Wal-Mart: Transformers 2 Day One Video

As part of the promotional push for the new release of Transformers on Blu-ray and DVD, Wal-Mart has a website of exclusive content for Transformers. Currently they have two videos up (both below thanks to MovieWeb). Click here to go to the site, the code is AllSpark62609 (yep All Spark and TF2 release date).

The first video, "On the Set: Day 1" is the first day of shooting at Bethlehem Steel. The video shows some of the set, Michael Bay at work, some prep work, actors and what would be a day of Bay on set without at least one big explosion. Of note is a scene is shown involving the "Arcee biker babes" and also show the Audi R8 that is unconfirmed as a Decepticon. From what I can tell the ladies are on three bikes (not sure if identical models) that are pink/red, purple/white, and blue/black. Now considering that Bethlehem is dressed a Shanghai, China location, you have to wonder what three Caucasian ladies are doing on those bikes. Could the three merge to form Arcee? Are they just riders up to no good? As usual, its all just guesses until showtime.

The second video, "Creating Transformers" is an amusing video with a good beat from ILM that show how some of the CGI work was done for Transformers I. It goes over many of the main scenes from the movie, shows the various stages in the creation of the TFs.


Thanks to Katie, Dave, Jeff, SpoilerTV, and Tahnee for the links.

Read more »

Constructicon On Set? Nope

Update: As site readers pointed out, it turns out that picture is two years old. Between the date (July 27th), the mention of San Pedro (where Bay is reported to be shooting on the same date) and the way the background "fit" Bethlehem and related sets, it seemed like the real deal. Just to be sure, the TF story had an id of 814. Story ID 815 is about Happy Feet and 812 is an interview on Snakes on a Plane so pretty clearly the egg is on me. If only I had noticed the year.

My apologies for the mistake. Thanks to those for pointing out the error. Despite this blog mostly being about speculation and best guesses I do strive for accuracy where possible. Should I delete the entire post or leave it up for posterity's sake?

Latino Review provided a set report from San Pedro and provided a picture of what could be a Constructicon crane. As reported before it appears that San Pedro is being used as a continuation of the footage shot in Bethlehem and includes many of the Transformer cars seen there and mentioned on the call sheets, one of which was identified as a "Constructicon Earth Mover."
The SUV's are probably NEST vehicles. Could the image be a shot of the Constructicon? A place holder for the CGI element that will be inserted later? Just a crane on the set where things happen? Beats me.

One source told me that the Constructicon is not one of the group that forms Devastator from G1 cartoon. He is actually a single Transformer whose alt mode is one of the world's largest earth movers. As usual, its all speculation and guesses, but then that is part of the fun.

Read more »

Transformers I Concept Art

James Clyne (concept artist) and Tim Flattery (illustrator) have posted some of their concept art that they created in developing Transformers (the first movie). The detail and imagination is pretty amazing. James Clyne's work includes early head designs of various Transformers (Megatron, Bumblebee, Optimus), set designs and moments familiar from the movie. Tim Flattery's work is 15 images that seem to focus on various Decepticon attacks that look really amazing. Thanks to Chris for the finding them.

James Clyne's Gallery (hit "Transformers" in the menu as opens separate popup)
Tim Flattery's Gallery

Read more »

The Editing of Transformers

FX Guide has an article up that covers the effort that went into editing Transformers together. It also has a brief interview with Michael Bay that focuses on the editing aspect of putting the movie together.

The full article is here.

Some highlights:

- Editor Glen Scantleberry worked about 10.5 months editing Transformers together with a lot of it being alternate edits together for Bay to choose from and modify.
- Often used pre-visualizations to help edit the movie together since working off of footage that didn't yet include the CGI robots and needed to get timing right so could turn the edit over to ILM for inserting the CGI.
- Animatics where used in the editing but sometimes changes where made based on set or post production ideas (wonder how much included CGI heavy shots though).
- 5 editors and 1 associate editor worked on the film, all of whom worked with Bay in the past.
- The editors where not fans of the Transformers so Bay had to make sure they didn't cut out references.
- To edit, will put together a full length guild, with animatics, temp dialogue, temp music and temp sound effects to get idea of how things may go together. Usually the storyboards are the guide but subject to change based on director decisions during shooting.
- Bay had final-cut on the film so the theatrical version is the "Director's Cut". (It's why hear about "Extended Edition" DVDs instead as its the Director's Cut with cut scenes added back. If hear about a Director's Cut it usually means the studio had final say on how the movie was put together, usually for the worse cause of too many cooks in the kitchen syndrome.)
- "There are about 630 visual effects shots in the film. There are 430 executed at ILM, 91 at Digital Domain, 70 at the Asylum and the rest are 2D clean up and fixes done by CO3, ISolve and Ken Blackwell. Technical advancements were made in environments, lighting, and simulation of physical effects and integration of CG characters in a real environment."
- ILM did the Transformers, Digital Domain on other scenes including the soft-drink robot.
- “Overall, the most challenging shot is OH020 which is a 360 degree descending camera move on Optimus that rotating around to reveal all four Autobots transforming in an alley”, says ILM visual effects supervisor Scott Farrar. “The shot was filmed in two separate camera moves from two separate rigs: a Russian arm mounted to a camera car and a 50-foot Technocrane. The plates were combined and blended. The 768-frame-long shot moves from an overhead medium close up on Optimus finishing his transformation, into an extreme close up of all the moving parts, then widening out to reveal our hero talent. Shia and Megan watch all four robots individually transform with their own unique style.”
- 1.2 million feet of film shot for the movie

Read more »

Transformers' Art Director Career Article

CGSociety.com has posted a great interview with Transformers' Art Director Alex Jaeger showing off a few early concept designs for Transformers, Star Wars, Star Trek, and Pearl Harbor. Check out the article if only for the art designs and concepts that where included. If don't like the head designs, he is the man to dislike (along with Bay).

Click here for the full article. The left pic is stats (click for bigger pic) on the Transformers and the number of pieces that comprises them. The pic on the right is an early concept design for Megatron by Alex Jaeger.

Some highlights:

- Career started at age 21 as Art Director on Star Trek: First Contact
- When designing Bumblebee, stuck with the original silhouette of the character but changed the horns for fins to help convey emotion, "like a dogs ears."
- Because Bumblebee didn't have a mouth, was difficult to design so could convey emotion. Used the same artwork, configured for different poses and facial expressions to test how emotion on the character.
- Alot of the transformation design involved working out what pieces could be moved, combined, etc to become the necessary part of the robot design.
- Jaeger spent about 2 years in working on the Transformer designs.
- Trips to auto shows, videos, and photos where used to help gets details correct such as light reflections on the metal surfaces and get texture and the like correct.
- Further modifications done to transformations reduce a busy look, so "We had to get some cohesiveness so they didn’t feel like walking junk piles, so we did a lot of posing the characters to try and tuck pieces in and get a cleaner silhouette, so that even at a quick glance you can tell what he is doing, what direction he is looking"
- Jaeger designed or helped design all the Tranformer heads.

(source)

Read more »

Transformers Movie Props Update

The movie props auction that is currently going on, for the Fisher House Foundation which helps families of hospitalized military personnel and veterans, has been updated with some sweet new movie props including the '76 Camaro Bumblebee, the Allspark, and TF license plates, costumes, signed objects and so forth for 22 items in total. Thanks to Chad for the info. Good luck to the bidders.

Click here for the full list of available items to bid on.

Bumblebee 76 Camaro
Allspark
Glasses and Case

Read more »

Popular Mechanics ILM Effects for Transformers Article

One thing doing this blog has shown me is how much news comes to you rather then having to hunt for it. Part of it is because of the very helpful readers that provide the tips but also the sites themselves pointing out the new article to me. Its just an observation into how sites like Engadget, Joystiq and the like get it done. I think of myself as a small fish in a big pond but apparently big enough to get noticed. Its pretty cool and its not a complaint because if it didn't happen I wouldn't find out about articles such as the one from Popular Mechanics that gets into how ILM created the Transformers.

I eat this stuff up. I don't want to hear over and over how hard the actors worked, I want to see and hear about how, what, etc on how they put together those amazing sequences involving the Transformers. Its the geek side of movies. The most important part of movies in my opinion. A movie can survive a crappy actor, it can't survive crappy visual and special effects. Its a excellent and long article worth the read for the interested.

