Bay got his start in the film industry interning with George Lucas when he was fifteen, filing the storyboards for Raiders of the Lost Ark, which he thought was going to be terrible. His opinion changed after seeing it in the theater and he was so impressed by the experience that he decided to become a film director.[2] He graduated from Wesleyan University in 1986, majoring in both English and Film.[3][4] He was a member of the Psi Upsilon fraternity and a favorite student of film historian Jeanine Basinger.[5] For his graduate work, he attended Art Center College of Design in Pasadena where he also studied film.
Bay's success in music videos gained the attention of producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Don Simpson, who selected him to direct his first feature-length film, Bad Boys. The film was shot in Miami in 1994 and starred Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. Shooting in Miami was a good experience for Bay who would later own a home in the city and spend a great deal of time there.[8] The film was completed for $19 million and grossed $141 million at the box office in the summer of 1995.[9] Bay's success led to a strong partnership and friendship with Jerry Bruckheimer.[10]
In 2001, Bay directed Pearl Harbor. It starred Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale and Cuba Gooding, Jr. Bay produced the film with Jerry Bruckheimer. The film received four Academy Award nominations, including Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Editing and Best Song. Pearl Harbor won in the category for Sound Editing.[18] Michael Bay also directed the music video for nominated track "There You'll Be" by vocal artist Faith Hill. [source?] Despite all the criticisms that Michael Bay had received through the film, Pearl Harbor remained in the major blockbuster list, as it featured a plot which the viewers, especially young audiences, can relate with, and special effects which made the movie very realistic.
Bay reteamed with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence for Bad Boys II, an event which also marked Bay's fifth collaboration with Jerry Bruckheimer. The film grossed $138 million domestically, enough to cover the production budget, and $273 million worldwide, almost twice as much as the first movie.
In 2005, Bay directed The Island, a science-fiction film starring Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson. It was the first film Michael Bay made without Jerry Bruckheimer. The Island cost $126 million to produce. It earned $46 million domestically and $172 million worldwide. Bay said he was not comfortable with the domestic marketing campaign as it confused the audience as to the true subject of the film.[19]
Bay in 2006
In 2007, he directed and teamed up with Steven Spielberg to produce Transformers, a live action film based on the Transformers franchise. The film was released in the U.S. and Canada on July 3, 2007, with 8 p.m. preview screenings on July 2. The previews earned $8.8 million, and in its first day of general release it grossed $27.8 million, a record for Tuesday box office attendance.[source?] It broke the record held by Spider-Man 2 for the biggest July 4 gross, making $29 million. On its opening weekend, Transformers grossed $70.5 million, amounting to a $155.4 million opening week, giving it the record for the biggest opening week for a non-sequel.[source?] As of November 2007, the film has made over $319 million domestically and over $708 million worldwide.
Bay directed Transformers: Dark of the Moon, released on June 28, 2011.[27] He may direct a sequel to the Bad Boys franchise or a "small" film he's been developing for years, tentatively called Pain & Gain.[28] The true crime story, based on events described in a Miami Herald article[29] written by Pete Collins, concerns a group of bumbling bodybuilders working together to commit a robbery.
Even though most his movies have made a lot of money, many movie critics do not like his work. He has often been made fun of and/or named as the worst working director. He has consistently topped or appeared in Worst Directors lists by users on Internet Movie Database (IMDB). In response to the criticism, Bay has said: "I make movies for teenage boys. Oh, dear, what a crime."[32]
↑Vary, Adam B. (June 30, 2010). "Optimus Prime Time". EW.com. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on July 7, 2007. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
↑Lauren, Nelson. "Biography". michaelbay.com. Archived from the original on May 31, 2008. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
↑Wilson, Stephanie (September 5, 2008). "Behind the Camera". Haute Living. Seth Semilof. Archived from the original on October 5, 2011. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
↑Collins, Pete (December 23, 1999). "Pain & Gain". Miami New Times. Kevin Thornburg. Archived from the original on July 22, 2010. Retrieved September 2, 2010.
