From Slashfilm:
"Director John Landis‘ was asked during his appearance at the BFI in London if the one-hour documentary The Making of Michael Jackson’s Thriller would ever be released on DVD or Blu-ray. CHUD reports that the director confirmed that the doc, along with the remastered longform video, would be coming soon. Apparently the lawsuits and royalty issues that had been holding up such a release have been resolved following the death of the pop star.
Landis also dropped the news that the owners of Jackson’s estate want to convert the music video into 3D. Landis is apparently fine with the idea even though he might not be a fan of the technology.
Also, Movieweb is reporting that Ian Halperin, author of 'Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson', is bringing his 88-minute documentary Gone Too Soon to the bigscreen. The documentary was created using 300 hours of footage shot from inside Michael Jackson’s camp. The film is set for a theatrical run in Canada and France, via Transit Medias, on June 25 — the first anniversary of Jackson’s death. In addition to the previously recorded video, the doc is said to include interviews with Jackson’s personal manager, chef, spiritual adviser, hairstylist, trainer, protective agent and attorney."
Showing posts with label Michael Jackson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Michael Jackson. Show all posts
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Friday, October 23, 2009
Kenny Ortega and Friends on MICHAEL JACKSON'S THIS IS IT!
From ComingSoon.net:
"On Wednesday, October 28, the world will finally have a chance to see some of the last performances by the 'King of Pop', Michael Jackson, thanks to the extensive rehearsal footage that accumulated over the months in which he prepared for his string of sold out shows at London's O2 Arena, plans that were cut short by Jackson's sudden death on June 25th.
The results are Michael Jackson's This is It!, not necessarily a concert film as much as a behind-the-scenes documentation of all the work and preparation that went into what many thought would be Jackson's comeback.
To learn more about the movie, ComingSoon.net sat down with the film's director Kenny Ortega and Jackson choreographer Travis Payne, both of whom have been working with the singer on his live shows going back to the 'Dangerous' and 'HIStory' tours, as well as the show's musical director Michael Bearden. It was surprising to see them doing so many interviews for the movie, considering how difficult it must have been to talk about their dear friend, and it was quite an emotional experience for the men to talk with reverence about Jackson and his involvement with the movie from the beyond.
Before our interview, we were given a brief glimpse at roughly 13 minutes of footage from the movie, which showed Jackson preparing a few of the numbers from the show with this team. The footage goes through songs like 'Human Nature' and 'The Way You Make Me Feel' in their various incarnations as we watch their evolution from the early rehearsals to the last few weeks just before the show was going to debut. Needless to say, the first time we see Jackson in full regalia doing some of his trademark moves, a shiver goes down your spine, because it's obvious even from that little bit of footage, Jackson was still very much in his prime when he passed.
How long does it usually take to stage a production on this scale? I know the shows were announced in March, so were you guys already well into planning and preparation at that point?
Kenny Ortega: 'No, actually, not at all. Michael called me just before the announcement in March, and then we began early April, and in the beginning it was just putting the team together and conceptual discussions, then the dancers started at the end of April, the band started the first week of May, didn't it?'
Michael Bearden: 'The band started the first week of May, but I started earlier. I was on before the dancers.'
Ortega: 'We put our creative team together, then we put our dancers, singers and band together. Michael was actually working with Travis privately on building up his dance routines and then also worked with Michael privately on the music. We all kind of came together on the big stage at the Forum in May.'
So that was the Forum that we saw in the movie.
Ortega: The Forum and the Staples Center. There are five venues in the picture: the O2 where Michael made the press announcement, the Nokia Live which is where we did the big dance auditions, and then we did Center Stages where we did band, dancer, singer and conceptual meetings and early rehearsal, and then we moved into the arenas as we started to put the show on its feet.
So we're going to be seeing some of the auditions and other things leading up to rehearsals?
Ortega: 'Yeah, yeah.'
Travis Payne: 'The film is the story of what was to be 'This Is It.' It's the entire process, the creation of the show.'
I know you two (Kenny and Travis) worked with Michael for a long time but was this the first time you worked with him, Michael?
Bearden: 'No, I worked with Michael in 2001 on the 30th Anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden, right before 9/11 happened. This is the first time I worked with him this closely and in this capacity. I was just a sideman in that band, and I worked with his brothers and every artist that was on the show, but this was not my first time working with him.'
Since you all had experience working with him, did you get the impression that he was trying to reinvent himself in some ways or was it just a matter of giving the fans what they were expecting?
Ortega: (chuckles) 'He didn't need to reinvent himself. It wasn't about reinvention, but in putting the show together, at times it was about reimagining, freshening, creating new stimulus, surprises.'
Bearden: 'Expanding ideas.'
Ortega: 'Expanding ideas, but there were the classics that didn't need to be touched. It was a real rangey dynamic of ideas that were as simple and as basic and as intimate as Michael standing on a stage in a light with the band and the audience, to these enormous elaborate 3-dimensional motion picture production experiences. We had a cast of 70 that was planned to open the show in London. It was truly without question the most realized arena production I think ever.'
Bearden: 'Amen.'
Payne: 'Yes.'
From what I've seen, this could have been like a long-running Broadway show that you set up and it would just run for months and months if they wanted. I was curious about the filming of everything. Was it always very common to do that?
Payne: It was always part of the process to document everything, often times just for reference sake, so that we could compare what happens from one day to the next. All in the efforts of honing the ideas to be the best they could, so fortunately, like every other process, the cameras were rolling, which is thankfully how we were able to construct this movie.
Who originally came up with the idea to do this? You obviously had spent a lot of time getting this show together, but who said, 'We should at least try to show the people what they would have seen...'?
Ortega: Well, the fans were demanding it. Immediately after Michael had died, while we were all just really arrested with the tragedy of it, in the midst of creating the memorial and really just in slow motion moving to the surreality of what had happened, the fans who were also going through their own tremendous agonies over the loss of Michael but also, at the same time saying, 'We had tickets. We must know what was it? What were you doing? Please please...' They were begging in the thousands from all over the world in every language, 'Please, please, please let us know what Michael was doing. Share with us, anything. Don't you have anything?' So the estate that represents the better interests of Michael, his family picked up on that and they came to us and said, 'We need to do this.' At first, we were all like, 'Huh?' But thankfully, we all agreed together that this was... we've said that this was an honor project, not a glory project, and that this was about a calling. It was like our responsibility to recognize that the journey was not over, and that we had to step it up and pull it together and find a way to become objective enough to be able to do it. It was very difficult, but we kept each other in the room, we kept each other up...'
Bearden: 'A lot of tissue moments, a lot of tissue moments.'
Ortega: 'We had to take some walks.'
Bearden: 'Yeah.'
Payne: 'And this was Michael's greatest work, and he was so very passionate about it. He knew that this was a time to return to the stage and remind people of a lot of the messages that had been woven through his music and his art for years. Peace and hope and love and protecting the planet and doing everything we could as a humanity to insure that there is an environment safe enough for future generations to inhabit. We knew from that moment on that this was so important to him. It was a journey we had all begun together that it was very important that we finished it... for and with Michael.'
At what point did you start going through the footage and what was involved with that because it must have been so difficult.
Bearden: 'Well, it was after the memorial and there was talk of a tribute concert and that was right before the bidding happened for the footage and then once Sony acquired the rights, all of the talks about tributes stopped and they brought Kenny and Travis and I in to look at this endless long string of...'
Ortega: (laughs) '80 hours of footage.'
Bearden: 'And it was quite emotional because we hadn't deal with it at that point.'
Not all 80 hours at once of course.
Ortega: 'No, no, no, but basically, we saw enough to know that there was enough there to do something, and that was in like mid-July, and then we talked about it musically, we talked about it conceptually, and we left the editors for two weeks and gave them a conceptual plan and direction, and then they did a massive assembly and that was like six hours and we all came in and looked at that together, then we got together and talked about it, and just basically went in after that and said, 'Okay, here's the movie we want to make. We see a movie in here.''