Here is the description kindly provided to me:

When the animation put into Jar Jar Binks has audiences yawning, and Jurassic Park's velociraptor chases are old hat, it's hard to believe that any special effects wizardry can cause a stir at the box office anymore – but "Transformers" has done it. Popular Mechanics found out how the effects gurus at Industrial Light and Magic turned over a dozen regular autos into shape-shifting robots for Michael Bay's summer blockbuster. The artists discuss how they juggled the director's demands along with those of car manufacturers and fans, and also dish on the new techniques they used to make the transformation of real-world cars into fighting robots a believable feat.

The article just went live today with exclusive behind-the-scenes
shots from Paramount Pictures. It can be found at:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/industry/4218826.html?series=6

Read more »

Transformers: HBO First Look On YouTube

The U.S. HBO First Look at Transformers has been posted on YouTube for all to see. A lot of it is the usual cheerleading style that's designed to sell the movie. Most of the movie footage has already been seen in previously released clips and trailers but there are small new bits. There is a good amount of behind the scenes footage, explanations of how the Scorponok stuff is done, and some of the training the actors did to prepare.




This is probably the most seen of Rachael Taylor yet who has kind of disappeared because of the spotlight shown on Megan Fox. Not sure why, would think throw both eye candy at the press for selling the movie. Maybe she is doing the overseas press stuff.

As a whole its fine for trying to sell the movie, but I am really hoping that when do the DVD extras its a real behind the scenes deal that was shown in some parts only much longer. If people bought the DVD, they don't need another cheerleading "watch this movie" session. They have already been sold, now they want information. Thanks to Trailer for the links and "jombyd" who uploaded it on YouTube.

Read more »

Fort Irwin Behind the Scenes

The Desert Dispatch has posted an interesting article covering Fort Irwin, CA's involvement in shooting Transformers including the pilots flying the US Army, UH-60 Blackhawks in the film. The source that sent the link also provided some pics (see below) not in the article and pointed out that the NTC Aviation Company from Irwin where the ones that flew them in downtown LA through the "Valley of Skyscrapers" at the finale of the film.

The pilot for the film was Chief Warrant Officer (CW2) Eric Metcalf. He is in the same productions still pic with Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel and Michael Bay, wearing the gray colored NTC AVCO UH-60 Platoon Hat. Thanks for the information.

The article:

Fort Irwin’s Blackhawks transform into movie stars
Blackhawks transform into movie stars
‘Transformers’ stars NTC helicopters
By AARON AUPPERLEE Staff Writer

DAGGETT — When Hollywood director Michael Bay needed helicopters that could buzz through the streets of downtown Los Angeles and hover between skyscrapers for his summer movie, “Transformers,” he turned to the Blackhawks lined up on an asphalt strip at the Barstow-Daggett Airport.

Two of the National Training Center Aviation Company’s helicopters and several pilots from the base star in the movie alongside Optimus Prime, Megatron, Josh Duhamel, Shia LaBeouf and Jon Voight. Chief Warrant Officer Eric Metcalf, a pilot with the aviation company who flew in the movie, said the movie was one of the most intense experiences ever but also one of the coolest.

“I’ve flown about 500 hours of combat in Afghanistan and that was way cooler than that,” Metcalf, a Transformer fan as a child, said. “Instead of dodging bullets, I was dodging radio antennas and wires.”

Much of the action for Metcalf and the other pilots involved — Maj. Richard Campbell, Chief Warrant Officer Michael Carilo, Sgt. Sean Smeldly, Chief Warrant Officer Angel Rodriguez, Chief Warrant Officer Matthew Wagstaff and Spc. David Ayala — was through alleys in LA. The helicopters took off and landed in an abandoned Sears parking lot, flew over Dodgers Stadium and hovered above roof-tops. Metcalf said he would round a corner in his helicopter to find a pole or a wire in his way and change course.

“It was basically advance tactical skills,” he said about the flying through the streets. “The level of concentration was pretty intense.”

During one scene, Metcalf had to hold the large military helicopter steady while bouncing it up and down like a yo-yo between skyscrapers. He said the buildings were about 50 feet away from his rudders.

Although Metcalf could not give away much of the movie, which is scheduled to open in theaters on July 4, he said the helicopters were called into assist with the evacuation of a certain person and recovery of a certain piece of equipment. The mission, he said, was a bit different from the company’s normal routine of supporting training operations at Fort Irwin, shuttling military officers around California and standing ready to fly medical crews to Edwards Air Force Base if the space shuttle decides to touch down there.

