History Creator / MichaelBay

* OldShame:
** Michael Bay isn't too fond of ''Transformers 2''. Bay has also stated that for ''Film/Armageddon1998'', claiming ExecutiveMeddling was responsible for some of the flaws: he only had a limited timeframe to do the special effects and would have had a different third act (although [[http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2013/apr/24/michael-bay-no-apology-armageddon he did insist that he was not apologizing for the movie, and that stories claiming so were misquoting him]]).
** While he hasn't called the entire film such, Bay states that he would've rather done a straight up modernization of ''Tora! Tora! Tora!'' when directing ''Pearl Harbor'', instead of the love triangle that is instead the major focus of the film.

* AdamWesting: When he plays himself, he will play a satire.

* AttentionDeficitOohShiny: Bay's friends and family describe his behavior when growing up as a kid with ADHD, and that sometimes when they talk to him even now he seems to mentally wander off.

* EveryoneHasStandards: Despite his reputation of inserting MsFanservice characters, he does seem to draw the line at R-Rated nudity. He reportedly turned down Scarlett Johansson's request to go topless for ''Film/TheIsland2005'' (mostly to preserve the PG-13 rating), and he walked out of the premiere for ''Film/FridayThe13th2009'' because he felt the sex scenes were too excessive.
* ExplosiveInstrumentation: Devastator, the most complex of the ''Transformers'' in the films, caused probably the closest as you'll get to this trope in real life. According to some of the crew, Devastator had so many moving parts and was so complex and detailed to animate that his animation model ended up ''frying one of the animation computers' motherboards''!

* HiddenDepths: Bay is most well-known for making mindless action movies, but he's a lot more intelligent and observant than you may think from that reputation.
** He normally doesn't care much about the critical hatred he gets, but he did once make a poignant observation that movie critics have their own quasi-fandom and thus will often say things that would make them popular controversial, and hating Michael Bay is pretty popular.
** This is a guy who graduated top of his class in film school, and directors like the aforementioned Creator/StevenSpielberg (who pioneered the concept of the special-effects laden blockbuster) and Creator/JamesCameron (who invented deep sea submersibles, 3D technology, and advanced film animation you see in every major movie today) ask for technical advice. And there are also reports that his crew are fiercely loyal to him, as he never asks them to do something he isn't willing/able to do himself.

* IDoNotLikeGreenEggsAndHam: Initially turned down ''Transformers'' due to this, until Creator/{{Hasbro}} [[ConvertedFanboy made him a fan]].
* {{Irony}}: Bay is a man disliked by critics of films, but is respected by makers of film. Odd thing ain't it?

* ItsNotSupposedToWinOscars: [[invoked]] Their quality aside, the man knows the type of films he wants to make and is well-aware that they are not going to get him awards anytime soon.
* ItWillNeverCatchOn: While working on storyboards for ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'', he didn't think it would be any good. When he saw the finished product, he not only [[AndYouThoughtItWouldFail ate his words]], it made him want to direct films himself.
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold:
** He has a reputation as an absolutely ''tyrannical'' director, but when he's not actually doing anything regarding movies he's reportedly quite nice, and he's shown himself to have quite a sense of humor on a number of occasions.
** He may just be prickly with actors. The crews who've worked on his films are full of praise for him. [[Creator/BobChipman Moviebob]] [[https://twitter.com/the_moviebob/status/394061294178795520 says that they speak]] [[https://twitter.com/the_moviebob/status/394061524089577472 of him]] like UsefulNotes/JuliusCaesar, a general who would rather fight on the frontline with his men.

* TheOneThingIDontHateAboutYou: Even Ebert acknowledged that Bay's work represents some of the most visually stunning and technically polished cinematography in modern film. Ebert gave, and many critics continue to give, a strange impression of YouCouldHaveUsedYourPowersForGood: That is, they wouldn't be so bothered by Bay if he actually were a bad director. It's the fact that a talented one willfully chooses to create unapologetic popcorn movies that drives them nuts.

