Michael Bay sent a scathing email to Paramount Studios before the release of "Transformers 2," complaining in effect that his famous director friends would be shocked at the way Paramount was promoting the flick.

We've obtained an email dated May 4, 2009 -- from Bay to Paramount head Brad Grey, along with a bunch of other Paramount honchos. Bay complains bitterly that Paramount's ad campaign for "Transformers 2" was tepid and ineffective.

"...I have been waiting, and waiting for the anticipation of an 'event movie' to make it into the 'public zeitgeist,'" Bay writes.

Bay calls the print campaign an "abject failure," with a "pathetic presence" in the L.A. Times. He's especially pissed about the profile of the movie on the MTV Video Awards, calling it "so lame."

But here's the best part. Bay name-drops Jerry Bruckheimer, saying Jerry always told him "a studio that does not make [the opening of a movie] an event.... will get bitten in the ass." He then adds, "Besides my good friend Steven [Spielberg], Jerry has made a lot more successful movies then (sic) all of us."

Bay then asks, sarcastically, "Is this is a cash issue with your company?"

In fairness, on June 6, Bay clearly had a change of heart, sending an email to Grey and others at Paramount, praising them for treating him well, adding ..."Paramount is like family. Thank you all for busting your butts and bringing your 'A game' for the release of Transformers."

Bet Steven and Jerry haven't sent such a nice email to their studios!

Michael Bay: Steven & Jerry Wouldn't Take This! | TMZ.com

 

lawl. he does like to flipswitch sometimes.

 

Just par for the course Bay behavior.

 

TMZ's reliability/accuracy is questionable at the best of times.

 

He needs to get a filter on that brain/mouth thing or he's gonna be off the team.

Just another Bay flipparoo tantrum.

 

I know, that's why I was reluctant to post anything from those stalkers.

 

I laughed out loud.

 

Sooo.. TMZ.com is now a source of news? Fabulous.

I'll start quoting the Inquirer now.

 

I do think the ad campaign for TF2 was a disaster. Magazines and papers in the winter/spring were full of segments on "blockbuster movies to watch for in '09" and most of them did not even include Transformers - and if they did, it was just a short snippet with that picture of Shia and Megan running from an explosion, no robots in sight, nothing to catch your eye.

Even the commercials are terrible. Watch them, and pay really close attention; most are horribly cut and are just way too frenetic, by the time you realise what movie it is, the spot is over.

ROTF does not feel like a "movie event" at all, it feels like just another new flick on a friday night. I'm not even going opening night this time.

 

I kind of agree to be honest. The ad campaign for TF2 could have been a LOT better

 

heh he knows who signs his pay checks and who is gonna have to greenlight TF3 : the quest for more explosions!

 

Hmm.....this is probably why we had 19 TV spots released within a month's time.

 

I think originally they were going with the idea of Pirates Of The Caribbean 2: rely on the succes of the first movie and start the marketing pretty late.

I can't say if this is a succesful way or not, but I don't think Transformers 2 will risk the chance of being a box office flop.

It's understandable Bay would get pissed over it..something similar is happening at my work right now and it's hard to see just what marketing dept. doing and understand how it will succeed sometimes (and since they're also humans, they CAN make mistakes..but everybody is trying  )..

 

I'm with Bay on this. The lack of marketing up to now has been abysmal and even with a week to go before the movie's release and something like 20 TV spots, I've still seen precious few of them on local TV networks in one of the biggest US advertising markets around (NYC). It's almost as if Paramount is taking the approach that the first one was a hit so this one's a guaranteed success. Maybe so, but it doesn't work if people aren't even aware that the movie's coming out.

That out of the way, I don't think the movie's in any danger of flopping at this point. It's first week box office returns alone should (if tracking numbers hold up) more than make it a huge success.

 

Just because people don't like to hear the truth, doesn't make the speaker of said truth an ass. I don't blame Bay for being miffed as I've seen more commercials for Bruckheimer's G-Force than I have Transformers.

 

well I mean with all the money he made off the first one.. and what he stands to make off this one.. maybe a little personal investment on his part towards the ad campaign would not have been an entirely outlandish concept..

 

That's not his responsibility. The whole production is own by Paramount. It is there responsibility to promote their films if they want the audiences to come in and pay for the tickets. The director's responsibility is to make the film happen, that's it.

 

Then what does he care? Its not his responsibility.. He shouldn't worry about it.


I feel it is his responsibility.. after all he as I undertand it stands to make a LOT of money if the film does really well.. It not doing well means he will make less..

He should consider it an investment in his own future..

Though personally.. He already made many millions of dollars off the first one.. so I don't really care if he ever makes another penny..

 

He cares because that is his money that he worked for by making the movie. Part of the revenue generated by ticket sales goes to him. And I'm sure he, along with the actors, the writers, and the production crew would like to get paid for their percentage.

So yeah I can see why he would want the movie to put out there as much as possible.

 

Then he should invest in it and show faith in his product.