In 1983, the world of music was revolutionized by legendary pop singer Michael Jackson with his music video Thriller. The success of the music video managed to surprise many when it was released.
However, surely many do not know that this music video has its secret and can be called one of the legendary music videos nowadays.
Recently, Vogue has listed five secrets behind the music video Thriller that many may not know. Here are the secrets behind it that Vogue has listed:
A Costly Production
Michael Jackson contacted director John Landis about the project for Thriller‘s music video after watching Landis film that is An American Werewolf in 1981.
To afford the huge cost, they sold a making-of show to a television channel. At that time, Michael Jackson is on number 1 in sales thanks to his previous album Off The Wall and the already mounting success of Thriller. He then obtained the necessary funds to finance the short film, which he co-wrote with John Landis. As a result, Thriller is seen by many as the most iconic music video in history.
Filming Locations
As said by Vogue, the video is divided into two parts: one scene parodying romance films from the 1950s with a young couple at the cinema; then, Michael Jackson and his girlfriend, played by Ola Ray, facing the zombies invading the city.
For the cinematic sequence inspired by the 1957 movie I Was a Teenage Werewolf, the production team headed to Palace Theater in the center of Los Angeles. The zombie dance sequence was done at the junction on Union Pacific Avenue and Thriller House on Caroll Avenue for the final scene.
An Iconic Costume
Deborah Nadoolman was responsible for the costumes in the video, and most importantly those of Michael Jackson. Two years before Thriller, she designed the outfits for Steven Spielberg’s Raiders of the Lost Ark.
It can be seen that the singer’s outfit, composed of a leather jacket with shoulder pads and bright red pants, was chosen to contrast the dark decor and nocturnal sky. The garments were both flashy and casual, to help Michael Jackson to perform his dance moves freely.
Choreography To Wake The Dead
Michael Peters was hired to choreograph the Thriller dance. The zombies’ legendary moves were created collaboratively by the choreographer and singer.
“How can you make zombies and monsters dance without it looking comical? I teamed up with Michael Peters, and we imagined how zombies move around by grimacing in the mirror. I sometimes used to come to rehearsals in monster makeup, and I loved doing that,” said Michael Jackson.
A good collaboration between Michael Jackson, his 18 professional dancers, and 4 pop-lock dancers, Thriller has surprised generations and continues to fascinate fans of modern dance.
His First Female Interaction
The music video was the first time where Michael’s had interacted with a woman in a video. The role of his girlfriend in the video was played by Ola Ray, who would play the ‘frightened girlfriend’ role to perfection.
To satisfy his female audience, Michael Jackson was urged to bring out his sensual side where he improvised provocative dance moves around his on-screen girlfriend.
Source: Michael Jackson, Vogue