TransMY

TF3: Unicron, Way to Go Bigger

admin@transmy.com (Admin Prime) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:25:27 +0000

You Transformers fans know what I’m talking about when you see the name “Unicron.” That’s right. If you thought Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen was a massive convoluted mess of nonsense and wasted… well, everything, coated in a big pile of explosions and sometimes-awkward visuals, then you’ve seen nothing yet.

How can you introduce and misuse even bigger characters for Transformers 3 after what happened with Devastator and many others in Revenge of the Fallen?

Well, you introduce the Death Star Transformer!

For those who have no idea what I’m talking about, Unicron was the antagonist character introduced in the 1986 animated Transformers: The Movie. He’s so big that he transforms into a mechanical planet, or as Obi-Wan Kenobi would describe, “that’s no moon.”

I’ll try to be as brief as possible in describing Unicron’s role in that movie and how it could tie into Michael Bay’s film series. In the 1986 cartoon movie, Unicron made a deal with the dying and betrayed Megatron (betrayed by Starscream) and offered to give him a new body (becoming Galvatron) in exchange for his efforts in destroying the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. Sound familiar? That Matrix was in Revenge of the Fallen and was the device that The Fallen sought out and sent Megatron after to destroy humanity with that big-ass machine.

In Transformers lore, The Fallen worked for Unicron so perhaps that’s the pattern of the movies: We think Megatron is the leader, we then find out The Fallen is his leader. We think The Fallen is the leader, we then find out Unicron is the leader?

The reason I bring this up is that videos have been popping up online for bonus features that were included on the DVD and Blu-ray releases of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen on October 20th, one of which (Thanks to Cinema Blend for the find) was a hidden Easter Egg featuring Michael Bay joking around about Transformers 3 with pictures of Unicron in the background.

Note the cliches and Bay making fun of himself: doesn’t have to be all “action action action,” could be more emotional, darker?

The video is meant as a joke and a tease for the hardcore fans. It is also already dated as Bay refers to making a slower and smaller movie first then come back to the Transformers franchise? That’s what was originally the plan with Bay seemingly set to work on his personal passion project “Pain & Gain” but then he met with Steven Spielberg to discuss the project in September and shortly thereafter, it was announced that Transformers 3 would be over-rushed into production like its predecessor and that it would be out in 2011.

This Unicron thing could probably happen. Hasbro needs more toys and what better way to do it (in addition to having 100 no-named random background characters) is to kill off the majority of the Cybertronian cast and bring them back with new bodies! Don’t expect them to talk or even be introduced though. They just need to be shown once or twice.

What do you want from Transformers 3? Do you think Michael Bay will go bigger and bring out Unicron the next time around?

Transformers 3 is scheduled to open July 1, 2011 and I hope it gets delayed a few years.

Source: ScreenRant

BB On Tour In OZ

admin@transmy.com (Admin Prime) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:02:26 +0000

Commuters on the Manly Ferry are likely to get a shock Thursday Morning (5 Nov) as they will be joined on the water by a life sized Transformer. The giant robot is arriving in Sydney to be part of a mini exhibition and the launch of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen on DVD and Blu Ray.

The one-of-a-kind statue, a replica of the Transformer Bumblebee, was made for the original movie by LA based special effects house FXperts. It stands 5 metres tall, weighs nearly three tones, is valued at around A$820,000 and took about six weeks to build.

After doing a tour of the harbour by barge, the giant Bumblebee will be the centerpiece to The Art of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen exhibit, a free display that will be at Bondi Beach from Friday until Sunday and will also include behind the scenes photography, the original design work and storyboarding from the movie process.

Bumblebee was seen floating around in the general vicinity of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bride in the gallery of photos you can check out by clicking on the photo above. And while we're not entirely sure why he was out there, the people of Sydney should certainly feel safe knowing that they're safe from the menace of giant robots... for now.

I love these pictures. "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" was a hit movie this past summer. Those robots in disguise are real though. Real, and protecting this planet from intergalactic menaces like the Decepticons. You can see it for yourself in our new flipbook gallery, in which Bumblebee reveals himself to the people of Sydney, Australia. Good to know they're keeping us safe, right?

