Transformers 4 Using New Mini Camera Tech

Michael Bay loves his filming tech, using each of the TF films to experiment with something new. Transformers 4 is continues the tradition as he has added Radiant Image's Nevo line to his lineup for the film (in addition to new IMAX 3D cameras). The web-cam sized cameras were shown to the public for the first time at Cine Gear Expo this weekend. The cameras shoot in uncompressed 2k Raw. As for what 2k Raw means I don't have a clue but I think it comes down to the video will be detailed enough that only experts might be able to tell the difference between what was shot by the mini-sized cameras vs. their larger counterparts. What it comes down to is their tiny size but professional quality recording means that Bay can get really creative on his camera angles and stick em pretty much anywhere he wants to shoot a scene. I just hope this doesn't result in TF4 resulting in shaky-cam syndrome that plagues many an action flick. Thanks to Wynton R. for the link.

Transformers 4 Set Mostly in China?

Marc Ganis, the president of Jiaflix Enterprises, suggests interesting things about Transformers 4 saying the story "has a great deal to do with China. Effectively, China is a character in it." Jiaflix Enterprises is essentially hoping to become the Netflix of China and is part of the "Cooperation Agreement" with Paramount to finance a portion of filming in China and Hong Kong that includes a Chinese only reality show to cast actors for the film. The agreement is part of a move to increase Hollywood's status in the country which is currently the 2nd largest movie market in the world and growing.

Detroit Casting Call Interview With Michigan Filming Info

In an interview with Fox Detroit News, Transformers 4 casting coordinator Maryellen Aviano provided a few details on the Michigan plans when filming starts in the state. Most of the interview was promoting the extras casting call that is being held Friday and Saturday in Troy, MI. While discussing the call, she mentioned that portions of scenes set in Hong Kong will be filmed somewhere in Michigan with the current schedule set to be in the state from end of June through August. At the end she also mentioned "Corvettes" in plural. Does that mean Sideswipe returns, a new character with Corvette alt mode, or it could just mean they have multiple Stingray's to meet filming needs.

Introducing Hound's Vehicle Mode (Updated)

MichaelBay.com has confirmed that the green military vehicle spotted on Transformers 4 Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park set is Hound. The vehicle is "The always rugged and reliable Hound, one of the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles from Oshkosh Defense. High resolution photo: http://bayhem.com/16wz8Oj." In Generation One, Hound's alt mode was a military jeep but over the years he has varied from jeep to truck while maintaining his military green color scheme. One constant of the character is his should missile. Will his robot mode have it too? Thanks to The Chad and Wynton R for the heads-up.

Update: Much like Pixel Rally's Jeffrey Marshall did with Optimus Prime, below is a modified look at Hound that really makes the vehicle look good.

Transformers: The Ride Soft Opens at Universal Orlando

Universal Studios Orlando has opened Transformers: The Ride starting this weekend. The "soft opening" is not the official grand opening of the new attraction but something that is done a few weeks before to work out any kinks and problems that may come up. As a result The Ride may be open and closed at random times of the day depending on whatever needs they have to address. The grand opening of The Ride is scheduled for June 20th. Below are several videos that show off the new attraction from outside, in the queue and portions of The Ride itself.

Transformers Prime 3.07 Plus One Promo and Clip

Today on The Hub, a new episode of Transformers Prime Beast Hunters airs at 7:30PM EST. Called "Plus One", "while on a mission to gather a Precadon bone relic, Agent Fowler finds himself in a tight squeeze with Jack's mother." It seems the hunt for Predacon parts continue. The promo and a clip for the ep is below, the previous two eps of TF Prime are at Hub World. After next week's episode, TF Prime will go encore the most recent four episodes then resume with a new one on June 28th.

Upcoming Episodes:
06/07 - Thirst (3.08) - Knock Out and Starscream experiment with synthetic lead and threaten to take over the Decepticon ship and unleash an old enemy.
06/28 - Evolution (3.09) - Megatron questions the results of Project Predacon.

Another New Transformers Vehicle Revealed?

A new vehicle has been spotted at the Transformers 4 set in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park. As the images from donnieboy_09 and instamgramjerk show is a green military type truck that is traveling with the other known Autobots vehicles. New Transformer vehicle and if so for what character? Thanks for Mauri D for the info.

Bumblebee's Alt Mode Confirmed for Transformers 4

MichaelBay.com has confirmed that the yellow and black vehicle photographed at Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park where Transformers 4 is currently filming is the alt mode of Bumblebee. The site says 'Bee is a "highly modified, vintage 1967 Camaro SS." Hi-res images of the car can be found here.

What kind of customizations have been added? Pro-Touring forums might have some ideas as they have noticed that the custom design of Bumblebee seems to match what "Mr Vengeance" built two years ago for his '67 Camaro. The details on his mods are here. Thanks to J1000, Tony and others for the links.

First Look at Bumblebee's New Alt Mode? (Updated)

As Transformers 4 continues to film around Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, it seems a fourth Transformer was spotted riding around the area with the green C7 Corvette Stingray. The vehicle appears to have a black and yellow color scheme and shape that looks a whole lot like the Transformers Prime Beast Hunters version of Bumblebee. Additional images posted by rezzieboi shows off more of the Optimus Prime vehicle mode, references Bumblebee underneath a tarp, another look at the Vitesse. Also of note is a very rusted truck that looks almost identical to the Generation One alt mode of Prime. Thanks to Mauri D for finding the images.

