Mourad Mesellaty
#StoryOfTheDay...“One More Chance”...from dream to nightmare.
Directed by Nick Brandt, #MichaelJackson had been shooting the music video late into the night of November 17, 2003 at CMX Studios in Las Vegas, Nevada, but production was stopped following a raid on the Neverland Ranch by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office in relation to allegations of child sex abuse by Jackson. The music video was directed by Nicholas Brandt. The single was instead promoted using a montage video of highlights from Michael Jackson's career.
''The video would premiere on November 26, 2003, at the end of a CBS special. Soon Michael would embark on a promotional tour of Europe, Africa and South America but his plans were canceled…''
In the summer of 2003, Michael Jackson and his team began work on RETURN. With meetings at Neverland, planning began on everything that would be contained in this return, which would lead Michael to new areas, and would serve to clean up the image, especially “damaged” after Bashir's documentary. His problems with Sony didn't help either. Right after the documentaries, one that would serve to disprove Bashir's and another that included home recordings, he conducted a performance at the BET Awards in June 2003 to present an award to his idol JAMES BROWN. This seemed to be working fine. Right now it was better to see Michael give an award to receive him.
The comeback plan, known as the “MJ UNIVERSE PROJECT”, was intended to show Michael as someone close, someone accessible, after having spent so many years leading a secluded lifestyle.
The first step would be to bring Michael closer to his fans through a website. A company in Vancouver called BLAST RADIUS, which took care of the layout of the pages, would be responsible for its new page (the one it had at the time, was under the care of SONY). The new one would contain interactive videos and other things, which would allow Michael to be in permanent contact with his fans.
The next step would be to open the Neverland Ranch, so that everyone could experience their world and leave behind this image of a sinister place, which portrayed Bashir's documentary, and would also serve to generate tickets. I was also thinking of launching a clothing line and theme park in Japan.
But the icing on the cake would be the contract they would have with a film company in Montreal. For Michael, cinema has always been his dream. In 1993, he was going to start down that road and get out of Sony's hands, but the first accusations of child abuse made him back off and go back to music.
In recent years, Michael had appeared in small roles in MEN IN BLACK 2 and the low-budget comedy MISS CASTAWAY. His then-manager Diete Wiesner said he didn't want to go back to making music, he felt he had already done the best he could, and that he was having a hard time overcoming his own work. I wanted to act, I wanted to direct. I wanted to be successful in this area too. But he knew his fans wanted to see him dance and sing, and he felt he owed them that. I didn't want to leave the scene without doing great shows in one place.
After several months of negotiations, they managed to buy an animation company called CINEGROUPE, which Michael planned to turn into a kind of “Pixar”. As a welcome, the company invited Michael to participate with ideas for a new project called Pinocchio 3000. It finally happened, but for that he needed to get rid of the contract with Sony.
In October 2003, Michael Jackson traveled to Las Vegas to begin a series of appearances that were part of the comeback plan. To make his image more accessible, he first signed some autographs that went to charity. On Saturday, October 25th, he was given the key to the city of Las Vegas at the Desert Passage Mall and three days later, he appeared on RADIO MUSIC AWARDS for the release of the charity single What More Can i Give.
The most exciting thing for Michael's fans was that he was also in Las Vegas to shoot a new video, which belonged to an unreleased theme to be included in a hit compilation set to be released on November 18, The Video Will Debut November 26, at the end of a CBS special. Soon Michael would embark on a promotional tour of Europe, Africa and South America.
Nick Brandt would be the director of the video (he has worked with Michael on Earth Song and Cry) The recording would be at CMX Studios. The concept of the video would be simple. In the video Michael would act under the set, and the audience would be who would occupy that place, although it has no correlation with the theme of the song, it has to do with Michael's life, which has always been invaded by the press.
In reality, Michael had to do a performance by contract, for CBS, so he looked for the easiest way to do a performance and something that would work too, like a video. So the camera would follow Michael at all times, to give the feeling of being LIVE, rather than cutting and showing different scenes.
Five cameras followed him at all times. The production was short on time, and on top of that, a tight budget. In fact, the team only had one day to rehearse with Michael. Michael performed in the studios, showed Nick what the choreography would be like, and where he would move, on the tables he would go up, so they were well lit, and that was all. It was a matter of three or four hours. Still, Michael knew what he was going to do, and he was no newcomer to this field. However, his manager at that time Dieter Wiesner, tells another story. Says Michael was not satisfied with the project, mainly because of the low budget.
He says that actually, Michael's idea wasn't completely “completed”, since he wanted something bigger. He also reports that when Michael saw the studio, he said it looked like the Smooth Criminal studio. But still, he did what he had to do. The dream of returning triumphant soon turned into a nightmare.
