I was a content writer for G1, the news portal of Rede Globo. In this role, I wrote articles on various topics, including cinema, music, and literature. I covered events and followed trends in the pop culture market in general.
Sample article:
"I See Robots," Says Michael Bay, Director of 'Transformers'
On the morning of the 28th, American director Michael Bay paused his work editing scenes from his upcoming film, Transformers: Dark of the Moon, for two hours to meet with a group of journalists in the Paramount gardens in Beverly Hills, with G1 in attendance.
Wearing a wide-brimmed Transformers cap and a white T-shirt with a torn collar (where he bites it while working), Bay discussed this third installment, which he insists will be the final one in the series. The film is set to premiere in Brazil on July 1.
In this new adventure, the Autobots, friendly robots that transform into vehicles, face their alien adversaries, the Decepticons, once again. But this time, there’s a secret kept by humans. The mission that took mankind to the Moon found more than just rocks and dust in the craters. There was also a spacecraft there, forming the basis of this new storyline.
During the interview, observed from a distance by security guards on bicycles that looked barely able to support their weight, Bay shared details on the conception of the script. (At the end of the meeting, some unfinished scenes from the film were shown.)
"I love space. Alien stories are the most successful because there’s this fascination with what’s out there,” says Bay, who cites his biggest cinematic hero as Star Wars character Han Solo. "[Physicist] Stephen Hawking says there’s mathematical evidence of other forms of life. And if they come to Earth, it won’t be with good intentions; they're likely missing something."
The director, whose credits include Armageddon (1998) and Pearl Harbor (2001), says the new Transformers installment is darker and more serious, though still fun. “We have a stronger film—a stronger story and direction.”
This comparison with previous works isn’t for nothing. Bay publicly acknowledged that the first sequel, Revenge of the Fallen, was weak. “We had the writers’ strike, and that was a terrible situation. Without a script, you’re screwed. So, I was in a dilemma,” he says.
“There were 600 people who’d worked with me for years, and what was I supposed to say to them? ‘No, we’re not working?’ The studio had already invested money, too—not that I care about the studio’s money…”
“There were 600 people who’d worked with me for years, and what was I supposed to say to them? ‘No, we’re not working?’ The studio had already invested money, too—not that I care about the studio’s money…”
One of the new aspects of Dark of the Moon is that most of the scenes—about 60%, according to Bay—were shot in 3D. The result, he says, is visually superior compared to simple 2D-to-3D conversion.
“[James] Cameron came to me and said, ‘Man, you’ve got to try it.’ I’m old school; I like film, and I still hate digital. But as James said, it’s a new toy. Shooting in 3D is very challenging; it can distract viewers during dialogues, the cameras are huge, and they have to be aligned perfectly… The technology isn’t perfect yet, but we pushed it as far as we could.” And while Avatar was filmed against a blue screen, the new Transformers was shot on location in Chicago, making the work even harder.
“We filmed during summer when everyone’s out. I couldn’t believe how the city adapted to accommodate us. On certain days, we had 12 blocks closed off just for us.”
Not all of the cast (robotic or human) remains the same in Dark of the Moon. Although protagonist Sam Witwicky is still played by Shia LaBeouf (whom Bay refers to as his “little brother”), actress Megan Fox is no longer in the romantic lead.
After issues on set, where she complained that Bay was too tough during filming, Megan was replaced by model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. “I met Rosie while filming for Victoria’s Secret, and she told me she wanted to act. I called her in for an audition, stopped filming, and put her on set with the whole team. She has class, and she enhanced the film overall.”
New additions to the cast—including John Malkovich as a tanned, metrosexual executive—are part of Bay’s effort to counter the impression left by the previous films and conclude his trilogy on a high note. But even with Rosie’s charm, audiences should keep an eye on the quality of the chases, explosions, and stunts before declaring Michael Bay’s redemption.
