Make Prime Speak Recording Up

Happy New Year and 2007

The Transformers Movie website has posted the 10 phrases that won the "Make Prime Speak competition. Each of the phrases would be spoken by Peter "Optimus Prime" Cullen. Go to the site, click a language, wait for the flash crap to load, then click "Click To Hear the Top 10."
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Transformers Live Movie Camera Prototype Toy Pics

EBay once again, this time with more pics of the camera Transformer that will have a bit moment in the movie.




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Transformers Movie Cell Phone Prototype Toy Pics

A seller on eBay has posted some pics of the Transformer cell phone prototype toy. Its incomplete but gives you an idea of what the toy will be like. The main think I like about it is it marks the return to the original Transformer idea of real world objects Transforming. Hopefully this and the cell phone are just the beginning.





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More Brawl and Barricade Toy Pics

Nightrain over on the TFW2005.com boards apparently did some eBay bidding for Christmas and scored himself the prototype versions of Brawl (tank) and Barricade (police car). He has posted pics here, here and here. Some of those pics are below. Still not decided on the heads but as a whole these look like pretty good Transformers, especially Barricade. Now we have at least an idea of how they will look in the movies, but of course with a great deal more detail and more complicated transformations if the trailer is any indication.

Merry Christmas!!!

Tis Christmas! Hoped got some of what you wanted, enjoy the family and be safe.

Optimus Prime on Cover of Empire Magazine

Empire Magazine has movie version of Optimus Prime in robot mode on its Febuary 2007 cover. Click here or here for the image.

Also, a sneak peek at Bumbleebee in the movie prequel comic series.


Thanks to various site readers for the links.

Audience Reaction to Transformers Trailer?

So how did audiences react to the Transformers trailer to anyone that saw it in theatres? I went to the movies today, took a moment to sneak into Night at the Museum to watch Transformers trailer. Good audience, they reacted well, if slightly confused to Fantastic Four 2 since I don't think the average person knows who the Silver Surfer is. Also there was a great reaction to the Shrek 3 and Spider-Man 3. Sadly, no Transformers trailer. Bit of a disappointment.

So, please share the experience of the audience you where with then they saw the trailer.

Easter Egg in Transformers Trailer

AICN.com is reporting that there is an Easter Egg in the new Transformers trailer. At about the 37 second mark, when the sound modulation is on screen, in the top right it reads "Sector Seven Org" and on the bottom it reads "takara83".

So Head to SectorSeven.org, type in the password "takara83". The site will then open to a view of a desktop like interface. Clicking on the various folder icons will bring up a Sector 7 logo, a weapon design, and agreement to create video games by "S7". In the bottom right is a warning icon which when clicks will bring up a video about the a object detected that could be a threat, a reference to the first Transformers trailer and story point of the film.

I don't think Sector 7 has existed in previous Transformers lore, but Takara is the Japanese toy company that first created the Transformers line and licensed the toys to Hasbro in the early 80s. "83" refers to the first year the Transformers line existed. As for the Video Game license, Activision already has an agreement to create several video games from Transformers for all the platforms including two for the Nintendo Wii (S7 then a design house within the company?). Its safe to assume most of the games will be specifically for the movie but hoping at least one will feature the original Generation One Transformers. Thanks Joe P for the heads up.

With IDW already committed to publishing a 4 part comics called "Transformers: The Movie Prequel" its seems all the popular forms of entertainment is now covered. Movie, music, comics, video games, all thats left is TV. Wonder if a special is in the offering. A new animated series is already in the pipeline but doubtful that will be ready by next July.

Revised Trailer Online

Don Murphy has posted this cryptic message over on his message boards:

Fan Influence

You guys got a major, but subtle alteration made to the trailer ALREADY.

Chills and Cheers are Guaranteed.

Tomorrow morning on the Official Site.

Be there.

I will link to it as soon as I can.

What does he mean? Go to the site, click to enter the site, notice the nice CGI Cybertron, then go to the trailer section. A nice little bit has been added at the end.

Transformers Teaser Trailer Online

Yahoo! Movies now has the second Transformers live action movie teaser trailer online in various formats for all to enjoy.

Trailer

For quality, click the above, to just view it, see below thanks to YouTube.


For Hi-Res screenshots from the trailer, click here. Thanks mangatron.

Trailer Up In The UK; US Side Up At Noon Eastern

Today is the online premiere of the Transformers Teaser Trailer II. The big screen premier is this Friday with "Night at the Museum". Based on the countdown clock on the Yahoo! Movies site, the US premiere of the second Transformers Teaser trailer will appear at noon eastern. But why wait.