Update: Added to more images from mar10stm and killersquirrell that showcase the potential Bumblebee vehicle. With all the black and what appears to be a much older design, starting to think this is Jack Reynor character's race car and not a TF alt mode.

Names of Two New Autobots Revealed? (Updated)

JoBlo think they have the character names for the two new Autobot vehicles being used in Transformers 4. The site reports "According to the source the C7 Corvette Stingray is named "Slingshot" and the Bugatti Grand Sport Vitesse is named "Drift". There are two Autobots with the same names from Transformer's first generation of characters but it isn't completely clear if they will be the same characters or just share the same names." The site previously had provided a list of potential characters in the film including the Dinobots. Drift is a recent creation from the IDW comic book series and not part of the original toy line. Slingshot was a member of the Aerialbots and consistently had a plane alt mode for the various toy lines.

Bay's Shoot for the Edit admin commented, "This is the 4th movie, you would think these guys would've learned by now that production names DO NOT EQUAL final name". If take his statement literally, it seems the names are correct but the final decision has not been made on keeping them. Despite his claim, most of the pre-production names for the characters went on to be used in the movies and toys. All this remains in the rumor category as Optimus Prime is currently the only officially confirmed Transformer character returning to the franchise. The site tweeted the below video to show off the speed of the Bugatti.

New Vehicle Mode of Optimus Prime Revealed (Updated)

Yesterday who got a look at two new Autobot vehicles and now we have the new look at another one. According to MichaelBay.com, the image to the left is "The completely upgraded, custom-built Optimus Prime from Western Star (a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America)." Hi-Res images of the cars can be found on Flickr stream.

Update: Below is the same image but modified by Jeffrey Marshall of Pixel Rally so that it is less "sepia-toned." The result is the colors of Prime really pops out. While still not a big fan of the flames, I do like his Transformers Prime-like shape.

Transformers 4 Principle Photography Begins, Two Autobot Vehicles Introduced

Today principle photography on Transformers 4 has officially begun according to MicahelBay.com in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, Arizona. The site also posted pictures (below) of two Autobot vehicles, a green 2014 Corvette Stingray and 2013 black & blue Bugatti Grand Sport Vitesse. As for what characters these gorgeous vehicles represent, only time will tell. Thanks to Mauri D. for the heads-up. Update: Hi-Res images of the cars can be found on site's Flickr stream. Thanks to Jeffrey Marshall for the link.

The caption for Stingray:

Transformers 4 Starts Filming in Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park

Images From A Transformers 4 Farm Set (Updated)

New photos from a potential set for Transformers 4 has popped up on Instagram. Taken by blackdaggerbrotherhood from Austin, Texas the images (below) show a farm set. Its exact purpose is not known but the user applied a lot of hashtags to go with the pics, the key ones being #transformers4, #fbi and #chase. I don't think filming has started there, just that the site is being prepped for it. Thanks to Mauri D. for the link.

Update: Mauri spoke with blackdaggerbrotherhood and he said he was part of the crew that built the roads around the barn, house and pond for a chase scene while "did not do any of the cosmetics on the building ...will be assisting the stunt crew with ramps and stuff." Sounds like a lot of fun.

TJ Miller Joins Transformers 4 Cast

Comedian T.J. Miller has joined the cast of Transformers 4, playing the best friend of Mark Wahlberg's character. The role, like Wahlberg, is a mechanic (one assumes race cars) but no name has been provided. If the actor seems somewhat familiar, he is currently one of the leads on Fox's The Goodwin Games that is airing on Mondays. He also was in Cloverfield and voices Tuffnut in the How To Train Your Dragon franchise.

Transformers Prime #1, More Than Meets the Eye #17 Previews

Tomorrow brings two Transformers comics to stores with Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #17 and Transformers Prime Beast Hunters #1. Beast Hunters more or less picks up were War for Cybertron left off with the Dinobots left behind on Cybertron. Its preview of the first issue is here. MTMTE continues doing its comedic/drama thing as more stuff that has nothing to do with the Knights of Cybertron happens to the crew of the Lost Light. The preview of #17 is here.

Transformers Age of Extinction Cheat Sheet

This is a "cheat sheet" for Transformers 4 that attempts to summarize the details on the movie as it comes in. As a result consider this a Spoiler Warning. Verified means the information either came from someone associated with the film (an actor, director, producer, etc.) or through mainstream press (CNN, THR, etc.) so unlikely to be false (but no guarantees). Feel free to comment on any inaccuracies or new info that isn't reflect in the sheet. The below is ultimately speculation and rumor until officially confirmed through those with the production of the film.

Extras Casting Call for Detroit

Yesterday a casting call for Austin, Texas was posted and now today it is Detroit, Michigan's turn. The Michigan Film Office has posted a Transformers 4 extras casting for next Friday May 31 and June 1 from 10AM to 3PM at the Somerset Inn in Troy, Michigan. They are looking for 18+ male and females that can look like "clean cut business types", military, and FBI agents while also casting for Asian families of all ages. According to CBS Detroit, they are casting for parts that will later film sometime in the June to August range. The full details can be found here (PDF). Thanks Wynton R. and J1000 for the links.

Extras Casting Call for Transformers 4 In Austin

Beth Sepko Casting and Third Coast Extras facebook page has posted a variety of variety of extras for Transformers 4 when it starts filming in Austin, Texas for a date range of June 3-20th. The extras include a white or hispanic "mom" or "dad" (details), 35-65 year old "character" faces that seem to fit what a non-Texan might imagine what Texans look like (details here and here), 16-23 white female hotties (details), and what looks like extras for a crowd scene since the age range is 9-12 and 18-80s (details). As always, warning about applying for untrustworthy ads and remember the whole point of extra casting is they pay you for your time, not that you pay them. Also if are not in the Austin, Texas area for that date range, don't waste their time submitting your info. Thanks to Wynton R. for the link.

