Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element

Wednesday, October 28th, 2015 9:07PM CDT

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IGN has posted a short interview with the head of the Transformers movies writers' room Akiva Goldsman where he talks about the writers' room process and the human aspect of the movies. A snippet of the interview is below, click here for the whole thing.

IGN Movies: I wanted to ask about Transformers and what the writers' room process has been like -- because obviously that's commonplace for television, but not so much for movies. How has it been working with TV heavy-hitters like Steven DeKnight and Robert Kirkman on this franchise?

Akiva Goldsman: The room was honestly as delightful an experience as I've had. I think that we were just lucky enough to have a lot of good folks, all of whom were very generous. You know, I lurked around Fringe, and I learned a lot there. When you have a bunch of people who you respect, who are smart and talented, all trying to help each other figure stuff out, it's good whether you're all in a car heading across country for a road trip or a marriage and a family or a writers' room.

Credit(s): IGN

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Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1737585)
Posted by Deadput on October 28th, 2015 @ 10:07pm CDT

No matter what anyone in the fandom says in the movies and tv shows humans will always be necessary.

It only works in the comics due to the fact they are not as big as movies or tv shows.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1737586)
Posted by Sabrblade on October 28th, 2015 @ 10:07pm CDT

Just gonna say that humans in Transformers isn't a problem. It's how they are used and portrayed that makes them good or bad.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1737597)
Posted by Deadput on October 28th, 2015 @ 10:36pm CDT

Sabrblade wrote:Just gonna say that humans in Transformers isn't a problem. It's how they are used and portrayed that makes them good or bad.

Exactly

There are good characters, there are bad characters...

Then there's Kicker.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1737598)
Posted by Sabrblade on October 28th, 2015 @ 10:41pm CDT

mirageandjazz1197 wrote:Then there's Kicker.

If nothing else, he was at least competent (and the only human to ever personally fight against Galvatron one-on-one in combat, and live).

Thankfully, he wasn't bad in the Energon comics by Dreamwave. Actually got a couple of cool moments in there.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1737630)
Posted by Fires_Of_Inferno on October 29th, 2015 @ 12:27am CDT

"IGN: Right, and we've heard about that animated movie being an origin movie with just Transformers in it, right?

Goldsman: Yeah, the prequel. It takes place before Optimus and Megatron ever come to Earth."

Wait... what does THAT mean?

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1737642)
Posted by Windsweeper on October 29th, 2015 @ 3:29am CDT

After Batman and Robin Akiva Goldsman shouldn't be allowed near any movie production

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1737655)
Posted by Stuartmaximus on October 29th, 2015 @ 7:12am CDT

aye.....but just not with Jem!

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1737693)
Posted by SlyTF1 on October 29th, 2015 @ 10:39am CDT

Windsweeper wrote:After Batman and Robin Akiva Goldsman shouldn't be allowed near any movie production

He's written some good movies after that. One shit movie doesn't mean he'd destined to write shit movies the rest of his career.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1737695)
Posted by o.supreme on October 29th, 2015 @ 10:42am CDT

mirageandjazz1197 wrote:No matter what anyone in the fandom says in the movies and tv shows humans will always be necessary. It only works in the comics due to the fact they are not as big as movies or tv shows.

I have to respectfully disagree. The 1986 animated film is absolutely amazing, and human involvement was minimal, and could have easily been removed. I think it is budget restraints that require human involvement. To render 120 minuets of purely alien worlds and dozens of cinema level CG characters would push the budget to an insanely high amount. Remember we are not talking Pixar. We are talking ILM & other animation houses. Creating CG good enough to interact with the "real world" (I realize sometimes they fall short), still is way more complicated than creating an animated film within its own self contained animated world. I just hope that someday technology progresses to the point that you could have an entirely self-contained cinema level Transformers movie with all CG characters. True it would not work for most films, because well... most films require humans (Star Wars, Star Trek, MCU etc...) but Transformers does not.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1737716)
Posted by Sabrblade on October 29th, 2015 @ 11:52am CDT

o.supreme wrote:
mirageandjazz1197 wrote:No matter what anyone in the fandom says in the movies and tv shows humans will always be necessary. It only works in the comics due to the fact they are not as big as movies or tv shows.

