CES 2014: Michael Bay walks off stage after embarrassing Autocue error

The director looked flustered and said 'I'm sorry' before leaving the stage

Daisy Wyatt
Tuesday 07 January 2014 05:44 EST
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Michael Bay on stage with Samsung VP Joe Stinziano at the Consumer Electronic Show
Michael Bay on stage with Samsung VP Joe Stinziano at the Consumer Electronic Show (AFP/Getty Images)

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He is best known for directing Hollywood blockbusters full of explosions, but less could be said for Michael Bay’s appearance at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

Scroll to see Bay walking off stage

The Transformers director walked off stage during a presentation for Samsung's new curved high definition TV sets, after the auto-cue broke and he felt uncomfortable with "winging it".

Bay was delivering the presentation as a brand ambassador for Samsung, and was due to show a clip from the new Transformers film.

But the action film director soon became flustered during a scripted conversation with the company's vice president Joe Stinziano.

After the auto-cue stopped working, Bay became anxious and started to circle the stage, saying:"The type is all off, sorry, but I'll just wing this."

Stinaziano tried to keep the presentation going, saying:"Tell us what you think, we'll just, we'll wing it right now."

Bay continued, before tailing off:"I try to keep people on an emotional ride and..."

Stinaziano then asked the Armageddon and Pearl Harbour director how he thought the new technology,"The Curve", would impact how viewers watched his movies, but it all proved too much for Bay.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he said, before walking swiftly off stage.

He later wrote on his blog that he had "embarrassed himself" and that live shows weren't his "thing", but did not make a formal apology.

"Wow! I just embarrassed myself at CES - I was about to speak for Samsung for this awesome Curved 105-inch UHD TV. I rarely lend my name to any products, but this one is just stellar," he said.

"I got so excited to talk, that I skipped over the Exec VP's intro line and then the teleprompter got lost. Then the prompter went up and down - then I walked off. I guess live shows aren't my thing. But I'm doing a special curved screen experience with Samsung and Transformers 4 footage that will be travelling around the world."

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