Michael Bay Takes “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” To New Levels

For director Michael Bay, “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” was all about dimensions – third and otherwise.

With several early reviewers praising the film’s 3D effects as the best since James Cameron’s breakthroughs on “Avatar,” Bay admits that despite his initial reservations about shooting in 3D he very quickly took to the new emerging technology.

“Steven Spielberg and Jim Cameron kept saying that I should shoot the film in 3D,” says Bay. “I was a skeptic because it’s new technology and the systems are a lot bigger and heavier. There’re a lot of technical issues that would bore you. But it’s hard taking it to the real world, on the streets, moving it around and putting it on rigs, so we had to invent a lot of stuff, like strapping it onto the skydivers’ helmets where they’re tracking behind guys flying through the air."

"I slowed my style down a bit," he adds. "Made longer wide shots moving through things, made shots kind of unfold in a very cool 3D way, But I loved working with 3D. I think it really works well in this movie."

And, Bay suspects, "Dark of the Moon" may have been a guinea pig of sorts for another potential intergalactic franchise.

“New technologies make it harder because you keep trying to push the boundaries," says Bay.  "Jim Cameron called me up and he asked me ‘Making the third one – was it easier or harder?’ And I knew he was asking me because of ‘Avatar 2.’ And I said ‘Jim, it’s definitely harder because you keep trying to push yourself farther.”

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