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Explaining the Special Effects Behind Transformers

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the robots-in-disguise dept.

ntmokey writes "Popular Mechanics has an in-depth look at the special effects behind the Transformers movie, including some exclusive shots from Paramount Pictures. Apparently, using real cars as models presented some interesting problems for the folks at Industrial Light and Magic, who had to figure out how a recognizable chunk of steel can fold into robot. In the end, the solution was the development team getting hands-on in the auto shop. And lots of grease."

3 of 208 comments (clear)

  1. I had the exact opposite experience by Liquidrage · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I thought the movie was superb. One of the few movies I've been too that got a ovation from the audience at the end.

    It was a mindless action movie and there is nothing wrong with that. Certain "critics" act like every movie needs to have some deep philosophical meaning.
    I wanted to see giant space alien robots beat the crap out of each other and the movie delivered in spades. You claim that most of the action shots are already in trailers. Nothing could be further from the truth. Apparently you missed the last half of the entire movie.

    To me it's as if you went to a fireworks show and are now complaining that they didn't take the time to explain the type and origin of each and every shell that was ignited.
    Myself, I prefer to just enjoy the show. If I want the meaning of life I'll pick up Kant.

  2. Re:Guerrilla marketing by Yvan256 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The only major complaint was that a lot of the action scenes (especially in the beginning) were not comprehensible. The camera would focus too far in and move around a lot, and it was difficult to tell who was fighting and what was going on.
    That's a major problem in a lot of recent movies. It's like some idiot in Hollywood is teaching that "if 95% of the screen moves, people will think it is more actionny."

    And yes I made up the word actionny. We're talking about Hollywood here.

  3. "Effects Pollution!" by chromozone · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I can't go to "special effects" movies anymore. With the advance of digital technology it seems there is no gimmick that gets left out of a movie. "Whiz Bang" movies today reminds me of a 13 year old girl starting to using make-up and who just packs all sorts of junk on her face. It was Michelangeo who said its not what gets put into a work of art that makes it great but what gets left out. Too many movies pack on layers of audio visual junk that cause the sum of the film to be less than its parts. The more "real" they try to make things look the phonier they look too me. The gimmicks stand out on their own as if in relief, and they dont even blend into scene or movie quite often. So much money gets spent making scenes with these gimmicks that I think people get reluctant to leave them out and they just over-inflate the films run times. Scenes of secondary import to the story become too long because there is some special effect. The worst for me are the sound effects. I never heard so much excessive, synthetic noise pollution in my life. I don't know how people can spend money at theaters anymore all things considered. First a patron gets pelted with 20 minutes of ads and trailers and then (if its a FX movie) get assaulted with over-cooked AV. Thank God for DVDs with a remote.