Bearden: 'At one point, one of us was with MJ every day, either Travis or Kenny or I or all of us collectively, so it was a big lump of clay, if you will, that we could start to see where to chisel and we had to do it as a team, because there was so much to do, and the other thing that we did was we always considered Michael in every aspect of it, so it wasn't only us guiding the hammer and chisel, it was MJ. I would go, 'Does he like this shot here? No.' Each of us would have a moment where we actually felt Michael's presence, so that's what happened. We had a wonderful blueprint from Michael; he was always the architect of everything that he did, and since we were there every day, we knew what he wanted so we tried to realize his vision and try to translate that into the film.'
Ortega: 'I have to tell you. One time, we were sitting in a room and we were looking at three different performances of rehearsal of Michael doing one song, and I was like, 'I love that. How are we not going to lose that?' and Travis and I were looking at it, and I was like, 'What do you think we should do?' and Travis said, 'He said 'All of them'' and I said, 'What?' 'He said 'All of them.'' He told me, 'Use them all.'' Then we realized that he was in the room, and he was talking to us and he was saying, 'You don't have to just show one of them, show them all!' At different intervals of the film, you may see Michael in one afternoon's rehearsal of something and then in the very next song, you might see weeks of rehearsal in a compilation. We really did feel guided, we really did, we felt guided. The other thing that was in our minds and in our hearts every single day was the fans. What do they need? What is going to help them come to arrest this heartache that is inside of them. Before we would throw something out, we would say, 'I dunno about that. They're going to want that.' So we argued for them, we were like there for them.'
In the footage, there's a split screen of Michael doing three different versions of how he ends one song. This show seems so planned and well-rehearsed so is there still room for improvisation when it comes to what Michael does in each song?
Ortega: 'These guys had to learn every song of every record. They had the whole catalogue.
Bearden: We had about 30 songs done in two weeks. I have the same sort of work ethic that MJ. He's all work. Very kind, very gentle, a perfectionist but not in a dictatorial sense where you must do whatever he says. It's very collaborative, but at the same time, you had to get done what he wanted to get done. We had to be at the ready for anything that he wanted to do, because he was so spontaneous and creative that way, even though he had a sense of direction. A wonderful thing that I loved about MJ is that he allowed for what we all called 'creative jousting' so if there was something that I didn't like--or not even that I didn't like but had a different suggestion--then he would go, 'Well, then make me feel that. Okay, let's do that.''
Payne: Having performed in the 'Dangerous' and 'HIStory' tours with him on stage, he was a master improvisational dancer, the best I'd ever seen, and there was a lot of room for him to have a different experience every night. There were moments where he called the chunks, where he was expected to tuck in and be in unison with the dancers, and that's what we would focus on in rehearsal, but then clearly there was room for him to have his own experience, so that it was fresh and new for him every night.
Ortega: 'And he always wanted you to be watchful. When you worked with Michael Jackson, you had to plug in. You weren't the band or the singers or the dancers; you were an extension of Michael Jackson. It was an organism, and you see in the film. At one point, he goes, 'No, stop. That happened too fast. Watch me!' and someone might start to say something and he would say, 'Just watch me. I'll take you there.' What it was was Michael was the conductor, and that at any given moment, he was liable to go into an improvisational moment. He was going to play the crowds, and he says it, 'I might just want to shake my shoulders. I might want to just unbutton my jacket.' So basically what was happening was everybody was getting fine-tuned, plugged in, and you even see him at one point, he does a stop and he does a little hesitation to see if anybody's going to jump the gun, a little passive/aggressive test... and no one does, and he's got a little smirk on his face, and he knows he's in charge and that everybody's watching him and paying attention, and then he drops that hand and everything goes. Michael had that ability on any given night, at any given time, to switch it up. He had to be ready and the choreographer had to be ready...'
That sounds a lot like James Brown. I've seen concert footage of him where you're really amazed that his band can keep up with him, because there's no way they could know what he was going to do next.
Bearden: 'That's funny that you say that because we actually talked about that a lot, and that's where he got a lot of that from. It is pretty much like James Brown and Jackie Wilson and all those things he absorbed when he was a kid. He would be on the side of the stage when the brothers were playing at the Regal in Chicago, all these wonderful places that they played, and he would just listen to them and he's looking and studying and even at age 8, he's doing this.'
This movie isn't really a concert film as it's more behind-the-scenes...
Ortega: 'When we started out making the film, we did think it was going to kind of be a documentary, in that it was going to, as best we could, tell the story of the greatest show that no one ever got to see. I always put my foot down when anybody ever tried to reference it as a concert film and I'd say, 'Don't say that.' Because we were always a work-in-progress. We never were able to become the concert, the show that we had set our path on, however, the movie at some point kind of just grabbed a hold of itself and formed itself, and what we ended up with was 111 minutes that's pretty much wall-to-wall music. The sound in this film is extraordinary. Michael worked with Paul Masi, Academy award winner that did the mixing for Shine a Light, the Scorsese/Rolling Stones film. Really, it's like a mosaic that lives somewhere in the middle of being a documentary and a concert film.'
Do you think a movie like this might have ever happened if Michael Jackson was still alive? Would he have allowed this much behind-the-scenes footage to be seen?
Ortega: 'We have never found a movie out there that is like this. We tried. We really wanted to find one, we wanted someone to show us something, to help us. It would have been really nice to have a reference, and I want to say, 'No, I don't think so.''
Bearden: 'Yeah, someone asked me that earlier and there is no reference, because even Shine a Light and those kinds of music films, the artist could actually go to the premiere and see it. This was never intended to be a film.'
Ortega: 'How about that there was nobody in the arena while we were shooting it?'
I heard some applause during certain moments so obviously someone must have snuck in.
Ortega: '11 dancers and a few crew members that were privileged to witness it.'
Bearden: 'Have you ever seen Michael in any video moment in an arena that big with nobody inside?'
I want to talk about Michael's legacy. Obviously, he made and sold a lot of records, and now everyone is realizing we've lost someone great. Can you talk about that legacy and where you feel it goes from here? Do you think that his unfortunate passing will insure more people discover his music?
Payne: 'I think so. I think that clearly Michael's fanbase that had been with him all these years was poised to descend on O2 and just soak it up and be with their hero, but I think of course, because of his untimely death, there's a lot more curiosity surrounding the project. I believe that it could quite possibly reach many more people than it would have. It's unfortunate that we had to lose him physically in the process, but I believe that he'd be happy that a greater audience are going to get to hear and see the messages that were so near and dear to his heart for all of these years that were the foundation for him wanting to return to the stage.'
Ortega: 'And we had such reason behind everything that we were doing. Everyone that worked on this project, once we lost Michael, kind of immediately knew that he left us with this responsibility. His music's always going to be there. His short films are always going to be there. You can look at 'Dangerous,' you can rent 'HIStory' or 'Thriller', but the reasons behind Michael wanting to go out and do this series and beyond--take it to India, take it to Japan, take it around the world--were plentiful, and they were deep and they were sincere, and he was really emotional behind some of it. We were there every day, coming to really appreciate and value why Michael was doing this at this stage of his life. Now he's gone and I know I speak for all of us here and everyone involved, we know that part of the legacy we have to keep by doing everything we can to remind people of those messages that were so important to Michael. That's how you keep someone alive. That's how the legacy continues, and even grows, that all of us: His fans, the creative people that were privileged enough to work with him, have to remember that we have our part to do. We have a responsibility to do.'
Payne: 'Hopefully, if people attend this film, and are able to connect with Michael again and are able to hear the messages that are so passionate to him and he was so adamant about. If each one of them goes out and does one thing each day, then that would have made him happy. I believe that starting there can affect a great deal of change, and that would be a triumph.'
I wish there was a movie like this when Elvis Presley passed away or when John Lennon was shot, because this puts the focus back on the music. I haven't seen this in IMAX so how has the footage translated to the larger format, because it's obviously very rough.
Ortega: 'Yeah... at first, our post-production producer came in, dancing a jig, Chantal Feghali, an amazing post-production supervisor/co-producer, she came in, 'We've got the IMAX!' and we kind of looked at her and went, 'What?!?' Because it is gritty, it is raw, it is not always so pretty.'
Bearden: 'It was never meant to be a film.'
