Michael Bay: "As a director, my critical eye is that Blu-ray is where my money is"

[Tekman]

usatoday.com/life/movies/dvd/2007-10-22-transformers-bay_N.htm

By Mike Snider, USA TODAY
Most directors diplomatically go to bat for DVDs of their films. Filmmaker Michael Bay (Armageddon, Bad Boys, The Rock) is just as likely to drop verbal bombs while talking about his DVDs as when he is directing.
Bay's take on the new Transformers DVD, which has sold 8.3 million copies since its release last week: "It's a good DVD. But not as good as it could have been," he says. That sales total made Transformers the year's fastest-selling DVD in North America, according to Paramount Home Entertainment.

Despite setting a record, Bay, 42, says a hectic studio schedule prevented him from being as personally involved in the DVD as he was back in the days of Pearl Harbor. His 2002 four-disc director's cut of that film set the standard for buffed-up special editions.

"I was traveling promoting (Transformers) while they were doing the DVD," he says. "You try to guide people as to what to do (in making it), but ultimately if you rush your date, you are not going to get the DVD as good as it could be. … Studios want to pump this stuff out, and my job is to care about it and try to put the right people on it. They just see it as a show they are selling, and I see it as a movie. That's how your movie lives on, in the DVD format."

An aspect of the DVD that Bay says he personally fought for was having the film be on a disc by itself, with just a commentary. He won that battle in the $20 single-disc version that hit shelves last week along with a deluxe, two-disc $40 version.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: DVD | DVDS | Dreamworks | Steven Spielberg | Paramount | Bay | Filmmaker | Blu | Hasbro | Transformers | Michael Bay | Transformer
The two-disc set has many bonus features:

•Producer Steven Spielberg talks about wooing Bay to direct. "Michael Bay was born to direct Transformers," he says on the DVD. "He was the perfect fit for this concept."

Early on, Spielberg knew that he had made a good choice. "Michael staged huge, logistically complicated scenes of massive destruction and explosions, and even when I was watching those dailies without the actual Transformers there, it was just eye candy," he says.

•Also covered in the filmmaking extras are Bay's dealings with the military, toy company Hasbro and General Motors, which supplied many of the vehicles. An Easter egg on the DVD is a "Bay Bot," a Transformer robot with Bay's face. "(Hasbro) made that for me, but I didn't know it was going to be on the DVD," Bay says.

•An anatomy of a scene details how Bay and the crew created the desert attack by the scorpion-like Skorponok. Filming that scene early on convinced Bay that the Transformers movie could work. "As soon as I saw how violent and vicious it was and we added a rough visual effect to it, I said, 'Oh my, I get it,' " he says.

Transformers is the first major film to arrive on HD DVD ($40) since partners Paramount and DreamWorks joined that side of the high-definition video disc format war. Universal also makes its films available exclusively on HD DVD. Sony, Disney and Fox support rival Blu-ray Disc, while Warner releases on both formats.

Bay caused a brouhaha on his blog (michaelbay.com) by voicing his displeasure that Transformers would not be available on Blu-ray and that he was rethinking his plan to direct a sequel. The next day he backpedaled, but he is still upset about the format war.

"It's short-sighted and it has delayed consumers' moving to HD (home video)," he says. "As a director, my critical eye is that Blu-ray is where my money is. Consumers are smart, and they are going to wait it out."

The HD DVD version also set a new mark. Its 190,000 copies sold is the best debut of any high-def disc.

Bay expects the cast to return for Transformers 2, which is targeted for June 25, 2009. The first film's take recently surpassed $700 million worldwide, and it has reached No. 18 on the all-time U.S. box office chart and No. 28 internationally.

"It just caught on in our culture, and I am excited to do the second one," he says. "There are so many different and innovative ways you could have fun with this movie."

[spam.curitiba]

lol

[joeorc]

once again..."pay me MONEY HD DVD backers" .... OR I WILL KEEP SAYING + THINGS ABOUT Blu-Ray.... ,this is too funny even Bay knows that Paramount screwed itself and the STUDIO of more MONEY by not releaseing on Blu-RAY and thus showing which HD FORMAT would once again sell more copy's of the movie just like (the 300) . keep at it i say good for MB

[tron3]

Originally Posted by joeorc

once again..."pay me MONEY HD DVD backers" .... OR I WILL KEEP SAYING + THINGS ABOUT Blu-Ray.... ,this is too funny even Bay knows that Paramount screwed itself and the STUDIO of more MONEY by not releaseing on Blu-RAY and thus showing which HD FORMAT would once again sell more copy's of the movie just like (the 300) . keep at it i say good for MB

190,000 sold on HD DVD? That is very impressive. Looks like they will win the week. But it is only one week. No biggie. Just think, BD outsells a minimum of 2:1. Blu-ray could have sold 380,000 - 400,000 EASILY.

400,000 @ $30 per movie = $12,000,000.
At this rate, by the end of next year, will $150,000,000 have made Paramount any money, or just help them break even?

[SS316SRV]

How come any and every Transformers thread turns into "who wins Transformers week"? If I remember right, Bay said that understood HD DVD when he watched 300 (seems iffy to me because Paramount I doubt would use a Warner movie to promote itself). With 300's PCM track, I am sure it sounded great. When he finally put in HIS movie with its DD+ track, he was disappointed. He thought he would be able to have top notch releases. Instead of High Definition DVD, he got More Expensive DVD.

