Michael Bay talks 3D

Michael Bay has done a complete 180 on his feelings about 3D technology. His previous comments about the technology had many wondering if Transformers: Dark of the Moon would even be released in 3D. Obviously that has changed, and Paramount decided to release the film in 3D. However, Bay’s feelings on 3D have now changed.

Empire Online was able to check out exclusive footage from Bay’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon, and was able to talk with the director about using 3D technology. The first thing Bay mentions is that he did shoot the film in 3D. ”People were going on the Internet, saying we didn’t do any 3D and there’s all this talk, so we’re just trying to set the record straight, you know?”, he said. While he certainly did shoot most of the film in 3D (here), it was also confirmed recently some scenes will be post-converted (here). Naturally, many are concerned about that after films like Clash of the Titans, but Bay seems to understand the hard work it’ll require to get the conversion right. “Studios are rushing through their 3D. There is a right way to do it and a wrong way. I think, personally. If you want to do proper 3D it’s a $30 million price tag,” he said. According Bay, studios are only willing to put up less than half that amount for the process.

Bay also worked with several different conversion companies months before filming to get the right one. One of those was the same companies that were going to convert David Yates Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows before its conversion was canceled. “We spent about seven months or eight months before the movie investigating all the conversion companies. We gave each one some test footage to do and, like Warner Brothers, I kind of knew that the latest Harry Potter would fall apart, that was just because they were working with a company that just didn’t have the firepower,” he said. Bay does admit that working with the technology has exhausted him, and spent several hours trying to get it right. “It’s a whole new animal and that’s why I’m so tired, because I’ve had a portable Avid system installed at every residence. I go home from the edit room and I’ll work sometimes until two at night, because I’m trying to jump on this movie like a m**********r,” he said.

While Bay seems to enjoy working with 3D now, he’s still left to convert about 40% of the film in post-production. However, Bay will be cracking down over the next few weeks to get everything done on time. “I’m trying to hit it really hard before Christmas so that we can be ahead of the curve. Compared to what our shot count turnover was from the last movie, where we are in terms of cutting time down, we’re well ahead. So I’m putting the pressure on myself so that we can really do pristine 3D,” he said. That’s good as many can recall that Bay was still editing the previous film just hours before the premiere, and Bay probably doesn’t want to go through that kind of pressure again.

We will be able to get our first look at the trailer later today.