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Car Chase Animatic

Objective

For this task, we were challenged to create a dynamic 30-second car chase animatic, combining live camera recordings with post-production techniques in Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects.

The project aimed to strengthen our skills in previsualization, action sequencing, and the seamless integration of camera work with visual effects, ensuring a polished and cinematic final result.

The Tech Heist

Set in the streets of Tokyo at night

Protagonist: A British secret agent undercover as an unassuming software engineer named Sam.

Antagonist: A rogue AI-controlled drone fleet.

The Plot

Aston Martin chased by armed drones

Sam has just stolen a crucial piece of technology from a corrupt corporation that plans to use it for mass surveillance. As he speeds through the neon-lit streets of Tokyo in his modified Aston Martin, he's pursued not by humans but by a fleet of AI-controlled drones. The twist? The drones are programmed to adapt and learn from Sam's driving patterns, making the chase increasingly difficult.

Sam must use his tech skills and the car's built-in gadgets and weapons to outsmart the drones and either disable or destroy them while navigating the bustling cityscape.

Timing

Start (0-10 seconds)

Scene: A British secret agent, undercover as an unassuming software engineer named Sam, is seen calmly exiting a high-tech building with a small device. He sets off an EMP device, and the building is plunged into darkness.

Action: He jumps into his modified Aston Martin after seeing a multitude of red glowing lights around the darkened building. He speeds off as alarms blare in the background.

Visuals: Quick cuts of neon-lit streets and the car's dashboard lighting up.

Middle (10-20 seconds)

Scene: Sam is chased by armed drones through the bustling streets of Tokyo.

Action: The drones fire from above, behind, and on either side. Sam uses his driving skills, tech knowledge, and the Aston Martin gadgets and weapons to evade their threats.

Visuals: High-speed manoeuvres, close calls, explosions, and gunfire. Sam temporarily disables a few drones using his tech skills while using the car's weapons to destroy more of the drones.

End (20-30 seconds)

Scene: Sam reaches a narrow alley and uses an EMP device to disable the remaining drones.

Action: He breathes a sigh of relief, but a final drone appears at the end of the alley behind him, hinting at continued danger.

Visuals: The drone can be seen through the rear-view mirror. As the drone approaches, he arms the car's rear rocket launcher and fires. The drone is blown to pieces.

Research

Movie car chases

In support of my research, I undertook the task of importing the complete car chase scene from the film "Bullet" into Adobe Premiere Pro. Utilising the Scene Edit Detection feature, I systematically analysed the footage to identify distinct segments within the scene. Following this analysis, I meticulously selected the most impactful frames to curate a 30-second chase sequence. This process involved outlining the essential frames and determining the specific cuts necessary to create a cohesive and engaging final product.

Bullet

Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift

In connection with the "Bullet Chase" scene, I imported the car chase sequence from "Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift" into Premiere Pro and performed a scene edit detection. I then identified and selected the most impactful frames to craft a 30-second chase sequence, clearly outlining the necessary frames and cuts to support my project research.

A list of movies with great car chases

I also watched several more car chases from various movies, including:

The Blues Brothers: A classic that never fails to thrill, with a car chase that's truly over the top. It's possibly the biggest police car pileup I’ve ever seen in a movie, and it's a wild ride from start to finish.

Baby Driver: The driving skills on display are nothing short of crazy; he's a master of the reverse break turn. The framing is not just excellent, it's breathtaking.

The French Connection: A 1970s classic. The tension is palpable as they try to catch the train's next stop that never happens. He narrowly misses a lady with a pram, adding to the suspense.

And more: Gone in 60 seconds, Drive, Bond Films like, Man with the Golden Gun, Specter and all the ones with an Aston Martin in, of course.

A list of movies with great car chases

I also watched several more car chases from various movies, including:

The Blues Brothers: A classic that never fails to thrill, with a car chase that's truly over the top. It's possibly the biggest police car pileup I’ve ever seen in a movie, and it's a wild ride from start to finish.

Baby Driver: The driving skills on display are nothing short of crazy; he's a master of the reverse break turn. The framing is not just excellent, it's breathtaking.

The French Connection: A 1970s classic. The tension is palpable as they try to catch the train's next stop that never happens. He narrowly misses a lady with a pram, adding to the suspense.

And more: Gone in 60 seconds, Drive, Bond Films like, Man with the Golden Gun, Specter and all the ones with an Aston Martin in, of course.

AI image creation, sketching thumbnails, blocking and storyboarding

AI Prompting

AI prompting for image references:

Prompt: Armed drones are chasing a silver Aston Martin through the streets of Tokyo. The Drones are high-tech. Emphasis on the neon lights of Tokyo.

Prompt: Can you create an image of a futuristic-looking EMP device that is incorporated into an Aston Martin DB10 dashboard

Prompt: Can you create an image of a futuristic armed drone with the look of a scary samurai mask with bright red laser eyes

Experimentation

Playing with HotWheels

Toy cars are great for practising and planning car chases. Our tutor, Dave, brought in some toy cars to experiment with. But while I was at the till in Aldi there before my eyes were brand new genuine HotWheels, so I got 2 of them.

I used a small LED Light Photo Studio Box to take pictures of various angles of both cars. I then took one of my favourites and brought it into Photoshop, used a Tokyo Street background and placed them into the scene after I had edited the cars. I added some light effects and some motion blur. Before and after shots below.

Reference footage

To inform the visual storytelling of my car chase animatic, I recorded reference footage using an iPhone mounted to a dashboard phone holder, positioned to face the road ahead. This approach simulated the driver's perspective, offering valuable insight into how motion, traffic, and urban architecture interact in real-time. The footage helped me study the dynamic framing of buildings, the shifting vanishing points, and the rhythm of road movement—key elements in crafting a believable and engaging chase sequence.

The Storyboard

Sketching the storyboard

The next step was to outline the storyboard for the animatic. I had enough still images of my favourite movie chases and the Hot Wheels images to provide a clear vision of what I was aiming for. I also sketched out the drone and finished it in Photoshop along with other elements for the animatic, including the Aston Martin DB10.I had

The storyboard and Blocking

To begin visualising the sequence, I created several initial blocking shots using Photoshop (see example on the right). Guided by the storyline and supported by visual references, I then sketched the storyboard. At this stage, the focus was not on fine detail, but on capturing the core action and movement within each scene. I also began experimenting with the placement and flow of vehicles to establish spatial continuity and narrative rhythm.

Storyboard sketches

Storyboard

Storyboard with more SFX descriptions

Tokyo Street blocked out

First scene blocked out

The Animatic

Sketching the storyboard