Michael Bay Dot Com
A little secret from Michael Bay
It’s a bit tiresome to watch all the supposed script leaks on Don Murphy’s site.
There’s been a lot of chatter about character names and what “things” may be called in the script. I’m going to let everyone in on a little secret. Something that the writers don’t know, nor my crew, or Steven Spielberg, or the presidents of Paramount and Dreamworks. Not even Don Murphy who is not involved on the day to day with this movie.
Many of the names in the script are aliases.
The only people that know the real names of many of these characters are the COO of Hasbro, their corporate lawyer and myself. I think this is two less people that knew the secret recipe for Coca-Cola.
On my directing contract I had to sign all these non-disclosure agreements just on this character name point. These names will not be revealed until the toy boxes are printed.
The writers had to construct the script where no actor needed to verbally refer to a character by name other than the main few.
So rest asured A.K.A Devastator, is not really Devastator.
Michael
Bay directs GMC Yukon ads
From MediaDaily News:
“…Director Michael Bay directed two GM commercials, both similar in tone to the "CSI" shows. One is a 30-second spot introducing the Yukon as the all-new MAU. The other is a 60-second spot featuring executive producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who talks about the donation of two 2007 GMC Yukon trucks to the cities of Los Angeles and Las Vegas for use by real-life criminal analysis departments.”
The ads will be up soon in the ads section.
Bay in the Windy City
Below are three photos of Michael shooting the AT&T ad “Spread the Word” in Chicago, Il. Photos courtesy and property of Mark Saunders and Jai Girard.
"Got Milk" and Alpha Projects ads
We got three more ads for you. One is from the “Got Milk?” trilogy, and the other two are from the Nike Alpha Project series that debuted in the winter of 98-99. Visit the ads page to view them.
Note from Michael Bay
The prep for the movie is going well. The military looks like it is going to support the film which is a big deal in giving the movie scope and credibility. The Pentagon has always been great with me because I make our military look good.
All the posts and talk about the original voices — could we just let it rest for a while? I heard everyone, I’m thinking about it. We are reinventing how the robots look, transform and move - Remember these are the most realistic Transformers you will have ever seen. They have to fit completely into the human world to make this live action film credible. I have shown the animatics and some of the hundreds of drawings - TO THE MOST RELIGIOUS OF FANS - they tell me they are “mind-blowing” and “take it to a level they never considered” - I guess that’s good? Time will tell.
Believe me I respect the fans. But I just want you to give me a chance because I’m working with some really talented artists to create this vision. But it is a vision that allows for growth, change, improvement and surprises. Looking back at the history of Transformers, remember there has been tons of change and improvements over the years.
I’m working on third act action, and if you could - what would you imagine for great robot action?
Talk to you soon,
All the best, Michael
Michael Bay ads now available on iTunes
Most of Michael’s ads are now available on iTunes podcast section, ready and formatted to be loaded onto your video iPod. Click on the link below to go to the iTunes store (the ads are free, and you must have iTunes installed on your computer BTW).
July 4, 2007
Shooting for Transformers begins on the end of May for a release date of July 4, 2007.
Added video RSS/XML feed
I’ve set up an RSS/XML feed for the ads section. In a couple of days you will be able to load Bay’s ads through iTunes and put them on your video iPods.
For now, click on the orange/grey button to your left.
Welcome to the new redesigned michaelbay.com
Hi guys and gals. Once again, thanks again for hanging in all these years. Stay tuned for more additions to this site.
Bay Gave Life to The Island
Bay Gave Life To The Island
From Scifi.com
Walter F. Parkes, who is producing Michael Bay’s upcoming SF movie The Island, told SCI FI Wire that the director brought his signature action to the project, which started as a spec script about human cloning by Caspian Tredwell-Owen. “Well, I think two things happened in development,” Parkes said in an interview during a break in filming on the movie’s set in Downey, Calif. “Absolutely … there is that signature big [action] set piece in the middle of the movie now. Not that the movie didn’t call for that. This was, at its heart, a story about characters who are on the run. So it makes
sense. But there were also many other issues of the story that we had to change.”
The Island stars Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson as human clones raised in a completely secure environment who discover the truth of their existence and attempt to flee, pursued in various ways by armed representatives of the company that created them.
Parks said that Bay also introduced a provocative question: Who has the right to survive, the clone or the original human? “The question arises, does the clone have as much [right] to the life out there?” Parkes said. Ultimately, Alias writers Alex Kurtzman-Counter and Roberto Orci will also receive screenplay credit on The Island.
