by Nancy Jundi as originally published by CinemaEditor Magazine
You and I both know that the name Michael Bay brings a lot of images and ideas to mind that are generally of the big budget, blow stuff up variety. I’m aware that calling myself a fan of his work often puts me in a category of cinematic blasphemy with many self proclaimed film snobs and “aficionados”. This doesn’t bother me. If anything, I, in turn, judge those folks.
Two years ago I wrote an article, for this very magazine, about the first Transformers movie. Lucky me, I was invited to an early screening of the film while they were still working with test audiences. There I was, sitting two seats away from Michael Bay, separated only by Megan Fox, watching a movie I’d been dreaming about for over 20 years. Mind you, a lot of the animation hadn’t been finished and there were scenes that were still in the “skeleton” stage, but it was still magnificent to look at. Subsequently I was asked a lot of questions about my enjoyment of the film and, in all honesty, I was pretty hard on the movie. I actually gave eight pages of notes to one of the editors. His response, which to my surprise was not “who the hell do you think YOU are?” was “given these notes, why do you love the film?”
Well… the answer to that is the same answer to why I love Michael Bay’s films.
As cheesy as my response to the editor was, two years later, I would say the exact same thing. Mostly, and I hate to put it so simply, watching these robots in live action is breath taking. There is no way possible I could have ever dreamed up what I saw on that screen. I grew up with those cartoons, I’ve seen the animated film, read the comics and played with the toys, but to watch what looks like the REAL thing in front of me on a 50ft screen…that’s incredible.
It’s always been my belief that that’s why movies are made – to show us something we couldn’t have thought up on our own. From simple dramas revolving around a topic the average person wouldn’t have to go through in their lifetime (like a Monster’s Ball or a Requiem for a Dream) to huge fantastic shoot ’em ups that most people will never be a part of (like The Rock or The Professional), most films are there to give the viewer something they didn’t have before, a new emotion, visual or brick of historical information (Saving Private Ryan, Titanic).
Take King Kong for example – We had lesser versions of Kong in the past, so we kind of had an idea of what his awesomeness was, but until Peter Jackson did it we never really GOT IT. At least I didn’t. The advances in our abilities to create images like Kong and the Transformers are worth the ticket price alone. That’s just the way of it. I couldn’t have dreamt up a real live Optimus Prime on my own, but Michael, ILM, Spielberg and their enormous crew could. Of course I want to see the final product!
Michael doesn’t need any cheers from me. He has numerous websites dedicated to doing just that. His own forum, ShootForTheEdit.com, is filled with Bay followers and he often thanks them with little tidbits of info on production and post. It’s quite eye opening to see how much he respects his editors, his fans and his art. Yes, his art.
When you step into the edit room are you more relieved that the filming is over or is this where the real work begins for you?
MB: There is such imagination that goes into creating these movies from nothing. It is a constant two-year process for me. From the conception stage with the artists and writer’s, to directing the massive production, to the finishing work and directing the animation portions while I’m editing everyday… So to your point – I’m relieved to walk into the edit room, but there is still a lot to be done in addition to the cut, namely the animation, during the editorial stage.
TF2 will be one of the first feature films utilizing the new Avid DX Nitris. How do you feel it has benefited the overall look of the film?
MB: I love the avid. They do need some updates though in terms of organizing projects and such, but I love the high def, it’s awesome.
On your Shoot for the Edit forums you’ve mentioned your portable Avid – how important is that system to you during dailies and on location?
MB: I took it to Egypt, Jordan, New Mexico, everywhere. I could down load and update the edit room cuts from LA everyday. I produce movies for others directors and there was one time when a post executive told my director that he had to travel with his editor. This can cost a production $200,000 easy. Bringing an editor along is unnecessary. Directors work all day and have to plan for the next day. They are exhausted; they almost never ever go into an edit room while they’re shooting. If you have your Avid you can just pick up the phone and scan the cut together. It’s a way more efficient use of time. It’s that kind of efficiency and the updating of old school, costly wastes of money in our, sometimes archaic, industry, which I try to employ in my massive movies. Fast shooting, well thought out effects and a different approach to producing can make it so I’m able to bring these films in generally $20 to $30 million dollars cheaper then anyone else. On Transformers we had $200 million and I came in $5 million under.
When people accuse you of taking the artistic nature of film out of your movies, how do you respond to them?
MB: An interviewer once asked me if I ever wanted to do a more “artistic” movie. I was stunned. I said back to her, pointing to the Bumblebee poster, “do you have any idea how much art goes into creating Transformers? Look at Bumblebee – he doesn’t exist! Do you know how many people went into creating him? Kids rank him now as one of their most beloved superheroes.“
I’m extremely hands on in everything concerning my films. From the time we spend on a movie set to the final sound effect, I’m there. People who think I take the art out it, well, I’m not sure what that means. A lot of people are rather confident in the idea that what I do takes no skill. Can you imagine walking into a forest with a film crew, Imax camera on hand, to shoot plates of 4 – 40 foot robots that are fighting in the most brutal manner you could ever imagine. Then you need to stare at the blank plates on your Avid and cut something together that was totally made up in your mind. You’re not done yet either because you then need to convey what you’ve imagined to a 300-person effects crew. The animation and story not only need to look great, but they also have to make sense. Scenes like this, where nothing is there, are a real test for a director. You have to use your imagination and direct a crew how to capture it on film.
Because of how fast your cutting style tends to be, you’ve brought a great deal of attention to the craft, something not many filmmakers have been able to do. What inspired you to adopt this very fast paced tone?
MB: I started cutting that way with my first movie, Bad Boys. I remember an editor saying, “You can’t cut an action scene that fast”. I said, “Yes you can”. People hate change in our business. I took a lot of grief in the press for doing this, but now you see it imitated and a staple of action movies today. Bourne Ultimatum won the Oscar for best editing two years ago! I must say, though, in Transformers the edit style is much slower.
You’ve had a great relationship with the U.S. military over the years, which has obviously helped in making your films as realistic as possible. Did you ever have an interest in joining the military yourself or do these Americana based films stem from somewhere else?
MB: The military – yes we have an awesome relationship. They have bent over backwards for me ever since Armageddon. They will go so far out of their way for me. They know that I will shoot them right. I really respect our service men and women. They are a special and selfless breed of American.
Transformers has been a very close franchise to Steven Spielberg’s heart – how have the two of you worked together on these films?
MB: Steven has been a great advocate of mine. I told Hasbro and Steven that I wanted to do Transformers my way, I was going to make them dead-on real and edgy. I think more edgy then they had imagined. This film pushes that boundary. That being said, both Hasbro and Steven have been nothing but supportive. Hasbro has let me invent characters and change how other characters have looked for over 20 years. It is through their support that I can really feel like I’ve been able to build a franchise. I’ve also been so supported by a great number of talented artists on this. It’s been a wonderful team spirit because so many of the artists have dreamed as kids to work on a Transformers movie.
