"Transformers" Q & A

Ben asks, in the comments of this post ("Nonstop Feast of Coolness"): Do you mind breaking down which effects houses worked on which sequences for "Transformers"?

I answer: I'll give you a personal summary of who did what; but your best bet for a complete, accurate breakdown of houses and sequences will be Cinefex 111, which comes out in October.

Industrial Light & Magic handled all of the Autobots and Decepticons and their associated sequences (meaning, Optimus Prime, Megatron, Ratchet, Bumblebee, Jazz, Ironhide, Starscream, Scorponok, Blackout, Barracade, Bonecrusher, Devastator, Frenzy and all of the 'endo' shots of the robots in their primal form). ILM also handled the opening shot of the Allspark cube in space, as well as the cube in Hoover Dam, the Cyberton flashback, dozens of fully synthetic environments and set extensions, and more than I can remember right now. Kerner Optical provided model shop services for the film, as well. For the senior ILM credits, click here.

Digital Domain handled the Arctic Circle and Megatron discovery sequences, the severed head of Frenzy shots, cellphone-bot, the Autobot/meteor shower sequence, and more. Asylum also provided effects for the film, although I'm not sure which shots are theirs. ISolve created screen graphics for the film.