UK Release - Available Now
US Release - Available at Noon

Having seen it definitely has the Bay things go boom signature and its does the job of what a teaser trailer is supposed to do - tease. Big improvement over the previous teaser. You get a bit here, a second there, basically enough to whet the appetite but not satisfy. Based on what saw though, the leaked images, script, etc from the past few months is pretty accurate. Might be some minor difference in the final product but the major designs are in place.

Enjoy and be sure to share what you think.

Letter from TF Composer Anne Bryant

I noticed that Anne Bryant (I think) added an "Open Letter" to the comment section on my rant about how the lawsuit she has with Sunbow going. My comments where mainly against the Hollywood industry in general as the whole thing strikes me as bizarre with someone getting paid forever for creating art, yet in any other field that doesn't occur, even within Hollywood where designers, set builders, costume makers, FX houses etc don't get paid in perpetuity for the art they create. My main pet peeve is actors in this arena but that's another rant for hopefully not another day (unless becomes TF related, heh). I got to say my peace on the subject so its only fair that Anne Bryant gets to do the same thing. So here is her letter:

The PRODUCTION fees were very small. The royalties were licensed back part of my compensation as a writer. That is how it's done in music publishing. Professional composers and songwriters write for royalties and do not relinquish them. I am simply trying to enforce my agreements and claim my royalties.

Thanks,
Anne Bryant, composer

and

An Open Letter from Anne Bryant

Dear Transformers Fans,

Thank you for your support of the Transformers over the years, and thank you for your support of my original Theme Music, which has become associated with the Transformers products and properties. Because of your support, "The Transformers" has truly reached a pop culture status.

I also write to thank you for your many kind and supportive remarks regarding my exhausting, six-year litigation process. The blogs have been favorable, in the main, and I can tell you that your support means much to me in my David versus Goliath struggle to claim the royalties long due to me.

To clear up any confusion here as to my motives and timing, I can say that my investigation into my pathetically negligible royalties for the TF theme began in 1994, six years prior to filing a formal lawsuit in 2000; including that in 1998, I contacted BMI, and then, as instructed, I repeatedly followed their formal inquiry procedures to the letter [for two years], without a single response from them. These big organizations have all of the records, so it is difficult for a composer to unravel problems, or perhaps even to identify honest mistakes, without their help; without their cooperation. As such, frustrated with the lack of response from BMI, I packed up all of my correspondence, proofs, contract numbers, original registrations and payment forms and went to see my attorney. He also tried to get satisfactory information from BMI for several months, but lacking any serious help, we moved to file a formal claim so that we could demand records from them. Concurrent with this, it became evident that my themes and songs [Transformers and others] were being used on a multiplicity of recording products licensed by Sunbow without any accounting statements or royalty payments to me, hence, the scope of this legal action.

As indicated above, in no way was this lawsuit motivated by the new DreamWorks live action movie; the movie was not even a glimmer on the horizon when all of this began. I don't know whether they plan to use my theme in the new movie, and of course, I would love it if they do, but this litigation is first and foremost about the past and present royalties due; the future for Transformers, Jem, ML Pony and GI Joe and the other themes, if there is one, can be handled when the case is decided or settled.

Additionally, I can tell you that I have no rights to claim royalties for music composed by Ford Kinder, my former partner in our production company, except in any instances that our interests may overlap. We were separate writers -- not collaborators -- who jointly owned a production company we formed to take responsibility for all aspects of the full and final production of music that either he or I composed. As such, we credited any music that we produced through our company to both of us. This we did in order to build our company name. Ford and I wrote and produced several hundred pieces of music each year; this was our profession. Basic fees were paid to our companies for our services as producers, arrangers, *musicians and singers. And always, we were to be compensated, personally, as composers solely through our royalty payments. This is standard in the Commercial Music Business: writers write for royalties; professional writers always retain their royalties. So, this is what I am demanding in my court action: account for and pay the past and present royalties as agreed, and correct the records for the future.

I sincerely hope this will clear up any misunderstandings any of you may have; and I hope you will continue to support my efforts to be fully compensated as I face this well-financed, brutal opponent that would rather pay millions in legal fees, than pay to settle this matter.

See you at the movies: 7-4-7.

With all good wishes,
Anne

* Additionally, you may be interested to know that no "Secondary Market Payments" have been made to union musicians and singers for the use of their performances on TF, JEM and other television themes originally produced for Sunbow and GBI. Sunbow simply lifted these performances onto recording products and licensed them to distributors without making those payments required in their Union Contracts. The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Musicians are working to recover payment to the performers in actions separate from my lawsuit.

