Michael Bay Calls Some of the CGI "Sh-t" in His Upcoming Movie

Filmmaker Michael Bay is known for his larger-than-life action spectacles, and with the upcoming Ambulance, he wanted to get back to basics when it came to capturing stunts, as he recently expressed his disappointment with some of the CGI in the finished film. With Bay known for putting things bluntly, he claimed that the CGI looks like "sh-t," though didn't specify which sequences or shots he's particularly disappointed with. His remarks have already seen some in the filmmaking community raise their eyebrows over the remarks, leaving fans to wonder how the rest of the industry will react to the dismissive comments.

"All those explosions and cars flipping, that's all real. That's all live, real, ratchets," Bay shared with French outlet Les Cinémas Pathé Gaumont. "It looks very dangerous [and] it could be very dangerous if you don't know what the hell you're doing. Most of it is real stunts. There's very few blue-screen shots on the movie. There's not a lot of CGI. Some of the CGI is sh-t in this movie. There's a couple shots that I wasn't happy with, okay? Alright."

There are often debates among audiences and filmmakers alike regarding visual effects in a film, with some dismissing CGI creations entirely while others note that it's just another tool in a toolbox to help bring fantastical worlds to life. Additionally, many visual effects artists have pointed out that not only are the most successful effects the ones you don't even notice, but that a director gets final approval of such effects, so if Bay was unhappy with the sequences, he was the one with the power to make sure they met his standards. 

As pointed out by Variety, Shazam! director David K. Sandberg tweeted the footage of the interview and added the inquisitive emoji, implying that Bay's comments were questionable, though Sandberg has since deleted the post.

Bay went on to describe the process of using practical techniques to shooting the new thriller.

"The ambulance, we shot a live ambulance, which is very hard getting a crew in that thing, where you're getting whacked around, flying down the street, turning corners," the director detailed. "And then we had the ambulance, also, on a buck, that could come apart. And then we have another ambulance on a rocker, in stage. We'd sometimes shoot the scene three times: live, and then the buck, potentially, or the back of a real ambulance, just so you get the coverage, you get the feeling of light hitting them, because that's not always real on a stage. You like that real sunlight hitting them, and it's all happening during the day and all happening in the span of like three hours."

Ambulance is set to hit theaters on April 8th.

Are you looking forward to the new movie? Let us know in the comments below!