TF3 Detroit: Bay's Big Guns Part Deux

Yesterday J1000 provided images and video of filming with some huge prop at the Detroit Packard Plant that involves Shia and Rosie's stunt doubles. Here is part two that he captured later that evening. Of note is it seems that Patrick Dempsey's double is in the house doing whatever it is he is supposed to do. For the Bay fans, he is the guy in the white shirt and red hat. As for the four videos, J1000 reports it is 4 takes of Carly hanging on while Sam wrestling with a Frenzy sized imaginary character on top of the TF/jet prop thingy as it moves.

TF3 Detroit: Bay's Big Gun

Transformers 3 continues to film in Detroit at the Packard Plant, this time with the huge engine looking prop spotted at the location a few weeks ago. Thanks once again to J1000 we have images and video of the likely stunt doubles for Shia and Rosie work on the prop along with Michael Bay prepping for the scene. The videos show the pair as Carly jumps from the potted plant ledge to Sam's arms while the ship/guns/turbines/whatever moves. The bluescreen makes me think this is an arm or something of a bigger Transformer.

According to a post at TFW2005, the scene involves Sam "jumping from the ship to a building." A Don Murphy member and set extra sigma1 also claimed to know what the shoot was for. Of note is the invoking of Wheeljack ("Einstein") as a TF cast member but that remains unverified.

"The shoot involving the train derailed is called "Mayor's Mile" and is a continuation of the Chicago sequence. The scene itself will take place in Chicago within the movie. It involves the intro of a main antagonist, (which is the large construct with 2 turbines in the rear photographed earlier when Detroit production arrived). I won't reveal just yet who it is, but he will then transform and reveal himself to be orchestrating much of the chaos on Earth, most Autobots arrive (Bumblebee, Ratchet, Sideswipe, Wheeljack, and the Ferrari) to battle him. Prime, Ironhide, and Josh Duhamel are involved in another sub-plot that will be revealed later."

Transformers 3 Florida Film Dates Changes

Just a few days ago, the Space Coast Film Commission posted that they are ready to know seek applications for various jobs that will open up when Transformers 3 production arrives. The listed film dates were September 19th to October 5th. Today the site added a change today that shortened the schedule by a week to September 29th to October 5th.

No idea if the change was because the initial post was incorrect or because of a change in the shooting schedule. I guess that means that production will remain in Detroit for at least another week.

Transformers #11 Preview

Another Wednesday, another week of new comics. This week brings Transformers #11 to shelves and the Autobots continue their fight against the Combaticons while trying to avoid the attention of the US military and the world at large. Comic Book News has posted the covers and first five pages of the issue here.

Mike Costa (w) • Guido Guidi (a) • Don Figueroa, Guidi (c)
International Incident, Part 3: It’s Round 2 between AUTOBOTS and COMBATICONS as a wildcard enters the fight, while back in the States, Skywatch takes some extreme—even illegal—measures to even the odds. More gigantic fight scenes by Costa and Guidi!
• 2 covers, shipped in 1-to-1 ratio • 32 pages • $3.99USD • Expected in-store date: 9/8

TF3 Detroit: Train Derailment Devastation

Video from WXYZ TV Detroit provides a look at what was being filmed at the Packard Plant for the last week. As the video shows, it seems a passenger train didn't reach its intended destination. J1000 mentioned seeing some of the sections in his reports. I suspect this might play into the Autobot's Go Home messages seen on the various sets for the last few months as mass destruction and death by a Decepticon would cause all Transformers, regardless of faction, to be viewed as the enemy.

Shia Comments On Set Safety

While at the Toronto Film Festival to help promote Wall Street 2, Shia LaBeouf spoke briefly about set safety for Transformers 3. I am sure he is going to get asked this a lot in light of the serious injuries that occurred on September 1st to Gabriella Cedillo on the Indiana TF3 set.

"I got some scars, but I'm good," he explained. "They're hard movies to make...It's a very safe set. These are professionals. These are the best at what they do. Things happen all the time, but in life things happen all the time."

The 24-year-old actor said despite director Michael Bay's love of explosions, he's never felt at risk. "You've got the be weary and attentive to what's going on," he continued. "You're always informed of where the bomb is... or, you know, the mine field but, I never feel unsafe."

I have not seen or read any current updates on Mrs. Cedillo’s condition. As of early last week she remained in a medically induced coma after brain surgery. There also have not been any updates on what occurred that day with conflicting reports that she was involved in a stunt and reports that she wasn't.

A trusted source tells me that the filming on that Wednesday was a repeat of a "gag" on Tuesday that involved 3 vehicles being flipped with cars crashing and a larger vehicle crashing through others on one side of the highway with the extras on the other side. The stunt on Tuesday resulted in a blown shot from the cars flipping too early requiring the Wednesday repeat. The 80 or so extras were in the eastbound side with stunt drivers in the lead and the fast lane left open for the camera car. The actual stunt was to occur on the westbound lane, using only stunt drivers, no extras. A stunt was being filmed but the extras were removed from it by a concrete median and a lane of traffic. The extras' job, as expected, was to just be traffic on a highway. The talk of her car being towed has not been collaborated nor have really any of the details the press attempted to report. So far there has been no official response from investigators nor Paramount on what occurred.

TF3 Chicago: More From Post Office Set (Updated)

While Transformers 3 films in Detroit, here are more images thanks to Sam Nickelson from around July 23rd when TF3 was in Chicago at the Old Post Office Building filming. As he reported before, the building was dressed as part of the US Department of Health and Human Services and it seems they have quite the vehicle fleet as it’s not just a few trucks dressed with the logo but SUVs, cars, and big wheelers. Also, he took a few picks of the props used there including, in the first image, an odd looking gray shaped thing. If it was a part of a Transformer, I would think it would be CGI blue so not really sure what to make of it.

Update: Below are two more images of the weird object. As he reminded, we actually saw it from a post for the July 18th when filming was occurring near The Chicago Tribune. There is also a video that briefly shows it. I guess that means it is building debris, very real in design between the crane and the resulting crushed car. Usually the set debris is essentially skillfully painted Styrofoam that weighs next to nothing.

TF3 Detroit: Saturday With Optimus

Saturday morning was quiet at the Packard Plant in Detroit. Chances are they were filming elsewhere. Q1000 and his son went by and snapped the below pictures of Optimus Prime and a better look at the Decepticon SUV's with insignias and government license plates. I assume the plates have a purpose related to the plot, maybe an extension of the Department of Health and Human Services involvement (or cover) revealed in Chicago.

On a related note, TFormers has posted some images from salemd3 that show the same 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle SS that was part of a scene being filmed at the MPEA Busway in Chicago back in July. In the video, the car is seen driving calmly towards what everyone else was running away from. So far no indicates if a Transformer alt mode but this does seem to indicate it is part of the vehicle "cast" in some form or fashion. There is also a rumor of a 1960's scene being filmed in Detroit that may involve the vehicle but nothing to verify that yet.