or clamped rigging points.
The hostess tray provides a stable, low-profile base for a camera and head, enabling point-of-view hood shots, reverse windshield angles, and roof-level overheads. Hostess trays are typically a standard part of any grip truck on a production involving picture cars and are among the most frequently used vehicle rigging tools in the industry.
Example
A hostess tray on the driver's door puts the camera at the actor's eye line, looking in through the window, without anyone in the car. It mounts on suction cups and straps, and the paint underneath gets checked before and after.
Figures are illustrative, chosen to show the mechanics rather than to quote market rates.
Where you'll see it
Rigged by grip on the day, with the attachment points cleared with the owner beforehand.
Common mistake
Fitting a tray to a dirty or waxed surface. Suction mounts depend on a clean, sound surface, and checking the paint before and after is part of the job, not a courtesy.
Related questions
- What is a hostess tray used for?
- Mounting a camera flat against a hood, trunk, or door so it can shoot in through the windshield or window without anyone in the car.
- How is it secured?
- Suction cups plus safety straps, on a cleaned surface, with the load and position checked before the vehicle moves.
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