Written by Sarah


Thanks to the constant barrage of gunfire, explosions, and jets, planes, and helicopters shooting footage for Transformers 3, the last few weeks in Chicago’s Loop have been deafeningly loud. I left Los Angeles to get away from this kind of stuff but it’s followed me to Chicago. Thanks a lot, Michael Bay.

I’m not a fan of Michael Bay, and some of the tales being carried from the Transformers 3 set are reinforcing my notion that he’s a tool. On one hand, here is Bay shaking hands with the mayor, celebrating all the money being pumped into the local economy. And there is Bay smiling for the news crew, giving interviews about his admiration for Chicago architecture. The daily set pics reveal Bay in deep conversation with his crew (I imagine them discussing the merits of a forty foot versus a twenty foot explosion).

On the other hand, it’s the same old Bay playing with his guns and his pyrotechnics, yelling and cursing at his crew, expecting total obedience or you’re fired. He’s happy enough to chat up the soldiers on set in between takes but hasn’t been nearly as approachable as his actors, especially Shia LaBeouf and Josh Duhamel. Michael Bay wants Chicago to like him, but he doesn’t seem to care if his Chicago crew thinks he’s an asshole or not.

PS: Bay has been unusually open about showing set visitors animated renderings of what these scenes will look like, but no one has mentioned seeing a script. Ever.


Written by Sarah