Transformers Prime 3.06 Chain of Command Promo

Tomorrow on The Hub, a new episode of Transformers Prime Beast Hunters airs. Called Chain of Command, "tension builds within the Autobots team as they face the return of the Predacon." The last episode ended with the Decepticons finding the remains of a new predacon for cloning. The promo for the ep is below, the previous two eps of TF Prime at Hub World.

Upcoming Episodes:
05/31 - Plus One (3.07) - While on a mission to gather a Precadon bone relic, Agent Fowler finds himself in a tight squeeze with Jack's mother.
06/07 - Thirst (3.08) - Knock Out and Starscream experiment with synthetic lead and threaten to take over the Decepticon ship and unleash an old enemy.

General Morshower Not Returning to Transformers 4

While attending the Texas Frightmare Weekend at the beginning of May, Transformers' Glenn Morshower told fans that he would not be in Transformers 4 citing a scheduling conflict as they had begun filming and he couldn't fit the film in. Last year the actor had said he though he would be in Transformers 4 and 5 so I guess the story changed and didn't need his role of General Morshower. Considering Michael Bay frequently has said Transformers 4 is going in a different direction, losing the military angle would be a good start. Thanks to Shane E. for the info.

Rumor: New Characters for Transformers 4

JoBlo.com is reporting their sources have revealed some of the potential Transformers characters and brief story points that might be in Transformers 4. JoBlo's track record is iffy at best but that doesn't mean this isn't one of the times they get it right so spoiler warning. None of this is remotely confirmed so take it with a grain of salt. If the previous movies are any indication, it will be a while before we have any real information on what TF characters will be in the movie. Thanks to Wynton R. for the heads-up.

Rumored TF Characters:
• Optimus Prime - rides Grimlock into battle in Hong Kong
• Bumblebee - rides Swoop into battle in Hong Kong
• Grimlock and the Dinobots - as Autobots somehow "brought back to life by a captured Optimus Prime"
• Lockdown - as Decepticon
• Hound - as Autobot
• Drift - as former Decepticon, now Autobot trying to regain his honor (yep the IDW comic character)
• Galvatron - "basically Megatron reborn"; unclear if summarizing the character as potentially used in the movie or his Transformers: The Movie (1986) origin

Transformers: Robots in Disguise #17 Preview

Tomorrow brings Transformers: Robots in Disguise #17 to stores. Last issue ended with something that has never happened in Transformers history - Starscream winning control of Cybertron. Now the next story arc begins with a focus on Shockwave and his origin story. A preview of the issue can be found here.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise #17
John Barber (w) • Livio Ramondelli (a) • Ramondelli, Casey Coller (c)
SHOCKWAVES! The fate of Cybertron is sealed—but what is the DECEPTICON scientist called SHOCKWAVE planning? After the stunning revelations in MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE, learn the origin of the one-eyed, gun-handed master of machinations… and the countdown begins for the biggest TRANSFORMERS event in comic book history.
*2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Li Bingbing Joins Transformers 4 Cast

The China side of Transformers 4 production has found one of their 4 or so actors professional actors by casting Li Bingbing in the movie. The actress is an A-list actress in China while a complete unknown in Hollywood with her first big role being Ada Wong in Resident Evil: Retribution.

The press release (below) for the casting, Michael Bay said "I am excited to have Li Bingbing join our cast and to be shooting portions of the movie in her native China. I have always aspired to work with the best actors and this cast is especially exciting now with the addition of Li."

Walhberg's Character Named, TF4 Prepping in Austin

Examiner.com is reporting that Transformers 4 is expected to start principal photography "beginning late May, 2013" and as started looking for extras in the area and LA for the film. In addition, while summarizing the casting of the film, they provided the name of Mark Wahlberg's father character as Flynn Vincent joining the only other named role of Harold Attinger (Kelsey Grammer). Details on the Austin extras casting is here. Thanks to Sam and Wynton for the heads-up.

Transformers Prime Returns Tonight With Project Predacon

After four weeks of "encore" episodes, Transformers Prime is starting its next run of four new episodes on The Hub at 7:30pm EST, starting with Project Predacon. The first four left off with a repair and more powerful Prime rejoining the Autobots. In this need episode, "The Decepticons launch a new scheme to clone an army of beasts." Below is the promo, clip and a look at Predaking. The last video is the new opening posted by hitfix that has a "heavier rock version" of the opening theme that was composed by Brian Tyler (Iron Man 3).

Upcoming Episodes:
05/24 - Chain of Command (3.06) - Tension builds within the Autobot team as they face the return of the Predacon.
05/31 - Plus One (3.07) - While on a mission to gather a Precadon bone relic, Agent Fowler finds himself in a tight squeeze with Jack's mother.
06/07 - Thirst (3.08) - Knock Out and Starscream experiment with synthetic lead and threaten to take over the Decepticon ship and unleash an old enemy.

