Should Used Car Dealers make a Video of each car?

WilliamEgan

Hey,

Looking for some help, I represent a number of used car dealers, won't mention them as i don't want to get in trouble.

I am planning to propose that a short video should be made of each car to go with uploaded pictures that go online.

Basically I want to get your feedback (positive and negative) on whether you think its a good idea and if it would make you more likely to be interested in the car.

Thanks,

Will

Anan1

Waste of time, IMO - the image quality won't be high enough. Better to have a good selection of high-res images on the dealer websites.

Max Power1

would make no difference IMHO. 4+ pics of the car, 1/2 of the interior aswell, all in high res, would be sufficient.,

TestTransmission

Wasn't some dealer doing this already?few months back.

Owen

I used to do a similar job to you, photos of cars for a group of websites, along with all their webdev. We looked into the video idea, but to make it anyway attractive, you need to use a turntable with the car going around, good lighting, and dollies so you can sweep from left too right in the dash, etc.

It can be done professionally, and raise the bar, or it can be done half assed with a camcorder, and look terrible - like a teenager putting his car on youtube.

dirtydiesel

Take your idea to dragons den:D
I guess from a customers point of view the more info we can get on the car the better.
How long would the video be and what exactly would be on it?
I like your idea.

DonnieBrasco

I think its a good idea. No reason why the the pictures cant be there too. The more the footage the better.

WilliamEgan

Thanks guys. Yeah think a couple of garages have done it in the past, possibly last year.

Its tough to actually get those quality images was my problem which someone has touched on above.

WilliamEgan

dirtydiesel wrote: »

Take your idea to dragons den:D
I guess from a customers point of view the more info we can get on the car the better.
How long would the video be and what exactly would be on it?
I like your idea.

Would be probably 30 sec roughly covering outside and inside of car, engine boot and wheels perhaps.

dirtydiesel

WilliamEgan wrote: »

Would be probably 30 sec roughly covering outside and inside of car, engine boot and wheels perhaps.

Sounds good.

biko

A short scanning video is a good idea but as said above pics are really better.
However the video is good and easy to do, just walk around the car so the paint job shows maybe looking closer at alloys and discs.

BlackWizard

I definitely would be very satisfied with a few nice high res photos and a video of the car. Doesn't have to be high quality. You tube 360p is fine. Basically walk around the car with the camera slow and show the body, wheels and interior. Open all the doors and move the camera into the car so the viewers can see the inside.

I wouldn't be looking for some high quality photography student stuff. Just a salesman holding the camera steady and moving slowly is fine.

faigs

I think to do it properly it would cost you too much, you would need clamps, tracks, dollies, lighting etc for a quality short video. The video wouldn't show anything a photo can't unless it's for a 'test drive' of some sort. Even still I don't think that would help sell a car. You would need to use a fairly expensive camera that can handle the darkness of a car's interior well.

Anything less and it would look like a crappy youtube video as stated above. More hassle and cost than it's worth IMO.

colm_mcm

One or two garages having it is a novelty and it sets your ad apart from others, but because all main dealer cars are so similar I don't see the need for showing that the radio works and the engine starts.

robtri

personally, dont think a video would be of much benifit..
as stated some proper Hi-res pictures is what i prefer, if i am interested then I will go and see the car.... for test drive and inspection...

but good quality hi res shots is important,
a lot of dealers currently take crap pictures, the shot should just have one car in it from all the relevant angles... not some crappy arse pic...

here's a pic from main Ford dealer, this is the first pic you see of car on carzone.... like WTF

WilliamEgan

The only issue that I have found with carzone is that the image limit you can upload is 640*480 which stops you ever having really high rez images.