I have to respectfully disagree. The 1986 animated film is absolutely amazing,

No. No, it really isn't.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1737719)
Posted by o.supreme on October 29th, 2015 @ 12:03pm CDT

Sabrblade wrote:No. No, it really isn't.

Let's just agree to disagree.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1737791)
Posted by Rodimus Prime on October 29th, 2015 @ 2:14pm CDT

I have to respectfully disagree. The 1986 animated film is absolutely amazing,
No. No, it really isn't.

That's a matter of opinion, isn't it? Personally, if I had to choose between TF:TM and any of Bay's movies to watch, I'd pick the animated movie. DoTM might make me hesitate for a second (the best of Bay's work), but I'd go with TF:TM over live action. And no, it's not nostalgia talking. Just simply an enjoyment of good entertainment.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1737803)
Posted by Sabrblade on October 29th, 2015 @ 2:24pm CDT

Rodimus Prime wrote:
I have to respectfully disagree. The 1986 animated film is absolutely amazing,
No. No, it really isn't.
That's a matter of opinion, isn't it? Personally, if I had to choose between TF:TM and any of Bay's movies to watch, I'd pick the animated movie. DoTM might make me hesitate for a second (the best of Bay's work), but I'd go with TF:TM over live action. And no, it's not nostalgia talking. Just simply an enjoyment of good entertainment.

That's a comparison of the 1986 movie vs. the live action movies, which is a different subject from the 1986 movie being "absolutely amazing" or not.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1737805)
Posted by SlyTF1 on October 29th, 2015 @ 2:25pm CDT

o.supreme wrote:
mirageandjazz1197 wrote:No matter what anyone in the fandom says in the movies and tv shows humans will always be necessary. It only works in the comics due to the fact they are not as big as movies or tv shows.

I have to respectfully disagree. The 1986 animated film is absolutely amazing, and human involvement was minimal, and could have easily been removed. I think it is budget restraints that require human involvement. To render 120 minuets of purely alien worlds and dozens of cinema level CG characters would push the budget to an insanely high amount. Remember we are not talking Pixar. We are talking ILM & other animation houses. Creating CG good enough to interact with the "real world" (I realize sometimes they fall short), still is way more complicated than creating an animated film within its own self contained animated world. I just hope that someday technology progresses to the point that you could have an entirely self-contained cinema level Transformers movie with all CG characters. True it would not work for most films, because well... most films require humans (Star Wars, Star Trek, MCU etc...) but Transformers does not.

Um, what do you think this Cybertron prequel is going to be?

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1737815)
Posted by o.supreme on October 29th, 2015 @ 2:41pm CDT

SlyTF1 wrote:Um, what do you think this Cybertron prequel is going to be?

I *think* it is going to be something fully animated on the level of PIXAR, in terms of animation quality, not in terms maturity. Like I said, there's a difference between what ILM and others do to create CG characters realistic enough to blend in real world environments, and "cartoon" CG animated films. To my knowledge, there has never been a fully animated film with CG imagery intended to blend in with real world environments, without having said real world interaction.

It has the potential to be the best TF film ever, but seeing as how it takes pace in the established Live-Action universe, I am skeptical. What I was originally responding to was what I believe is a false assertion that a TF movie simply cannot be made, or made well, *without* any human characters.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1737833)
Posted by Sabrblade on October 29th, 2015 @ 3:06pm CDT

o.supreme wrote:To my knowledge, there has never been a fully animated film with CG imagery intended to blend in with real world environments, without having said real world interaction.

Dinosaur - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinosaur_(film)

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1737837)
Posted by o.supreme on October 29th, 2015 @ 3:14pm CDT

cartoon lemur

real lemur

judges- nope not "real world" - Next.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1737841)
Posted by Sabrblade on October 29th, 2015 @ 3:18pm CDT

Your pics are broken.

