ENI Transformers Articles

ENI.com has posted to comprehensive posts that cover the making of Transformers and the history of the Transformers in general. Both are long articles but worth reading.

Transformers: Cast, History, Movie
Transformers: Making of

Transformers: Cast, History, Movie highlights:
- First part is the producers talking about how loves Transformers as kids or when first came out (depending on age).
- John Rogers wrote initial draft of the movie whose plotlines where used in the Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci drafts.
- Bay came onboard the movie after "Transformers School" at Hasbro HQ, which covers the history of the product. The idea of a transforming at 80 miles per hour is what sold him.
- Production designer Jeff Mann, fan of anime, helped design the Transformers (origin of the "must be Japanese" joke?)
- Bay: "The Generation One robots were very blocky which would have been like using the unarticulated marshmallow man from ‘Ghostbusters.’ Our Optimus Prime® has 10,108 parts, each of which move." (Rep, love the G1 but have to agree).
- Bay: "These robots are the most complex modules ILM has ever made. We couldn’t have accomplished this two years ago. I guess that’s my answer to people who complain that the robots will look a bit different from the originals. Sometimes it’s best not to answer your critics and just let the work stand for itself.” (Based on fan response to various trailers, seems to be working)
- Script secret during shoot with actors only receiving pages for own scenes.
- Kurtzman: “The idea behind the toy is that everything around us, our cars, and all technology, are sentient,” he explains. “Every thing has emotions and feelings but we don’t know it because they are in disguise. This seemed like a good jumping off point for a movie." (Add a word so it’s "could be everything" and it works)
- Bay: “The writers really helped narrow the choice of robots. At the beginning I had some very elaborate plans for these newer robots called ‘Combiners,’ but ultimately it became too cost prohibitive to create them just in terms of manpower, let alone the technology to make them look real.” (His made up version or the already existing Transformers combiners or gestalts such as Devastator?)
- “Steven wanted to make it an even five against five,” Bay continues, “so that’s where it took off.” (More like 7 on 5 but then never supposed to be even odds for the good guys)
- “It became obvious that we couldn’t make a movie without Bumblebee™, Optimus Prime® and Megatron®,” says di Bonaventura. “After that we took a poll amongst ourselves, found out who were our favorites and then asked fans who their favorites were. From there we put a list together that encompasses most peoples’ favorite Transformers™. We know that people are going to feel, ‘Oh I wish they’d have put in that one or that other one,’ but there were only so many robots we could deal with in one movie.”
- Shia LaBeouf's favorite is Bumblebee and Frenzy...I assuming from the movie, not the toy line.
- Megan Fox says she was familiar with the TF show but mostly read the comics (color me skeptical, article is full of references of everyone commenting on their past connections with the Transformers pre-movie for some reason. I would rather an honest "no clue about em until the movie.")
- Megan Fox first came to attention of Bay during audition for The Amityville Horror.
- Josh Duhamel also had previous meet with Bay when auditioning for The Hitcher which led to being asked to audition for Captain Lennox role in Transformers.
- Duhamel, Tyrese, Amaury Nolasco and Zack Ward went to a 3-day boot camp or basic training to help prep for filming with real soldiers used in scenes. Josh did understand that "boot camp for us was an abbreviated learning experience" compared to what real soldiers go through in training.
- “I’m carrying this 40-pound gun, wearing full body armor, the complete survival kit with magazines for this machine gun and all kinds of different stuff you need, and I’m running as hard as I can up the street, and I’m the leader of the group. I was dying after the first take! Then there’s take two, take three, and by the time we got to the fourth take, I could barely run,” he recalls. “It reminded me of running the 400-meter dash in high school where it felt like I was going to collapse and vomit. So whenever I could, I’d ask for the rubber gun. I’d pray we didn’t have to shoot in the scene so I could use that rubber gun. You look much more manly running up the street with the rubber gun,” Duhamel explains, poking fun at himself.
- “The Decepticons® are meaner looking and the Autobots® are just wicked cool,” [Duhamel] enthuses. “The people who come up with the concepts and art work for these things live in some other world to be able to think of this stuff.” (Couldn't agree more, the engineering alone amazes me)
- Duhamel is also star on NBC's Las Vegas, so filmed the show during the week and the movie during weekends. (Must have been a film scheduling nightmare for whoever handled that)
- Tyrese spent time with Captain Ray Bollinger to help with the technical dialogue used in the film.
- John Turturro (Agent Simmons, S7) joined the film in part do to influence of two sons who thought didn't even need to read to script to decide to do the movie.
- "According to [Fox], the actor’s portrayal of Agent Simmons is done as an homage to Bay."
- Jon Voight was not familiar with Transformers before joining the movie. (Yah for an honest answer)
- "When asked if he is familiar with Transformers™ action figures, Anthony Anderson will immediately break into song, “Transformers™, more than meets the eye, Transformers™, robots in disguise!” (This sounds a like a real honest answer rather then canned response reading from other actors and producers)
- Anderson’s favorite Transformer™ is Megatron®. “I like the bad guys now,” he says. “Growing up I liked Optimus Prime® and another one that was a big gun with a scope on it. I played with that guy until he broke.” (Again, details in answer that indicate a foundation of truth, other producers and actors, take note)
- Transformers is Aussie Rachaeal Taylor's first American film and had never heard of Transformers before the movie (again honesty always best). Bay decided her character would be an Aussie rather then American.
- "[Maggie] is a woman trying to succeed in a man’s world,” Taylor continues, “which parallels my experience shooting ‘TRANSFORMERS’ because it’s only Megan and me in a world dominated by men, all working for Michael Bay."

