Michael Benjamin Bay (born February 17, 1965) is an American filmmaker. He is known for directing big-budget action films characterized by
fast cutting, stylistic visuals and extensive use of
special effects, including frequent depiction of
explosions. His films, which include the science fiction disaster thriller
Armageddon (1998), the
epic war film
Pearl Harbor (2001) and the science fiction action films in the
Transformers film series (2007–present), have grossed over worldwide. He is co-founder of commercial production house The Institute, a.k.a. The Institute for the Development of Enhanced Perceptual Awareness. He is co-chair and part-owner of the
digital effects house
Digital Domain. He co-owns
Platinum Dunes, a production house which has remade
horror movies including
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003),
The Amityville Horror (2005),
The Hitcher (2007),
Friday the 13th (2009) and
A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010).