The Transformer has already attended the premieres of the films in Los Angeles, Japan, the UK and the Cannes Film Festival. Now his world tour is stopping by Australia.

Source: M.Bay, MTV

Shadow & Defender in The House

admin@transmy.com (Admin Prime) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 01:11:27 +0000

Hear ye black variant TF fans - eBay seller tfctoy has posted two new auctions with images of the Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen leader class Shadow Command Megatron and voyager class Final Defense Optimus Prime action figures.

First reported here, we saw only the photoshop images. These images are not very big, but they do offer up our first look at what the production figures may look like.

Shadow Command Megatron is looking good. This character's toy has been really hard to capture in the mold. While this repaint is not reminiscent of Megaton's movie roles, it seem to be one of the more impressive or least annoying movie Megatron figures yet.

The Final Defense Optimus Prime seems to contrast the most from its initial photoshopped image. The gray instead of red front-end gives the truck a washed out look.

Almost like an unpainted test shot or prototype. However, the new color scheme works better in the robot mode with red paint apps around the windows and blue plastic legs for an almost G1 look.

Source: Tformers

Post Convention Yumchar

admin@transmy.com (Admin Prime) — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 12:30:17 +0000

TransMY Penang will organise a yumcha session this coming weekend to commemorate the event and to celebrate the success of TransMY in running the most recent expo in Queensbay Mall.

Here are the details of the yumcha session:

Date : 4th July 2009
Venue : Subaidah Tanjung Bungah, Penang
Time : 7pm onwards
Attire: If you have it, flaunt it! - Transmy T-Shirts!!

Those who can make it, let TCracker know. Attendance is open to all NEW and old TransMYians from Penang/Northern region. For ongoing discussions on this yumcha session, please participate here.

Press With ROTF DVD Writers & VA

admin@transmy.com (Admin Prime) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 20:24:25 +0000

On the eve of the TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN DVD/BD release. ENI/Tformers was lucky enough to be able to participate in a roundtable discussion with writers Bob Orci and Alex Kurtzman as well as an informal chat with many of the voice actors that gave life to the many characters in the two films. Many of the questions were also related to the upcoming Star Trek DVD/BD release but we are excited to bring this sneak peak first to our members here at Tformers!

Hasbro The Next Marvel?

admin@transmy.com (Admin Prime) — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 21:51:37 +0000

We may need you to click on a few ads over there on the right, because our rent here at Fool HQ just went up to $8.5 million. That's according to Monopoly City Streets -- a joint venture between Hasbro (NYSE: HAS) and Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) to create the largest online multiplayer version of the classic board game. The game is played out on a Google-supplied map of the real world.

This massively multiplayer Monopoly is the result of one of Hasbro's top strategies: expanding its strong brands beyond just toys and games to create an immersive consumer experience across all touch points. That strategy could make Hasbro an incredibly profitable company.

The Monopoly brand already extends beyond the classic board game, including slot machines and the popular McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) contest. Hasbro has even partnered with Universal Studios to make a feature film based on the board game, directed by Ridley Scott and slated for release in 2010. (We have our fingers crossed for Russell Crowe as Rich Uncle Pennybags.)

More than meets the eye

Will a Monopoly movie really reinvent the classic board game? It certainly worked for fellow Hasbro brand Transformers, a 25-year-old line of boys' toys that was revived into a blockbuster. This summer's critic-proof sequel, Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, became one of the top 10 highest-domestic-grossing films of all time, raking in more than $400 million in the United States. And with more than $800 million in worldwide receipts, the film helped steadily raise Hasbro's stock to near its 52-week high.

