BUMBLEBEE в журнале SFX

 

I enjoy how Knight is pretty much the complete opposite of Bay.

 

The difference between these two directors is like Knight and day

 

If you were going with this I think 'the difference is like knight and bay' both sells the idea and is actually very true  

(I mean a small 'b' is the mirror to 'd')

 

ICWHUTUDIDTHAR

 

I LOVED reading the part about redesigning Bumblebee. As an art and graphic design major, it's really interesting stuff.

It's a bit disturbing to me that the designers wanted to make Bumblebee even more detailed when Travis asked for a more expressive face. His remark about simple shapes and features being more emotional is right on the money. It's generally accepted to be more visually pleasing in general. That's the principle behind some of the most memorable designs ever. Wall-E, R2-D2, Vader, etc. Even the original Transformers.

On an artistic level, I think Travis Knight is one of the best things to happen to the franchise in a long time. Even the composition of shots in the trailers is beautiful. If his storytelling is as good as his eye for designs and shots, I think we (and maybe Hollywood overall) have something special.

 

To be honest, I wanted to write Knight and Bay, but decided to keep one "standard" so the pun would be more digestible

Puns are weird, yo. I did not want to give the impression that I thought Knight was the darkness and Bay was the light (I believe quite the contrary now!)

 

I'm glad they ditched the door wings. They dont look as good with the beetle doors.

 

I felt the more complex design were more alive and alien.

 

Great read (only spotted one mistake, accidentally calling Laserbeak Blitzwing).

Really looking forward to this movie.

 

I feel like Travis Knight is one of us .

Reading this makes me feel really positive about the movie .

 

That cover positioning is all kinds of cover title "oopsy" but in a funny good way.

That's intentional. It's about perspective. The tale being told through Bumblebee's eyes(and Charlie) makes them less alien, because they are less alien to him. Whereas the previous movies were told through Human eyes more, so they were alien and scary.

Think of it like when you meet someone new. They seem different and unknown at first, but as you get to know them and spend time with them, they look familiar and part of your friends. Or like when you have a crush on someone, another person can see whatever whereas what you see is what makes them uniquely them in who you like.

Same principle here. The aesthetic change is to deliberately evoke that emotion difference from how you see them from the POV, and also in how they grow. We've seen elements of this used in the movies before. How Optimus was falling apart in evasion mode during AOE, but as his confidence came back and he regained his form, he became even more held together and refined. Same to Megatron. As Megatron's pride took over more and his evil nature, he became more sharp and fury. As he took damage he changed, but also as he was more 'depressed' it also changed to more falling apart in DOTM as he lost his way and reason to be, how he was feeling replaced and not needed, then how more certain and centered he was in TLK with the refined shape where he had goals that must be achieved to save Cybertron and found reason to continue on his fight.

We see this with Barricade too, early on he's more alien and sharp, imposing and scary as he's more wanting to ravage this planet and get what he needs and be done with it, but then when TLK rolls around, we see how he's "gone native" and softened in his design, even incorporated earth culture into himself as he's adjusted and acclimated. He's not as sharp edged as he once was as he's softened to the planet itself and its culture.

These design elements are part of how they physically transform their appearance from their emotions as they adapt to earth culture or get immersed in it. So it plays to an element of their physical nature in robot mode is dictated by their inner nature. We see bits of this in the cybertron battle in the trailers too. Soundwave in particular we see how the war is already shaping his head into an imposing scowl with his brow shape, and how his mouth plate is already starting to become more feral from the war and his pursuits in it, to later how that evolves to what we see in ROTF and DOTM. Their forms are directly tied to their emotional well-being, and perception as well as their personal drive. Same as we see with Shatter to Dropkick and Blitzwing. Dropkick and Blitzwing having more of that "good soldier" type design, whereas Shatter has that personality flair which we see also conveyed in her dialog too. So she has the more skeletal face structure because this emotion play to how in tuned and immersed in the Decepticon cause. As opposed to Blitzwing and Dropkick that are more "good soldiers following orders" and still evolving in their physical appearance as they become more immersed in Decepticon ways. We see other aspects of this in other decepticons too in ROTF. How fresh out of the protoform pod transformers don't have the decepticon sharp angles and are still forming their defined shaped, how those not as dedicated to the cause don't have as sharp of designs either like "ze little one" and other bits scattered to convey personality to form and their inner workings.

Hope that helps explain it. It's a new fresh design take, but it's still well immersed in movie-lore that's been an undertone throughout.

Ditto, and the folded down door wings carry that "Bee" appearance much better too. It's a much more "resting Bee" and less "flying to sting you" style. Makes him feel more approachable and more humanized and sympathetic. Far less aggressive than the wings out ready to sting style.

 

Memo is gonna be 16? Uh oh. He might have a Romeo and Juliet law card ready to go in his wallet lol

 

You know, I'm actually kinda bummed they ditched the wings. I like the way they look.

 

Since Charlie is 16 too, technically it's automatically legal without that law.

 

Only if Bay was directing this. . .

 

Is this in bookstores today? Looks cool. I hope Cinefex follows suit. . .

 

exaclty nothing says human than giant ten foot alien robot from another planet in space that can transform i dont see nohing human about that statement everythig says alien from another planet to me,.

will see movie when its open regardless what non paid movie critics say about it im movie fan and trasnfromer fan i judge for mysefl its only opinion that matters is my own

 

That's the Hollywood design ethos these days, unfortunately. Just layers and layers and layers of detail all piled atop each other. They must teach it in schools because if you look at concept art, a lot of it is done in the exact same style across multiple artists – big digital smears with layers of shadows and little bits and bobs. Good on Travis for wanting something different.

 

Charlie is turning 18 in the film.