* PetTheDog: Bay is an animal-lover, owning two mastiffs (who can occasionally be seen in his films), and [[http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1308458/Michael-Bay-offers-50k-track-girl-filmed-throwing-puppies-river.html offered a $50,000 reward for anyone who had information leading to "the arrest and successful prosecution" of a woman tossing puppies into a fast-moving river]]. He also donated his Bar Mitzvah money to an animal shelter when he was a teenager. There's also [[https://variety.com/2017/film/features/michael-bays-furry-friend-appears-in-transformers-1202440074/this story]] where he read of a dog that had gone unadopted in a shelter for over 6 years. Not only did he create enough buzz virally around the dog it got adopted, he even put it in ''The Last Knight'' as the pet of Anthony Hopkins' character.
** Multiple people have said that he will yell and scream at the crew when things are not going the way he wants them too, often [[EnforcedMethodActing harassing his actors]] or otherwise practicing BrutalHonesty in order to get things done, but once the day is over he will be the first to thank everyone for their hard work and treat them to dinner.
* PrecisionFStrike: When demonstrating Devastator he got the normally reserved Creator/StevenSpielberg to use one. He considered it a high honor.

* RageQuit: A very calm example of this with his [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4rMy1iA268 CES 2014 speech]], which started strongly but was abruptly cut short after Bay started having teleprompter issues, which led to him trying to improvise and ultimately giving up and leaving the stage.

* ThisExplainsSoMuch: Many people's reactions to finding out he has ADHD and once filmed firecrackers blowing up a train set.
** The very odd, over-the-top stylistic choices for Meatloaf's "I Would Do Anything For Love" make so much more sense when you learn it was directed by Michael Bay.

However, his [[PrimaDonnaDirector aggressive directing style]] and occasional jerkish behavior has earned him some enemies. People like Creator/BruceWillis, Creator/EwanMcGregor, Creator/ScarlettJohansson, Creator/MeganFox (who [[GodwinsLaw compared him]] to [[UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler Hitler]] and UsefulNotes/{{Napoleon|Bonaparte}} in an interview), Creator/KateBeckinsale (who claimed that Bay made her feel "ugly" on the set of ''Film/PearlHarbor''), and Creator/BenAffleck have spoken out against Bay and refuse to work with him again.

* ''Film/TheIsland'' (2005)

* AssociatedComposer: Music/SteveJablonsky is his, having scored all [[Film/ThirteenHoursTheSecretSoldiersOfBenghazi but]] [[Film/SixUnderground three]] [[Film/{{Ambulance}} of]] Bay's directorial efforts since ''Film/TheIsland'' (which were instead scored by Music/LorneBalfe) and several other films produced by Bay. Balfe has since replaced Jablonsky as his preferred composer.

* EveryoneHasStandards: Despite his reputation of inserting MsFanservice characters, he does seem to draw the line at R-Rated nudity. He reportedly turned down Scarlett Johansson's request to go topless for ''Film/TheIsland'' (mostly to preserve the PG-13 rating), and he walked out of the premiere for ''Film/FridayThe13th2009'' because he felt the sex scenes were too excessive.

* RatedMForManly

* DoingItForTheArt: More of ''Doing It for the Fun'': Michael Bay has stated his films are more to just be ''enjoyed'' instead of being analyzed. Whether or not this is a good choice or not, it's a YMMV.
** Say what you will about how much Bay loves explosions and chase scenes, but he makes them look ''good'' -- he likes to do such stunts with authentic vehicles and props because it wouldn't look as good if he used CGI or miniature models, and he doesn't like greenscreen work. Even in instances where it would be easier and cheaper to use CGI, miniatures, or greenscreen, if Bay feels its worth it to do it for real, he'll do it for real. In the first ''Transformers'' film, he accidentally launched a car into the third story of a building while filming Bumblebee's return to the battle in the tow truck, and he actually got a bus driving on the highway (well, towed at highway speeds, anyway) and blew it in two for the scene of Bonecrusher skating through it. When it came to making ''Transformers 3'', a [[UsefulNotes/ThreeDMovie 3-D film]], he refused to work with anyone besides the best. In other words, the same team from ''Film/{{Avatar}}''. He also makes use of EnforcedMethodActing (see that entry below) and puts his actors right in the middle of the action.
** He initially didn't want to do the ''Transformers'' film, because he didn't want to just make a two-hour toy commercial. It wasn't until Spielberg talked him into the [[ABoyAndHisX A Boy And His Car]] angle and he familiarized himself with the franchise's history and mythology that he agreed to do the movie.
** ''Film/PainAndGain'' was Bay's pet project that he'd been trying to get off the ground for years because he loved the story behind it.
** His advertising work was no less stylistic than his films. The first "Advertising/GotMilk" commercial shows all of the crazy camera angles, focus shifts, {{Vertigo Effect}}s tracking shots and high energy editing that he would become famous for.

