Cascio Tracks
Hologram at 2014 Billboard Music Awards Performed by Michael Jackson Impersonator
“Just because you read it in a magazine or see it on a TV screen don’t make it factual.” Those are the words of Michael Jackson, taken from his song, Tabloid Junkie. And those very words couldn’t be more appropriately applied to a situation than they can be to the events of the past week.
All week we’d been hearing about what was supposed to be the late King of Pop’s triumphant return to the stage – via newly-developed hologram technology – at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday, May 18.
The elaborate production – directed by Jamie King, choreographed by Rich and Tone Talauega and backed by The Estate of Michael Jackson – was officially promoted as presenting “Michael Jackson like you’ve never seen him before.”
The King of Pop was to perform “Slave to the Rhythm” – from the recently released Xscape album – with a stage full of dancers, pyrotechnics and special effects.
In the week leading up to the performance, it was hyped by those who’d seen it as being ‘beyond belief’ – a history-making, once-in-a-lifetime event.
Vegas-based reporter Robin Leach was given exclusive testimony from unnamed insiders who had seen a sneak peek of the Jackson illusion during rehearsals. Leach shared some of these insights in an article published on LasVegasSun.com. They are as quoted below:
“It’s as if he’s still alive. He’s totally real. It’s absolutely uncanny. People who have seen just a little of it have become so emotional, they have tears running down their face. They are sobbing because it’s as if he didn’t die.” Leach was told.
“[The technology used] was two years in development and took an additional six months to create for this network premiere. This is way, way beyond a hologram. It is way, way beyond what you know as 3D. This isn’t even digital. It is far more advanced and a totally new process.”
“This has never been done before. It is 100 steps beyond anything anybody has ever thought you’d experienced as a hologram. It is so real, it is so lifelike, there is no way an audience would know the artist is not there in front of them. So real an artist would actually never have to go out on tour again or need makeup for an appearance. The artist is there without being there. You cannot tell the difference.”
Sounds pretty amazing, right? I thought so, too.
And although I was extremely skeptical about the idea of a hologram, I had hope in my heart that this brand new technology would somehow make possible the projection of the authentic singing and dancing image of the artist I, and millions of fans around the world, love so much.
“And now we are all going to witness television history being made,” announced Ludacris, host of the awards ceremony, when introducing the spectacle.
“With an original performance of ‘Slave to the Rhythm’ this magic is something that you have to see for yourself. As you’ve never seen him before – live from the MGM Grand – Michael Jackson!”
And then, after a brief military sequence performed by backing dancers in front of a closed curtain, the hologram appeared.
But there was a problem. A BIG problem.
The image that appeared onstage via fancy (and ultra expensive) projection technology, was NOT Michael Jackson.
Instead, it was a digital projection of Michael Jackson impersonator Earnest Valentino attempting to replicate the iconic dance moves and mannerisms of the legendary artist.
Sources involved in the creation of this performance have confirmed this for me.
But they didn’t have to. To anyone familiar with Valentino’s impression of Jackson, it was clearly him.
Let’s get something straight. Michael Jackson is arguably the greatest performer in the history of live entertainment. Since he was in elementary school he had been dazzling audiences with otherworldly performances. He danced with flawless precision – with the electricity of a lightning bolt and the smoothness of silk. He had the power of a heavyweight boxer and the grace of a ballerina.
Yet at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards, in front of the entire world, Michael Jackson – with the permission of his Estate – was reduced to a mere imitation of himself.
Jackson’s longtime dancer and choreographer Lavelle Smith Jr., who was hired to help Earnest Valentino make his moves “more Michael-esque” during pre-production, told me how he felt watching the final product:
“It was sad. It didn’t look like Michael to me. It made me sad. When I saw the audience clapping and cheering, I was thinking to myself: ‘This has to be fake clapping and cheering.’ Because it just wasn’t good. The dancing is obviously not him. It’s not even close. It was just really strange to me. I couldn’t even watch the whole thing. I don’t know what I was expecting, but not that. