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Based in the US, Driving Plates is the world’s leading source of HD and 4K 360-degree driving stock footage from around the globe for use in television, feature films and commercials.
Driving Plates is also a full-service production company offering custom environment capture production services on set and on road using state-of-the-art camera rigs.
Driving Plates’ production services use crews who integrate with main film and TV units and shoot on set with vehicles, stunt drivers and actors. The company also travels to bring specific footage back from anywhere in the world.
In September 2018, the company launched a division in the UK as it looks to expand its presence in the worldwide.
Principals
ian sharples —Production Consultant — as our local partner, ian brings over 20 years of experience in the uk film and television industry to the table. ian shares our passion for delivering innovative and unique solutions to the production process.
m. shawn lawler — director/producer — with over 10 years in the film and television industry, Shawn brings both creativity and business acumen to the project. Those skills helped build the company into a key player in the US market. shawn has been the driving force in expanding driving plates to the uk market.
See below for detailed biographies
HISTORY
Started in 2011. Driving Plates, has developed a system to create high quality HD and 4k stock footage that spans the globe. Driving plates is the worlds leading source for high quality 360° driving environment capture production services and stock footage from around the globe.
driving plates uses a patented (US Patent No. 88141812) multi-camera array that is designed for the sole purpose of shooting driving scenes using a configuration that is optimized for the best possible footage for compositing. All nine angles are captured simultaneously and in sync. the director of photography and visual effects supervisor will both be relieved when the production decides to use driving plates footage.
Press
"professionalism and quality of work" — the commuter
"driving plates always puts the client first with great customer service and has the best driving plates around" — empire
"Best product " — blindspot
Bios
Ian sharples
Ian Sharples has worked in the Film & TV industry since 1989 and across all genre of programmes including commercials, documentaries, sport, interactive, feature films and TV drama. He has credits on TV and features as a Line Producer, Producer and Exec Producer.
He is co-owner, Producer and MD of The Mob Film Company in London and has produced or exec produced their entire drama and factual slate for nearly 20 years, bringing three multi award winning Terry Practhett Discworld mini series to Sky viewers as well as completing several feature films including One More Kiss, which was Gerard Butler’s first lead roll, and The Virgin of Liverpool, starring Ricky Tomlinson and Imelda Staunton.
2017 saw the release of two features productions: Cruel & Unusual, a documentary following the story of the Angola 3, three Black Panthers in Louisiana who have spend more than 100 years in solitary confinement between them for crimes they did not commit, and seasonal comedy The Man Who Invented Christmas starring Dan Stevens, Christopher Plummer and Jonathan Pryce. Directed by Bharat Nalluri the film follows Charles Dickens through his complicated life as he writes A Christmas Carol and was released around the world in November 2017.
Ian won a TV BAFTA award in 2006 for Interactivity on the Hogfather digital media campaign.
He is currently in development on several TV and feature projects with partners such as Channel 4, Lionsgate and BBC Films.
On the physical production side he has always been interested in the constantly changing face of film making technology and the potential benefit for creativity, quality and efficiency and was the first producer to undertake a “real” production using the Arri D20 (remember those?),. Having worked with the Driving Plates team in early 2018, teaming up with Shawn and David to help bring their new technology to the UK seemed like a natural thing to do.