Georgia Magazine - February 2022 - 16

Carsare the stars
'It's all about the magic'
By Jackie Kennedy
A
n aging junk car might look like scrap metal to
many, but for the crew at Cinema Vehicles,
every old ride is a blank slate offering
opportunity for reinvention.
And when the process of refurbishing an old
vehicle-or building one from the ground up-is
done, the new creation becomes a " picture car "
ready for its cinematic debut.
Picture cars are vehicles that are filmed or
photographed. Like actors, who may play a bit part
or the leading role, picture cars might be in the background
of a scene-or the star of the show.
Cinema Vehicles is the nation's oldest and one of
its largest picture-car companies. The company was
founded in Los Angeles by Ray Claridge in 1975 and
has supplied vehicles for some of Hollywood's most
popular productions.
The automotive stars that Cinema Vehicles
has produced have included the General Lee, the
Dodge Charger in " The Dukes of Hazzard " ; Jaguars,
called Shaguars, for the " Austin Powers " movies; and
armored troop carriers for " The Hunger Games " film
series.
Ron Cerven has worked at Cinema Vehicles'
Georgia office since it opened in 2017. As general
manager, he has overseen the prep work for cars
headed to the movies, TV or music videos. He
says there are about 350 vehicles at the company's
Peachtree Corners location at any given time.
Have cars, will customize
" We have cars and trucks from every decade,
starting with a 1911 Ford Model T, and we own every
vehicle on our lot, " he says. " Inside, we build vehicles
from the ground up. A lot of times the director is
seeking an exact look, and the production team
comes to us with drawings or ideas, and we build
what they want off their sketches. We do fabrication
and mechanical work and all our own paint
work, custom graphics, upholstery and specialized
bodywork. "
The company's collection of picture cars
includes dozens of makes and models, and its
16 Georgia Magazine February 2022
Ron Cerven pairs Cinema Vehicles clients with picture cars of all ages, makes and
models, including this 1916 pickup with dump bed and hand crank.
custom fabrication department builds anything not available on the lot.
Picture-car coordinators who work for movie and TV production
companies visit the Cinema Vehicles lot, check out the cars
and share photos and specs with their production teams.
What if a director needs a jalopy with bullet holes to
illustrate a mid-20th-century shootout? Cinema Vehicles'
fabrication department will build just the right 1950s auto,
then drill holes in it and fashion them to look as though the
car just drove through a gunfight.
Need a wrecked car with shattered glass? The picturecar
people can build one using silicon rubber that mimics
the look of broken glass without the sharp edges that
Need a wrecked car with shattered glass? The picturecould
injure actors or crew members.
" It's all about the magic, " Cerven says.
Magic-and mystery.
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JACKIE KENNEDY
Georgia Magazine - February 2022

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