Michael Bay
| Michael Bay | |
|---|---|
Bay in February 2008
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| Born |
February 17, 1965 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater |
Wesleyan University Art Center College of Design |
| Occupation | Film director, producer, camera operator, actor |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Notable work | Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, Transformers film series |
| Relatives | Leonard Nimoy (cousin-in-law) |
| Website | www |
Michael Benjamin Bay (born February 17, 1965) is an American filmmaker known for directing and producing big-budget action films characterized by fast cutting, stylistic visuals and extensive use of special effects, including frequent depictions of explosions. His films, which include Armageddon (1998), Pearl Harbor (2001) and the Transformers film series (2007–present), have grossed over US$5 billion worldwide. He is co-founder of commercial production house The Institute, a.k.a. The Institute for the Development of Enhanced Perceptual Awareness. He is co-chair and part-owner of the digital effects house Digital Domain. He co-owns Platinum Dunes, a production house which has remade horror movies including The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003), The Amityville Horror (2005), The Hitcher (2007), Friday the 13th (2009) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010).
Despite his considerable success at the international box office, Bay's work is generally held in low esteem by film critics. While The Rock (1996) and Transformers (2007) received moderately positive reviews, his other films, including the three Transformers sequels, have been received negatively by critics.
Michael Bay was born in Los Angeles. He was raised by his adoptive parents Harriet, a bookstore owner/child psychiatrist, and Jim, a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Bay was raised Jewish. His grandfather was from Russia. His cousin, Susan Bay, is the widow of Star Trek actor Leonard Nimoy (whom he eventually cast as the voice actor for Sentinel Prime in Transformers: Dark of the Moon). He attended the exclusive Crossroads School, in Santa Monica, California. Bay often traces his interest in action films back to an incident during his childhood. As a boy, he attached some firecrackers to a toy train and filmed the ensuing fiery disaster with his mother's 8 millimeter camera. The fire department was called and he was grounded.
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