Ortega: 'But in fact, all the folks that went to Seattle to work on it came back to us going, 'You're going to flip out.' You know on Halloween night, we get to see it at IMAX, they're giving us a special screening. I hadn't even told you yet.'
Bearden: 'Is that right? Wow.'
Ortega: 'I don't know if you know but we have 15 world premieres happening simultaneously, which I've been told is completely unique and from Los Angeles, we're going to be like the homebase, plugged into all 15 of those world premieres, screens everywhere, Leicester Square in London, they're expecting thousands of people to come in at 1 o'clock in the morning. On the streets, they're going to have big screens out there. Everywhere on the planet at the same time. We're talking some major cities including Sydney and Tokyo and London and...'
Bearden: 'Even Bermuda!'
Ortega: 'Bermuda, Munich, it's pretty exciting.'
As far as your own plans, Kenny, are you going to go back to working on Footloose now that you're done with this?
Ortega: 'Woo! You know, I gotta take a minute. I really have to take a minute. I haven't had a chance to really fully just have some personal time with the idea that Michael is no longer here. That that phone is not going to ring with some new idea, that I'm not going to be sitting across from him, talking about the movies that we were planning. These things, I've had to put on the backburner and just stay focused on the creative issues at hand, and I think before I do anything next, that I just want some really good alone time, and some time with my family. Because a lot has happened, and it's going to impact my life. Michael and I weren't just doing 'This Is It' - which is enough to be doing with Michael. I mean, you come out the other side of that, having been on a journey like never before. Michael and I also had film projects in mind, so this changes the course of my life, and I just need to kind of step back and look at that. Footloose is out there. There are other projects in development that are out there. What's absolute is that I'm going to put a hold on that right now.'
Bearden: 'I echo what Kenny says. I haven't really had time to process everything. We went straight from Michael passing to the memorial to the proposed tributes to the crafting of the film, to the funeral. Like he says, I'm still going to miss the alone time with Michael just talking about simple things like grits or anything stupid that we would talk about, but what I am going to do is that I'm the new musical director for George Lopez's new talk show [Lopez Tonight] that's going to come out on TBS four nights a week starting November 9. What I was able to do was get a couple of the guys that were in MJ's band and who weren't working--when Michael passed, the work stopped for them--so I was able to get them into a new fold and we'll still be able to create and do things, which I was happy I was able to do. In this tragedy, came some light for them. I never stopped working on this, but this is something I can do. I'll still need some alone time to be with my family and I'm going to take that time, but I'm going to embrace this new project, and George was gracious enough that I think he said he wants us on to talk about this when the film is out.'
Payne: 'Fortunately, we had the opportunity to assemble this film with Kenny leading the way, and that's all supporting each other, and it began a healing process for us. It proved very helpful and cathartic to be able to sit there with the footage and still be with Michael. I hope that his fans will feel that way, too, that they have him back for a while, and to celebrate him now. I think that the world has mourned for so long, and I'm not at all suggesting that we forget him, but I think it's time to celebrate him and do the work. I think he would want to connect with his fans, get these messages out there, and smile down from heaven that change is actually happening because of his work.'"
The movie is released October 28th for two weeks only.
"On Wednesday, October 28, the world will finally have a chance to see some of the last performances by the 'King of Pop', Michael Jackson, thanks to the extensive rehearsal footage that accumulated over the months in which he prepared for his string of sold out shows at London's O2 Arena, plans that were cut short by Jackson's sudden death on June 25th.
The results are Michael Jackson's This is It!, not necessarily a concert film as much as a behind-the-scenes documentation of all the work and preparation that went into what many thought would be Jackson's comeback.
To learn more about the movie, ComingSoon.net sat down with the film's director Kenny Ortega and Jackson choreographer Travis Payne, both of whom have been working with the singer on his live shows going back to the 'Dangerous' and 'HIStory' tours, as well as the show's musical director Michael Bearden. It was surprising to see them doing so many interviews for the movie, considering how difficult it must have been to talk about their dear friend, and it was quite an emotional experience for the men to talk with reverence about Jackson and his involvement with the movie from the beyond.
Before our interview, we were given a brief glimpse at roughly 13 minutes of footage from the movie, which showed Jackson preparing a few of the numbers from the show with this team. The footage goes through songs like 'Human Nature' and 'The Way You Make Me Feel' in their various incarnations as we watch their evolution from the early rehearsals to the last few weeks just before the show was going to debut. Needless to say, the first time we see Jackson in full regalia doing some of his trademark moves, a shiver goes down your spine, because it's obvious even from that little bit of footage, Jackson was still very much in his prime when he passed.
How long does it usually take to stage a production on this scale? I know the shows were announced in March, so were you guys already well into planning and preparation at that point?
Kenny Ortega: 'No, actually, not at all. Michael called me just before the announcement in March, and then we began early April, and in the beginning it was just putting the team together and conceptual discussions, then the dancers started at the end of April, the band started the first week of May, didn't it?'
Michael Bearden: 'The band started the first week of May, but I started earlier. I was on before the dancers.'
Ortega: 'We put our creative team together, then we put our dancers, singers and band together. Michael was actually working with Travis privately on building up his dance routines and then also worked with Michael privately on the music. We all kind of came together on the big stage at the Forum in May.'
So that was the Forum that we saw in the movie.
Ortega: The Forum and the Staples Center. There are five venues in the picture: the O2 where Michael made the press announcement, the Nokia Live which is where we did the big dance auditions, and then we did Center Stages where we did band, dancer, singer and conceptual meetings and early rehearsal, and then we moved into the arenas as we started to put the show on its feet.
So we're going to be seeing some of the auditions and other things leading up to rehearsals?
Ortega: 'Yeah, yeah.'
Travis Payne: 'The film is the story of what was to be 'This Is It.' It's the entire process, the creation of the show.'
I know you two (Kenny and Travis) worked with Michael for a long time but was this the first time you worked with him, Michael?
Bearden: 'No, I worked with Michael in 2001 on the 30th Anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden, right before 9/11 happened. This is the first time I worked with him this closely and in this capacity. I was just a sideman in that band, and I worked with his brothers and every artist that was on the show, but this was not my first time working with him.'
Since you all had experience working with him, did you get the impression that he was trying to reinvent himself in some ways or was it just a matter of giving the fans what they were expecting?
Ortega: (chuckles) 'He didn't need to reinvent himself. It wasn't about reinvention, but in putting the show together, at times it was about reimagining, freshening, creating new stimulus, surprises.'
Bearden: 'Expanding ideas.'
Ortega: 'Expanding ideas, but there were the classics that didn't need to be touched. It was a real rangey dynamic of ideas that were as simple and as basic and as intimate as Michael standing on a stage in a light with the band and the audience, to these enormous elaborate 3-dimensional motion picture production experiences. We had a cast of 70 that was planned to open the show in London. It was truly without question the most realized arena production I think ever.'
Bearden: 'Amen.'
Payne: 'Yes.'
From what I've seen, this could have been like a long-running Broadway show that you set up and it would just run for months and months if they wanted. I was curious about the filming of everything. Was it always very common to do that?
Payne: It was always part of the process to document everything, often times just for reference sake, so that we could compare what happens from one day to the next. All in the efforts of honing the ideas to be the best they could, so fortunately, like every other process, the cameras were rolling, which is thankfully how we were able to construct this movie.
Who originally came up with the idea to do this? You obviously had spent a lot of time getting this show together, but who said, 'We should at least try to show the people what they would have seen...'?
Ortega: Well, the fans were demanding it. Immediately after Michael had died, while we were all just really arrested with the tragedy of it, in the midst of creating the memorial and really just in slow motion moving to the surreality of what had happened, the fans who were also going through their own tremendous agonies over the loss of Michael but also, at the same time saying, 'We had tickets. We must know what was it? What were you doing? Please please...' They were begging in the thousands from all over the world in every language, 'Please, please, please let us know what Michael was doing. Share with us, anything. Don't you have anything?' So the estate that represents the better interests of Michael, his family picked up on that and they came to us and said, 'We need to do this.' At first, we were all like, 'Huh?' But thankfully, we all agreed together that this was... we've said that this was an honor project, not a glory project, and that this was about a calling. It was like our responsibility to recognize that the journey was not over, and that we had to step it up and pull it together and find a way to become objective enough to be able to do it. It was very difficult, but we kept each other in the room, we kept each other up...'
