The Rebirth of Optimus Prime: Behind the Scenes with Director Michael Bay

For two glorious years, Optimus Prime was the hero of America. He played in Transformers, an animated series thrifty (cynics call a half-hour toy commercial) that has pitted Prime Minister and his army of Autobots against the vicious Megatron and his Decepticons. On the small screen, these are more Robots in Disguise cartoon, the Titans were massive, massive shells in their car: semi-trailer, police cars, fighter planes.

The form of toys, transformers combined tactile thing as a Rubik's cube with the voyeurism of Hot Wheels cars Vroom Vroom. Add a touch of moral clarity of the Cold War and we were engaged. children 5-11 years - and it was boys - faithfully tuned in week after week, watching the saga of these bots Doughty, who hit their home planet, Cybertron, with vague and mixed motives - achievement, freedom, resources, defense - and taken their civil war to our planet. We were welcomed as liberators and adopted the first that our mech-daddy. Some literally: In 2001, 30 years, the National Guard from Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, has legally changed his name in Optimus Prime. "I'm very attached to him when I was a kid," he told reporters on TV first before shipment to the Middle East in 2003. "My father died and I did not really anyone around."

Then, in 1986, the premier has done something original that sets it apart from many other cartoon heroes. Then he died. He died for freedom, justice and shelf space. In the toy biz, there is no room for a paternal affection - that year, the next line. Transformers: The Movie, released in August this year, was the swan song of the former. For nearly two decades, through several lines of toys and restart toon questionable (Optimus Primal, a gorilla named? Please.) The son of the first aspect Pope Bot.

Finally, in July 2004, was decreed from the throne of Steven Spielberg: There would be a live-action remake of Transformers. (Wonder Joy! Blogging!) A year later, another revelation: Michael Bay, known for his explorations of modern masculinity Truffautian as Armageddon and The Rock, would direct. (Blog of rage! Spittle!)

Taking an Autobot

1974 Chevrolet Camaro Bumblebee Autobot transforming high was only part of a 14-month-long f / x process that took more than 60,000 virtual parts and 34,000 texture maps. The project pushed Industrial Light & Magic processors and 280 terabytes of disk storage to record up to 5500 capacity. - Erik Malinowski

A prayer went up on the Internet: Please, my God, do not let Michael Bay screw this. Discussion rooms shaken virtual nerd Thunderdome, aka Is not It Cool News, where processors (July 4) accumulated more traffic than any other film to come - not just in haunted Spidey was fueled by franchises '07. "It was as if he had told Michael Bay directs Star Wars," says Harry Knowles, editor of Is not It Cool News. "I do not understand why things are Bay soon, the machines look cool, blowing things up. E ' the best blaster in the company. '

So why all the pain on a beat-Bay Transformers? It's a toy. A cartoon. What's next? Please do not let Brett Ratner desecrate the Care Bears? And I'm not ass-kicking robot exactly what to expect from the high priest of infantilism high octane?

But among a certain sect of geekdom, there's more to lose. The first practically acquired children spend in the mid 80s. He was our Father of all models at a time in flesh and blood have been increasingly rare: Stallone began his long fall. Arnold was more credible that the machine man. So when the former said: "We must grow, must fall!" In this earthquake, the sound of dismantling this wall of sound (or, more precisely, the voice actor Peter Cullen), you have believed. Thus began the cyber-outsourcing masculine heroics, a process that eventually, inevitably, link Y chromosome to Xbox.

"I have heard many say:" Michael Bay has ruined my childhood, "says the man himself from the pulpit of his Santa Monica, California, the bay assembly. In the event, the bay is wearing a black shirt Decepticons. He is aware its image and to some extent, is delighted. "I knew there were fans," he sighs, shaking his shaggy blond mane power. "I do not know there were people who were hunting. I invite you to watch the 1986 animated film, go see the comedian. You'll want to shoot. "

What To Do With Inactive Channel Partners?

The lead villain in the '80s cartoon Transformers, war leader of hunger Decepticons, Megatron. Megatron turns into a gun Proton treacherous ally cry Star used against their enemies, the Autobots. However, Megatron and his minions are always defeated by the Autobots, a factor that Star is still crying sabotage or conceives evil plans to kill Megatron, so he can rule the Decepticons. So why not continue Megatron cry Star in its ranks if it was an ally useless? This scenario can also be seen in manufacturing companies who have many partners not active and do not contribute to indirect sales, but they are still part of society. Channel management software can help companies manage and administer the indirect sales but what if the problem resides in the unit that includes indirect sales?

If you run the channels, it is necessary to evaluate the performance of the business selling the team. You know they are active and which are inactive, which is an asset and liabilities are. If the dealer managed to get $ 250,000 last year and the product costs $ 250,000 is to show that some dealers are not used right customers to sell your products. Worse, they may not have sufficient resources to provide support for your joint client needs.

How to determine if your partner are worth investing your time and effort? If they are willing to undergo training to improve their skills or much about selling the company's products or services is rather a good sign. It shows that they are enthusiastic and willing to put more on the line to help society. If you are too busy to door before knowing how to approach the market, it is likely that they do not add much value. And 'question of who should now hold the key to making the rest and leaving behind the best.

What about those who are inactive? Each business unit and resale inactive for an organization that has a number of global partners, it is difficult to control if they improve or if it remained motionless. What to do with them? Follow the rule of survival of the fittest. Recertification Set, plan business requirement, or to update the certificate of sale, which requires them to perform these tasks on time or at 3-6 months of their partnership, will not be renewed. It may be hard, but this means that if they want to remain part of your business must demonstrate that they are worth investing your money, time and effort.

Site management software will enable the company to resolve problems with their indirect sales teams effectively and give the company a clear view of the profile of partners and their performance that will enable the company to assess whether they are worth investing .