To swing this back to the live action Transformers film, does that mean her work can or can not be used in the upcoming movie due to the ongoing litigation. If it can be, what is the fee or royalty costs associated with that and will the producers pay it? Will the soundtrack producers pay it too? I guess only time will tell.

Don Murphy's Final Post of '06

Don Murphy once again provided an update on his various plans including Transformers. The main points of note is the official confirmation of the December 20th online arrival of the trailer, the first cut of the film will be completed next year, ILM is doing its thing and the push continues to get Welker on board. With the first cuts of the film arriving, that means the film as written, shot and designed, including the TFs, is pretty much a lock and now its just a matter of tweaking and completing. This sound simple but its still going to be months for the film is done with all the effects completed, voices recorded, and so forth.

The post:

HEAD STOOGE: The Last Sunday Post of 06, Now On Saturday
Come gather ye Stooges and Hear a New Tale....

This will likely be the last posting of 2006. I am basically gonna miss Christmas this year, since Susan and I are knee deep in WHILE SHE WAS OUT, prepping in Vancouver for a February shoot. We hope to go right from that into FACES OF DEATH, and then who knows what next year will bring. (WE 3 ? Yes Please!) If it is a year like 2006, then please, more, more!

SHOOT-EM-UP is now tentatively scheduled for September 7, 2007. The film is amazing, exciting and funny as shit. Can't wait to show you the new trailer.

The TRANSFORMERS trailer comes out December 20th online. I'm not going to hype it. If it doesn't silence the haters, nothing will. The reality is that this film comes out July 4th, 2007, and the producers and the studio are already talking sequel. We know what we have is an exciting and amazing summer blockbuster.

The Don Murphy Message Board was set up by a fan of mine to discuss my movies. Soon, certainly by the new year, there will be a banner on top of the page advising that Transformers discussion should be moved to www.transformersmovie.com . I mean, you can post whatever you want wherever you want I guess, except there is no point anymore. The film is shot. The first director's cut comes in next week. ILM is rendering the film. We all think that the film kicks ass. But, no matter what you post, it isn't changing. All the polls in the world no longer make a difference. It seems to make more sense to discuss the movie on the movie site.

I know that from the beginning of this board, I have done my utmost best to make the fan base as happy as I possibly could. You guys demanded Cullen and despite resistance from some quarters he is in there. I feel Welker will hopefully come in there as well. There were things you wanted that frankly made no sense in a live action movie. And there were things I could not deliver, because I was only one voice among many. I think the board served its purpose and along the way created a community and for that I am most grateful.

I hope you'll all have a great Holiday Season and be good to one another out there. Make the internet a little less hatefilled. Enjoy movies that look good. Enjoy your families and take care, and hang tight, Stooges, hang tight.

We 3 was an excellent 3 part comic series from Grant Morrison about government created cybernetically enhanced cat, dog and rabbit that escape and discover the world for the first time with mixed results. If filmed close to as written, could be good but Murphy's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen leaves me wary. Murphy has excellent taste in properties, its the constant "re-imagining" of an already proven concept that is the headscratcher. Anyway still plenty of TF news to be leaked for next year including the voice casting and the final designs of all the robots. Also probably around late April early May will be the final trailer for the film to begin the push for July 4th dominance over Die Hard 3.

"Night at the Museum" Getting Transformers Trailer

"Nelson" over at Shoot For the Edit reported several days ago Transformers Director Michael Bay has confirmed that the second Transformers teaser trailer will be attached to "Night at the Museum" staring Ben Stiller out in tons of movies December 22nd.

If you are not in the mood to wait until Friday, the trailer will also appear online Wednesday the 20th. You can see it at Yahoo! Movies but I am sure in no time it will spread YouTube and other sites that have trailers.

Megatron Patent Application from 1984

As many know, you can pretty much file and get granted for pretty much anything under the sun, real or imagined. Thanks to Google Patents, you can now find many of these applications online. A recently found one is the Megatron patent that had been approved. Especially interesting is that the file date is before Megatron was available stateside, but wasn't approved until 1986, shortly before he was replaced in the Transformers: The Movie. Makes you wonder what other TFs patents are out there.
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Yahoo! Countdown to Teaser Trailer

Yahoo! Movies has opened its page for the second Transformers teaser trailer with countdown clock, articles and a finalized version of the previously leaked production picture. As the below comparison shows, the finalized version is crisper version with the completed color corrections and details added.

The Yahoo Movies Transformers page is here.

Bay Confirms Trailer December 22nd Date

Michael Bay has confirmed on shootfortheedit.com that the Transformers Teaser Trailer II is arriving in theatres December 22nd. He also mentioned that the movie wrapped $300,000 under budget (perhaps tuck that in the FX budget or feel free to send my way).