Making of Transformers highlights:
- Bay wanted military involvement from the get-go. Military installations used include Hollman, Kirtland, Edwards Air Force Bases, and the Pentagon.
- Hardware "borrowed" included CV-22 (combo helicopter and airplane), F-117, C-130 cargo planes, C-17 (Bay: "spooky gun ship"), and F-22 Raptor (Starscream I think).
- Major Daniel Ferris was main coordinator between movie crew and Holloman crew for film scenes and movie needs.
- Transformers "was the first motion picture to be permitted to film in and around the Pentagon grounds since 9/11."
- Usual bits about stars doing own stunts which is usually seen in all cheerleading, I mean behind the scenes descriptions and videos.
- Ken Bates, movie stunt coordinator, worked with the actors on the stunts and started with Bay in 1989.
- Car chases sequence (Barricade v Optimus) filmed at Interstate 210 (Foothill Freeway) in San Bernardino, CA. Used by film companies because construction seems to have no end date. Site was where Bay wanted to fulfill his 80MPH transformation and surpass his Bad Boy II MacArthur Causeway chase.
- Bus gag was prepped in one day. Gag is term to used in movie making for special effects setups and the like. Special effects are the physical real-world stuff that happens in a movie and visual effects is the computer, CGI stuff. The opposite of what use to think those term meant in the movie-making context.
- “Richard was towed into the action at 60 miles per hour,” Bates describes. “Once he reached speed, he threw the bus sideways, hit a charge, and cut away the tow cable. As the bus blows up, it splits in half and slides sideways, at which time Richard hit another button that triggered a ‘bomb’ that detonated three canons in the back of the bus that sent that back end tumbling end over end. The front half of the bus hits the median, jumps up and comes back down.
- "Bates, Epper, Corey Eubanks, and Steve Kelso were the main drivers responsible for the spectacular stunt driving throughout the film."
- For line of sight in filming humans interacting with Transformers an extension pole was used, height depending on the TF; 20ft for Bumblebee, 40ft for Optimus, and so forth. Basically the actors stared at the end of the pole during shooting.
- Mark Ryan was on set to help the actors by doing lines for the robots. (Dang, good secret keeping, that indicates he was hired up to a year ago but fans only found out a few months ago).
- Lots of descriptions about difficulty in acting with non-existing robots. (Me thinks theatre actors would roll their eyes at these comments).
- In developing TF designs, some rules created. For example, TFs can scan and replicate a vehicle but "each robot can only replicate into something equal to its own mass," according to Production Designer Jeff Mann.
- About 25 artists used in concept storyboards and designs for the Transformers. Each role was based on an expertise, one for eyes, one for facial structure, and so forth. Hasbro pitched in on design possibilities and took months to develop.
- “With Optimus® we had to make the ears bigger to get more of a samurai look,” he explains, “but we would vet most of these changes through Transformers™ geeks to make sure we weren’t way off track because they know the lore and they know why certain robots look a certain way or have the ability to do certain things.” (wonder who those geeks where, can I be one for the sequel?)
- Only Frenzy and Bumblebee where built practically for filming. Four feet, metal puppet of Frenzy was built by KNB using art department’s 3-D designs.
- John Frazier via Fxperts built Bumblebee. The puppet is 17 feet high, 13 feet wide and 8.5 feet deep, and an 8 feet 10.5 inch footprint. It weighs 8,150 pounds. It takes most of the day to assemble the robot when moved around filming locations. After filming, they further modified Bumblebee so can be assembled in 2-3 hours for public appearances (such as in Seoul, S. Korea).
- Transformers’ designs so complicated that something like turning a wrist has 17 mechanisms working.
- It takes ILM 38 hours to render one frame of movement. Generally I think it takes 24 frames for one second of footage. Usually there are render farms (basically a building full of servers) for this so not sure if it means that value is X computers times taking Y minutes = 38 hours per frame or if it means one huge render farm working took 38 hours.
- Hasbro schedule requires a year prior to filming to fabricate new toys so had to have designs locked in quickly. ILM, due to complexity, also needed designs sooner rather then later. (Sounds to me like before filming even began, ILM and Hasbro already had the final TF designs, supported by leaked looks all of last year)
- For car choices, all car companies where possibilities until GM took the extra step of showing Bay their design warehouse and concept cars.
- Turns out it’s not a 2008 Camaro, but 2009 Camaro that is used for Bumblebee. GM also helped with retrofitting the cars and prepping for filming as need at least three versions of each car, one for filming, one for stunts and a photo double in case one crashes.