Bearden: 'A lot of tissue moments, a lot of tissue moments.'
Ortega: 'We had to take some walks.'
Bearden: 'Yeah.'
Payne: 'And this was Michael's greatest work, and he was so very passionate about it. He knew that this was a time to return to the stage and remind people of a lot of the messages that had been woven through his music and his art for years. Peace and hope and love and protecting the planet and doing everything we could as a humanity to insure that there is an environment safe enough for future generations to inhabit. We knew from that moment on that this was so important to him. It was a journey we had all begun together that it was very important that we finished it... for and with Michael.'
At what point did you start going through the footage and what was involved with that because it must have been so difficult.
Bearden: 'Well, it was after the memorial and there was talk of a tribute concert and that was right before the bidding happened for the footage and then once Sony acquired the rights, all of the talks about tributes stopped and they brought Kenny and Travis and I in to look at this endless long string of...'
Ortega: (laughs) '80 hours of footage.'
Bearden: 'And it was quite emotional because we hadn't deal with it at that point.'
Not all 80 hours at once of course.
Ortega: 'No, no, no, but basically, we saw enough to know that there was enough there to do something, and that was in like mid-July, and then we talked about it musically, we talked about it conceptually, and we left the editors for two weeks and gave them a conceptual plan and direction, and then they did a massive assembly and that was like six hours and we all came in and looked at that together, then we got together and talked about it, and just basically went in after that and said, 'Okay, here's the movie we want to make. We see a movie in here.''
Bearden: 'At one point, one of us was with MJ every day, either Travis or Kenny or I or all of us collectively, so it was a big lump of clay, if you will, that we could start to see where to chisel and we had to do it as a team, because there was so much to do, and the other thing that we did was we always considered Michael in every aspect of it, so it wasn't only us guiding the hammer and chisel, it was MJ. I would go, 'Does he like this shot here? No.' Each of us would have a moment where we actually felt Michael's presence, so that's what happened. We had a wonderful blueprint from Michael; he was always the architect of everything that he did, and since we were there every day, we knew what he wanted so we tried to realize his vision and try to translate that into the film.'
Ortega: 'I have to tell you. One time, we were sitting in a room and we were looking at three different performances of rehearsal of Michael doing one song, and I was like, 'I love that. How are we not going to lose that?' and Travis and I were looking at it, and I was like, 'What do you think we should do?' and Travis said, 'He said 'All of them'' and I said, 'What?' 'He said 'All of them.'' He told me, 'Use them all.'' Then we realized that he was in the room, and he was talking to us and he was saying, 'You don't have to just show one of them, show them all!' At different intervals of the film, you may see Michael in one afternoon's rehearsal of something and then in the very next song, you might see weeks of rehearsal in a compilation. We really did feel guided, we really did, we felt guided. The other thing that was in our minds and in our hearts every single day was the fans. What do they need? What is going to help them come to arrest this heartache that is inside of them. Before we would throw something out, we would say, 'I dunno about that. They're going to want that.' So we argued for them, we were like there for them.'
In the footage, there's a split screen of Michael doing three different versions of how he ends one song. This show seems so planned and well-rehearsed so is there still room for improvisation when it comes to what Michael does in each song?
Ortega: 'These guys had to learn every song of every record. They had the whole catalogue.
Bearden: We had about 30 songs done in two weeks. I have the same sort of work ethic that MJ. He's all work. Very kind, very gentle, a perfectionist but not in a dictatorial sense where you must do whatever he says. It's very collaborative, but at the same time, you had to get done what he wanted to get done. We had to be at the ready for anything that he wanted to do, because he was so spontaneous and creative that way, even though he had a sense of direction. A wonderful thing that I loved about MJ is that he allowed for what we all called 'creative jousting' so if there was something that I didn't like--or not even that I didn't like but had a different suggestion--then he would go, 'Well, then make me feel that. Okay, let's do that.''
Payne: Having performed in the 'Dangerous' and 'HIStory' tours with him on stage, he was a master improvisational dancer, the best I'd ever seen, and there was a lot of room for him to have a different experience every night. There were moments where he called the chunks, where he was expected to tuck in and be in unison with the dancers, and that's what we would focus on in rehearsal, but then clearly there was room for him to have his own experience, so that it was fresh and new for him every night.
Ortega: 'And he always wanted you to be watchful. When you worked with Michael Jackson, you had to plug in. You weren't the band or the singers or the dancers; you were an extension of Michael Jackson. It was an organism, and you see in the film. At one point, he goes, 'No, stop. That happened too fast. Watch me!' and someone might start to say something and he would say, 'Just watch me. I'll take you there.' What it was was Michael was the conductor, and that at any given moment, he was liable to go into an improvisational moment. He was going to play the crowds, and he says it, 'I might just want to shake my shoulders. I might want to just unbutton my jacket.' So basically what was happening was everybody was getting fine-tuned, plugged in, and you even see him at one point, he does a stop and he does a little hesitation to see if anybody's going to jump the gun, a little passive/aggressive test... and no one does, and he's got a little smirk on his face, and he knows he's in charge and that everybody's watching him and paying attention, and then he drops that hand and everything goes. Michael had that ability on any given night, at any given time, to switch it up. He had to be ready and the choreographer had to be ready...'
That sounds a lot like James Brown. I've seen concert footage of him where you're really amazed that his band can keep up with him, because there's no way they could know what he was going to do next.
Bearden: 'That's funny that you say that because we actually talked about that a lot, and that's where he got a lot of that from. It is pretty much like James Brown and Jackie Wilson and all those things he absorbed when he was a kid. He would be on the side of the stage when the brothers were playing at the Regal in Chicago, all these wonderful places that they played, and he would just listen to them and he's looking and studying and even at age 8, he's doing this.'
This movie isn't really a concert film as it's more behind-the-scenes...
Ortega: 'When we started out making the film, we did think it was going to kind of be a documentary, in that it was going to, as best we could, tell the story of the greatest show that no one ever got to see. I always put my foot down when anybody ever tried to reference it as a concert film and I'd say, 'Don't say that.' Because we were always a work-in-progress. We never were able to become the concert, the show that we had set our path on, however, the movie at some point kind of just grabbed a hold of itself and formed itself, and what we ended up with was 111 minutes that's pretty much wall-to-wall music. The sound in this film is extraordinary. Michael worked with Paul Masi, Academy award winner that did the mixing for Shine a Light, the Scorsese/Rolling Stones film. Really, it's like a mosaic that lives somewhere in the middle of being a documentary and a concert film.'
Do you think a movie like this might have ever happened if Michael Jackson was still alive? Would he have allowed this much behind-the-scenes footage to be seen?
Ortega: 'We have never found a movie out there that is like this. We tried. We really wanted to find one, we wanted someone to show us something, to help us. It would have been really nice to have a reference, and I want to say, 'No, I don't think so.''
Bearden: 'Yeah, someone asked me that earlier and there is no reference, because even Shine a Light and those kinds of music films, the artist could actually go to the premiere and see it. This was never intended to be a film.'
Ortega: 'How about that there was nobody in the arena while we were shooting it?'
I heard some applause during certain moments so obviously someone must have snuck in.
Ortega: '11 dancers and a few crew members that were privileged to witness it.'
Bearden: 'Have you ever seen Michael in any video moment in an arena that big with nobody inside?'
I want to talk about Michael's legacy. Obviously, he made and sold a lot of records, and now everyone is realizing we've lost someone great. Can you talk about that legacy and where you feel it goes from here? Do you think that his unfortunate passing will insure more people discover his music?
Payne: 'I think so. I think that clearly Michael's fanbase that had been with him all these years was poised to descend on O2 and just soak it up and be with their hero, but I think of course, because of his untimely death, there's a lot more curiosity surrounding the project. I believe that it could quite possibly reach many more people than it would have. It's unfortunate that we had to lose him physically in the process, but I believe that he'd be happy that a greater audience are going to get to hear and see the messages that were so near and dear to his heart for all of these years that were the foundation for him wanting to return to the stage.'
