Loud blasts were part of Wednesday's simulated clashes.
Shooting has begun. Literally.
Mock gunfire, explosions, a flipping car and a tank-like vehicle on Grand River Avenue downtown were part of Wednesday first filming day for "Transformers 4" in Detroit around its Washington Boulevard outdoor set.
Street scenes set in Hong Kong included yellow taxis and delivery trucks with Cantonese characters in the Grand Circus park aere as extras advanced behind an armored vehicle (the Autobot named "Hound") after an urban battle against Decepticons.
Downtown Detroit street with a tank-like vehicle looks like Hong Kong. [Image from PishPosh.tv]
Then, BANG and BOOM -- as seen in dramatic videos below the photo gallery under this article. The first one is from an office worker with an ideal vantage point directly above the set. The other is from PishPost.tv, a downtown production firm that also produces videos for Deadline Detroit.
Most of the accompanying photos from Wednesday's production work are provided to Deadline Detroit by a fan -- of the film series and us -- with well-located office windows. He asks to be identified only as Jerry B. from Wyandotte.
Filming, including more loud battle action after dark, is scheduled to continue though next Thursday with more pyrotechnics and other special effects.
Some of the goings-on are partly visible from street level.
Props include a double-decker bus, crushed cars and a silver rail car from Chicago that will appear to have toppled from the People Mover. The Rosa Parks Transit Center will be shut Sunday for filming there.
Watch for other galleries later this week and next.
Top left: Crushed cars were brought to the set for this post-explosion shot. Top right: Autobots "Bumblebee" and "Hound" are in scenes filmed Wednesday. Bottom left: Mark Wahlberg discusses a scene with assistant directors. Bottom right: Michael Bay, director of all four "Transformers" films, scans the set before a scene Wednesday.
