Turrets topple in Jewelers' Building: The Movie

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Serving the Loop and Near North neighborhoods of downtown Chicago

Turrets topple in Jewelers’ Building: The Movie

Photos and video from ‘Transformers 3’ filming

26-Jul-10 – While some Chicago landmarks appear doomed in the new Transformers movie being filmed near the Chicago River this month, at least one building will walk away from the fight with a battle scar.

The Jewelers’ Building, a 40-story skyscraper built in 1926 and now known as 35 East Wacker Drive, will lose one of its four large turrets that rise from the corners of the first setback.

Much of Saturday’s planned exterior filming was canceled due to heavy rain – and under sunnier skies, filmmakers made up for lost time on Sunday. Scenes were shot on Wabash Avenue between Wacker Drive and Lake Street, and on Wacker between Wabash and State Street.

Wacker Drive re-opens on Monday but filming continues at 35 East Wacker Drive until Tuesday and then moves to Trump International Hotel & Tower. More filming is expected on Wacker next weekend.

Video by Marina City resident Mark Pelczarski shows explosions and gunfire from the 53rd floor of the west tower.

Click on images to view larger versions…

Standing on a toppled turret, actor Patrick Dempsey looks up at something big but off-screen during filming Sunday morning for Transformers 3. Actor Shia LaBouf is lying injured in the rubble behind Dempsey on Wabash Avenue next to 35 East Wacker Drive. After a fight, Dempsey’s character has put his hand on the blue box with the red dot, presumably a stand-in for a computer-generated object.

Michael Bay, in the white shirt, directs a stunt double for actor Patrick Dempsey for a scene filmed Sunday morning on Wabash Avenue next to 35 East Wacker Drive, formerly known as The Jewelers’ Building. The set is a recreation of the building’s northeast turret, apparently toppled from its perch. Dempsey is at the top of the turret, in front of actor Shia LaBouf.

Stunt doubles for Shia LaBouf and Patrick Dempsey film a fight scene on Wabash Avenue Sunday morning.

The day started with a delivery by helicopter of camera equipment to the 25th floor roof of 35 East Wacker Drive.

Lights, camera, giant fan. A film crew prepares for a scene on Wabash Avenue.

Closer view of Dempsey and LaBouf filming a scene.

During breaks in filming, crowds are allowed past scenes of fake disaster. The northeast turret of 35 East Wacker Drive has fallen. Cars are wrecked. A bus is burned. Debris litters Wacker Drive near Wabash Avenue and Marina City.

Director Michael Bay (right) surveys a set made to resemble the northeast turret of 35 East Wacker Drive as it might look if it crashed onto Wabash Avenue.

Director Michael Bay talks with crewmembers during filming of Transformers 3 on Wacker Drive Sunday morning in front of the Unitrin and Jewelers’ buildings. Bay could be spotted from great distances by his white shirt and frequent pointing.

(Left) Pyrotechnics are used during filming of Transformers 3 in front of 35 East Wacker Drive on Sunday. (Above) Smoke from pyrotechnics lingers following a stunt in front of 35 East Wacker Drive.

While a second unit continues with pyrotechnic stunts on the ground, director Michael Bay is on the roof of 35 East Wacker Drive. As the crew loses light, a scene is filmed with a small group of actors just left of center frame. There is a camera on a long crane to the left of the group. Lights that create short, random flashes were installed in both north-facing turrets.

Debris is piled on Wacker Drive between State Street and Wabash Avenue. If the giant letters U and N look familiar, here is where you may have seen them recently…