Ortega: 'And we had such reason behind everything that we were doing. Everyone that worked on this project, once we lost Michael, kind of immediately knew that he left us with this responsibility. His music's always going to be there. His short films are always going to be there. You can look at 'Dangerous,' you can rent 'HIStory' or 'Thriller', but the reasons behind Michael wanting to go out and do this series and beyond--take it to India, take it to Japan, take it around the world--were plentiful, and they were deep and they were sincere, and he was really emotional behind some of it. We were there every day, coming to really appreciate and value why Michael was doing this at this stage of his life. Now he's gone and I know I speak for all of us here and everyone involved, we know that part of the legacy we have to keep by doing everything we can to remind people of those messages that were so important to Michael. That's how you keep someone alive. That's how the legacy continues, and even grows, that all of us: His fans, the creative people that were privileged enough to work with him, have to remember that we have our part to do. We have a responsibility to do.'
Payne: 'Hopefully, if people attend this film, and are able to connect with Michael again and are able to hear the messages that are so passionate to him and he was so adamant about. If each one of them goes out and does one thing each day, then that would have made him happy. I believe that starting there can affect a great deal of change, and that would be a triumph.'
I wish there was a movie like this when Elvis Presley passed away or when John Lennon was shot, because this puts the focus back on the music. I haven't seen this in IMAX so how has the footage translated to the larger format, because it's obviously very rough.
Ortega: 'Yeah... at first, our post-production producer came in, dancing a jig, Chantal Feghali, an amazing post-production supervisor/co-producer, she came in, 'We've got the IMAX!' and we kind of looked at her and went, 'What?!?' Because it is gritty, it is raw, it is not always so pretty.'
Bearden: 'It was never meant to be a film.'
Ortega: 'But in fact, all the folks that went to Seattle to work on it came back to us going, 'You're going to flip out.' You know on Halloween night, we get to see it at IMAX, they're giving us a special screening. I hadn't even told you yet.'
Bearden: 'Is that right? Wow.'
Ortega: 'I don't know if you know but we have 15 world premieres happening simultaneously, which I've been told is completely unique and from Los Angeles, we're going to be like the homebase, plugged into all 15 of those world premieres, screens everywhere, Leicester Square in London, they're expecting thousands of people to come in at 1 o'clock in the morning. On the streets, they're going to have big screens out there. Everywhere on the planet at the same time. We're talking some major cities including Sydney and Tokyo and London and...'
Bearden: 'Even Bermuda!'
Ortega: 'Bermuda, Munich, it's pretty exciting.'
As far as your own plans, Kenny, are you going to go back to working on Footloose now that you're done with this?
Ortega: 'Woo! You know, I gotta take a minute. I really have to take a minute. I haven't had a chance to really fully just have some personal time with the idea that Michael is no longer here. That that phone is not going to ring with some new idea, that I'm not going to be sitting across from him, talking about the movies that we were planning. These things, I've had to put on the backburner and just stay focused on the creative issues at hand, and I think before I do anything next, that I just want some really good alone time, and some time with my family. Because a lot has happened, and it's going to impact my life. Michael and I weren't just doing 'This Is It' - which is enough to be doing with Michael. I mean, you come out the other side of that, having been on a journey like never before. Michael and I also had film projects in mind, so this changes the course of my life, and I just need to kind of step back and look at that. Footloose is out there. There are other projects in development that are out there. What's absolute is that I'm going to put a hold on that right now.'
Bearden: 'I echo what Kenny says. I haven't really had time to process everything. We went straight from Michael passing to the memorial to the proposed tributes to the crafting of the film, to the funeral. Like he says, I'm still going to miss the alone time with Michael just talking about simple things like grits or anything stupid that we would talk about, but what I am going to do is that I'm the new musical director for George Lopez's new talk show [Lopez Tonight] that's going to come out on TBS four nights a week starting November 9. What I was able to do was get a couple of the guys that were in MJ's band and who weren't working--when Michael passed, the work stopped for them--so I was able to get them into a new fold and we'll still be able to create and do things, which I was happy I was able to do. In this tragedy, came some light for them. I never stopped working on this, but this is something I can do. I'll still need some alone time to be with my family and I'm going to take that time, but I'm going to embrace this new project, and George was gracious enough that I think he said he wants us on to talk about this when the film is out.'
Payne: 'Fortunately, we had the opportunity to assemble this film with Kenny leading the way, and that's all supporting each other, and it began a healing process for us. It proved very helpful and cathartic to be able to sit there with the footage and still be with Michael. I hope that his fans will feel that way, too, that they have him back for a while, and to celebrate him now. I think that the world has mourned for so long, and I'm not at all suggesting that we forget him, but I think it's time to celebrate him and do the work. I think he would want to connect with his fans, get these messages out there, and smile down from heaven that change is actually happening because of his work.'"
The movie is released October 28th for two weeks only.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
MICHAEL JACKSON'S THIS IS IT trailer gets released!
From ComingSoon.net:
"Columbia Pictures has released the trailer for Michael Jackson's This Is It, the Kenny Ortega-directed film that will play in theaters for two weeks starting on October 28th.
Michael Jackson's This Is It will offer Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed for his sold-out concerts that would have taken place beginning this summer in London's O2 Arena. Chronicling the months from April through June, 2009, the film is produced with the full support of the Estate of Michael Jackson and drawn from more than one hundred hours of behind-the-scenes footage, featuring Jackson rehearsing a number of his songs for the show. Audiences will be given a privileged and private look at Jackson as he has never been seen before. In raw and candid detail, Michael Jackson's This Is It captures the singer, dancer, filmmaker, architect, creative genius and great artist at work as he creates and perfects his final show. Kenny Ortega, who was both Michael Jackson's creative partner and the director of the stage show is also directing the film, which is being produced by Randy Phillips, Kenny Ortega and Paul Gongaware. Executive producers are John Branca and John McClain. The film will be distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures Releasing.
Tickets for the limited two-week engagement of the film go on sale beginning September 27."
"Columbia Pictures has released the trailer for Michael Jackson's This Is It, the Kenny Ortega-directed film that will play in theaters for two weeks starting on October 28th.
Michael Jackson's This Is It will offer Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed for his sold-out concerts that would have taken place beginning this summer in London's O2 Arena. Chronicling the months from April through June, 2009, the film is produced with the full support of the Estate of Michael Jackson and drawn from more than one hundred hours of behind-the-scenes footage, featuring Jackson rehearsing a number of his songs for the show. Audiences will be given a privileged and private look at Jackson as he has never been seen before. In raw and candid detail, Michael Jackson's This Is It captures the singer, dancer, filmmaker, architect, creative genius and great artist at work as he creates and perfects his final show. Kenny Ortega, who was both Michael Jackson's creative partner and the director of the stage show is also directing the film, which is being produced by Randy Phillips, Kenny Ortega and Paul Gongaware. Executive producers are John Branca and John McClain. The film will be distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures Releasing.
Tickets for the limited two-week engagement of the film go on sale beginning September 27."
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Disney CEO lays down fears on Marvel and CAPTAIN EO
From ComingSoon.net:
"Walt Disney Company President and CEO Bob Iger made a surprise press conference appearance at Disney's D23 Expo, answering questions about the expo and Disney's plans for the future.
One of the hot questions was in regard to Disney's announcement last week that the company had acquired Marvel Entertainment, the news of which (so far) has not made any appearance at the Expo.
Iger stressed the notion that fans can expect Marvel to continue to operate as it has.
'We're not planning on any 'Disneyfication' of Marvel,' said Iger, '...Our intention is to keep Marvel as an entity.'
Iger went on to explain that he has met with a great many Marvel talents and that, like the acquisition of Pixar, Disney's primary goal is to stay on the sidelines and let the artists do what they do best.
He did admit that he was excited about the chance for some cross-pollination in the future, though nothing is planned as of yet.
Iger reiterated that part of what is so intriguing about Marvel is that the deal is designed to play out in the long run, having characters that 'transcend gender and age.' In the short term, Disney just has to wait until some of the Marvel deals already in place with other studios and theme parks 'work their course' and, until then, 'there isn't much planning to be done.'
