How To Make Money Filming Cars (And Do What You Love)

Summary

Automotive creator Alex McInnes, known as Car Creative, describes building a full-time videography and content business through consistent publishing, practical skill-building, client relationships, and multiple revenue streams—not viral hits. He moved from a creative role at a private school into car photography and video, first serving a local Toyota dealership and later working with Subaru Canada, Volkswagen, Porsche, Shell, and equipment brands.

Business Strategy and Playbooks

• Treat YouTube as a long-term lead-generation channel. Alex favors YouTube over Instagram for attracting business because YouTube content can surface through Google search. Subaru Canada found him after searching for someone who could teach automotive photography. He says his YouTube channel grew faster than Instagram, despite never having a breakout viral video.
• Research prospects before pitching. Before approaching a dealership, review its Facebook, Instagram, website, and YouTube presence. Identify specific gaps—such as weak posting frequency or poor video content—and pitch a solution tailored to those needs rather than offering generic photography.
• Package services around business outcomes. Offer more than a single post on your own channel. Alex combines production, brand-channel content, and usage rights so the client can distribute or promote the media themselves. This can include several reels for a brand to publish, alongside optional creator-channel exposure.
• Build a product ladder from audience questions. Start with a small, useful digital product, collect customer emails, and develop related products over time. Alex began with low-cost presets and tutorials, then expanded into higher-priced products such as editing tools and color-grading resources.
• Use accessible work to build a portfolio and relationships. Practice on your own car, ordinary vehicles, or other subjects; attend car meets; offer useful photos or recap videos; and follow up with people you meet. Contacts can lead to access to more desirable cars, referrals, and paid shoots.
• Make practice part of the work process. Alex’s approach is to shoot, review the result, identify what is weak, and reshoot or learn the next skill. He warns against staying in a passive “learning” stage by watching tutorials without making work.
• Stay flexible about the market. Automotive work alone was not always enough to sustain Alex’s business. He also filmed real estate and other business content, noting that nearly every company needs photography, portraits, social media assets, or video.
• Choose a niche and content style that fit your goals. Car-meet networking may help creators pursuing luxury-car clients, while Alex prioritized B2B brand work. He also notes that UGC-style content can be a path for creators whose strengths are making brand assets rather than building a large audience.

Revenue Streams and Metrics Mentioned

• Dealership social media work: Alex took over content creation and posting for a dealership, targeting three to four posts per week. Before COVID, he recalls being paid about C$2,000–C$2,500 per month for this part-time work; the exact figure is uncertain.
• In-kind partnership: During the pandemic, he agreed to provide one free video per month in exchange for a Toyota Tacoma. The deal depended on a strong relationship with the dealership manager and was not presented as a standard arrangement.
• YouTube advertising: At one point, AdSense generated about $550 per month—enough, in his framing, to help cover a car payment, not his household expenses. Elsewhere, he describes current ad revenue as a little over $500, while emphasizing that it is a small part of his income.
• Digital products: He experimented with a $1 preset, a roughly $50 tutorial, and later products priced around $30, $50, and $80. He says digital products eventually generated approximately $2,000–$3,000 per month, helping him leave his previous job. He also mentions a product earning about €1,000 per month, though the transcript’s currency and platform-payment details are unclear.
• Brand projects: Alex says he typically completes three to five high-quality projects per year for Subaru Canada. He also describes producing 10 photos and one reel per month for a current vehicle campaign; the exact scope and timing are not fully clear in the subtitles.
• Content licensing and UGC: With Shell, Alex creates high-quality content and the brand pays for rights to distribute it. This separates the value of producing assets from the uncertain performance of a post on the creator’s own channel.
• High-end production budgets: Alex recounts that a friend was paid $50,000 for a 60-second video for Jaguar and that a Toyota contractor reportedly received a similar amount. These are examples of reported brand budgets, not Alex’s own stated rate. He says he has not personally earned $50,000 for a video.
• Sales activity: One participant described making 1,000 sales calls per month, compared with colleagues making about 250. This was offered as an example of how activity volume can influence sales results. A separate conversion-rate statement about contacting 100 companies is garbled and should not be treated as a reliable benchmark.
• Brand economics vary: Alex says larger automotive and energy brands can pay well, while some equipment-brand arrangements may offer less cash or product rather than a substantial fee. He advises small creators to consider asking for a loaner product for a defined project, then seek paid work as their portfolio and credibility grow.

Concrete Recommendations

• Learn camera fundamentals—including aperture, ISO, lighting, and storytelling—before marketing yourself as a professional.
• Make work immediately with the equipment and subjects available. Alex practiced on Corollas and Siennas before filming higher-end cars.
• Use car meets and local owners to build access and referrals. Offer a clear deliverable, such as a recap video or photos, and send the work promptly.
• Keep a library of useful products and content. A low-priced first product can validate demand and create an email list for future offers.
• Pitch brands on production quality and usable assets, not only follower counts. A large audience is not required to create UGC that a brand can post or license.
• Do not assume “no” is permanent. Brands may reconsider after a creator’s work, audience, or positioning changes.
• Develop complementary income sources—such as real estate or general business photography—rather than relying entirely on automotive assignments.
• Focus on repeatable output and relationships instead of virality. Alex says he built his business through years of steady work and aims to help and serve a community rather than chase a specific view count.
• Make authentic work that reflects your interests and personality. The participants discuss a growing appetite for more human, less overproduced content, especially as AI-generated material becomes more common.

Presenters and Sources

• Featured guest: Alex McInnes, known as Car Creative.
• Host: Peter, associated with The Car Video Guy / The Car Video Academy.
• Other identifiable participants: AJ, Dominic, Yani, and additional community members.
• Sources cited or discussed: Alex’s YouTube channel and experience; his work with Subaru Canada, Volkswagen, Porsche, Shell, and other brands; and examples shared by participants in the Car Video Academy community.