IDW August 2013 Transformers Comics

IDW Publishing has released their publishing plans for August 2013. Five comics and one trade are coming out that month. The Monstrosity mini-series is the same as the current digital only series just in printed form. The Transformers Prelude trade is just the last six spotlight issues collected together. For the full details of IDW's other books including GI Joe, Star Trek, Locke & Key, and more click here.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise #20
John Barber (w) • Andrew Griffith (a) • Griffith, Casey Coller (c)
NEW CYBERTRON! It’s a brand new day—and STARSCREAM is in charge! But running a planet isn’t as easy as it looks… if BUMBLEBEE couldn’t do it, why does the former DECEPTICON think he can?
2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio
FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Sophia Myles Added To Transformers 4 Cast

The Wrap is reporting that Sophia Myles (Moonlight, MI-5) has joined the cast of Transformers 4 in a "major supporting role" that might be a scientist. This will add her to the already known leads of Mark Wahlberg, Nicola Peltz, Jack Reynor and Kelsey Grammer. Considering her lovely looks, I suspect it probably will evolve into a love interest of sorts for Wahlberg's character. I enjoyed watching her on Moonlight (a vampire series cancelled just before vampire stuff became popular again with Twilight) so please with the addition. Transformers 4 starts principal photography in June or July in Detroit or Chicago (reports vary). Thanks to Wynton R. for the link.

Amazing Transformers Inspired Costume

Below is a video of a sweet movie Transformers inspired costume called Bolt with moving parts, light up eyes, jet pack smoke thrusters, moving mouth and more. The sound is off because Marc De Repentigny got a notice about the background music that was playing. You can also find a gallery of images for the suit at MarksProjects.com.

China's Transformers 4 Reality Show Begins Casting Process

Transformers 4 Chinese Actor Talent Search reality show to find 4 actors for the movie has started its casting process. The reality show is culling from 50,000 to 80,000 entries to find 2 professional and 2 amateur actors to play unspecified roles in the movie when filming starts sometime this summer in the country. The show is a result of a "cooperation agreement" between China and Paramount for unspecified financial, promotional and political assistance for the movie.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the paring down process will occur in several rounds. The first round will have the television station running the show pare down the contestants based on unknown criteria and putting their bio, photo and audition tape online. The top 400 chosen by Chinese citizens via online voting will move to the semi-final round where there will be additional auditions and testing (for what is not specified). Another round of online voting will move to the finalists round where 6 judges will continue to eliminate contestants until the final four actors are chosen. Basically its the American Idol model without the initial touring the country episodes.

Transformers: The Ride Orlando Opens June 20th

My prediction that Transformers: The Ride Orlando would open on Memorial Day weekend turned out to be off by a month as today Universal Studios announced the official open date as Thursday, June 20th. Press release below.

The highly anticipated blockbuster attraction TRANSFORMERS: The Ride – 3D will officially open on Thursday, June 20, 2013, Universal Orlando announced today.
Universal also launched an all-new “Join the Resistance” Facebook experience to prepare fans for the battle they’ll experience on the mega-attraction. “Recruits” can create their very own NEST IDs, train for battle, access exclusive photos and video and win prizes – including a trip to the attraction’s grand opening celebration on June 20. Click here to join the resistance.

Transformers 4 Casts Its (Human) Villain

Deadline is reporting that Kelsey Grammer (Boss, Frasier) has been cast as the human bad guy for Transformers 4. According to the site he is playing "Harold Attinger, a counter intelligence guy." The site also says production is supposed to start in July (rather then the rumored June I guess). No more details then that. As a long time fan of his work, it should be interesting to see how he chews the scenery. Thanks to Wynton R. for the link.

Transformers: The Ride Orlando Campaign Begins

Universal Studios Orlando has begun their campaign for the grand opening of Transformers: The Ride. The attraction is already open in Hollywood and Singapore. The new campaign is beginning much the same as the Hollywood one with an outline of Megatron on the Fairwinds Credit Union with a "home video" (below) of an encounter with the Decepticon. The last time they started the marketing it was to later announce the attraction would open Memorial Day weekend which this year is May 24th to 27th. Another sign that the attraction is nearly ready to go is these great pictures from Wynton R. that show of the completed attraction building with stocked gift shop.

Linkfest - Lots of Reviews

This round of links on the latest in Transformers toys both official and not is just full of reviews. We reviews of Beast Hunters toys, latest MP release, and 3rd party upcoming releases like Tetra Squadron, not STunticons, and more. Also have reviews of past releases like a 30 year old Gobot gestault and God Ginrai. Not reviews include a look at the lastest addition to the Super GT line, encore Fortress Maximus, a new Megatron statue and Transformers Go comparisons.

Super GT Galleries - GTR Maximus | GTR Megatron
Takara has released a few more official images of their successors to the Binal-Tech line for Super GT racing. Four molds now are planned with Optimus Prime (GTR-01), Saber (GTR-02), Megatron (GTR-03) and now Maximus (GTR-04). I think its the same mold but with color differences and different heads molds for each character but not 100% on that. The average price of each is around $120 each with the first two coming out in the next month or so.

Possible Chinese Actors for Transformers 4

It seems that the main actors for the Chinese portion of Transformers 4 is starting to come together as Asian Pop News is reporting that actors Huang Xiaoming, Chen Kun and Tong Dawei. It also says that Huang has hired an English tutor so it seems their roles will be for more then just a Chinese cut of the film with their scenes. As usually time will tell exactly how China is being incorporated into the TF4 story. (via TFormers)

Transformers 4 Heading to Texas; Bay Scouts Chicago

You can add Austin, Texas area to the list of locations that Transformers 4 will be shooting this summer. According to Dallas News (via Seibertron), sometime in June the production will be in the small towns of Lockhart, Taylor, Elgin and Pfugnerville. In Taylor the plan is to close downtown and a railroad overpass with a car explosion set for Robinson Park. For Lockhart, the Caldwell County Courthouse will be used. The cities are part of a chase between the Autobots and Decepticons through Central Texas. Filming is expected to start in June (location unknown) with production hitting Detroit, Chicago, Hong Kong, and other unknown locations in China.

