The Differential - WIP Top Gear style car review show in GT7 - and I want you for a segment!

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Theufcveteran

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theufc33
The Differential Logo Announcement 4K.webp



Hi, all, I'm in the early stages of a video series that will have condensed, 2-3 minute Top Gear style reviews of cars in GT7, alongside power laps after the review finishes.

Where you come in, is that the show will have something like Star in a Reasonably Priced Car, but just the lap. Whoever applies will set a lap for that specific episode you use a specific stock car, a specific track in time trial, at a set time of day (dry or wet, it's randomised, wet laps will have their own leaderboard), and your lap is commentated over by me. You'll need to upload your lap to the GT7 server so I can view it natively, and a video will be need to be uploaded to show the car is stock.

Jeremy Clarkson influenced part of my humour growing up, and I've dreamed of hosting Top Gear lol, so this is me kind of trying that.

My persona/humour/way of talking on the show will be unashamedly very much like Clarkson (less abrasive sometimes, but same kind of humour style), because that's what I like. I figure also, if I can do it well, then others who feel similar towards that era of the show will like it too if it brings the same kind of feel.

The idea is basically to just do 2002-2015 style Top Gear in terms of car reviews, down to the editing style which will have stuff like early TG type of editing, and others will be later Top Gear style.

I haven't hammered it all down yet, so if you're interested, I'll make another post (and update the main post) with the details about what car will be used when the time comes. Your lap must be clean and with Grip Reduction Off Track set to Real.

Also, each person will get to choose a song that will "play" over the "radio" in the car, where I'll comment on it like how Clarkson did with what the Stig would listen to on power laps.
 
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Thanks all for your interest! I recorded some footage last night and have begun working on the script. I'm excited!

I have narrowed the "SIARPC" car down to:

Ford Focus ST '15, in Tangerine Scream colour, must be bought from Brand Central.

Stock, except for Comfort: Medium tyres.

Its PP value should be 447.46 as of GT7 update 1.70.

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Pokey enough to not make the track we're using a slog, but challenging enough with Comfort: Medium (not unfun, though) for the track layout.

I intend to stick with this car for at least a good amount of "seasons" (I plan on doing this long term), I'd like to build up a big leaderboard like how Top Gear did.

You would have one appearance only, with rare chances to go again later down the line if your initial time was on the lower end of the leaderboard at the time when it was set (and perhaps if it falls considerably over time).

If we ever switch to a new car, then everyone can go again. If you feel a one-time lap ever would be unfair/not fun in terms of community engagement, let me know.

I'm not opposed to some kind of repeatable per-episode/challenge thing where everyone gets to compete ala online time trials. Perhaps something like a "send in your best clips/laps" from any car/track". Maybe the most liked clip/lap (on GTP) is the one shown in the episode.

It would be a good segment to add that changes it up from real Top Gear, to add a bit of originality (given The Differential is very TG inspired).

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The first episode is still likely a few weeks out. The videos will probably be 10 minutes long in total, because I intend to make it quite cinematic, or at least do a good bit of editing between camera angles, I don't want to burn out with long heavily edited episodes every few weeks.

It's early stages in terms of the show, but maybe when I have the intro done, I'll share that as a teaser type thing. And yes, there will be silly intros.
 
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Nebuc72
Nice.. my real car!
Not the same colour, though that is my dream spec of it.
Click to expand...
Hey, nice coincidence! I was going to choose Magnetic (black), but I felt it just didn't highlight the car's contours enough for a viewing experience - even though I don't dislike the colour personally.

I felt Tangerine Scream was a nice callback to a couple of times they've had hot Fords on TG, as it's a vibrant colour, for example the Mk 2 Focus ST (orange), and the Mk 2 Focus RS (lime green).

Of all the colours, in terms of best viewing, I thought Tangerine Scream would work best. Although I have yet to test it on track, but I was checking Scapes Movies to see the lighting. Either way, I think it'll be okay, so we'll stick with that.

The track will be Dragon Trail - Gardens Reverse. It provides a nice challenge with an FF car that has some power, with the kind of turns it has. It has rain which means we can do wet reviews and wet SIARPC laps, it's also an original circuit which I thought would best fit how TG's circuit is a smaller/lesser known one. In a sense, almost like it's an original/fictional track, even though of course it's not. But all of that considered, it felt like the best place to do it.

Soon, I'll announce it all together with just that info (once I have the name of the segment down), in a post in this thread, and also in the main post.
 
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Wanted to make a post to mention a couple of things. First off, it's still happening, just in a bit of a different form.

It turns out this was another thing I thought I wanted to do and then realised I don't actually want to do. I really thought I was gonna go for this with the full nine yards.

Secondly, I still am going to make the show. I do actually want to make something in this vein, but I don't think I want to make it a full TG feature length thing. So what helps me is making it shorter. If it's shorter, I find it more achievable.

The "car review" section will probably be a couple of minutes. I'll still make TG style edits to make it feel like TG. Still have voice over. But I know that if I try to make a full 5+ segment feature, I'll just keep putting it off forever. And I don't exactly want to say "hey guys, sorry, it's not happening" after I already committed.

We'll still have the timed lap and the SIARPC segment. I'm just gonna use whatever replay angles the game gives me for those with some light editing to get cockpit shots.

So - apologies for the false expectations, I did not think I'd wouldn’t be doing the full TG feature length thing until the feeling came up. I suspect it was an ADHD type hyperfixation, but I do think something shorter with less work (unless it's something like game design which I can do without the mental resistance, shorter/less work is better - but I won't rush the work that is there).

I will commit to a short 15-30 second trailer by next Friday. Just to give an idea of what the episodes will look like. Basically I'm gonna try and hit all the beats of a TG review in 2-3 minutes and also try to not make it feel rushed.
 
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As someone who has trouble staying committed to projects, whether that be life getting in the way, or a drop-off in interest afterwards, I completely understand. Regardless, I'm still interested in the idea and look forward to seeing where it goes.

No rush, no pressure. As long as it makes you happy, and makes you feel proud of your work, that's all that matters. ^^
 
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