[IMG:L]In this age of celebrity obsession, the actual filmmakers who make the stars look so cool on the big screen don’t get nearly as much attention as the actors. Sure, there’s Steven Spielberg (the icon of childhood fantasy), Martin Scorsese (the ultimate “important” filmmaker) and George Lucas (the Star Wars guy) but how many in the audience name the directors of Pirates, Die Hard or The Bourne movies?
Michael Bay is a rare case of a filmmaker who is actually known for his work, no matter what you might think of it. His movies are all labeled “A Michael Bay Film” because that name tells audiences they will get big, loud action. Transformers may have a long, nostalgic history from toys, cartoon series and comic books, but even that legacy is rivaled by the brand-name promise of “A Michael Bay Film.”
He’s got giant robots traipsing through the suburbs, hot babes solving complex mechanical engineering problems and glistening, studly soldiers shooting it out in the heat of battle. Yes, Transformers may be the quintessential example of “A Michael Bay Film” and the filmmaker reveled in the chance to chat about his latest masterpiece.
Hollywood.com: A lot of people might be surprised how funny Transformers is. How did you arrive at that tone?
Michael Bay: I think it was just my gut. I knew it’s Transformers, you can’t take it too seriously, but you wanted to give that sense of realism. That’s why the military involvement was very important, that we make it very real and credible. Like those guys in the AWACS are all the real [military] guys. I told them, “This is what’s going down on the ground. What would you say?” And literally within two minutes they were [spouting off military jargon]. I just photographed what they said. So I think you mix the realism with Tyrese being in the worst situation, and he says, “Man, if you could see this sh*t,” that sounds real, but it comes in a funny way. I made little jabs here and there like [the analyst saying], “That’s way too smart for Iranians scientists.”
HW: And trying to call base and having the phone center from India hold up your call.
MB: How much do you get bugged by these outsourced calls? It just bugs me. When I forget to pay my AT&T bill, I get a call, “Mr. Bay,” and they’re calling from Bombay, and I’m like, “I didn’t pay it.” Anyway…
HW: So the soldiers that Josh Duhamel and Tyrese are ordering around are the real thing? Are they just retired now?
MB: Those guys around Josh and Tyrese are all the real Special OPS and SEALs and it’s fascinating. I’m just enamored by people who will really go to combat. It’s just a wild thing. Those were guys who have either taken leave, some of them were actually going to get called back to Iraq, and this is the thing that happens to all of them. They get the Hollywood bug. We call one of them Hollywood. He trains U.S. SEALs down in Coronado and we’re like, “Dude, just go back to getting a SEAL.”
[IMG:R]HW: The ladies love Josh and Tyrese. Did you pick them to attract more of the female audience?
MB: I actually met with Josh for one of my Platinum Dunes [horror production company] movies and I really liked him. I got a sense of him in the room there. That was like four months prior, and this thing came up and it was a very efficient budget. I honestly had no money for stars, so I had to be very creative in picking people that I thought were going to break. After meeting him I really liked him so I wanted to work with him.
HW: Whether it’s humor or emotional moments, all of this happens within your big action scenes. What’s more important to you, the kickass action or the emotional beat?
MB: You want it to feel real. What I try to do, especially when actors are doing action stuff the crew calls it Bayos. Try to have a little bit of chaos. It’s very organized, but you get them a little fritzed because it just gives them more adrenaline. It’s a little bit of the unknown and they will have a lot of loud bombs and stuff like that on the set if that’s what it calls for. And I like to see the real emotion when they are inside these action scenes. It’s both. It’s a balance. It’s both.
HW: Since the robots become cars, you must have had some good product placement deals, right?
MB: Okay, I mean, I had $145 million. I needed to find a car company that can give me a bunch of vehicles and save me three million bucks. I opened it up to every car company and I have a relationship with GM because I’ve done commercials with them. They have helped me out on my other movies by giving me flood damaged cars or cars that had to be destroyed. And they took me to skunk works, which is where they do the prototype cars. It’s a secret place somewhere. And I saw that car and I said, “That’s Bumblebee.” So [I used them] to help save three million dollars and it was a great-looking car.
[IMG:L]HW: You’re living the dream of most aspiring filmmakers. When you were a little kid, who inspired you to follow your dreams?
MB: I don’t know. When I was young I wanted to be a veterinarian. I remember raising money because they took me to a place where they gassed the dogs and the cats and I was like, “Oh my God, I can’t believe this exists in the world.” I’ve had many different interests. I wanted to be a magician so I was inspired by that, but I realized there was no money in being a magician. So I gave it up and I liquidated all my tricks to another competing group.
HW: So what finally brought you to filmmaking?
MB: I think it was my parents, really. They kind of encouraged me to do art. I bought a camera when I was 13. I just loved taking pictures. So it was really my parents. I mean, my dad was an accountant and I remember when I was young I had this model train set. I would go into my world and make it very detailed. One summer I spent eight months building the thing, fully detailed, and I’d go into my imaginary world. My dad and mom came into the bedroom one day and they go, “Son, we think you need to get out more.” So that’s where I started imagining. I think the train sets are where I made my own little movies in my head.
