'I'm sourcing cars to feature on TV and film'

A man in a grey hoodie and blue jeans stands in front of a grey five door Tesla car. The man has his hands in his pockets, and is smiling towards the cameraImage source, Will Morris
Image caption,

Will Morris owns four cars, and is building a portfolio of people's vehicles that production studios can hire

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A self-confessed "petrolhead" is building a database of vehicles - from modern classics to performance cars - that studios can hire for TV and film productions.

Will Morris from Stoke-on-Trent said he started Cars on Screen after being told by the boss of a studio that a Rover Metro GTA he bought could potentially rent for up to £1000 a week.

"I was like, what?" said Mr Morris, whose day job is supplying IT solutions to film and game studios.

His hope is that members of the public will upload their vehicle details to the website for production companies to browse, with his company acting as a booking agent.

A man in a grey polo shirt and dark trousers is stood alongside a black Porsche SUV. He has his arms crossed and is smiling.Image source, Will Morris
Image caption,

Will Morris and his friend Simon Wright (pictured) are both described as "petrolheads"

There are already more than 20 vehicles on the website, from an Aston Martin Vantage V8 to a Nissan Skyline and a Ford Sierra XR4x4.

More cars are available to hire, but the owners do not want them listed online.

Mr Morris said a lot of studios were looking for period-correct vehicles for use in background scenes, as well as "action" vehicles that actors can be filmed in.

They are providing cars to a production being filmed in Bristol set in 1998, and have been turning an old Vauxhall Vectra into a police car.

A black and white American police car. It says Sheriff and call 911 on the side, and there is an emergency services light bar on the roofImage source, Cars on Screen
Image caption,

One of the cars on the site is a Ford Crown Victoria US police car

"Studios pay a lot of money to get cars, so this is a cheaper option for them," said his friend Simon Wright, who has joined the business as development manager.

Every day is different when you are on set with a car, added Mr Wright, who described the process of filming as "very exciting."

Although they are still building their portfolio of vehicles, Mr Morris believes the venture, which is a spin-off from his main IT business, has the potential to be very successful.

"My accountant is suggesting that Cars on Screen will be bigger than the IT side of things," he said.

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