While licensing brands such as Transformers represents only 3% of Hasbro's annual revenue, such efforts do help distinguish Hasbro from the leading toy manufacturer by sales, Mattel (NYSE: MAT), whose brands have not received the same exposure in Tinseltown. Big-screen fame fuels Hasbro's primary profit engine -- selling new toys and accessories related to the reimagined brand. The momentum also creates opportunities for Hasbro to further license the brand to apparel, publishing, foods, theme parks, and conventions. The exposure continues to build brand awareness, which drives more toys and more licensing, and the cycle continues until the world becomes immersed in robots in disguise.

Sound familiar? It's not unlike what Stock Advisor favorite Marvel Entertainment (NYSE: MVL) has done in boosting its superhero brands through blockbuster movies, and capitalizing on the success with extensive merchandising. Marvel is up 1,000% since the release of Spider-Man in May 2002. Of course, Marvel is now also directly funding the production of its movies, too.

Hasbro is just getting started

Hasbro's strategy of immersing the world in its core brands through entertainment licensing provides more than just financial gains; it may be the key to its expansion into new offerings.

Hasbro is accepting the harsh reality that children are moving away from traditional toys and games at a younger age. As a result, the traditional toy manufacturer must compete where its audience is, which today includes online and video gaming.

Hasbro has adjusted to the changing industry by building partnerships with Electronic Arts (Nasdaq: ERTS), Activision Blizzard (Nasdaq: ATVI), Glu Mobile, and Google. These digital companies can help strong properties like Transformers or Monopoly make the leap from plastic or cardboard to bits and bytes. If the market dictates that the future of Monopoly must be online, Hasbro will be ready. And isn't having the flexibility to find success -- wherever your audience may play next -- the big-business equivalent of passing GO and collecting $200?

Source: Fool.com

Duhamel: Not Cheating With Stripper

admin@transmy.com (Admin Prime) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:21:14 +0000

Josh Duhamel is shooting down a new supermarket tabloid story alleging he cheated on his pop-music superstar wife, Fergie, earlier this month with a stripper.

Duhamel, who may be known for the “Transformers” movies, has decided to speak up recently about the allegations of him cheating on his superstar wife Fergie, who people may know as a member of the Black Eyed Peas.

In an interview with The National Enquirer, Nicole Forrester says she and the 36-year-old Transformers hunk enjoyed a sex romp in an Atlanta hotel room while he was in the area shooting Life As We Know It, a comedy costarring Katherine Heigl, Christina Hendricks and Josh Lucas.

But Duhamel's rep insists the story is bogus...

"This is not the first nor will it be the last time that a stripper was paid a large amount of money to sell a false story about a celebrity," Duhamel's rep said in a statement released this afternoon. "This story is absolutely ridiculous."

Forrester, who reportedly goes by the name "Delilah" when she is working at a nude club called Tattletales Lounge, claims Duhamel introduced himself as "J.D." and said he was in town making a porn movie.

Earlier today, E! Online was contacted by a rep for an Atlanta-area attorney claiming he was representing a stripper who was interested in "compensation" for details about an alleged hotel tryst she had with Duhamel. "Our client has taken a polygraph regarding this incident and passed," an email from the attorney's office reads.

Source: EONline

ILM Guys On ROTF at Junket

admin@transmy.com (Admin Prime) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 23:55:53 +0000

Here are some excerpts, the first is from Benza featured in Allspark.com regarding the fourth installment of their coverage of the Paramount Press Junket. The PC revelates around the Industrial Lights and Magic (ILM) Animation Supervisor, Scott Benza and Shane Mahan of Legacy Effects.

Following Hasbro’s panel, ILM animation supervisor Scott Benza and visual effects supervisor Russell Earl took center stage, with Benza going first on both Transformers and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Earl would later be covering Star Trek’s visual effects, although he did work on Transformers). Benza starts off that ROTF was his fourth film working with director Michael Bay, having also worked on Pearl Harbor (2001) and The Island (2005), Bay was a very collaborative director and was open to many ideas, and his feedback helps improve some of the shots.

Benza starts off with how Bay understood some of the criticisms from the first movie in regards to the Autobots and the Decepticons, and how the Transformers got a make-over for ROTF, such as Megatron having fully functional tank treads (which was difficult for the animators). Spinning models of the Fallen and Sideswipe followed, as well pointing out on how lighting played about.

