Michael Bay spoke to fans of the Transformes Club last night at Toy Fair in New York.
Rick Alvarez: How did making this film compare to the first? How did the fans reaction to the first film change what you did in the second film?
Michael Bay: The fans are very vocal and we listened. I worked very closely with the writers in order to dive more deeply into the mythology. We really looked for elements that have never been explored and we discovered some story lines that we wanted to elaborate. This is a coming of age story for Sam but we also wanted to delve much deeper into the personalities of the robots. There is much, much more robot interaction in this film. This film has many more personal moments but will also appeal to the hardcore fans as it can be wicked at times.
RA: Special effects software and camera technology have made advancements since the first film. How has this empowered you to further realize your vision for Revenge?
MB: The developments in technology have allowed us to have the robots show emotion. This is a robot movie and this new technology allows us to explore a greater depth of personality from these characters.
RA: No other director has the kind of relationship that you have developed with the US Military. What piece of hardware did you get access to that are you most excited about for this coming film?
MB: It’s like I have a direct line to the Pentagon. This is the first movie where actual F16’s have made a bombing run on a movie set and coordinated with special effects explosions. We were on a working nuclear submarine and working aircraft carrier. The military loved the first movie. It really helped with recruiting and promoting a positive image for them. Now they are happy to do just about anything they can for my films. We also found out that in Afghanistan the Buffalo(s) (Bonecrusher vehicle from the first movie) have all been nicknamed different Transformers characters by their personnel. We also worked with tanks firing real rounds and you have not lived until you have heard an actual tank firing. We have so much access - I am appreciative and excited about all the military vehicles we use.
RA: Filming at the pyramids must have been amazing! What were the greatest challenges you faced?
MB: This is the first time in 30 years that anyone has filmed at the pyramids and the first time ever anyone has filmed from the top of Petra. Steven filmed Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade from the base of Petra. It took 21 very heavy helicopter loads to get all our gear to the top. We had all the access we wanted in Egypt as we found out that the head of Egyptian Antiquities Dr. Zahi Hawass is a big Transformers fan and was very helpful. We also filmed in the desert where Lawrence of Arabia was filmed. Very challenging conditions.
RA: We know you love to blow things up in your movies, what is your favorite thing to blow up or demolish?
MB: Well, I don’t have a favorite, as I like to blow up a lot of things. The most expensive thing I’ve blown us was a $50 million dollar house that no one would buy in Bad Boys II.
RA: Is there anything else you would like to tell the fans about this great new movie?
MB: Fans should know that I really want to satisfy them by making an even better movie than the first one. Tonight was just a taste of what is to come. Not a scene shown was a “money shot” from the film. I really want to keep them a secret to give everyone a great surprise this summer. Oh yes, and all the previews you have seen so far, you won’t get a bit of the final story from the trailers. The final movie will be so much more than what you “think” you have seen in the previews.
So far so good it sounds like, cant wait to see this film opening June 24, 2009