Another question asked about the possible return of Michael Jackson's Captain EO to the Disney Amusement Parks. Though Iger firmly stated that there are no plans at this time, he admitted that he doesn't fully rule out the possibility, explaining that the film was recently screened for himself and other Disney executives.
'It's actually really good,' said Iger, 'There's a simplicity to it. [Michael Jackson] is charming.'
'We are looking at it,' he went on, 'It's the kind of thing that, if we did it, would get a fair amount of attention and we want to make sure we do it right.'"
Good to know the Big Boss is keeping things flowing.
"Walt Disney Company President and CEO Bob Iger made a surprise press conference appearance at Disney's D23 Expo, answering questions about the expo and Disney's plans for the future.
One of the hot questions was in regard to Disney's announcement last week that the company had acquired Marvel Entertainment, the news of which (so far) has not made any appearance at the Expo.
Iger stressed the notion that fans can expect Marvel to continue to operate as it has.
'We're not planning on any 'Disneyfication' of Marvel,' said Iger, '...Our intention is to keep Marvel as an entity.'
Iger went on to explain that he has met with a great many Marvel talents and that, like the acquisition of Pixar, Disney's primary goal is to stay on the sidelines and let the artists do what they do best.
He did admit that he was excited about the chance for some cross-pollination in the future, though nothing is planned as of yet.
Iger reiterated that part of what is so intriguing about Marvel is that the deal is designed to play out in the long run, having characters that 'transcend gender and age.' In the short term, Disney just has to wait until some of the Marvel deals already in place with other studios and theme parks 'work their course' and, until then, 'there isn't much planning to be done.'
Another question asked about the possible return of Michael Jackson's Captain EO to the Disney Amusement Parks. Though Iger firmly stated that there are no plans at this time, he admitted that he doesn't fully rule out the possibility, explaining that the film was recently screened for himself and other Disney executives.
'It's actually really good,' said Iger, 'There's a simplicity to it. [Michael Jackson] is charming.'
'We are looking at it,' he went on, 'It's the kind of thing that, if we did it, would get a fair amount of attention and we want to make sure we do it right.'"
Good to know the Big Boss is keeping things flowing.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
See a Poster Like You've Never Seen It Before!
From ComingSoon.net:
"Yahoo! Movies has the first look at the poster for Michael Jackson's This Is It, the Kenny Ortega-directed film that will play in theaters for two weeks starting on October 28th.
This Is It offers Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed for his sold-out concerts that would have taken place beginning this summer in London's O2 Arena."
UPDATE:
Direct from Kenny Ortega's Twitter:
"THIS IS IT is being released October 28th Internationally. The Trailer will be released in September. Promise, that's all I know More Soon"
"Yahoo! Movies has the first look at the poster for Michael Jackson's This Is It, the Kenny Ortega-directed film that will play in theaters for two weeks starting on October 28th.
This Is It offers Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer as he developed, created and rehearsed for his sold-out concerts that would have taken place beginning this summer in London's O2 Arena."
UPDATE:
Direct from Kenny Ortega's Twitter:
"THIS IS IT is being released October 28th Internationally. The Trailer will be released in September. Promise, that's all I know More Soon"
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
CAPTAIN EO returns?
From Slashfilm:
"[According to rumors] The Francis Ford Coppola-directed/George Lucas-produced sci-fi action 3D musical short film Captain EO will be returning to Disneyland’s Tomorrowland. Apparently the return of Captain EO will be announced by Jay Rasulo at the D23 Expo, and the film will begin playing again in the Southern California theme park in January 2010, as a tribute to Michael Jackson.
The 17-minute film cost a record $17 million in 1986, a cost of about one million dollars per minute of film, this was, minute for minute, the most expensive motion picture of all time. If you adjust that number for inflation, it rises to almost $35 million. That’s a lot of money for a $17 million short film. Another fun factoid is that Steven Spielberg was originally signed on to direct the movie but had to cancel due to scheduling conflicts with his other film projects. The film opened in Epcot and Disneyland in mid-September 1986, Tokyo Disneyland in March 1987, and Disneyland Park (Paris) in 1992). All four installations were closed down by 1998.
The story followed Captain Eo and his rugged ragtag crew who went on a mission to deliver a special gift to a wicked queen (played by Anjelica Huston) who lives on a dark, desolate world. The film featured two songs, 'We Are Here to Change the World' and 'Another Part of Me' by Michael Jackson. The action on the screen was recreated for the live audience using lasers, laser impacts, smoke effects, and starfields that filled the theater. The presentation was replaced by Honey I Shrunk the Audience, another live interaction 3D short."
If it comes down to Walt Disney World, I hope it stays for the summer so I can check it out next year.
"[According to rumors] The Francis Ford Coppola-directed/George Lucas-produced sci-fi action 3D musical short film Captain EO will be returning to Disneyland’s Tomorrowland. Apparently the return of Captain EO will be announced by Jay Rasulo at the D23 Expo, and the film will begin playing again in the Southern California theme park in January 2010, as a tribute to Michael Jackson.
The 17-minute film cost a record $17 million in 1986, a cost of about one million dollars per minute of film, this was, minute for minute, the most expensive motion picture of all time. If you adjust that number for inflation, it rises to almost $35 million. That’s a lot of money for a $17 million short film. Another fun factoid is that Steven Spielberg was originally signed on to direct the movie but had to cancel due to scheduling conflicts with his other film projects. The film opened in Epcot and Disneyland in mid-September 1986, Tokyo Disneyland in March 1987, and Disneyland Park (Paris) in 1992). All four installations were closed down by 1998.
The story followed Captain Eo and his rugged ragtag crew who went on a mission to deliver a special gift to a wicked queen (played by Anjelica Huston) who lives on a dark, desolate world. The film featured two songs, 'We Are Here to Change the World' and 'Another Part of Me' by Michael Jackson. The action on the screen was recreated for the live audience using lasers, laser impacts, smoke effects, and starfields that filled the theater. The presentation was replaced by Honey I Shrunk the Audience, another live interaction 3D short."
If it comes down to Walt Disney World, I hope it stays for the summer so I can check it out next year.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
More info on THIS IS IT!
From IMDB.com:
"Sony Pictures on Thursday released new information about its plans for Michael Jackson's This Is It!, the movie being pieced together from a reported 100 hours of rehearsal footage that was shot prior to the singer's death in June. The studio, which reportedly paid $60 million for the raw footage, pushed the opening up two days to October 28, announced that it would remain in theaters just two weeks, and set September 27 as the date it would make tickets available. The studio also said that it had closed a deal with Kenny Ortega to oversee the movie. Ortega, who directed the High School Musical movies, had been the choreographer of Jackson's concerts, which had been set to take place at London's O2 arena. In a statement, Ortega said that as he had begun assembling the footage, 'we realized we captured something extraordinary, unique, and very special. ... It is raw, emotional, moving, and powerful footage that captures his interactions with the This Is It collaborators that he had personally assembled for this once-in-a-lifetime project.' Despite earlier reports to the contrary, the film will not contain any 3D elements, the studio said."
AWW!! SHOOT!! And I was hoping for a 3D Thriller. Oh, well. At least tickets will be cheaper.
"Sony Pictures on Thursday released new information about its plans for Michael Jackson's This Is It!, the movie being pieced together from a reported 100 hours of rehearsal footage that was shot prior to the singer's death in June. The studio, which reportedly paid $60 million for the raw footage, pushed the opening up two days to October 28, announced that it would remain in theaters just two weeks, and set September 27 as the date it would make tickets available. The studio also said that it had closed a deal with Kenny Ortega to oversee the movie. Ortega, who directed the High School Musical movies, had been the choreographer of Jackson's concerts, which had been set to take place at London's O2 arena. In a statement, Ortega said that as he had begun assembling the footage, 'we realized we captured something extraordinary, unique, and very special. ... It is raw, emotional, moving, and powerful footage that captures his interactions with the This Is It collaborators that he had personally assembled for this once-in-a-lifetime project.' Despite earlier reports to the contrary, the film will not contain any 3D elements, the studio said."
AWW!! SHOOT!! And I was hoping for a 3D Thriller. Oh, well. At least tickets will be cheaper.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
THIS IS IT goes theatrical!