[Bullseye]

I wonder did amazon keep a record of BD pre-orders for the movie before Paramount pulled the plug?

[joeorc]

Originally Posted by tron3

190,000 sold on HD DVD? That is very impressive. Looks like they will win the week. But it is only one week. No biggie. Just think, BD outsells a minimum of 2:1. Blu-ray could have sold 380,000 - 400,000 EASILY.

400,000 @ $30 per movie = $12,000,000.
At this rate, by the end of next year, will $150,000,000 have made Paramount any money, or just help them break even?

I know.you got that right.the mere fact that even with a $150,000,000 pay out the key is to sell the DISC's the people can spin it anyway they want. Blu-Ray is being sold in more markets thus its selling more DISC's. and even at a higher level of cost per DISC

$60.00 and some times higher per DISC and selling already in the MILLIONS of COPY'S. for your format to be viable as a replacement you need to have the new format in as many MARKETS as you can.HD DVD is not in the software industry as is Blu-RAY the thing is even when prices of MOVIES go down for your format will the game DISC'S go down in price.? .not like Movies. thus the backers can continue to sell Blu-Ray disc's at $60.00 per DISC even when they have to sell Movies at a lower cost to remain with Standard DVD prices

now HD DVD A DOES NOT HAVE THAT market OPTION sales dynamic that both Blu-Ray and standard DVD has..

Blu-Ray just sells more Disc's over HD DVD and will continue to do so...
the BDA knows that the ADOPTION is going to be Slow you have to build a market viability for your format off the bat if you intend to make sure its going to replace another format. the BDA is makeing sure there is a need for the format outside of just movies to make Blu-Ray a viable choice outside of Standard DVD. HD DVD is not doing such outside of Movies..

What happens if HDM would fail to take off and DVD continues to be DOMINATE HD DVD fails MOVIES where would that format go..back up...Blu-Ray is better and the cheaper option per GB. software...Blu-Ray is already established..HD DVD is the one that has to prove its self not Blu-Ray

you may get people to say well at least Blu-Ray will fail as a format the only way a format fails if it has not use at all..Blu-Ray already has a use outside of the Movie industry and DATA back-up. HD DVD cannot say the same thing....?

[Beta-guy]

Isn't Micheal Bay the one who said he was upset about paramount going HD-DVD exlcusive then took it back the next day? sorry but for me I don't think this means much.

[Banjo]

Originally Posted by Beta-guy

Isn't Micheal Bay the one who said he was upset about paramount going HD-DVD exlcusive then took it back the next day? sorry but for me I don't think this means much.

Yes, that's right. He did.

[joeorc]

Originally Posted by Banjo

Yes, that's right. He did.

but we also know getting bank accounts fat with money is not out of the Q: for Companies to keep directors HAPPY..i guess it works on some Directors...
,heck it even works on SOME MOVIE studios to HELP YOUR FORMAT gain support

[blitz6speed]

He is just doing it so he can demand more $$$ From paramount again, what a douche.

[WickyWoo]

No he's not

Bay is a stickler for the quality of his releases. He fought for Pearl Harbor to only be released widescreen (they compromised on a 16:9 crop for the VHS)

He refuses to use Super35 because of the resolving power of anamorphic, and shoots his plates VistaVision for SFX

He's worked with, and insisted on Criterion for several of his films because he wanted them to be their best.

Action is Bay, and quality home releases are also Bay. It is 100% in his MO to be a Blu-only backer

[u_nick]

Good for him for sticking to his guns.

It was obvious to all of us he liked Blu from the beginning. The 'day after' backpedaling was obvious Paramount calling him up and slapping him on the hand holding a contract in his face and telling him to shut up. It was never HIM apologizing for what he said. I always believed that.

Here, he cleverly throws in that Bluray is his ultimate choice, while talking about the hi-def war in general, and not specifically mentioning Transformers on HD or even bashing HD in the process.

[Banjo]

*phone ringing*

Michael Bay: Hello, this is Michael Bay and who is this?"

Paramount Exec: I just saw the article. I thought we had this settled in our little talk a couple months ago?

Michael Bay: Oh... that small talk. I better call USA Today and request they print a correction.

[ACD]

From USA Today

Bay caused a brouhaha on his blog (michaelbay.com) by voicing his displeasure that Transformers would not be available on Blu-ray and that he was rethinking his plan to direct a sequel. The next day he backpedaled, but he is still upset about the format war.

"It's short-sighted and it has delayed consumers' moving to HD (home video)," he says. "As a director, my critical eye is that Blu-ray is where my money is. Consumers are smart, and they are going to wait it out."

I guess he really does like Blu-ray more. Interesting timing of the article with the release of the Transformer sales figures today....

[evo_dadi]

https://forum.blu-ray.com/showthread.php?t=20865

[ACD]

Yeah, it was posted while I was writing mine.

[gamer4eva]

Paramount probably told him to keep quite until after transformers was released on HD-DUD and if ne1 remembers b4 when paramount went hd only he expressed his anger but the next day he changed his statement now he's back saying blu-ray is better i guess every1 wants their product to be displayed in the best way possible and he's one of them

[jcdDigix]

Who? M Bay
What? Blu-ray & HD-DuD
When? Wait for the flipping edition.

[WickyWoo]

wonder how much trouble he'll get in for this one