Apparently, shooting in Petra was a massive affair. As actress Megan Fox pointed out, the archaeological city is located at the top of a hill and is mostly a massive preserve of ancient temples and other notable historical sites connected by hiking trails. The film’s location manager, Ilt Jones, recalls the day the “Transformers” crew went to film in Petra, and how exciting it was to soar up to the hill in helicopters. He said:
“The day at Petra was the best day of my career, let alone this movie. … I mean, I was there, we took off from Aqaba and we flew in formation with these other Blackhawks to Petra. I was there with Ben Seresin and Phil the camera operator and we were like little squealing children. It was the most brilliant thing I’ve ever done. It was a fantastic day. It was very exciting.”
Ben Seresin was the film’s cinematographer. He also worked with Bay on the 2013 film “Pain & Gain,” and also shot “The Mummy” and “Godzilla vs. Kong.”
Given that this was a “Transformers” movie, the production was massive, and Bay likely required a large number of effects technicians, pyrotechnic guys, stunt performers, and goodness knows what else up in Petra. The director, however, felt that the filming and transportation all went smoothly because, well, he had friends in high places. King Abdullah II, who has reigned over Jordan since 1999, was a fan of Bayhem.