He noted that Bay believed “the more messed up the robots, the more realistic they look”, hence the various scratches and dings. A lot of the concept designs were the basis for the robots, such as Ben Proctor, and feedback was exchanged between animation and art standpoints. Jetfire gaining a mouth compared to his early model is one such example, allowing them to animate him with more emotion which wouldn’t be as effective if it just his beard, followed by a short clip of Jetfire talking to Sam (Shia LaBeouf) that showed the mouth pieces in motion.

One robot can be composed up to 52,000 pieces, Devastator alone the largest they ever dealt with, and several levels of resolution had to be created in order for the animation team to work with the Autobots and Decepticons fast and efficiently. Benza showed off four levels of Bumblebee, ranging from the most simplistic model to the most detailed one.

Here is an excerpt from Mahan's presentation.

Following the ILM presentation, a ride up to San Fernando so as to check out the special effects workshop that worked with Paramount on creating the Accelerator Suits for G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Legacy Effects, successor to Stan Winston Studios.

Shane Mahan, co-owner of the shop, showed several of the suits used in Marvel’s Iron Man in 2008, from the Mark I to the enormous Iron Monger, as well several battle-damage pieces of the Mark III. Next up was two of the six Accelerator Suits used in Rise of Cobra, weighing almost 45 pounds, requiring 4 months to build and milled, and composing of over 30 pieces as well additional replacement if anything got broken.

Legacy Effects originally laser-scanned Marlon Wayans (Ripcord) and from his measurements they built the first suit; Channing Tatum’s (Duke) suit had to be retrofitted later, even though it’s not the most ideal way but there’s no beating around it. The suits were designed in mind so that it’ll take at least 15 minutes to be fitted on with 2 to 3 people assisting, although the crew spared no expense on the padded cases when it came to shipping them overseas.

Source: Tformers

Classic Frenzy/Rumble?

admin@transmy.com (Admin Prime) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:49:00 +0000

If you dig cassettes and Classic line, HK-TF has revealed a new image surfaced over showing what appears to be a new "classics style" Frenzy/Rumble.

The picture is labelled "New 2010 TF" but it is unknown at this time whether this is an official product to fit in with the Classics/Universe line, or if it is a fan-made creation.

Further more we do not know if this will be Frenzy or Rumble.

So far there is no further information at this time other than this image, but make sure to check back for all the latest on upcoming Transformers products!

Source: TFW2005

Hasbro Brings Back Micronauts

admin@transmy.com (Admin Prime) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:54:42 +0000

Hasbro is hosting an Investor's day event today. They have been releasing information on their initiatives for 2010 and it is no secret they have got a lot planned for the Transformers property.

We are covering the event now and are posting updates as they are revealed. Learn about the new initiative "Hunt For The Decepticons" and more in our report below:

Hasbro announced a new initiative for 2010 called "Hunt For The Decepticons."

They have also revealed they will be releasing Takara's Micronaughts (Microman) action figures that will be support for a Movie and TV series. Read more at ToyNewsi.com

The only show Hasbro announced for their new network is My Little Pony. So it is unclear what "Hunt For The Decepticons" will be.

Hasbro did say Orci and Kurtzman would be working on something for the new network.

Here's the excerpt from TNI;

"During Hasbro's 2009 Fall Investor Day Event held today at their headquarters in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, they announced the re-introduction of the classic toy line Micronauts originally created by Japan company Takara in 1974 under the name Microman and later launched in the United States in 1976 and backed by a Marvel Comics comic book series in 1979.

As many know, Takara is the same company that originally invented the Transformers line and continues to work with Hasbro today. No specifics were given by Hasbro's Brian Chapman (VP if Hasbro's Global Designs) about what we can expect from the Micronauts brand other than that we can expect Hasbro to revise, reinvent and re-ignite the brand so it is exciting for fans old and new alike. There also was some indication that a television series and/or major motion picture could be in the works for this brand."

Source: Tformers