“The slickest parts of ‘This Is It’ are the filmed sequences that were intended to be part of the stage show…”
— MSNBC
“Director Kenny Ortega’s ultimate vision for the show is fleshed out further with glimpses of interstitial video—the intro into ‘Smooth Criminal,’ which splices a fedora’d Jackson onto vintage footage of Rita Hayworth and Edward G. Robinson, is particularly inspired…”
— Variety
“…it looks like it would’ve been a helluva show, complete with eco-consciousness-raising, an onstage bulldozer and 3-D ‘Thriller’ footage, newly created to dazzle audiences…”
— Chicago Tribune
There’s been much talk and praise surrounding the Sony film title, “Michael Jackson’s This Is It”, as it gives audiences a glimpse of the Michael Jackson tour that never was. The film also provides audiences a look at the only completed portion of Michael Jackson’s creative vision for the tour, a series of short films and visual effects segments produced by acclaimed media creator and founder of Stimulated, Inc., Robb Wagner.
In the days following the untimely death of Michael Jackson, rumors swirled about a clandestine film operation headed by Michael Jackson known as “The Dome Project.” The Dome Project was a working title coined by Wagner for a series of short films and visual effects segments intended to be part of Jackson’s “This Is It” concert tour. The tour was to commence with a 50-show run at London’s O2 Dome, which led Wagner to come up with the title.
Stimulated, Inc., Wagner’s Burbank, CA media production company, was handpicked by Kenny Ortega, AEG and Jackson to produce the film and video elements for the tour. Wagner was appointed as Producer of The Dome Project, with Jackson and Ortega serving as Executive Producers.
“Our first face-to-face meeting lasted eleven hours,” said Wagner. “We watched DVDs of MJ’s past work and Kenny was quick to point out that our current work would need to tribute MJ’s legacy as a pioneering video artist. Kenny and MJ considered each other ‘co-directors’, and together they described Michael’s vision for the concerts. Face to face meetings were an integral function of the production. If MJ came up with a new idea, Kenny would tell me ‘he wants to see you’. I would go into wherever MJ was at the time to hear his idea in person. This comeback was MJ’s dream , , and his passion was contagious. Those meetings inspired me, and I wanted to help Michael see his dream come true.”
The Dome Project production faced unique challenges due to the relationship of the films and videos to the live concerts. Everything that was planned for the films had to blend in seamlessly with the live shows. Key creative decisions had to be made with the concerts in mind. Wagner is a specialist in creating visual media and bringing it together with larger than life performances. As Producer of The Dome Project, Wagner knew he faced an even bigger challenge. “The project was extremely complicated, but my most important responsibility was to make sure everything we produced was true to Michael Jackson’s vision. He had expectations, and he made them clear.”
Wagner called on veteran Visual Effects Supervisor Bruce Jones to direct. Of the planned 25 song set list for the show, 16 songs were to have a film or video element. “Thriller”, “Earth Song” and “Smooth Criminal”, were each to have highly developed short films produced for use in conjunction with the live performances. Two of those three were to be produced in stereographic 3D, a groundbreaking effort.
The films were to be presented on a 90 foot by 30 foot LED screen directly behind the concert stage. The screen was innovative, and would have been the first of its kind, treating concert audiences to a 3D experience.
Wagner explains the creative concept for how the films were to work in the concerts: “MJ’s plan for the shows was to present short films in 3D. The audience would be cued to put on 3D glasses. Then, at a certain point in each film, live action would unfold on the stage. All of the characters in the film, even the props, would leave the screen and emerge onstage. The story in the film would continue as a theatrical concert performance. MJ called that the ‘4th’ dimension.”
Decoy song titles were adopted to preserve the secrecy of the production. On paperwork and in conversation, “Thriller” was referred to as “Graveyard”, “Earth Song” became “Nature”, and “Smooth Criminal” was known as “Crime Scene”.
The secretive production overtook three entire stages at Culver Studios, where Jackson had previously filmed many of his earlier videos, including the original “Smooth Criminal”. On the morning of June 1, 2009, eight days of “marathon” filming began on the three sound stages. Michael Jackson attended the filming, keeping a watchful eye on the details. Jackson also starred in one of the films.
The production wrapped in the wee hours of June 11, 2009. During the post-production phase of The Dome Project, the live concert team, including Wagner, moved into The Staples Center for two weeks of full-scale rehearsals prior to the planned relocation to London. It was during that time that tragedy struck, and the entire production came to a sudden and unforeseeable halt.
In the weeks following the death of Michael Jackson plans were laid for tribute concerts and television specials, none of which came to fruition. Wagner helped put Jackson’s globally televised memorial service together, working with Ortega who remained committed to finish the work that had been started.
Then, Sony Pictures Co-Chairman Amy Pascal called Kenny Ortega and told him that Sony wanted to let him tell the story of the planned concert tour in a film release. Ortega set out on his mission still feeling strongly that the Dome Project should be completed. Sony recruited Wagner and the Stimulated team to complete its assignment and finish the work that Michael Jackson had started.
Moviegoers have now been treated to excerpts and behind the scenes footage from The Dome Project thanks to ‘This Is It.’ How fans will be able to view the state of the art films in their entirety is still unknown. “This work was intended to be part of one of the most exciting entertainment events possible, a Michael Jackson concert,” said Wagner. “The fans deserve their chance to appreciate The Dome Project, and I have no doubt that time will come.”