The post:

It has been awhile since I've posted. Finished shooting end of Sept., on budget, just came under $300,000. I beat Pearl by a $100,000. I had a great time making this movie, the cast and crew were amazing.

Today I just finished the new teaser for Christmas and I think it's AWESOME! The trailer mixing Guru who does all the big summer movies turned to me and said with a little more ump - it was "fucking awesome".

I think some of my films have had good teasers but this one is just makes a statement. It's hard edged to show we are not a silly "toy" movie. We show just hints of robots - and almost none of our epic shots are in this teaser, but the movie just looks big. I had a room full of 20 Tranformers adult geeks, and they all applauded at the end.

It comes out the 22nd - see it in the theater! Let me know what you think.

Michael Bay

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Live Free or Die Hard Teaser Trailer Online

The competition is heating up for Transformers with the teaser trailer for Live Free and Die Hard being released online today and probably in theatres tomorrow. With it coming out on July 4th, 2007, the same date as Transformers, I am wondering which studio will blink first and move their film release date.

Sweet Transformer Movie Toy Pics

Complain all you want about Tranformers but at least its returning to its original mandate of taking real world stuff and transforming them into robots. A concept that was Transformers at their best but was lost after the Beast Wars line came to an end. The candle was held by the Alternators/Binal-Tech line but now the Dreamworks picture is taking that concept to the forefront once again. This is no more true then the below pictures of a transforming cell phone, game boy and camera. I hope these prototype pics are just the beginning of what is to come. These along with earlier car pics represent the Transformers concept I grew up with.



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Transformers Trailer Online December 20th

According to Can Mag website, the second Transformers Teaser Trailer will arrive online on Wednesday, December 20th, two days before it takes it bow before some movie in theatres nationwide. I am assuming it will pop up on the official website first before its spreads across the internet. I am hoping for a repeat of history and its gets leaked even sooner.
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Furby Truck Go Boom

As part of the leaked online script for Transformers is a bit about a Furby truck getting blown to smithereens during the climax of the movie. The non special effected, multi-camera, hyper edited version that will probably be in the film can now be seen thanks to YouTube.

Original Cartoon Transformers Theme Composer suing

From tfw2005.com, Anne Bryant composer of various cartoon themes from the 80s including Tranformers, JEM, and other Hasbro properties, is suing for payment and royalties of her work from Sunbow Productions. She is hoping to recover millions for the sales of those themes (especially Transformers) from CDs, VHS, DVDs, and any other license that used those themes. She is also hoping she can get professional screen credit in case her theme is used in the new Transformers movie.

The trivia bit, knowing the name of the composer of the famous theme is nice, but this litigation could effect the music used in the movie. The only reason to really care about professional credits in the context of the money is for the money that credit brings. It wouldn't just be a matter of throwing her name on the screen. There would be a cost attached to using the theme as a result of this litigation. While its possible the film producers could work something out, there really isn't a reason for them to when they can just avoid using the theme entirely. Which is a shame considering the hint of it used for the teaser trailer showed some great potential.

This also highlights something I will never understand about the Hollywood system. At any of other job function under the sun, work for hire usually means that if you create something under the employ of someone else, they own it lock stock and barrel. If they choose to throw some money your way for it, lucky you but they don't have to. Do you really think the team that invented the iPod is getting kickbacks for every device sold? Or the family of the inventors of the TV? Or the Radio? Or any other piece of technology and idea out there? The company may be but rarely the mind that created them.

In Hollywood, usually the actors, producers, directors, singers, composers, etc get kickbacks for everything sold. It could be a half penny per or a percentage of the profits. Many different ways of doing it but it all comes down to them getting a little something for every object sold. This is why the RIAA, the MPAA, singers, actors etc are hammering pirating so much. Because most of the figures used assume a 1 to 1 ratio of every item pirated is one less item sold (nonsense btw) then that is literally money being taken away from them. All this is on top of a negotiated salary, be it $1000 for a movie or the $20 million that some actors get (more nonsense). For the real world, the negotiated salary is it and if your company is kind you might get a bonus.

I bet it must be galling to be apart of the crew of these movies and so forth to create (say the costumes, sets, lightning) basically everything that makes the movie what it is and get no money for it. They get their salary and that's it. They can't sue for that extra bit of money even though their work is on screen just as much as the work of the directors, producers and especially the actors. They get treated like everyone else in the "real" world, while the "talent" gets treated in La-La Land way.

Its just strikes me as odd that Hollywood, music industry etc are all about the business at the end of the day, yet it doesn't run like any business I have ever heard of. I wish the company I worked for operated the way they do, then I might be able to afford a new car with all the kickbacks I would "deserve".