Speaking of Chicago, Bay was spotted scouting locations in the city on April 25th. Locations he and his crew checked out include LaSalle Street near Randolph Street up to the Board of Trade Building. Not sure what can gleam from that story wise but mostly reinforces that TF4 is coming soon to the area. Thanks to Wynton R. for the links.

Bay: Redesigning Every Transformer for TF4

In an interview with MovieFone to promote Pain & Gain, Michael Bay spoke about Transformers 4. To talked about why he started doing the franchise and changing his mind on moving on to do TF4. Main piece of information is he said "I'm literally redesigning every character, top to bottom. There's a [story] reason why their redesigned..." It will be interesting to see what those redesigns look like. The Transformers comments are below, the full interview is at MovieFone.

Well it’s more about how you approach these films, like for example, on “Transformers,” you already have the built in audience.
See, I was not a fan of Transformers [at first]. Hasbro was talking about giving me a whole Transformers story, and I’m like, “If I can do this really real. If I can make them believable, I think I could have something here.” I’m not a Hollywood guy. My friends are normal guys. I’ve got this guy from Texas. He’s like, “Mike, that “Transformers” [movie] seems like a dumb idea.” And I’m like, “Yeah, I know, but just give it a second.” And then I showed him the shot of the Scorponoks jumping out of the sand with Tyrese [Gibson] running. He saw that image and he went, “I see what you’re doing.” You’ll always have haters, but the last movie? One-hundred-twenty million people saw that movie. There’s still a lot of fans of that franchise. And I’m a huge Transformers fan now, and I protect that brand.

The Rock Almost Cast in Transformers 4

It turns out that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, was offered the lead role in Transformers 4 before Mark Wahlberg. This was confirmed via a tweet during a online Q&A.

Michael Bay offered me Transformers, but I was unavailable due to Hercules. Then Wahlberg was offered the role. #RockTalk @nadydi
— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) April 26, 2013

It seems that Bay really like working with both actors on Pain & Gain to offer one, then the other a role. Makes you wonder if The Rock had set yes, would Bay have figured out a different role for Wahlberg. Thanks to Wynton R. for the link.

Why Transformers Are So Complicated?

In two previous articles Gizmodo provided a few details on how Transformers are made. While there they took the opportunity to ask why Transformers have been so complicated to transform for the last few years. The answer, of course, is because of the Michael Bay movies.

"The reference style is so phenomenal in the movie tie-ins, we got more complicated than we had to," Lamb says. "Right now, there's a big effort to get back to simple; and more than simple, intuitive."

What was the issue, exactly? "Bay and ILM (Industrial Light and Magic) work it pretty well," Lamb says, "But they also do some magic." In the movie, a car's parts could fold into infinitely small sections. Tiny pieces of interlocking plastic? Not so much.

Transformers 4 Heading to Hong Kong in September

Twitch.tv has posted an (unconfirmed) overview of the shooting schedule for Transformers 4. It seems the movie will have an almost five month shooting schedule from June to October. The production will be in Chicago and Michigan for June, July and August plans not specified, then in September head to Hong Kong, and then mainland China in October as part of the co-production agreement between Paramount and the country. The site said that Michael Bay is interested in shooting in Sham Shui Po district west of North West Kowloon which is described as "one of the oldest and most densely populated areas of Hong Kong." Thanks to Wynton R. for the link.

Transformers 4 Extras Casting Call Found

A casting call for Transformers 4 has been posted on Explore Talent that is seeking 35 extras total for the film.  The ad marks the location as "nationwide" so no specifics on when or were. Nor does it specify what the roles are for but it reads like typical background extras with no lines.  The info ("details" is too strong a word to describe the lack of info) can be found here.

A little warning for those thinking of applying, think of casting call ads as the equivalent of a craigslist ad...assume its a scam until proven otherwise so on guard, be safe, don't provide money, and don't go anywhere alone. If your gut says something isn't right, then listen to it. (via Seibertron)

Jack Raynor On Being Cast Transformers 4

Back in January, actor Jack Reynor was announced as the other lead actor with Mark Wahlberg in Transformers 4. In one of the first interviews with the actor as he promotes "What Richard Did" at the Tribeca Film Festival, he talked a little bit about joining TF4 with The Hollywood Reporter. Thanks to Wynton R. for the link

In New York to film the Vince Vaughn-led comedy Delivery Man, Reynor returned to LA when Hurricane Sandy hit the city and temporarily shut down the film's production. "That just lent me enough time to get into the Transformers race," he says.

"All I knew was basically, Michael was going to make Transformers 4 and we were going to chat about me being in it," he says of the meeting. "We didn’t chat about making a fourth or any of the motives behind it. But personally, I think there’s a lot more to be done with it. There’s a whole new direction to take it in, and a lot more to explore in that universe, and I think we’re going to make a definitive step away from the previous movies, and this is going to be a lot of fun and I’m incredibly excited."

"The reason I got into acting is, it’s just about character, there’s a love of creating characters," Reynor professed. "I love portraying them on screen. Fame never was a feature in it, I don’t really care about making a whole lot of money, just I’d like to be comfortable, and that’s all I care about."

