*** new tv series (reality rides) trailer ***

What a concept! A car build/reality show that doesn't assume that the viewer is a dim nose picker who thinks that opening the hood on his Prius will void the warranty. Unfortunately, the drama/conflict/deadline format appeals to a much larger audience than this type of program that will interest the typical H.A.M.B.er.

Sadly, history shows us that quality programs have a difficult time building an audience large enough to survive. A smart guy whose name I can't recall once said "No one ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public".

But what the hell, I'll look forward to seeing this series anyway. Love that Buick!

 

No one's asking you to make it your wedding song.

 

Do it. If its an honest show about building cars I'll watch. I dont give a damn what the soundtrack is...ABBA, Bee Gees, who the hell cares?

 

Feedback: A little over sentimental, and the music is HORRIBLE, but just sitting here watching it for 3 minutes reminded me why I am working on the cars I'm working on. So overall I loved it and would like to see a functional shop do good work on interesting cars.

(About that music: I get that the lyrics work well, but it's a 1955 Buick! The music sounds like a Mazda commercial. Kudos for not using the same lame psychobilly as every other old car video out there, but how about some acoustic rockabilly, old-style country instrumental, or even bluegrass?? Anything that actually calls the era of the car to mind? Or better yet, a medley that quickly runs through the decades and concludes with a modern remake of a 1955 song?)

 

I was sad when I heard ColdPLay, You made it work well though. Excllent video

 

How 'bout some Iron Maiden instead?

 

Exactly. Put on Lawrence Welk and the champagne bubbles, it'll make no difference to me.

 

I saw the two full episodes on Vimeo. I liked them, but I'm a car guy. I've also written and sold stories, both fiction and non-fiction. So wanting you to succeed, I have advice for you. Basically, you need to tell better stories.

If you are after some slightly more general audience you will need to have some of the key ingredients of a good story. A beginning, middle, end. A protagonist, and a conflict - something the protagonist overcomes. On the two episodes I watched, conflict of any type was missing and so it was a bit ho-hum. I don't mean you should create personal conflict (the opposite, no drama!) but some sort of suspense - what sort of hidden rust will we find? Will we EVER get a good working transmission? Without any suspense, it becomes like a fairly dull documentary without any real wonder of what will happen next.

If you are not emotionally invested in the people in the show (they are nice guys and competent but not movie stars - they need to explain why what they do is important to them, thus to the viewer) and not invested in the outcome of their task then you have a rather limited audience. Much as I hate to say it, the "American Chopper" show does well on SOME of that stuff - by golly their family drama gets old quickly. But their narration on the build itself does a very good job of providing a type of conflict, interest, something new each time, etc.

Another good role model is older seasons of "This Old House", where nice people show off their problem-solving and craftsmanship in a sort of Gee Whiz! way, telling you what they did and why they had to do it that way, what the alternatives were, and then you watch them do a good job on a small task - the viewer says "hey, now that I understand, maybe I can do that". That was something I never got from your show.

The other thing I would have liked to see is a little bit more technical explanation of how the DynaFlow worked - maybe do a cutaway of a trashed one? Or at least some pictures. Another tech bit would be how the Nailhead was designed to fit in place of a narrow straight-8 motor and thus has the valves straight up, how it has a torque tube (and what it does), etc. Not anything too detailed, just some general stuff that would fit in well on the Discovery channel and easily understood by a 12 year old.

Do you want to watch an adventure story or a documentary? You've got a documentary - "we did this, then we did this, repeat, repeat". You need something more like, "but (gasp) we couldn't do that because evil mister (rust, budget, worn out parts, whatever) wouldn't let us. So then we got clever, and here's how we fixed things..."

==========
One trivial/crazy idea is to have Bondo Pete (a guy in a Nixon mask perhaps) visit you each show and give TERRIBLE advice on how to fix the current small problem - bad shortcuts, poor safety, bailing wire, duct tape, bondo, etc. You of course then explain to Bondo Pete why you don't do things that way. This gives some comic relief and also lets your experts explain WHY some course of action is the correct one without seeming to be just a lecture.

Story-telling is as old as our cave-man ancestors. So, go back to the oldest story-telling advice ever recorded - show me something I don't know, and tell me a story!

 

And regarding the sound track, get a license for whatever is cheap, or preferably do it yourself. I bet you know someone who plays guitar - if you want an Iron Maiden, Bee Gees, or whatever vibe (but not cover version) they can supply it, without any licensing fees. Licensing music for broadcast rights is full of lawyers and expensive, so if you can get your own (fitting) original music you will be much happier.

 

I want more.great job.

 

I liked it. There are enough (too many) gearhead shows on television with fake drama; we don't need any more screaming fights or impossible deadlines that are always somehow met with seconds to spare.

As far as the music goes, the lyrics fit well but the tune is pretty maudlin. I'd go for something more upbeat, if you have the budget there are a number of companies out there that can compose music for television shows.

edit: What I'm thinking of are TV shows like This Old House or Hometime; they have theme songs that are played at the beginning and end of the shows, along with maybe a few bars during scene changes. On the opposite end of the spectrum are the Powerblock car shows on Spike TV - they play this awful loud stuff through the entire show that is really distracting.

 

How bout Lawrence Welk AND Iron Maiden!

 

Nice like it. Maybe some punk polka'

Tough to get a show on air. I like it, Good luck!!!

 

Very well done for a trailer !

Retro Jim

 

... this can go on and on... keep it where you got it. It's spot on!

 

Yuppers, If you stick to what you said Greene Hd you have one more who will be a faithful watcher. I didn't watch much of any of those shows that had the drama and nonsense and not enough how we did it involved.

I'm a big 55 Buick fan and especially of the Specials and that one turned out really nice.

 

Amen to that, man are we on the same page as far as that goes. Loud background music on a show like this is as bad and distracting as those stupid laugh tracks on so called comedy shows.

 

I'm putting that on the new www.buickstreet.com!

 

very cool video...and the car changed itself into a coupe too

 

Awesome!

HC.

 

"Punk Polka" hahahahaha!

 

reality rides will be shown on discoverys new channel, velocity the begining of next year...

 

Very nice & classy Video....loved it.....wishing you all the best success with the series.
J. Crawford Jr.

 

Very nice.

 

Well its next year. come Oct 5 this new series will be playing on Saturdays at 9 am. on Velocity Channel. This is reality car building at its best. Check it out.

 

Tits!-MIKE

 

Super !!!! Excellent video-trailer , I will watch for sure, but with
NO DRAMA , fighting, cussing, etc., it probably stay on
the tube for long !!! We can only hope it does !!!!!

 

Blocking ANY of those portholes is risky. How are you gonna do that, and still make
DYNA flow?

 

Alright...I have been informed that the television series Reality Rides has moved to a better time due to discovery channels excitement of this new series.

The new air time is 8 am Sunday mornings. viewing now comes before and after Chasing Classic Cars and Fifth Gear....

This new time draws 15% more viewers than sat mornings. Tune in and see why Discovery Channel thinks we're worth moving.