So back to Anne Bryant, probably a minority opinion, but she deserves credit for creating her various themes, but going by the classic definition of work for hire as nearly every business under the sun but Hollywood has, she was hired to create these themes for Sunbow, therefore they are owned by Sunbow and that's it. She doesn't deserve extra money just because their marketing machine was able to make hay out of it. If she wanted to make money for every copy used, then she should have created a contract where she lends them a license to the themes that she owns (say the family that owns "Happy Birthday").

Maybe not fair but then neither are her assumptions of money owed just because others where able to make the theme famous. Do those marketers deserve a kickback to by that argument since she wouldn't be owed millions if they hadn't done their job well?

The lesson is if you want a bit for every piece sold, own it outright, otherwise its work for hire and out of your hands. Unless you work for Hollywood.

Trailer Release Date - 12/22?

Nelson over at Shoot for the Edit, and a source for some TF information, has revealed that its possible that the 2nd teaser trailer for Transformers will come out on December 22nd.

His post:
I spoke to Mike about a week ago, and as you can imagine he's busy editing the movie.

He indicated that the trailer was basically done (minus a little CGI work) and that if all goes according to plan, the trailer should be out by the weekend of the 22nd of December.

According to IMDB.com, the movies coming out that weekend Rocky, The Good Shepherd, Night at the Museum, Letters from Iwo Jima, and We Are Marshall. Of those, my best guess if the rumor is true then the trailer will show up with Museum mainly because its the big release for December and will have a lot of the audience demographic that Transformers is aiming at. Of course nothing is stopping them from just releasing without attaching it to a particular movie so could show up with any of the above as all but I don't see such a trailer being a good fit with Iwa Jima and Shepherd.

I think they dropped the ball by not releasing the trailer with Casino Royale as I doubt any of the movies coming out in December will come even close to reaching the same number of eyeballs as Royale (excluding Happy Feet because of the younger age demo it covers as Transformers will probably be PG-13).

Barricade Prototype Toy Pics

The prototype toy pics reveal parade ends with Barricade. Once again, from eBay, his toy seems to most closely resemble the link CGI pic of him from yesterday. The look of the toy is probably the best of the group except I am hoping the arms have more articulation then the pics are revealing. These toy pics do bring up an additional question of how closely will the toys follow how the movie does the transformations. If the transformations have the level of detail that previous interviews with Bay and other indicate I am thinking not much but it should be interesting what the end results becomes. If history is a guide though, the animated movie did a pretty horrible job of mimicking the "real world" transformations so anything over that would be an improvement in detail. Thanks Joey C for the links.

Brawl Prototype Toy Pics

Brawl's turn to take the toy bow, once again from eBay. So far no leaked robot images for him so to early to say how close he will resemble final design.

Bumblebee Prototype Toy Pics

Another eBay leak, this time for Bumblebee. This toy also resembles the leaked images for Bumblebee. It looks like that face is here to stay so better learn to love it. One note though is that while the movie is going for great detail in robot design, it appears that the toy line will follow the more traditional Transformer toy designs.

Scorponok Prototype Toy Pics

Ebay has come through with pics of Scorponok toy for the Transformers movie line coming next year. You might want to note just how similar that toy is in design, especially face, to the leaked CGI picture that hit the web last week.

Decepticon Barricade Robot Mode Pic

The leaks continue as the robot mode of the Decepticon Barricade has hit the web for the Transformers movie. His alt mode is the Mustang police car with the phrase "to punish and enslave" on it. I have to say I am digging this one. Thanks Julio M for the link.

More CGI Transformer Images

Jalopnik.com has thrown up four more Transformer related images. The images seem to be edited, with the bottom of them cut off in most cases. I am not sure but I think the Optimus Prime and Bumbleebee have been leaked before but posting them anyway just in case. Particularly interesting to many might be the hint at Megatron and what appears to be a change on how his face is designed.

Rachet Robot Look Revealed

TFW2005.com has somehow managed to come up with an image of what the Autobot Rachet will look like in robot mode. The image could be fake but it doesn't seem likely considering how it matches closely with the other leaked Transformer images in the detail and design. I still have reservations about the faces but the over all design does look good to me. I am curious to see how or even if Hasbro can translate these detailed designs into a viable toy. Sadly TFW2005 has yet to learn how to do a proper watermark. Thanks Julio M for the link.

Even More Movie Prototype Toy Pics

The leaks of pics for the Protoform toys of Optimus Prime and Starscream continue. I continue to be unimpressed. The pics are here.