How Transformers Are Made Part 2

Gizmodo has published the second part that looks into how Transformers and other Hasbro toys are created. The first part focused on the design phase while the 2nd part looks into the machinery and people that build and paint the prototypes that become the mass produced toys sold everywhere. Below are highlights, the full article is here.

Highlights
- Most prototype parts created 3D printers that essentially "grow" the needed part from CAD designs.
- Perfactory, normally used by jewelers, is used to create the parts and accessories that require a lot of detail like etchings in swords and the like.
- Custom built for Hasbro, the Z-Corp Spectrum is used to create designs from a powered resin type material and capable of producing articulated parts based on inputted designs.

Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #16 Preview

Issue #16 of More Than Meets the Eye hits stores Wednesday. In the last issue Overlord went on a rampage, killing several Autobots (but not as many as would have thought). This issue picks up after those events as the Lost Light passengers deal with the dead, their own feelings over the fight and what to do next. A preview of the issue can be found here.

Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye #16
James Roberts (w) • Alex Milne (a) • Milne, Nick Roche (c)
AFTERMATH! The battle for the Lost Light is over. As the survivors bury the dead, one Autobot begins a secret journey that will change everything. This special issue marks the beginning of “Remain in Light”—the game-changing finale to the first More Than Meets The Eye mega-story arc!
2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio • FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Bay Comments on Shooting Locations for TF4

In two separate articles, Michael Bay discussed Transformers 4. Nothing was revealed about the story but he mentioned that he starts filming in Detroit in late May/early June, that GM cars will continued to be part of the franchise, and that there are plans to film in Hong Kong.

Also here is the last version of the TF4 Autobot logo created by Pixel Rally's Jeffrey Marshall. Just like the previous two, these are not official logos from Hasbro or Paramount but maybe they should consider how good they look. All three of them can be found here in various sizes. Make sure to give him and his site credit if use them elsewhere.

Detroit Free Press:

“I’ll be there in a month and a half,” says the director of his plans to shoot a big chunk of the fourth “Transformers” movie in metro Detroit.

“We’re going to be shooting at stages, we’re going to be shooting around the city, we’re going to be shooting at GM a bit,” says Bay, who knows the city well and credits it with having a lot of good locations.

Hasbro's Built a Bot Poll, Vote Now

As part of the 30th anniversary of Transformers, Hasbro has posted a build a bot poll that fans can vote on. After the characteristics of the character have been voted on by fans, Hasbro will continue to update the site with designs as the fan chosen bot is created. To vote, click here. The poll closes on May 5 with results revealed at the San Diego Comic-Con.

Hasbro, Inc. is kicking off the Thrilling 30 with the Fan Built Bot Poll! For the 1st time ever, a fan vote will decide an all new Transformers character. Vote daily here at Transformers.com to have a hand in the bot building!

Once the votes have been tallied, come back to Transformers.com to see the designers at work. Sketches, images and more will be revealed as the new bot character comes to life.

Add the bot to your collection! The new Transformers character will be revealed, named and forever added to the Transformers world including an appearance in the "Thrilling 30" product line, an IDW storyline and more!

New Transformers Prime Starts on May 17th

For the next four weeks, The Hub is airing encores of the first four episodes of Transformers Prime Beast Hunters. After that a new episode (and I assume more) will start airing beginning May 17th with "Project Predacon" which Zap2It describes as "The Decepticons launch a new scheme to clone an army of beasts." Basically this is the episode where the rest of the Predacon toys...mean characters will start entering the show's final season.

How Transformers Are Made Part 1

Gizmodo has posted their first part that looks into how Hasbro and Takara design and manufacture Transformers. Today's part looks into the design and initial mold creation phase with Transformers Senior Design Director Josh Lamb and Product Designer LEnny Panzica at Hasbro's Providence, RI headquarters. Tomorrow's article will into detail on creating the master mold and manufacturing of the toys for wide scale distribution. Below is highlights from the article but worth reading the whole thing here. I keep hoping that every time a new Transformers movie is released on home video they would do a extra feature on how the toys are made. Maybe interest in articles like this will encourage them as the disciplines required to create a single toy is pretty substantial.

Highlights:
- Hasbro already designing toys, including Transformers, for 2015 (so guessing the TF4 toys are already through or at least near end of mold creation).
- To generate design ideas for Beast Hunter toys, previous TF toys and Zoids parts where painted grey (so can focus on shape, not color) and "frankensteined" together to see how new configurations might work and look like.
- The ideas are then sketched out to conceive a potential final product including robot and alt mode, features and more while being aware of the engineering that will be required for the transformation

China Getting Transformers 4 Casting Reality Show

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Paramount Pictures is going to use a reality show to help cast some of the Chinese characters of the film. This seems to be part of the co-producing agreement that the studio signed with the Chinese government. The title of the show is "Transformers 4 Chinese Actor Talent Search" were the pool of contestants will be whittled down until the winners are two professional actors and two non-pros. The reality program is for the Chinese market only and set to start in June 2013 with the judges being Sid Ganis (former head of Oscars), TF4 producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura, casting director Denise Chamian, and Paramount exec Megan Colligan. Exactly what these roles are, how much screen time they will be or how China will used in the film remains unknown (and probably will for a while). Thanks to Wynton R. for the link.

Michael Bay Profile in the NYT

As part of the promotional swing for Pain & Gain, Michael Bay spoike with the New York Times about his career up to this point. There are a few mentions of Transformers as a whole but nothing all that informative about TF4. Below are the Transformers specific portions of the article but to read the entire profile, click here.