The company received the request to participate in the project in July 2006 and spent two weekends on the set in August. Metcalf estimates it cost Paramount Pictures more than $60,000 to borrow the two helicopters and crew for the two weekends.

Metcalf flew many special operations in Afghanistan from March 2004 to April 2005 before coming to Fort Irwin, often times seeing the enemy eye to eye. However, in “Transformers,” Metcalf never saw the robots on set.

The computer generated Transformers in the movie were really guys with long poles on the set, Metcalf said. The poles had balls placed at the Transformer’s eye level so the actors knew where to look, but the rest of the machine body was added later. Metcalf said he has not seen a final cut of the movie.

“It wasn’t really the flying portion, it was being on set and seeing the whole process,” he said.

Read more »

IESB.Net Transformers Videos

IESB.net has posted 11 videos regarding Transformers. Some of the videos are repeats of the MTV movie awards footage but most are new. There are even two pretty long behind the scenes clips that actually do what the title says. Its 100% a watch them film the movie view with none of the marketing and cheerleading that behind the scenes stuff usually is all about, just as the HBO First Look coming June 27th will probably be.

Also to see larger version of the clip, click the video title above the viewer. To an even larger version, click the X in the bottom right-hand corner of the viewer. Just ignore the white edge as couldn't figure out how to eliminate it. Let me know if its just better if I link to the videos rather then embed them as currently doing.

Apparently, my hack started failing causing Internet Explorer to crash and the page just to load really slow. So instead, just click here to view the various movies.

Read more »

ENI Transformers Articles

ENI.com has posted to comprehensive posts that cover the making of Transformers and the history of the Transformers in general. Both are long articles but worth reading.

