Looking Back at the Filming of 'Transformers 3'

Chicago - After almost a two-month stay in the city, filming for Transformers 3 wraps in Chicago this week. Whether you’re disappointed or all too glad to see the departure of the film’s cast, crew, special effects and road-closing reroutes, tourists and residents alike can agree the filming was quite a Chicago summer blockbuster event.

Mayor Richard Daley held a press conference Wednesday to praise what the filming has done for the city. Since 1989, more than 900 films and TV projects have contributed to more than $1.65 billion of revenue for Chicago.

“It’s a great economic impact for our city, and we appreciate all those that have been involved in Transformers. It gives an opportunity again to create jobs and a lot of contracts for those people, and it also gives an opportunity to showcase Chicago as a place to film,” Daley said.

Filming will continue Wednesday through Friday, Aug. 25 to 27 in the Loop near Wabash and Washington. The city says disruption to traffic will be minimal.

There will be parking restrictions in effect from 9 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 24 through 2 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 28 on both Sides of Wabash from Randolph to Monroe; the north side of Randolph from Garland to Wabash; the south side of Washington from Michigan to Wabash; the north side of Madison from Michigan to Wabash and the south side of Washington from Wabash to State (8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 26 only).

FOX Chicago News brings you a look back at the memorable photos and videos from Transformers 3’s six-week-plus stay in Chicago.

DATES: Filming began July 9 and was expected to run about nine weeks. The current release date for the Transformers sequel is set at July 1, 2011.

MONEY: Mayor Daley estimated the filming brought nearly $20 million into the local economy, offering around 200 jobs, including 10 paid internships for CPS students from the South and West Sides. Betsey Steinberg, managing director at the Illinois Film Commission put the number of jobs closer to 400, accounting for the hotels, car rental companies, hardware and grocery stores expected to see a rise in business due to filming.

According to www.rottentomatoes.com , the first Transformers film earned $319 million domestically in 2007 at the box office, with the 2009 sequel taking in $402.1 million.

Watch: Interview with director Michael Bay

DESTINATIONS: Locations for filming included the Michigan Avenue Bridge at Wacker, Willis Tower, Millennium Park, the LaSalle St. Financial District and the Daley Bicentennial Plaza. Familiar Chicago streets also served as a backdrop, as filming took place along Wabash, East Balbo, State, Dearborn, East Van Buren, and Washington.

Watch: Filming an explosion, sent to us by Bryan McMahon

 
SPECTACLES: Crowds of tourists huddling behind road blocks, and squinting across bridges were treated to everything from brief glimpses of the actors and director, to large scale explosions complete with smoke and fire effects. Stunt parachutists could be seen high above the Chicago River, and multi-car pileups littered the streets amid piles of rubble and overturned burnt out CTA busses.

CASTING: Lead actors seen around Chicago included Shia LaBeouf, Tyrese Gibson, Josh Duhamel, Patrick Dempsey and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Chicago residents had their chance at being cast as extras in the film earlier in the summer. 2,800 hopefuls were interviewed, with the studio hiring around 600. Extras were paid $66 and fed a catered meal for a full day of work.

Watch: Filming along Balbo and Columbus

ROAD CLOSINGS: Over 27 bus routes were rerouted throughout the course of the filming, as road closings moved around the city. The most significant road closing may have been during the weekend of July 17, when Michigan Avenue was closed from Wacker to Ontario, causing riders of 23 CTA routes to encounter detours.

STORY: Not much is known about Transformers 3.  Michael Bay said Chicago will be featured at the end of the film and is under attack from aliens. We also learned that the film starts in 1961 or 1962 in the office of JFK. Some men in suits run in and tell him something is wrong with the moon, presenting an (imagined) rationale for wanting to start the space race.  The new villain in the film is Shockwave, a robot Cyclops turned laser canon. 

Filming moves to Gary, Ind. next, meaning that the next glimpse Chicagoans will get of Transformers 3 probably won't be until the movie hits theaters next July.