As Mr. Bay watched ILM’s preliminary animation for his latest “Transformers” movie, blocky images of giant robots trading blows in the middle of a city, his visceral reactions, often with variations on the word “cool” — “That’s pretty cool”; “We can do something cooler”; “Maybe you could get a nice slice through his face” — seemed to signal approval.

On the first “Transformers,” Mr. Bay said, he was chided by Steven Spielberg for allowing actors to improvise too much.

“Steven said to me, ‘Michael, I would like you to shoot something that’s in the script,’ ” he recalled. “And I was like, ‘Steven, this is how I work.’ ” Even if 80 percent of what he shot was terrible, Mr. Bay said, “You’re going to get 20 percent that’s gold.”

Since then, Mr. Bay said, Mr. Spielberg has come to see things his way. “Steven’s like: ‘You’ve got to have the funny. That’s part of the brand of ‘Transformers.’”

“I want to chill out for a little bit,” after the next “Transformers,” he said hesitantly. “I think. Smell the flowers a little bit.”

Transformers 4 Prep Has Started in Michigan

Transformers 4 is getting ever close to the start of principal photography sometime in late May as the Michigan Motion Picture Studios has begun to build sets for the film. The 535,000 square foot facility in Pontiac, MI is just one of many locations that Transformers 4 will be filming at. Thanks to Wynton R. for the link.

As for this very cool Autobot logo with a touch of color, it was created by Pixel Rally's Jeffrey Marshall. It is not an official logo from Paramount or Hasbro. If use it for something, make sure to him and his site credit. A few his alternate designs can be found here.

"They are in the process of pre-production right now," Wenson told MLive Detroit, when asked if Bay's film crew is in town. "They are filming in several other states, too. The majority of their shooting, I believe, will be done in the state of Michigan.

"In addition to working on our stages, they’ll also be working throughout the state at different locations. We’re really excited that they’re here. We’re looking forward to the opportunity to service another film.”

Everything Wrong with Transformers In 7 Minutes or Less

A new edition in CinemaSin's "Everything Wrong..." series turns its snarky but funny eye on the first Transformers film. Can't help but notice how many of its observations are spot on.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise #16 Preview

Tomorrow Transformers: Robots in Disguise #16 brings an end to the first major story arc of RID as its Autobots vs Decepticons once again for the fate of Cybertron as Megatron leads his forces against Bumblebee and his weakened forces. Fortunately Ironhide and the Dinobots have arrived to turn the tide, assuming they can get past Devastator. A preview of the issue can be found here.

Transformers: Robots in Disguise #16
John Barber (w) • Andrew Griffith (a) • Griffith, Casey Coller (c)
FINAL BATTLE! The leadership of Cybertron will be decided once and for all! It’s all-out war against the forces of MEGATRON! Will the Autobots wrest control from their attackers—or will the DECEPTICON flag fly over Cybertron forever? Heroes will fall, and nothing will stay the same.
2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio • FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Stanley Tucci Cast in Transformers 4

At CinemaCon, Michael Bay announced that Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games and huge list of movies) has joined the cast of Transformers 4 along with Mark Walhberg, Jack Reynor, and Nicola Peltz. Bay also suggested there is another young actor announcement to come. CinemaCon is an annual convention of theater owners in Las Vegas which the studios use to preview their slate of summer movies and future plans. Thanks to Wynton R. for the heads-up.

Transformers 4 to Shoot in IMAX Format

IMAX has announced at CinemaCon that they and Paramount have a five picture deal to shoot film sequences using IMAX cameras, including Transformers 4. Standard film is shot in 35mm while IMAX is 70mm. The last time Michael Bay filmed in true IMAX was for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. It is suggested only on some sequences will be shot in real IMAX, not the entire film. While Transformers: Dark of the Moon was shown in IMAX theaters, it was not naively filmed that way. Transformers 4 is already planning on being shot with Real 3D cameras.

In the video interview (below) with Collider, Michael Bay spoke about returning to the IMAX format for "showcase scenes" as TF4 will be the first to use the next generation of smaller, better IMAX 3D digital cameras. He also said he would not being shooting in 48FPS (as used by The Hobbit).

Bay and Wahlberg Talk Working Together Again on TF4

In the below clip from MTV to promote Pain & Gain, Michael Bay and Mark Wahlberg briefly discussed Transformers 4. No real spoiler were revealed except that the movie would continue the war of Autobots vs Decepticons and that its "fresh" and "not revisiting a lot of the same territory." The clip is after the break. Thanks to Margarita for the links.

Bay on TF4: "Chase from Hell"

While its not much to go on, Michael Bay provided a micro-tease for Transformers 4 that starts filming in a month or so. He told ComingSoon that the plot of the movie is a "Chase from Hell." Hopefully more details might emerge as Bay makes the rounds to promote his film Pain & Gain that is coming out on April 26th. Feel free to speculate in the comments exactly what he means with his tease.

As for the logo attached to this post it was created by Pixel Rally's Jeffrey Marshall. It is NOT an official new logo from Paramount or Hasbro even though it looks so awesome I understand if others might think so. If grabbing it to post elsewhere, please make sure to give him and his site credit. Also thanks to Jeff for the new banner at the top of the blog. He provided a few other Autobot versions that I will also post in the future.

IDW July 2013 Transformers Comics

IDW Publishing has released their publishing plans for July 2013. Five comics and two trades coming out that month. The Monstrosity mini-series is the same as the current digital only series just in printed form. Of note is it seems that Robots in Disguise might be working towards bring some Beast Wars aspects into the franchise with the mention of Waspinator. For the full details of IDW's other books including GI Joe, Star Trek, Locke & Key, and more click here.