Transformers: Cast, History, Movie
Transformers: Making of

Transformers: Cast, History, Movie highlights:
- First part is the producers talking about how loves Transformers as kids or when first came out (depending on age).
- John Rogers wrote initial draft of the movie whose plotlines where used in the Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci drafts.
- Bay came onboard the movie after "Transformers School" at Hasbro HQ, which covers the history of the product. The idea of a transforming at 80 miles per hour is what sold him.
- Production designer Jeff Mann, fan of anime, helped design the Transformers (origin of the "must be Japanese" joke?)
- Bay: "The Generation One robots were very blocky which would have been like using the unarticulated marshmallow man from ‘Ghostbusters.’ Our Optimus Prime® has 10,108 parts, each of which move." (Rep, love the G1 but have to agree).
- Bay: "These robots are the most complex modules ILM has ever made. We couldn’t have accomplished this two years ago. I guess that’s my answer to people who complain that the robots will look a bit different from the originals. Sometimes it’s best not to answer your critics and just let the work stand for itself.” (Based on fan response to various trailers, seems to be working)
- Script secret during shoot with actors only receiving pages for own scenes.
- Kurtzman: “The idea behind the toy is that everything around us, our cars, and all technology, are sentient,” he explains. “Every thing has emotions and feelings but we don’t know it because they are in disguise. This seemed like a good jumping off point for a movie." (Add a word so it’s "could be everything" and it works)
- Bay: “The writers really helped narrow the choice of robots. At the beginning I had some very elaborate plans for these newer robots called ‘Combiners,’ but ultimately it became too cost prohibitive to create them just in terms of manpower, let alone the technology to make them look real.” (His made up version or the already existing Transformers combiners or gestalts such as Devastator?)
- “Steven wanted to make it an even five against five,” Bay continues, “so that’s where it took off.” (More like 7 on 5 but then never supposed to be even odds for the good guys)
- “It became obvious that we couldn’t make a movie without Bumblebee™, Optimus Prime® and Megatron®,” says di Bonaventura. “After that we took a poll amongst ourselves, found out who were our favorites and then asked fans who their favorites were. From there we put a list together that encompasses most peoples’ favorite Transformers™. We know that people are going to feel, ‘Oh I wish they’d have put in that one or that other one,’ but there were only so many robots we could deal with in one movie.”
- Shia LaBeouf's favorite is Bumblebee and Frenzy...I assuming from the movie, not the toy line.
- Megan Fox says she was familiar with the TF show but mostly read the comics (color me skeptical, article is full of references of everyone commenting on their past connections with the Transformers pre-movie for some reason. I would rather an honest "no clue about em until the movie.")
- Megan Fox first came to attention of Bay during audition for The Amityville Horror.
- Josh Duhamel also had previous meet with Bay when auditioning for The Hitcher which led to being asked to audition for Captain Lennox role in Transformers.
- Duhamel, Tyrese, Amaury Nolasco and Zack Ward went to a 3-day boot camp or basic training to help prep for filming with real soldiers used in scenes. Josh did understand that "boot camp for us was an abbreviated learning experience" compared to what real soldiers go through in training.
- “I’m carrying this 40-pound gun, wearing full body armor, the complete survival kit with magazines for this machine gun and all kinds of different stuff you need, and I’m running as hard as I can up the street, and I’m the leader of the group. I was dying after the first take! Then there’s take two, take three, and by the time we got to the fourth take, I could barely run,” he recalls. “It reminded me of running the 400-meter dash in high school where it felt like I was going to collapse and vomit. So whenever I could, I’d ask for the rubber gun. I’d pray we didn’t have to shoot in the scene so I could use that rubber gun. You look much more manly running up the street with the rubber gun,” Duhamel explains, poking fun at himself.
- “The Decepticons® are meaner looking and the Autobots® are just wicked cool,” [Duhamel] enthuses. “The people who come up with the concepts and art work for these things live in some other world to be able to think of this stuff.” (Couldn't agree more, the engineering alone amazes me)
- Duhamel is also star on NBC's Las Vegas, so filmed the show during the week and the movie during weekends. (Must have been a film scheduling nightmare for whoever handled that)
- Tyrese spent time with Captain Ray Bollinger to help with the technical dialogue used in the film.
- John Turturro (Agent Simmons, S7) joined the film in part do to influence of two sons who thought didn't even need to read to script to decide to do the movie.
- "According to [Fox], the actor’s portrayal of Agent Simmons is done as an homage to Bay."
- Jon Voight was not familiar with Transformers before joining the movie. (Yah for an honest answer)
- "When asked if he is familiar with Transformers™ action figures, Anthony Anderson will immediately break into song, “Transformers™, more than meets the eye, Transformers™, robots in disguise!” (This sounds a like a real honest answer rather then canned response reading from other actors and producers)
- Anderson’s favorite Transformer™ is Megatron®. “I like the bad guys now,” he says. “Growing up I liked Optimus Prime® and another one that was a big gun with a scope on it. I played with that guy until he broke.” (Again, details in answer that indicate a foundation of truth, other producers and actors, take note)
- Transformers is Aussie Rachaeal Taylor's first American film and had never heard of Transformers before the movie (again honesty always best). Bay decided her character would be an Aussie rather then American.
- "[Maggie] is a woman trying to succeed in a man’s world,” Taylor continues, “which parallels my experience shooting ‘TRANSFORMERS’ because it’s only Megan and me in a world dominated by men, all working for Michael Bay."

