5 Things I Learned Parodying The Rock (AKA What If Michael Bay Directed a Chess Match?)

We made a fun little parody short inspired by the final sequence of The Rock. It’s dramatic, over-the-top, and built around the simple idea:What if Michael Bay directed a chess match?

Here’s what I learned making it:

1. Cement the Idea and Focus It

When we first started tossing this idea around, we didn’t have much focus other than, “Wouldn’t it be fun to parody the end of The Rock?” We landed on the concept of two people playing chess — but with the intensity and style of a Michael Bay action climax. That one decision gave us the clarity we needed.

From there, everything aligned: the performances, the slow-mo, the exaggerated reactions — we were parodying how it was shot, not just what it was about. A good sketch doesn’t just ask what if, it answers it with total commitment.

2. Sometimes You Just Create in the Wrong Era (or Platform)

Looking back, this might’ve done better if it dropped today — or five years later — as a TikTok or Vine-era sketch. The premise is short and visual. In a tighter format, with the same production quality, it could’ve hit a wider audience faster.

But at the time, sketches like this weren’t getting algorithm love unless you were a known channel. Still, I don’t regret making it — every project is part of your catalog. Sometimes you create in the wrong window. Doesn’t mean the work was wrong.

3. Drone Shots Add So Much Cinematic Weight

Honestly, this sketch doesn’t work without the drone shots.

We had fun with the acting and the edits, sure — but those swooping, over-the-top aerials gave it real Bayhem. Suddenly a guy tipping over a bishop felt like launching a missile at Alcatraz. The drone gave us scale, drama, and movement.

If you're parodying visual style, the camera has to do some of the comedy. That’s where the drone came in — and it was the MVP.

4. Michael Bay Is Actually Really Good

It’s easy to mock Michael Bay’s style — the explosions, the slow-mo, the sunset backlights. The term Bayhem exists for a reason. But once you try to emulate it, even comedically, you realize how technically brilliant the man is.

The visual language, the camera blocking, the kinetic edits — there’s a reason Bay’s in the Criterion Collection.We set out to make fun of his movies, and by the end of the shoot, we just wanted to watch them.

5. Nicolas Cage Has Had a Profound Impact on Me

This wasn’t something I fully realized until revisiting these parody projects, but it’s true: Nicolas Cage has had a huge creative influence on me.

Like Bay, he’s polarizing. Like Bay, he makes bold choices. And like Bay, he’s often misunderstood.But Cage is singular. He does things no one else can do. He brings intensity, risk, and weirdness to roles most actors would sleepwalk through. Whether it’s Face/Off, The Rock, or Mandy, I admire the way he swings for the fences — every time.

I think I keep returning to him in sketches because, in my own way, I want to swing that big too.

Sometimes what starts as a parody becomes a quiet love letter. This sketch made us laugh — but it also taught me that you can only spoof something if you actually understand what makes it work. And once you do, the line between mockery and homage starts to blur.