Michael Benjamin Bay (born February 17, 1965) is an American film director and producer (film producer). He is best known for directing high-budget action-adventure films characterized for their fast edits and substantial use of practical effects. His films, which include Bad Boys (Bad Boys (film)), Armageddon (Armageddon (1998 film)), Pearl Harbor (Pearl Harbor (film)), and Transformers (Transformers (film)), have grossed over three billion dollars world-wide. 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 special effects house Digital Domain. He co-owns Platinum Dunes, a production house which has remade horror (horror film) movies including Friday the 13th (Friday the 13th (2009 film)), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003 film)) and A Nightmare on Elm Street (A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010 film)).