It was DreamWorks honcho Steven Spielberg who brought Bay onto the project. “For this scale project, there is really a small list of directors, because they have to deal with action, and they have to really be able to create worlds, and those are two things that Michael’s … shown [he has the] ability to do,” Parkes said, referring to Bay’s movies, which include Pearl Harbor and Armageddon. “The other thing about Michael is, unlike a lot of modern directors, he’s an expert in physical effects, as opposed to [computer-generated] effects. His CG work is great, but what’s amazing about Michael Bay is what he can actually create that will be photographed by a
camera lens.” The Island opens July 22.
The Island begins principal photography
Principal photography started on Bay’s 6th film on Sunday, October 24 with a whopping 63 setups. Filming along Bay is DP Mauro Fiore (Training Day, Tears of The Sun, Driven).
The Island, etched with Bay’s visual style, will interlace action scenes with the scenario of cloning and a man (Ewan McGregor) who goes on the run after he discovers that he is actually a “harvested being”, and is being kept along with others in a utopian facility. The film features the world 18 years into the future, but grounded in present reality.
With a cast that includes Ewan McGregor, Scarlet Johansson, Djimon Hounsou, Michael Clarke Duncan, and Steve Buscemi, The Island will be one great cinematic adventure coming to theaters Jully 22, 2005.
Zoom, Zoom
Zoom-Zoom Showroom: Mazda Launches Full-Line Product Campaign
Thursday August 12, 7:02 am ET
Michael Bay directed ads to break during Olympics
IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 12 /PRNewswire/ — Designed to highlight the “emotion of motion” that encompasses its Zoom-Zoom philosophy, Mazda has unveiled an integrated full-line advertising campaign that will break during NBC’s coverage of the 2004 Olympic Games from Athens, Greece. The campaign will focus on Mazda’s expansive showroom that features 10 phenomenal vehicles. The full vehicle line is Mazda’s most impressive to date, having won more than 130 industry and consumer awards world-wide, and offers something for every driver yearning to add a little Zoom-Zoom to their driving experience.
“Since the launch of the Zoom-Zoom philosophy in the summer of 2000, Mazda has been building toward a campaign of this magnitude,” said Robert Davis, senior vice president, marketing and product development for Mazda North American Operations. “This campaign will build awareness that the strength of Mazda’s showroom now matches our slogan, offering 10 unique vehicles all equipped with the soul of a sports car.”
The full-line campaign has three major initiatives, including a broadcast and cinema component, print ads and an integrated promotion with Conde Nast. The broadcast and cinema component was directed by renowned motion picture director Michael Bay, who directed blockbuster action movies “The Rock,” “Pearl Harbor” and “Bad Boys 2.”
In broadcast commercials, actors experience various forms of Zoom-Zoom, from hang gliding and rappelling to hitching a ride on a bellman’s luggage cart, demonstrating that Mazda realizes there can be Zoom-Zoom in everything we do. This emotion of motion is evident in every vehicle Mazda makes.
Source: Mazda North American Operations
Exclusive Audi ad and then some
You’ve asked for them, we’ve got ‘em. Among them, Michael’s critically acclaimed “Audi: The Right Decision” featuring Dustin Hoffman. Until now, this ad has been shown in Europe. Now, michaelbay.com is the first site to feature it.
We’ve also also added some classic ads, among them: “Baby & Cat,” “Toy Store,” and the redigitized “Aaron Burr.” Also, new ones making their debut: “Released in the Wild,” “Mars Rover” and “Murphy’s Law.” And of course, the Victoria’s Secret ads.
To enjoy these ads, be sure to have the latest Quicktime version and a good video card. Click here to view the ads.
Updates
Michael’s latest ad, made for Audi GmbH, is receiving critical acclaim in Europe. It will not be aired in North American TV, but we’ll see what we can do.
Michael is planning to produce “The Amityville Horror” this summer.
Concept artist have begun work on “The Island.” Ongoing meetings between Dreamworks executives, Steven Spielberg, and Michael have turned out very good.
Michael is also setup to produce a thriller for Universal/Focus. Also in the works is a prequel for “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” at New Line, and “Pain & Gain” for Paramount.
A script that Michael is ramping up to produce for New Line is a true story about an American version of Pablo Escobar. This is a story about a high school kid who moved billions of dollars and drugs from over 13 countries until the US authorities caught up with him. All this happened while he lived in the perfect family and was recruited to play professional baseball. He started when he was 15 and no one knew about it.
Wesleyan College, Michael’s alma mater, will be receiving donated funds from Michael for their new film buildings.
