Interview posted by Forbes with Michael Bay about all the money he's raking in from the movies to the toys themselves. Interesting read to see how much of the profits and money actually go to the man himself. Check it out at the link below.

Michael Bay: Making Movies, Enemies and Money - Forbes.com

 

Cool man...

 

My respect for Bay just leveled up.

My respect for the Army went up the first time I heard that gem. Love seeing it again.

 

yeah know, say what you will about the guy (and he's FAR from my favorite director) but he puts his money where his mouth is ~ it's pretty ballsy taking no pay up front...

 

Michel Bay for the win. It was awesome seeing him at Botcon.

 

Lucky. I wish i could have went.

 

Class act and a great director. Regardless of what the Bay-haters will post in this thread.

 

"His deal with Hasbro is second only to that of George Lucas, who gets an estimated 15% royalty on all Star Wars figures. Bay gets an estimated 8% on Transformer toys tied to movies."

Now THAT, is interesting.

 

Mike Bay, you are one of the best directors!  

 

Eh. His speed is what results in the likes of shaky shots that just barely convey what's going on. You work slower, plan it all out more, you get better results. I think his coverage (the shots used to compose the scenes) is barely adequate at best, and I know it's the quick filming he likes to brag about that causes it.

Of course, I'm just being a "hater" by thinking this though, right? Fire away guys.

 

So in other words yet another reason for me not to buy any movie toys  

 

If his speed were what caused shaky cam, then there'd be a lot of disorienting human conversations and such too, wouldn't there?

 

Know what I'm going to "fire away" on?

That. And I'm sure you'll turn round and say how people are picking on you, just because of your views. mean, really. How totally unnecessary.

 

Kinda curious to know why Hasbro would offer up 8% of the toy sales rights though.

 

I'm not saying shots are shaky because he films quickly. I understand the shakiness is a separate decision all together, to give a tense feeling and such. I mean the overall "what?" feeling that some shots/scenes can give are because of the speed. It's only my impression - I'm not stating it as fact. Many scenes are left unsatisfying, and I can imagine with different shots or different cuts they could work better.

You know how...underwhelmed so many felt over Jazz's death in the first movie? Almost the entire Megatron/Jazz battle is shown in a single medium shot, camera fairly far away from the action, and there's no cutting to close ups of the characters for the lines or anything to give it any sense of importance, it just all happens in that one quick shot. That doesn't help much in giving it any weight. I think with more time spent on composing the scenes, they would turn out better.

I just figure I'd be dismissed as another whiner. I've noticed not being happy with any x amount of things about the movies will get that label thrown on you. It was also said considering this earlier post:

...as if anyone with any issue with his work is just "hating" for the hell of it, any of their issues completely without merit or validity in any way

 

the guy is diabolical genius

 

Hasbro offered up 8% because he's helped bring Transformers back on the map. Some of you people think that it never went anywhere, but it did fade. I had even gotten out of it. Sold my toys at yard sales because they just didn't interest me anymore. If the movie wouldn't have happened, we'd still be watching the Armada/Energon type crap. He's put it back on the map for a whole new generation, so that generation can watch the movie, buy the toys, say hey, "there's more here than meets the eye (Sorry for that)" and look into older generations of the Transformers. 8% isn't much compared to the billions that Hasbro is making off the movie merchandise, and the new stuff that's come out since 2007. I thank Michael Bay for getting me back into Transformers, and reinvigorating my love. I needed it. Sure, the movie isn't my favorite generation, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

I have to admit, he's made some pretty damn good business moves. Trading in his upfront pay for an eventual $40 million paycheck is quite impressive. Good thing Pearl Harbor made money.

I still think he looks down on us Transformers fans though. Every time I watch the extras on the Transformers dvd and he calls us "Transformers head geeks" I cringe. It just feels disrespectful.

 

Bay making money off the toys has nothing to do with him bringing transformers back on the map. He's one of the executive producers of the movie. Which means every aspect of the film that makes money, he gets some of that. Including selling toys...It's worked into his contract. Just like when the movie finally airs on network tv...when they pay for the rights to show it, he'll get a piece of the action.