From ComingSoon.net:
"Beginning October 30th, the world will have a front-row seat for Michael Jackson's final concert, as Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment release Michael Jackson's This Is It.
This Is It is being produced with the full support of The Estate of Michael Jackson and will be drawn from hundreds of hours of rehearsal and behind-the-scenes footage, captured in high definition with state-of-the-art digital sound as the late singer was preparing for his concert series in London. The film, which will also offer select sequences in 3-D, will provide a unique career retrospective and feature interviews with some of Jackson's closest friends and creative collaborators.
The announcement was made by Michael Lynton, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Amy Pascal, Co-Chairman of the studio, Rolf Schmidt-Holtz, Chief Executive Officer of Sony Music Entertainment, and Rob Stringer, Chairman of Columbia/Epic Label Group, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. The companies serve as the principal entertainment divisions of Sony Corporation.
Joining Sony in the announcement was The Estate of Michael Jackson, administered by his longtime attorney John Branca and veteran music executive John McClain, a Jackson family friend for more than 40 years. Proceeds the Estate earns from the film's release will benefit the Michael Jackson Family Trust, the entity that Mr. Jackson specified in his will is to receive all of his assets.
The rights to the exclusive footage were acquired from AEG Live and The Estate of Michael Jackson. Sony Pictures and Sony Music will co-produce with AEG Live and the Estate, and Sony Pictures will distribute the film worldwide. Randy Phillips and Paul Gongaware of AEG Live will serve as producers of the film.
The majority of the film's footage was shot in June, 2009 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California and The Forum in Inglewood, California, as Jackson prepared for 'This Is It,' the series of fifty concerts Jackson planned to present at the O2 Arena in London.
This Is It will offer Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer, his career, and the stage spectacular that would have been. The film will provide moviegoers with an unforgettable front row experience compiled from extensive footage that shows Jackson's meticulous preparation for his 2009 London shows.
Said Branca, 'Our goal is to work with partners who treat Michael's legacy with dignity and respect, while allowing us to substantially build the value of his estate for the benefit of Mrs. Katherine Jackson, Michael's three children and the charitable causes that meant so much to him during his life. We are confident we found the right partners for this project in Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment. Sony and Michael enjoyed a long and mutually beneficial history together, and it's only fitting that the relationship continues.'
Said McClain, 'This film is not only a tribute to an artist who created excitement every moment he was on stage, but also is a fitting gift to the millions of fans worldwide who loved him and who he devoted his professional life to entertaining. John and I are thrilled to be working with Sony to build on Michael's musical legacy in a way that will generate significant proceeds for his family and for children in need.'
'People who have seen this footage are astounded by the amazing quality of Michael Jackson's performance,' said Lynton. 'This historic recording of the last time he sang and danced on stage shows the legendary artist in an incredibly powerful way, with crystal clear images and sound. We understand the importance of producing a film that pays tribute to Michael as an artist, and are honored to work with The Estate of Michael Jackson to give audiences the gift of his final performances. I know this film will serve as further proof that Michael Jackson is one of the greatest entertainers who ever graced a stage.'
'Michael lives on through his songs, his creative genius, his body of work and his passion for his art,' said Rob Stringer. 'He was a perfectionist on stage and through this unique film, audiences will be able to see, many for the first time, how much Michael poured into making his performances as special as they were perfect.'
Said Kenny Ortega, director of and Jackson's creative partner on the This Is It concert, 'The world will see what our team was so fortunate to experience, which was the full commitment, passion and creativity that Michael put into this project. He was the architect of This Is It, and we were his builders. The footage that was captured from the early stages of the production to our technical rehearsals at the STAPLES Center in L.A. will show Michael as he truly was, creatively involved with every aspect of the production, from the staging and choreography, to the music, lighting, production design and conception of the original short films and video backdrops. It will also show Michael as one of the greatest entertainers in the world and one of the industry's most creative minds. This Is It was Michael's last theatrical work and although it was still a work in progress, I think the footage will show that the process was something that Michael deeply enjoyed and that it was clear that he was on his way to another theatrical triumph.'
Michael Jackson, one of the most widely beloved entertainers and profoundly influential artists of all-time, leaves an indelible imprint on popular music and culture.
Five of Jackson's solo albums - 'Off the Wall,' 'Thriller,' 'Bad,' 'Dangerous' and 'HIStory,' all with Epic Records, a Sony Music label - are among the top-sellers of all time and 'Thriller' holds the distinction as the largest selling album worldwide in the history of the recording industry with more than 70 million units sold. Additionally, singles released from the 'Thriller' album sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, another all time record.
During his extraordinary career, he sold an estimated 750 million records worldwide, released 13 No.1 singles and became one of a handful of artists to be inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Guinness Book of World Records recognized Jackson as the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time and 'Thriller' as the Biggest Selling Album of All Time. Jackson won 13 Grammy Awards and received the American Music Award's Artist of the Century Award.
Michael Jackson started in the music business at the age of 11 with his brothers as a member of the Jackson 5. In the early 1980s, he defined the art form of music video with such ground-breaking videos as 'Billie Jean,' 'Beat It' and the epic 'Thriller.' Jackson's sound, style and dance moves inspired subsequent generations of pop, soul, R&B and hip-hop artists."
"Beginning October 30th, the world will have a front-row seat for Michael Jackson's final concert, as Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment release Michael Jackson's This Is It.
This Is It is being produced with the full support of The Estate of Michael Jackson and will be drawn from hundreds of hours of rehearsal and behind-the-scenes footage, captured in high definition with state-of-the-art digital sound as the late singer was preparing for his concert series in London. The film, which will also offer select sequences in 3-D, will provide a unique career retrospective and feature interviews with some of Jackson's closest friends and creative collaborators.
The announcement was made by Michael Lynton, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Sony Pictures Entertainment, Amy Pascal, Co-Chairman of the studio, Rolf Schmidt-Holtz, Chief Executive Officer of Sony Music Entertainment, and Rob Stringer, Chairman of Columbia/Epic Label Group, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment. The companies serve as the principal entertainment divisions of Sony Corporation.
Joining Sony in the announcement was The Estate of Michael Jackson, administered by his longtime attorney John Branca and veteran music executive John McClain, a Jackson family friend for more than 40 years. Proceeds the Estate earns from the film's release will benefit the Michael Jackson Family Trust, the entity that Mr. Jackson specified in his will is to receive all of his assets.
The rights to the exclusive footage were acquired from AEG Live and The Estate of Michael Jackson. Sony Pictures and Sony Music will co-produce with AEG Live and the Estate, and Sony Pictures will distribute the film worldwide. Randy Phillips and Paul Gongaware of AEG Live will serve as producers of the film.
The majority of the film's footage was shot in June, 2009 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California and The Forum in Inglewood, California, as Jackson prepared for 'This Is It,' the series of fifty concerts Jackson planned to present at the O2 Arena in London.
This Is It will offer Jackson fans and music lovers worldwide a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the performer, his career, and the stage spectacular that would have been. The film will provide moviegoers with an unforgettable front row experience compiled from extensive footage that shows Jackson's meticulous preparation for his 2009 London shows.
Said Branca, 'Our goal is to work with partners who treat Michael's legacy with dignity and respect, while allowing us to substantially build the value of his estate for the benefit of Mrs. Katherine Jackson, Michael's three children and the charitable causes that meant so much to him during his life. We are confident we found the right partners for this project in Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment. Sony and Michael enjoyed a long and mutually beneficial history together, and it's only fitting that the relationship continues.'
Said McClain, 'This film is not only a tribute to an artist who created excitement every moment he was on stage, but also is a fitting gift to the millions of fans worldwide who loved him and who he devoted his professional life to entertaining. John and I are thrilled to be working with Sony to build on Michael's musical legacy in a way that will generate significant proceeds for his family and for children in need.'
'People who have seen this footage are astounded by the amazing quality of Michael Jackson's performance,' said Lynton. 'This historic recording of the last time he sang and danced on stage shows the legendary artist in an incredibly powerful way, with crystal clear images and sound. We understand the importance of producing a film that pays tribute to Michael as an artist, and are honored to work with The Estate of Michael Jackson to give audiences the gift of his final performances. I know this film will serve as further proof that Michael Jackson is one of the greatest entertainers who ever graced a stage.'