- The truck choice for Optimus Prime was in part because of the aggressive look, size and a tip of the hat to Steven Spielberg's Duel.
- 2009 Camaro prototype driven by Shia in the film cost $500,000. (Does that mean the stunt and double cost the same?)
- Jazz's Pontiac Solstice mode was chosen after seeing a modified one for an automotive show that has interesting shape, ground effects and hard top.
- Ratchet, a Hummer H2, was designed from scratch based on military Hummer ambulances and Red Cross vehicles used in the 80s.
- Ironhide, 4500 series GMC Topkit, was fitted with 46'' Nitto Super Swamper tires further modified with embossed Autobot logo.
- Starscream, F-22 Raptor, is new design from Lockheed Martin undergoing testing. A prototype was used for filming.
- Bonecrusher, Buffalo MPCV, was found from the web and is used for mine-sweeping. The actual vehicle only has a 14 inch wide "fork" so an appliance was built to complete the look.
- Brawl, M1 Abrams, was already modified for another movie and further modified with the paint job of non-radar detectable paint used in future battleship designs.
- Blackout, Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low helicopter, was chosen because of its sexy look and mass.
- Barricade, Saleen S281 Mustang, which was modified with headlights that convert into muli-bladed weapons.
- Larry Dias was the set designer.
- For Hoover Dam sequences, made-up interiors where built on sound stages where built that looked like fitted with in with the location naturally.
- Sets where built at Hughes Aircraft warehouses in Playa vista, CA.
- Iit Jones was the location manager that worked with Homeland Security in working out logistics of the sites and things such as fly zones and moving production from one site to another.
- First day of filming was April 19, 2006 with a pre-production shoot. Production shoot began on April 22 at Holloman Air Force base. Entire shoot lasted 83 days.
- For the Scoponok sequence, Bedouin village was built at the White Sands Missile Range (location of atomic and weapons testing) which had to be swept by UXB International for 28 acres and 4 feet deep for left behind explosives.
- Everything from productions explosives, to radio frequencies where checked to verify wouldn't interfere with base operations and security.
- Fuel costs and salaries for military personnel who worked in the film were played by the production company not the tax payers. Extras worked on off-duty hours. Basically saying film cost to tax payers was $0.
- For Los Angeles, several blocks where dressed to look like Transformers had passed through while blocking off the public from interfering. (This is where almost all the tabled stories will see in EW, People, etc will come from in the next month).
- Also filmed at Griffith Park Observatory, about a month before it was re-opened to public.
- Other locations (in CA I think): 110 and 105 freeways, Adams district (for Witwicky's home), Redondo Beach power plant (first human v Deceptions fight), City Hall (for DOD sites), Pasadena for auto dealer, San Fernando Valley, and Long Beach (for chase sequence). Also second crew for Detroit, Washington, DC, and Alaska.
- Scott Benza is the animation supervisor whose team worked on Transformers.
- To build the CGI Transformers required conceptual artists to design the mechanics of the TFs, how they move and look and so forth. The parts of the skeletons so to speak. Virtual mechanics then put the skeleton together, add the tendons, muscles, etc and makes sure it works as a unit. The animators then give then add the necessary movements and what not to make them seem "act".
- Bumblebee's facial expressions where based on Michael J. Fox in Back To the future.
- Liam Neeson from several movies was used to help with Optimus Prime.
- Animators did consider the physics of giant machines moving on Earth but Bay wanted them to move "with the agility of martial arts masters - agile warriors who travel in a very fluid, elegant way."
- For the TFs, Closer to camera, faster can move, further away, the slower to give sell their weight.
- After all the animation, Hilmar Kock's team steps in the give the proper effects and lighting that helps in selling their real look.
- After data was taken from sets (help mimic lightening, add reflections, etc), discovered the Transformers where not high enough resolution. Had to change from 500 pixels to 8000 to give the needed realism.
- After this comes layering in all the elements (backgrounds, foregrounds, etc) so looks like was filmed live rather then added in later, which was done by Digital Composting Supervisor Patrick Tubach's team.
- Re-timing was also done, for example having explosions occur sooner or later depending on need. Not just an editing trick but something that requires CGI to properly incorporate. If I understand it right, they basically play with the timing of a shot so things occur when want rather then how filmed. Also would digitally add elements so more stuff goes boom then may have been on set at the time.

Dang that turned into way much more then meant to do but the articles actually covered alot more information then expected.