VOTD: A Supercut Of Michael Bay's Signature Low-Angle 360-Degree Shot

Michael Bay may be best known as the guy who blows things up, but like any auteur, he's got more than one signature move in his bag of tricks. Perhaps his second-favorite tool — after those big, loud, fantastically expensive explosions — is the slow-motion, low-angle, 360-degree shot. You know what I'm talking about: The character, who's usually recovering from some earlier incident that's landed him on the ground, looks off into the distance at something alarming and/or horrifying that we can't see. As he comes to realize that s*** has just gotten really real, the camera slowly revolves around him for dramatic effect.

This new supercut pulls together clips of Bay's favorite shot while revealing what it is that has all these characters so riled up. (Hint: It's another Bay staple.)

[via Movieline]

Yup, they're all gaping open-mouthed at Megan Fox in Transformers and Scarlett Johansson in The Island. It's amusing how much less dignified these action heroes look when it turns out the thing they're staring so intensely at is... a hot chick.

Let's see: 360-degree shot, check. Gorgeous young actress being objectified, check. Epic-sounding music, check. Throw in some action and a few bright orange fireballs — perhaps there's something from The Island we can recycle? — and presto! We've recreated an entire Michael Bay project right here. Though it seems even Bay's tired of making Michael Bay movies for now. Earlier this summer, he announced that his next project would be a small, Fargo-esque black comedy titled Pain & Gain. Think he'll find a way to work spinning cameras into that?

Of course, Bay isn't the only director who has a tendency to return to his favorite tricks. As Lens Flare: The Movie and A Retrospective of Woody Allen Surrogates indicate, even more critically beloved directors have certain tropes they just can't resist using again and again. Really, at this point I'm not sure why I'm even bothering to pay for these directors' films when I know exactly how to replicate the results at home. (Kidding. I'm kidding. Don't yell at me in the comments.)