Making of Transformers highlights:
- Bay wanted military involvement from the get-go. Military installations used include Hollman, Kirtland, Edwards Air Force Bases, and the Pentagon.
- Hardware "borrowed" included CV-22 (combo helicopter and airplane), F-117, C-130 cargo planes, C-17 (Bay: "spooky gun ship"), and F-22 Raptor (Starscream I think).
- Major Daniel Ferris was main coordinator between movie crew and Holloman crew for film scenes and movie needs.
- Transformers "was the first motion picture to be permitted to film in and around the Pentagon grounds since 9/11."
- Usual bits about stars doing own stunts which is usually seen in all cheerleading, I mean behind the scenes descriptions and videos.
- Ken Bates, movie stunt coordinator, worked with the actors on the stunts and started with Bay in 1989.
- Car chases sequence (Barricade v Optimus) filmed at Interstate 210 (Foothill Freeway) in San Bernardino, CA. Used by film companies because construction seems to have no end date. Site was where Bay wanted to fulfill his 80MPH transformation and surpass his Bad Boy II MacArthur Causeway chase.
- Bus gag was prepped in one day. Gag is term to used in movie making for special effects setups and the like. Special effects are the physical real-world stuff that happens in a movie and visual effects is the computer, CGI stuff. The opposite of what use to think those term meant in the movie-making context.
- “Richard was towed into the action at 60 miles per hour,” Bates describes. “Once he reached speed, he threw the bus sideways, hit a charge, and cut away the tow cable. As the bus blows up, it splits in half and slides sideways, at which time Richard hit another button that triggered a ‘bomb’ that detonated three canons in the back of the bus that sent that back end tumbling end over end. The front half of the bus hits the median, jumps up and comes back down.
- "Bates, Epper, Corey Eubanks, and Steve Kelso were the main drivers responsible for the spectacular stunt driving throughout the film."
- For line of sight in filming humans interacting with Transformers an extension pole was used, height depending on the TF; 20ft for Bumblebee, 40ft for Optimus, and so forth. Basically the actors stared at the end of the pole during shooting.
- Mark Ryan was on set to help the actors by doing lines for the robots. (Dang, good secret keeping, that indicates he was hired up to a year ago but fans only found out a few months ago).
- Lots of descriptions about difficulty in acting with non-existing robots. (Me thinks theatre actors would roll their eyes at these comments).
- In developing TF designs, some rules created. For example, TFs can scan and replicate a vehicle but "each robot can only replicate into something equal to its own mass," according to Production Designer Jeff Mann.
- About 25 artists used in concept storyboards and designs for the Transformers. Each role was based on an expertise, one for eyes, one for facial structure, and so forth. Hasbro pitched in on design possibilities and took months to develop.
- “With Optimus® we had to make the ears bigger to get more of a samurai look,” he explains, “but we would vet most of these changes through Transformers™ geeks to make sure we weren’t way off track because they know the lore and they know why certain robots look a certain way or have the ability to do certain things.” (wonder who those geeks where, can I be one for the sequel?)
- Only Frenzy and Bumblebee where built practically for filming. Four feet, metal puppet of Frenzy was built by KNB using art department’s 3-D designs.
- John Frazier via Fxperts built Bumblebee. The puppet is 17 feet high, 13 feet wide and 8.5 feet deep, and an 8 feet 10.5 inch footprint. It weighs 8,150 pounds. It takes most of the day to assemble the robot when moved around filming locations. After filming, they further modified Bumblebee so can be assembled in 2-3 hours for public appearances (such as in Seoul, S. Korea).
- Transformers’ designs so complicated that something like turning a wrist has 17 mechanisms working.
- It takes ILM 38 hours to render one frame of movement. Generally I think it takes 24 frames for one second of footage. Usually there are render farms (basically a building full of servers) for this so not sure if it means that value is X computers times taking Y minutes = 38 hours per frame or if it means one huge render farm working took 38 hours.
- Hasbro schedule requires a year prior to filming to fabricate new toys so had to have designs locked in quickly. ILM, due to complexity, also needed designs sooner rather then later. (Sounds to me like before filming even began, ILM and Hasbro already had the final TF designs, supported by leaked looks all of last year)
- For car choices, all car companies where possibilities until GM took the extra step of showing Bay their design warehouse and concept cars.
- Turns out it’s not a 2008 Camaro, but 2009 Camaro that is used for Bumblebee. GM also helped with retrofitting the cars and prepping for filming as need at least three versions of each car, one for filming, one for stunts and a photo double in case one crashes.
