The making of This Is It, the movie

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. So, I know that I said that I was moving away from the O2 Press Conference, and I am. I just haven’t left This Is It, yet.

According to Kenny Ortega and many other members of This Is It, the movie came about because the concert was not happening. They have said this over and over starting not too long after Michael Jackson’s death. I never believed it, though. His rehearsals just happened to be recorded and the recordings just somehow happened to be in high-definition, perfect for a movie. It was too much of a coincidence.

Here are some interviews that Kenny Ortega gave about This Is It. I’ve typed out the important part, but if you want to watch the whole video or if you just don’t believe me, I’ve provided the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ODaOQ6UVOE
:33- Ortega: “Beginning the film, it was tough. I..I didn’t think that I really had the emotional objectivity to be able to step into there and to work with this, the fabric of Michael’s image and hearing his voice. I thought, ‘I’ll collapse. I’ll never get through it.’ You know. It is just too hard, too soon, but in fact, it was healing and helpful.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zam7KJwTMjM
1:47- Ortega:“I thought that it was going to be, you know. It was very difficult for me in the beginning when they first asked me to direct the film. But in fact it was helpful, you know, being in there with Michael in way that I never expected. I mean it really helped me get through a very difficult time.

Those two were basically the same. Ortega was talking about how hard he thought it would be watching rehearsals of Michael, trying to piece them together to make a movie knowing Michael was gone. He said it helped, though, to get over his death and move on.

Check out this one though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZDmPEPqQ3U
1:15- Smith (interviewer): “How many hours of stuff did you have to work with?”
Ortega: “Uh, we had about 80+ hours that we sifted through and, uh, that, you know, ultimately became the film.”
Smith (interviewer): “As you were trying to figure out what to use, what was your guiding principle?”
Ortega: “Every day I woke up. I just brought Michael into the room with me, you know. We just lived in the editing room for weeks, 7 days a week, and we just really thought about the fans and what they were looking for out of the project.”

“I just brought Michael into the room with me.” Obviously, he wasn’t gone then. Either it was worked on before June 25, or it was worked on after June 25 and Michael had hoaxed his death. If the movie was made before June 25, what about the concerts? The movie was supposed to be made to let us see what the concerts were going to be about, and if the movie was planned while Michael was alive, then the concerts were never meant to happen. So, somehow he needed a way to get out of the concerts. What better way than faking your death?

Don't lose hope.

Have a great New Year.