'Michael lives on through his songs, his creative genius, his body of work and his passion for his art,' said Rob Stringer. 'He was a perfectionist on stage and through this unique film, audiences will be able to see, many for the first time, how much Michael poured into making his performances as special as they were perfect.'
Said Kenny Ortega, director of and Jackson's creative partner on the This Is It concert, 'The world will see what our team was so fortunate to experience, which was the full commitment, passion and creativity that Michael put into this project. He was the architect of This Is It, and we were his builders. The footage that was captured from the early stages of the production to our technical rehearsals at the STAPLES Center in L.A. will show Michael as he truly was, creatively involved with every aspect of the production, from the staging and choreography, to the music, lighting, production design and conception of the original short films and video backdrops. It will also show Michael as one of the greatest entertainers in the world and one of the industry's most creative minds. This Is It was Michael's last theatrical work and although it was still a work in progress, I think the footage will show that the process was something that Michael deeply enjoyed and that it was clear that he was on his way to another theatrical triumph.'
Michael Jackson, one of the most widely beloved entertainers and profoundly influential artists of all-time, leaves an indelible imprint on popular music and culture.
Five of Jackson's solo albums - 'Off the Wall,' 'Thriller,' 'Bad,' 'Dangerous' and 'HIStory,' all with Epic Records, a Sony Music label - are among the top-sellers of all time and 'Thriller' holds the distinction as the largest selling album worldwide in the history of the recording industry with more than 70 million units sold. Additionally, singles released from the 'Thriller' album sold more than 100 million copies worldwide, another all time record.
During his extraordinary career, he sold an estimated 750 million records worldwide, released 13 No.1 singles and became one of a handful of artists to be inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Guinness Book of World Records recognized Jackson as the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time and 'Thriller' as the Biggest Selling Album of All Time. Jackson won 13 Grammy Awards and received the American Music Award's Artist of the Century Award.
Michael Jackson started in the music business at the age of 11 with his brothers as a member of the Jackson 5. In the early 1980s, he defined the art form of music video with such ground-breaking videos as 'Billie Jean,' 'Beat It' and the epic 'Thriller.' Jackson's sound, style and dance moves inspired subsequent generations of pop, soul, R&B and hip-hop artists."
Monday, July 20, 2009
Sony Pictures making Michael Jackson Rehearsal Film
From ComingSoon.net:
"Sony Pictures is close to a deal to make a feature film on Michael Jackson drawing on the 80 hours of rehearsal footage filmed for concerts Jackson was preparing to perform in London.
The studio is expected to pay more than $50 million for worldwide rights to AEG Entertainment, which owns the footage and showed it to studios last week.
The film will feature at least three videos, including an alternate version of Jackson's 'Thriller', which were shot to be interstitial programming during the London concerts. The footage was meant to play in 3D, but it's unclear as yet whether the feature fim will present it that way.
High School Musical director Kenny Ortega, who shot the rehearsal footage, is expected to direct the feature, and sources say he's already beginning to put together the footage so Sony can release the film before year's end.
Sony Pictures' sibling company Sony Music Entertainment owns music publishing rights to Jackson's songs."
The Michael Jackson rehearsal footage? Featuring a new 3D version of Thriller? Count me in!!
Although I think it's sort of ironic on account of what Jackson thought of Sony (via Wikipedia):
"...At the time, Jackson was waiting for the licenses to the masters of his albums to revert to him; this allowed him to promote his old material how he liked and prevented Sony from getting a cut of the profit. Jackson expected this to occur this to occur early in the new millennium; however, due to various clauses in the contract, this revert date is still many years away. Jackson began an investigation, and it emerged that the attorney who represented the singer in the deal was also representing Sony, creating a conflict of interest. Jackson was also concerned about another conflict of interest. For a number of years, Sony had been pushing to buy all of Jackson's shares in their music catalog venture. If Jackson's career or financial situation were to deteriorate, he would have to sell his catalog. Thus, Sony had something to gain from Jackson's career failing. Jackson was able to use these conflicts as leverage to exit his contract early. Just before the release of Invincible, Jackson informed the head of Sony Music Entertainment, Tommy Mottola, that he was leaving Sony. As a result, all singles releases, video shootings and promotions concerning the Invincible album were canceled. Jackson made allegations in July 2002 that Mottola was a 'devil' and a 'racist' who did not support his African-American artists, using them merely for his own personal gain.... Sony disputed claims that they had failed to promote Invincible with sufficient energy, maintaining that Jackson refused to tour in the US."
Weird, isn't it?
UPDATE: The film is set to be released October 30. If the 3D Thriller is included, it will be truly fitting.
"Sony Pictures is close to a deal to make a feature film on Michael Jackson drawing on the 80 hours of rehearsal footage filmed for concerts Jackson was preparing to perform in London.
The studio is expected to pay more than $50 million for worldwide rights to AEG Entertainment, which owns the footage and showed it to studios last week.
The film will feature at least three videos, including an alternate version of Jackson's 'Thriller', which were shot to be interstitial programming during the London concerts. The footage was meant to play in 3D, but it's unclear as yet whether the feature fim will present it that way.
High School Musical director Kenny Ortega, who shot the rehearsal footage, is expected to direct the feature, and sources say he's already beginning to put together the footage so Sony can release the film before year's end.
Sony Pictures' sibling company Sony Music Entertainment owns music publishing rights to Jackson's songs."
The Michael Jackson rehearsal footage? Featuring a new 3D version of Thriller? Count me in!!
Although I think it's sort of ironic on account of what Jackson thought of Sony (via Wikipedia):
"...At the time, Jackson was waiting for the licenses to the masters of his albums to revert to him; this allowed him to promote his old material how he liked and prevented Sony from getting a cut of the profit. Jackson expected this to occur this to occur early in the new millennium; however, due to various clauses in the contract, this revert date is still many years away. Jackson began an investigation, and it emerged that the attorney who represented the singer in the deal was also representing Sony, creating a conflict of interest. Jackson was also concerned about another conflict of interest. For a number of years, Sony had been pushing to buy all of Jackson's shares in their music catalog venture. If Jackson's career or financial situation were to deteriorate, he would have to sell his catalog. Thus, Sony had something to gain from Jackson's career failing. Jackson was able to use these conflicts as leverage to exit his contract early. Just before the release of Invincible, Jackson informed the head of Sony Music Entertainment, Tommy Mottola, that he was leaving Sony. As a result, all singles releases, video shootings and promotions concerning the Invincible album were canceled. Jackson made allegations in July 2002 that Mottola was a 'devil' and a 'racist' who did not support his African-American artists, using them merely for his own personal gain.... Sony disputed claims that they had failed to promote Invincible with sufficient energy, maintaining that Jackson refused to tour in the US."
Weird, isn't it?
UPDATE: The film is set to be released October 30. If the 3D Thriller is included, it will be truly fitting.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Michael Jackson has passed...
From ComingSoon.net:
"Legendary pop star Michael Jackson died at the age of 50 on Thursday. Jackson was pronounced dead at 2:26 p.m. PDT (9:26 p.m. EDT) after arriving at a Los Angeles hospital in full cardiac arrest. The cause of death was not known and an autopsy would likely take place on Friday. Jackson was taken ill at home and his personal physician tried to resuscitate him but could not. He was taken by paramedics to the hospital, where doctors worked for more than an hour to try to revive him before pronouncing him dead. Jackson had 13 number one hits during his solo career, won 13 Grammy Awards, and his lifetime record sales tally was believed to be about 750 million. He is survived by three children: Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince "Blanket" Michael Jackson II. Jackson was getting ready to start a series of concerts in London that would have lasted from July 8th until March 6th, 2010. Jackson's music appeared on many movie soundtracks. He played Scarecrow in the 1978 movie The Wiz, appeared as Captain EO in the Disney resort attraction, had a small role in Men in Black II and starred in the extended videos for 'Thriller,' 'Bad' and 'Moonwalker.'"
The Day the Thriller Died, am I right?
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