- The truck choice for Optimus Prime was in part because of the aggressive look, size and a tip of the hat to Steven Spielberg's Duel.
- 2009 Camaro prototype driven by Shia in the film cost $500,000. (Does that mean the stunt and double cost the same?)
- Jazz's Pontiac Solstice mode was chosen after seeing a modified one for an automotive show that has interesting shape, ground effects and hard top.
- Ratchet, a Hummer H2, was designed from scratch based on military Hummer ambulances and Red Cross vehicles used in the 80s.
- Ironhide, 4500 series GMC Topkit, was fitted with 46'' Nitto Super Swamper tires further modified with embossed Autobot logo.
- Starscream, F-22 Raptor, is new design from Lockheed Martin undergoing testing. A prototype was used for filming.
- Bonecrusher, Buffalo MPCV, was found from the web and is used for mine-sweeping. The actual vehicle only has a 14 inch wide "fork" so an appliance was built to complete the look.
- Brawl, M1 Abrams, was already modified for another movie and further modified with the paint job of non-radar detectable paint used in future battleship designs.
- Blackout, Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low helicopter, was chosen because of its sexy look and mass.
- Barricade, Saleen S281 Mustang, which was modified with headlights that convert into muli-bladed weapons.
- Larry Dias was the set designer.
- For Hoover Dam sequences, made-up interiors where built on sound stages where built that looked like fitted with in with the location naturally.
- Sets where built at Hughes Aircraft warehouses in Playa vista, CA.
- Iit Jones was the location manager that worked with Homeland Security in working out logistics of the sites and things such as fly zones and moving production from one site to another.
- First day of filming was April 19, 2006 with a pre-production shoot. Production shoot began on April 22 at Holloman Air Force base. Entire shoot lasted 83 days.
- For the Scoponok sequence, Bedouin village was built at the White Sands Missile Range (location of atomic and weapons testing) which had to be swept by UXB International for 28 acres and 4 feet deep for left behind explosives.
- Everything from productions explosives, to radio frequencies where checked to verify wouldn't interfere with base operations and security.
- Fuel costs and salaries for military personnel who worked in the film were played by the production company not the tax payers. Extras worked on off-duty hours. Basically saying film cost to tax payers was $0.
- For Los Angeles, several blocks where dressed to look like Transformers had passed through while blocking off the public from interfering. (This is where almost all the tabled stories will see in EW, People, etc will come from in the next month).
- Also filmed at Griffith Park Observatory, about a month before it was re-opened to public.
- Other locations (in CA I think): 110 and 105 freeways, Adams district (for Witwicky's home), Redondo Beach power plant (first human v Deceptions fight), City Hall (for DOD sites), Pasadena for auto dealer, San Fernando Valley, and Long Beach (for chase sequence). Also second crew for Detroit, Washington, DC, and Alaska.
- Scott Benza is the animation supervisor whose team worked on Transformers.
- To build the CGI Transformers required conceptual artists to design the mechanics of the TFs, how they move and look and so forth. The parts of the skeletons so to speak. Virtual mechanics then put the skeleton together, add the tendons, muscles, etc and makes sure it works as a unit. The animators then give then add the necessary movements and what not to make them seem "act".
- Bumblebee's facial expressions where based on Michael J. Fox in Back To the future.
- Liam Neeson from several movies was used to help with Optimus Prime.
- Animators did consider the physics of giant machines moving on Earth but Bay wanted them to move "with the agility of martial arts masters - agile warriors who travel in a very fluid, elegant way."
- For the TFs, Closer to camera, faster can move, further away, the slower to give sell their weight.
- After all the animation, Hilmar Kock's team steps in the give the proper effects and lighting that helps in selling their real look.
- After data was taken from sets (help mimic lightening, add reflections, etc), discovered the Transformers where not high enough resolution. Had to change from 500 pixels to 8000 to give the needed realism.
- After this comes layering in all the elements (backgrounds, foregrounds, etc) so looks like was filmed live rather then added in later, which was done by Digital Composting Supervisor Patrick Tubach's team.
- Re-timing was also done, for example having explosions occur sooner or later depending on need. Not just an editing trick but something that requires CGI to properly incorporate. If I understand it right, they basically play with the timing of a shot so things occur when want rather then how filmed. Also would digitally add elements so more stuff goes boom then may have been on set at the time.