Every character in that movie was CGI while the environments were filmed on location. That's what my point was.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1737842)
Posted by o.supreme on October 29th, 2015 @ 3:21pm CDT

and that is not what I am describing. If the environments were "on location", then they were real, NOT "real life quality" CG. It will be kind of hard to go on location to an alien world.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1737844)
Posted by Sabrblade on October 29th, 2015 @ 3:25pm CDT

o.supreme wrote:and that is not what I am describing. If the environments were "on location", then they were real, NOT "real life quality" CG. It will be kind of hard to go on location to an alien world.

Oh, you meant a fully CGI movie with CGI so good that it looks real and not CGI? I see.

Well, I know another film that was close to that, but not quite there only because it ended up having two scenes in live action while the rest was realistic CGI: The LEGO Movie.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1743294)
Posted by Va'al on November 21st, 2015 @ 3:56am CST

Via entertainment media website Deadline, we have some news regarding the Paramount project for Transformers 5 and the expanded universe led by Akiva Goldsman - who appears to have been moved from the direct writing of the script for the next movie, and will be heading a similar project for the G.I. Joe and Micronauts franchises instead. Read more on this below, and head here for the full story!

After their Akiva Goldsman-led Writers Room experiment led to at least three movie ideas to extend Transformers, Hasbro and Paramount have set Goldsman to supervise a Writers Room for their G.I. Joe movie series. And they will go the same route with Goldsman to draft ideas for the Hasbro property Micronauts, with Goldsman supervising that as well.

This change of duties means Goldsman will supervise but won’t write the next Transformers installment. Paramount now is negotiating with Writers Room participants Art Marcum & Matt Holloway (Iron Man) and Black Hawk Down scribe Ken Nolan to write the script together. That course change was cemented by Paramount, Hasbro, Michael Bay, Steven Spielberg and producers Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Don Murphy.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1743304)
Posted by Carnivius_Prime on November 21st, 2015 @ 6:04am CST

Oh just hurry up. I want some new movie figures!

:michaelbay:

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1743328)
Posted by griftimus prime on November 21st, 2015 @ 8:35am CST

lol. all of this talk about a super awesome writing team and making ten sequels or whatever then people drop out.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1743344)
Posted by Sabrblade on November 21st, 2015 @ 10:32am CST

One less Batman & Robin writer to worry about sounds fine to me.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1743493)
Posted by Deadput on November 21st, 2015 @ 8:45pm CST

griftimus prime wrote:lol. all of this talk about a super awesome writing team and making ten sequels or whatever then people drop out.

Your saying this like anyone dropped out.

If you actually stop being snarky and read the post Goldsman is just trading places with some better writers while he helps with Gi Joe.

Seriously it's good someone better then him is writing 5.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1744200)
Posted by OptimalOptimus2 on November 25th, 2015 @ 2:13pm CST

I am nervous about this. Stop teasing us!

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1765973)
Posted by Va'al on February 13th, 2016 @ 1:40pm CST

As announced in the investors meeting and webcast, Paramount and Hasbro are already reaping the fruits of the writers' room production, and have not one but three new movie releases lined up for the coming years! Hasbro reached out directly with the full information, which you can find below. What do you make of the continuation of the series, and the Bumblebee spin-off?

We are reaching out today to share some exciting Transformers movie news from Hasbro’s Allspark Pictures and Paramount. At Hasbro’s Analyst Presentation this morning during Toy Fair, Hasbro Chairman, President and CEO Brian Goldner announced new details about the next three films in the multi-billion dollar global franchise.

In partnership with Paramount, the writers’ room assembled by Hasbro’s Allspark pictures has created several exciting new Transformers stories and is beginning development on the next three theatrical films.

· In 2017, Michael Bay will direct the next chapter of the Transformers films, with Mark Wahlberg returning to star. That film is slated for release on June 23.

· On June 8, 2018, a new film is being developed which will tell the never before heard story of Bumblebee, one of the most beloved characters from Hasbro’s Transformers universe.

· A third new film will continue the story of Hasbro’s iconic franchise which is scheduled for release on June 28, 2019.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1765977)
Posted by Evil Eye on February 13th, 2016 @ 1:49pm CST

A Bumblebee movie.

