Picture Car Glossary
process trailer
What is a process trailer?
Updated June 2026 · Revolution Picture Cars
Also called process rig.
A process trailer is a low, flat tow platform designed to safely carry a picture car with actors inside performing while the entire rig is towed through a location or in front of a greenscreen on stage.
The process trailer eliminates the safety risks of having actors perform in a real moving vehicle at speed, while cameras mounted on or around the trailer capture the scene. Platform height and camera access points are engineered for each production's specific requirements.
Example
A hero car rides on a process trailer, actors performing inside, camera and lights rigged to the trailer, towed at 30mph. The performers never drive, the camera is locked to the car, and dialogue is usable.
Figures are illustrative, chosen to show the mechanics rather than to quote market rates.
Where you'll see it
Booked with its crew, and dependent on a road lockoff or a controlled route.
Common mistake
Booking a process trailer without the road permissions. The rig plus its crew is a substantial day rate, and it cannot run on a live road without the traffic plan in place.
Related questions
- How fast can a process trailer travel?
- Fast enough to read as real driving, and slower than it looks on camera. The speed is set by the rig, the road permission, and the safety brief rather than by the scene.
- Why not just film the actor driving?
- Safety and performance. On a trailer the performer acts rather than drives, the speed is controlled, and the camera can be rigged anywhere on the rig.
Official sources
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