Dang that turned into way much more then meant to do but the articles actually covered alot more information then expected.

Read more »

More USS Shoup Pics

Below are 5 more pics from the USS Shoup shoot props for Tranformers movie. Many thanks to the person that provided these fantastic pictures.

Read more »

"The Bots Are Back" and Set Pics

The Boston Globe gave Transformers movie a bunch of free advertising by with its front page article today titled "The Bots are Back". The articles covers the history of Transformers, its new toys lines and the movie coming out next year along with transfans comments. The article writer mostly got everything right to my knowledge meaning they either are fans themselves or got their info from a knowledgeable source as this article doesn't have the usual inaccuracies nor disdain that most toy-centric articles tend to have.

Highlights of sorts but no movie news:
- Transformers are third largest selling boys' toy in the US behind Star Wars and GI Joe. (GI Joe is beating TFs? That sucks much.)
- Observations of Transformers in pop culture including the TF geek in Clerks II and Dane Cook's "My Son Optimus Prime" skit.
- Few TF centric websites get a shout out.
- Apparently the article has decided that renewed interest in Transformers did not start with Beast Wars but because of retro t-shirts printed in 1999. News to me. I figured it was the constant new lines that Hasbro has been pushing every year.

The full article is here.
Also if want more shoot pics of the Transformers vehicles and the blue Optimus Prime head, click here.

(source)

Read more »

First Look at the Energon Cube?

Shoot For The Edit forums have posted two pics showing Shia LaBeouf running if a black cube in his hands. The Energon Cube that is the object that both factions of the Transformers are hunting for cause its brings life or ends it. Basically its the McGuffin of the film to have things go boom. I would have thought the cube would have been all blue just like the Optimus Prime head so that special effects could be added later to give it that otherworldly power look.


(source)

Read more »

Optimus Prime's Head Prop

The flickr movie pic pool has posted a all blue Optimus Prime prop. The blue is for bluescreen purposes so the CGI effects can be put over the head. What the prop itself was used for during shooting though I have no idea. Best guess is for scenes where Shia had lines where he was sitting on Optimus. Generally speaking, if the actor touches something, a real prop has to be built or the CGI would be less convincing to the eye. The pic pool is here but no idea which page for the head.

(source)

Read more »

Pics From USS Shoup of Transformer Props for Filming

A Navy Sailor from the USS Shoup is reporting that Transformers film crew is coming on board Monday to film additional footage for the film. Whether this includes the actors themselves not sure. As can see below, its looks like a crashed plane, currently in many ports. If not for the lack of faction insignia, I would almost think it was blown up Transformer bits. The source wishes to remain nameless for privacy reasons, but many thanks for the information and pictures.

Update with spoilers: Based on speculation from the web including solid evidence here, appears that some of the parts could be from the Decepticon Blackout. Also, according the source, the ship is being used to film Megatron's body being dumped at sea (with I assume his destroyed buds) so its possible that the plane parts allude to Megatron's Earth jet form that producers hinted may be used for the film.










The above is about half of the pics. If you are interested in seeing the whole lot, TFormers.com was kind enough to host the entire gallery which you can see here.

Read more »

Detroit Shoot Pics

MH.2 has posted many pics of shooting for Transformers in Detroit, MI on flickr. Looks like much pyrotechnics went boom and fun was had.

The pics are here.

In addition the Detroit News covered the shot, describing the film and that around 100 local Michigan residents where used as extras. Apparently being an extra means an extra $50 in your pocket, free food, and a few stories to tell. Filming was done at the Michigan Central Depot. I am betting much to the movie producers chagrin, the article refers to the live action movie as "Transformers: The Movie" and the cartoon movie as "Transformers". It should be vice versa. The article, with a few pics, is here.

(source)

Read more »

Snarky LA Set Report with Video

TheJay.com has posted a report of a visit to the LA set of Transformers with lots of pics, especially of robot Bumblebee. Its also includes to videos (see below) of two scenes shot with Michael Bay directing. The video is mostly of people running and driving haphazardly down the shoot in what I assume is panic from Transformers that will be inserted later. The photo and videos are courtesy of TheJay.com.

The full report, with lots of snarky comments, many more pics, and video is here.

Read more »

Movie Shoot Reports from DC and Boston

Michael Bay and company has been traveling here and there to finish the shooting for Transformers. Several reports have appeared online including from official Michael Bay sites. Nothing new is revealed but check them out if bored.

Michael Bay blog has pics from the DC shoot here and here with Bay and various members of the shoot. For whatever reason, someone went into overkill to soft light the pic for Rachael Taylor so just skip to avoid eye strain.

Also is a report from an extra at the Boston shoot from Jester (he of the alternate fan made trailer, worth viewing). Exteriors where shot at Tobin Bridge in Chelsea and other locations in the city. Its a brief report, with a few pics but no spoilers. Click here.

(source)

Read more »

Bunches Of Move Related Pics

There is a pool of Transformers pic over on Flickr. The pool is a mix of old, new, of set visits, vehicles in the wild, and so forth. Really its probably the current one shop stop for pictorial viewpoint on all the TF movie related info out there.

The most recent pics is of the Optimus Prime trailer being filmed out in the desert or at least in an large area of sand.

The pool of pics is here.

(source)

Read more »