A BUMBLEBEE movie.

A movie. About Bumblebee.

I'm not sure whether to laugh or scream. Or both.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1765988)
Posted by griftimus prime on February 13th, 2016 @ 2:10pm CST

i wonder what kind of toys will be in the bb movie line.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1765991)
Posted by Deathsaurus1 on February 13th, 2016 @ 2:18pm CST

Character development please lol

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1765997)
Posted by Stuartmaximus on February 13th, 2016 @ 2:36pm CST

aye! like Star Wars.....there's to be one a year(ok there's the possibility that Star Wars may do two films a year)

+ there's to be a Bee movie(as in Bumblebee)

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1766007)
Posted by DedicatedGhostArt on February 13th, 2016 @ 2:49pm CST

Like we've not had enough Bumblebee already, "let's just make a whole movie about him!" :lol:

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1766010)
Posted by partholon on February 13th, 2016 @ 2:57pm CST

oh christ !

is there seriously demand for a bumblebee movie ?

i mean Fking bumblebee !

if your gonna concentrate on on origin story of one of the main characters surely to GOD its prime !

i'll be hnonest i was having a hard enough time going to the regular films now as they continually disapoint on everything past the effects front.

theres got to be some sort of mad karma going on that the films seem to be getting worse inversely porportional to the rise in quality of the comics.

i wont condemn it completely and will wait to see what theyre selling us in the trailers but TBH im first reponse upon hearing this was "God no ".

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1766024)
Posted by Microraptor on February 13th, 2016 @ 3:30pm CST

Is it wrong that i'm ecstatic over a Bumblebee film?

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1766025)
Posted by DedicatedGhostArt on February 13th, 2016 @ 3:32pm CST

Microraptor wrote:Is it wrong that i'm ecstatic over a Bumblebee film?

I am neutral about it. I hope we see how he loses his voice.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1766039)
Posted by Carnivius_Prime on February 13th, 2016 @ 4:27pm CST

More awesome CGI robot fight scenes, transformations and lots of toys for me.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1766054)
Posted by DedicatedGhostArt on February 13th, 2016 @ 4:52pm CST

Carnivius_Prime wrote:More awesome CGI robot fight scenes, transformations and lots of toys for me.

Hopefully not all the toys are Bumblebee. :lol:

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1766241)
Posted by Mykltron on February 14th, 2016 @ 3:58am CST

SillySpringer wrote:
Carnivius_Prime wrote:More awesome CGI robot fight scenes, transformations and lots of toys for me.

Hopefully not all the toys are Bumblebee.

The movie is going to bee like this, but all Bumblebees:

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1766339)
Posted by Sabrblade on February 14th, 2016 @ 11:57am CST

Watch you guys finally get a movie set entirely on Cybertron with no humans, but it's the Bumblebee movie.

Though, would it just be retelling the events of the Movie Prequel, or would they write a new "How Bee lost his voice" backstory? :-?

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1766377)
Posted by Stuartmaximus on February 14th, 2016 @ 1:47pm CST

aye but Bay would never do a no human's movie! he hasn't the last 4 times so why would he now?

& it doesn't matter who writes the story! coz if Bay's in charge, he'll just want things done HIS way.

& YES! there's nothing to suggest at this time that Bay'll be in charge of those OTHER movies! but as long as they keep on throwing money at it, he'll keep on coming back to the directors chair.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1766421)
Posted by partholon on February 14th, 2016 @ 3:57pm CST

i'd love a cybertron only film as much as the next guy.

but the problem with the movies set on earth isnt that humans are in it. its that humans are the focus of the films on earth, when they really should be just the foil to get to the transformery goodness.

if hasbro did a film using IDWs "infiltration" and "escalation" trades as inspiration it'd kick arse.

"infiltration" went ALONG way to establishing megatron as a bad ass in the IDW universe, used intrigue, drama, had some great quips/banter , and gave the impression of a larger TF universe out there without the need to actually SEE it, and did it all with relatively few "set" peices and a human cast that complimented the TF action.

it'd probably cost half of what age of extiction did to do it.

i mean jesus who DOESNT want to see that made just to see that "take your punishment like a decepticon" line !