Transformers Prime 3.04 Rebellion Clip and Promo

Friday on The Hub is the next new episode of Transformers Prime Beast Hunters. The fourth episode of the season, and possibly the last for a few months, is titled "Rebellion". The last episode ended with Optimus Prime still down with Wheeljack Smokescreen trying to help him while the rest of Team Prime (along with Ultra Magnus) seige the Decepitcon fortress. Below is a clip and promo for the episode. If had not had a chance to watch the previous two episodes, you can find them at Hubworld. If you don't mind knowing how the episode ends, click here.

Transformers 4 Passes on GM Plant

A few weeks ago it was reported that Transformers 4 production team was scouting the GM Weld Tool Center in Grand Blanc, Michigan. Now Michigan Live is reporting the team has decided to pass due to scheduling conflicts. The plant is closing in July but apparently production needed to to use the site before then. Of note is a comment about there was also some discussion about leaving some equipment behind for part of the film." It seems that while TF4 needed the space minus employees getting in the way, it also wanted the industrial equipment for whatever the set would have become. Bay loves his big machines so be interesting to see what site they chose instead. Thanks to Wynton R. for the link.

Transformers Regeneration One #90 Preview

The next issue of Transformers Regeneration One hits stores this Wednesday. Issue #90 continues as Scorponok's plan to take over Cybertron by converting Autobots into Decepticons continues with only the Dinobots standing in his way. A look at hte cover and the first few pages can be found here.

Transformers Regeneration One #90
Simon Furman (w) • Andrew Wildman (a) • Wildman, Guido Guidi (c)
TOO LITTLE—TOO LATE! As Scorponok’s Dark Reign comes ever closer to spreading right across Cybertron, Grimlock launches a desperate counterstrike, in the face of almost innumerable odds. Does the Dinobot commander really have one last ace up his sleeve, or does his “plan” amount to a glorious—but doomed—last stand?
2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio • FC • 32 pages • $3.99

Transformers: Prime 3.03 Prey Clips and Promo

Tonight on The Hub at 7:30pm EST is a new episode of Transformers Prime Beast Hunters called "Prey" when "A new Autobot arrives as the Decepticons unleash the ultimate hunter." The previous episode ended with the arrival of Ultra Magnus and Predaking with Shockwave siccing the dangerous Decepticon on Wheeljack. Below is a clip from the ending of the last weeks episode along with promo for Prey. If had not had a chance to watch the previous two episodes, you can find them at Hubworld.

Upcoming Episodes
04/12 - Rebellion (3.04) - Team Prime wages war against the Decepticon citadel.

Transformers 4 Officially Heading to China

Paramount has issued a press release (below) confirming a rumor from last year that Transformers 4 has entered a "Cooperation Agreement" with the China Movie Channel and Jiaflix Enterprises. It sounds like a similar agreement that Hollywood has entered into with the company for filming portions of Iron Man 3 and The Wolverine. The latter film even has a special cut of the film that features several China stars just for the China market. The reason for the deal is the $165 million box office Dark of the Moon earned in the country and Paramount is hoping that number will be higher for TF4 if its got portions of the film actually made in the country. China talent will be cast in the film but too early to know how the extent of their roles nor how much of the film will actually be produced in the country.

Last November I stated a few reasons for deals like this and the danger it puts in any crew sent to China. Suffice it to say that money and blackmail have a lot to do with it. It will also be interesting to see if Bay and the cast are willing to head over to China to film scenes or if that side will be a 2nd unit only production (so mostly supporting actors or non-actor specific scenes will be filmed there). I think the phrase "Cooperation Agreement" is pretty telling as I suspect it allows for a great deal of latitude on exactly how much Hollywood actually films in the country and what portions of the film use or are set in the country. At the end of the day the Chinese government's primary goal is to keep their propaganda machine going for their own citizens so if none of the main unit films there, I doubt they could care less as long as they are able to insert their own propaganda into the film as desired.

Entire Transformers Trilogy Filming This Summer?

An update on Michael Bay's official website Shoot for the Edit has a new post on April 1st that simply says "Transformers 4, 5, & 6 will begin filming back to back starting June 2013. More details to follow." The site admin Nelson later commented in the forums saying, "When was the last time you saw us joke around here?" when asked if the post was part of April Fools Day.

Now that the day is over, the post is still up and there has not been the usual note indicating its a joke. I delayed on posting about it because it reads like an April Fools joke. I am still not convinced it isn't. There are several reasons to think it is fake. Money is one.

Transformers Spotlight - Trailcutter Preview

Tomorrow bring Transformers Spotlight - Trailcutter one-shot to store. The issue focuses on the G1 character on board the Lost Light. I assume this takes place before Overlord's attack in MTMTE #15 mainly because most Spotlight issues tend to be essentially flashbacks. A preview of the issue can be found here.

Transformers Spotlight: Trailcutter #1
James Roberts (w) • Matt Frank (a) • Frank, Livio Ramondelli (c)
STEALTH ATTACK! Trailcutter has a problem: the Lost Light has been taken over by the Decepticons—and no one else seems to have noticed! Can the Autobots’ defense strategist singlehandedly see off an army of infiltrators? And even if he does, will it convince his crew mates that he's got more to offer than kind words and forcefields?
2 regular covers will be shipped in a 1-to-1 ratio • FC • 32 pages • $3.99