On Monday, November 17th, a group of extras waited in the waiting room of CMX Studios. They knew they were there to shoot a video and nothing else. Only when they signed the contractual papers did they see it said MICHAEL JACKSON - ONE MORE CHANCE - SONY PRODUCTIONS. However, he was told that he was not going to participate. First, a body double was used, which helped to prepare the cameras, lights and positions.
The extras were located on the stage, in rows. Some indicated that they would be in the foreground, looking surprised and smiling. It wasn't hard work.
Hours after filming begins, Michael appears through the back door. The extras remember that he appeared normally, just like that, almost unnoticed. Soon among the extras the comments started oh God, it's him, he's here, even though it was difficult to see because of the dark environment of the studio, it was obvious, Michael arrived. The extras say that they felt a special vibration when they saw him, that it was impossible not to get excited about it, without screaming, without getting emotional. The extras say that Michael let them express everything they felt, so that he could make the video recordings as professionally as possible.
Michael fired up his act immediately, started moving around the studio with his signature moves. Nobody was believing what they saw. Although it was informed that they would act acting surprised and emotional, the extras say that they really were. Everyone was aware that they were in the presence of the most spectacular star of all time, and he was dancing only to them, in perfect condition. Between scenes, Michael would start talking to the extras.
He asked them if they were comfortable, if they were hot. As he danced, he wrapped himself around himself, but soon, when he finished, he was an ordinary man again. He used to ask the extras if they liked the choreographies, and he even made jokes, even though his shy nature prevented him from approaching completely. The extras say that they “had the order” not to look him directly in the eye, due to his shyness.
Right after doing 5 or 6 scenes, Michael left the studio. He greeted the extras and the entire team, and left. Michael was due back another day to film the front scenes and close-ups. The intention was to first film the scenes with the audience, to save expenses, and another day, work only with Michael.
At the end of the video there was a very particular symbolism: He turning his back on his audience and the setting, would be a way to show his intentions to leave the music market and go in search of a new career. Also, this would be his last video for SONY MUSIC. In short, he was willing to turn his back on his old career, to embark on what would be his new career: CINEMA.
At 8:30 am the next day, Stuart Backerman and Marc Schaffel discussed Michael's trip to Europe, but were interrupted by a phone call from Joe Marcus, one of Neverland's security chiefs. At first they ignored him, but then Backerman's phone rang and they were told to pay attention to the television. And there they were, 70 policemen raiding the ranch. At that moment, they knew the dream was over, as they heard Diane Dimond say that new allegations of abuse were being raised against Michael. Michael was leaving behind Bashir's scandalous documentary and it was falling apart again.
In Las Vegas, Dieter Wiesner was the one who broke the news to Michael. He was calm, in a very good mood, thinking about the future, overcoming the depression he had because of Bashir, Michael was ready for new things. Weisner told him, “Michael, there's bad news, but you can look on the bright side: there are cops breaking into your house. He looked at me puzzled, if you could see the blood running down his face. But Michael, now is your opportunity to finally fight to clear your name.
The film crew members waited patients to see what would happen. The data from where they were filming had leaked to the press and was surrounded by press and fans. They waited all day to see if Michael would come back, and finally Michael warned that the project would not continue.
When Michael learned who the boy who accused him was, he was enveloped in sadness and disgust and that's when he decided to fight in court. It was incredible that again Sneedon stopped Michael from fulfilling his cinematic dreams, he did it in 1993 and repeated it 10 years later.
The movie business was the only one that escaped Michael, and it was what he most wanted. With One More Chance being his last job with Sony, Michael felt he was finally free to fight for that dream. Jackson spent most of the next few days crying, says Dieter Wiesner. ''I was with him day and night, he was downcast, crying. I did not know what to do. It was a horrible situation. I already knew we were going to Europe. He was prepared to get on with his life and everything was planned. It was a good time and the news shook him deeply, it destroyed him''.
You know, when it became obvious that the prosecution came from the Arvizos, it really started to fight, Wiesner said. Michael told me, ""Dieter, you know what, they should bring this boy to a big public place, invite all the press and he should look me in the eye and explain to me why he did it."
On October 13, 2010, the official website of Michael Jackson announced that the music video would be finished with what footage they had available, and was released in a deluxe DVD box set Michael Jackson's Vision on November 22, 2010.
A rough two-minute cut of the video leaked online on November 15, 2010. On November 19, 2010, the full length of the video premiered on Jackson's official website. As with the song being the last brand new single released during his lifetime, the music video is also Jackson's last music video and the first with new footage to be released posthumously.