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1766523)
Posted by D-Maximal_Primal on February 14th, 2016 @ 8:47pm CST

Microraptor wrote:Is it wrong that i'm ecstatic over a Bumblebee film?

Nope, I'm intrigued, interested, and sort of excited. A different kind of backstory, and I'm interested to see where things go

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1767734)
Posted by TurboMMaster on February 18th, 2016 @ 5:10pm CST

Sabrblade wrote:Though, would it just be retelling the events of the Movie Prequel, or would they write a new "How Bee lost his voice" backstory?

You think that Bayverse's Timeline isn't ridiculous enough already?

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1767737)
Posted by Sabrblade on February 18th, 2016 @ 5:17pm CST

TurboMMaster wrote:
Sabrblade wrote:Though, would it just be retelling the events of the Movie Prequel, or would they write a new "How Bee lost his voice" backstory?
You think that Bayverse's Timeline isn't ridiculous enough already?

Well, the ideal option would be for them to adapt the Movie Prequel into film form, but as it's not something they're obligated to do, they could always make a new backstory that ignores the Movieverse comics (as unpleasant as that'd probably be since the comics were the primary medium that attempted to patch up all the continuity holes between the films themselves).

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1768091)
Posted by Stuartmaximus on February 19th, 2016 @ 9:29pm CST

FB_IMG_1455938796173.jpg

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1773128)
Posted by Va'al on March 16th, 2016 @ 3:44am CDT

In a little bit of news, which probably only counts as trivia at this stage, Collider had a quick chat at SXSW with Robert Kirkman, co-creator of The Walking Dead comics series among other things, about his involvement with the Goldsman-led Transformers writers room - which he only attended for a day, as personal matters took priority. See more below, including the embedded video!

As you can see in the video, Kirkman says that he loves Transformers, and became a part of the writing team after a casual lunch wth di Bonaventura, who optioned his comic Invincible (the comic adaption list that Perri mentions in the video is Dave Trumbore’s 10 Comic Books That Need an R-Rated Adaptation). Still, though he’s no longer a part of the project (which is a bummer because it seems insane and his involvement made it seem somehow less so), he says,

“I have heard from the people that are in that room there are a lot of amazing Transformers things coming, and I’m very happy as a fan to see what comes from that.”

video

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1773129)
Posted by Va'al on March 16th, 2016 @ 3:45am CDT

As you can see in the video, Kirkman says that he loves Transformers, and became a part of the writing team after a casual lunch wth di Bonaventura, who optioned his comic Invincible (the comic adaption list that Perri mentions in the video is Dave Trumbore’s 10 Comic Books That Need an R-Rated Adaptation). Still, though he’s no longer a part of the project (which is a bummer because it seems insane and his involvement made it seem somehow less so), he says,

“I have heard from the people that are in that room there are a lot of amazing Transformers things coming, and I’m very happy as a fan to see what comes from that.”

video

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1783457)
Posted by Windsweeper on April 22nd, 2016 @ 4:22am CDT

I will never be happy with the inclusion of Akiva Goldsman.

He is to writers what Michael Bay is to directors.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1783467)
Posted by Burn on April 22nd, 2016 @ 7:22am CDT

Windsweeper wrote:He is to writers what Michael Bay is to directors.

Someone who makes movies that generate millions of dollars and are hugely successful around the world and puts people like Uwe Boll to shame?
Though really, Uwe Boll puts Uwe Boll to shame.

Re: Akiva Goldsman Talks Transformers Writers' Room and the Human Element (1783495)
Posted by Deadput on April 22nd, 2016 @ 9:51am CDT

Windsweeper wrote:I will never be happy with the inclusion of Akiva Goldsman.

He is to writers what Michael Bay is to directors.

He wrote one bad super hero movie so what who cares?

Micheal Bay has made some decent films and some bad ones and if I recall Akiva has some movie awards.

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