[Levitron]

I think what Tom means is instead of doing randoms/candids that you encounter, you should try setting up a shot.

So from what I gather, what Tom also means by "pre-planning" is:
-first of all, have a "shot" that you have in your head that you want to realize
-"pose" the car with a spot that has a background you imagined in your head
-set up lighting
-think about the DOF you want to have in the shot
-think about the overall feeling that you want to achieve