If you read my first post on January 31st, you noticed that the job of an automotive designer is no easy task. These hard workers are faced with tons of rejection, along with the internal struggle of what to design next and how to design something so it's practical. There are many unidentified truths about the auto design industry, and the career itself is clearly not for the faint of heart. However, the public is barraged with many false perspectives of the life of an automotive designer.
Fiction vs. Nonfiction Perspectives
The 2011 movie "The Dilemma", starring Vince Vaughn and Kevin James, tells the story of a couple friends that are partners in their own auto design firm. However, that is not the primary focus of the movie. Instead, the movie focuses on the relationship between one the characters and his wife after she cheats on him and the conflict is mostly based on how this man's friend should react and deal with the situation without the cheating wife reacting negatively. Rather than provide an accurate perspective of the business of auto design, the movie instead displays the glamorous side of the business and has the typical happily-ever-after ending.If you're looking for a more accurate depiction of the life of an automotive designer, I suggest you turn to the 1988 drama "Tucker: The Man and His Dream". This film, based on the real life story of Preston Tucker, recounts his attempt to produce and market the 1948 Tucker Sedan. However, Tucker is met with great resistance between the "Big Three" automobile manufacturers which include General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler, and the SEC accusing him of stock fraud. Unlike The Dilemma, this film is meant to be a realistic depiction of the lifestyle of automotive designers and, according to the reviews, does just that.
Design Concepts in Movies vs. Reality
We are all familiar with the vehicle that Gotham's masked crusader crashes through concrete walls with: the "Batmobile". But as many notice, designs such as these seem too good to be true. That's because they are. Other examples, including James Bond's Aston Martin DB5, Doc Brown's 1982 Delorean, and the numerous contraptions from the movie Mad Max fall into the same category. While these are more extreme examples, you can easily see how Hollywood influences the perspective of the design industry in the eyes of the public.
As a responsible, educated viewer, it is your job to be able to depict the truth out of all the nonsense that surrounds us.
Sources
Maslin, Janet. "Glimpsing the Soul of an Old Machine." Rev. of Tucker: The Man and His Dream. New York Times 12 Aug. 1988. Print.
Stewardson, James. "The 8 Best Movie Car Designs Ever." The 8 Best Movie Car Designs Ever. 6 May 2013. Web. 28 Feb. 2016.
By: Shane S.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a really good point about how movies influence modern car designs. Look at the popularity of the Transformer's character Bumblebee. They made a custom Camaro just for the movie, which sparked huge interest in that type of car. The automotive industry is not as easy and straightforward as people realize and that's clear here.