While his detractors (and most critics, for that matter) claim his films are juvenile or impossible to follow, and his name has grown quite pejorative in art-house circles, a lot of filmgoers don't seem to mind, and [[CriticProof his films are routinely box-office successes]]. If you look over his interviews, especially for ''Film/{{Transformers}}'', you'll see that he is more than aware of this reputation, and even makes [[SelfDeprecation fun of]] [[AdamWesting the fact]]. On one occasion, he stated, "I make movies for teenage boys. Oh, dear, what a crime."

** ''Film/{{Transformers}}'' (2007)

** That random bystander who Megatron flicked like an insect with his finger in the first ''Film/{{Transformers}}''? Yep, that was Mr. Bay himself.

** Say what you will about how much Bay loves explosions and chase scenes, but he makes them look ''good'' -- he likes to do such stunts with authentic vehicles and props because it wouldn't look as good if he used CGI or miniature models, and he doesn't like greenscreen work. Even in instances where it would be easier and cheaper to use CGI, miniatures, or greenscreen, if Bay feels its worth it to do it for real, he'll do it for real. In the first ''Transformers'' film, he accidentally launched a car into the third story of a building while filming Bumblebee's return to the battle in the tow truck, and he actually got a bus driving on the highway (well, towed at highway speeds, anyway) and blew it in two for the scene of Bonecrusher skating through it. When it came to making Transformers 3 a [[UsefulNotes/ThreeDMovie 3-D film]], he refused to work with anyone besides the best. In other words, the same team from ''Film/{{Avatar}}''. He also makes use of EnforcedMethodActing (see that entry below) and puts his actors right in the middle of the action.

* ITakeOffenseToThatLastOne: In regarding his use of [[UsefulNotes/ThreeDMovie 3-D]] in Transformers 3, he stated outright that people may hate his movies, bashing the characters, storyline and {{plot hole}}s, but you cannot fault the technical side of things. The special effects, camera work and sound design are all "technically precise."

** Notably, during the making of the second Transformers film, one of the computers melted while trying to animate [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Devastator]]. Also, 4 terabytes of memory was needed to store the data for Devastator. AwesomenessIsVolatile indeed.

* OneForTheMoneyOneForTheArt: Once the Transformers movies started taking over his career during the 2010's, he made an effort to film personal projects in between like ''Film/PainAndGain'' and ''Film/ThirteenHoursTheSecretSoldiersOfBenghazi'', which were made for less than 1/4th the budget of his bigger movies.

* ShootTheMoney: Wherever his movies are filmed, he ensures that they look good. In the ''Film/{{Transformers}}'' commentary he mentioned that the "Megatron on ice" set cost the production 1.5 million and he made the effort to film there as much as possible. He mentioned stories of other directors who come in on similarly expensive locations and drop half the scenes it was built for.

* TechnologyPorn: You can tell he enjoyed working on ''{{Film/Transformers}}'' because of all the shots of intricate transformations.

* UncleTomfoolery: The ''Film/{{Transformers}}'' movies had some of this but WordOfGod (from Bay and the voice actors) says that Skids and Mudflap were meant to be wannabe gangsters, not this trope.

Bay got interested in action films when [[EstablishingCharacterMoment he set firecrackers on a train set, filmed it with his mom's camera, and got grounded]] -- an approach which seems to have continued into many of his higher-budget movies even today. As a teenager in the early '80s, he was a clerk for Lucasfilm and worked on ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk''. [[ItWillNeverCatchOn He thought it would suck]], but [[AndYouThoughtItWouldFail ate his words]] when he saw the final product, and that got him interested in directing.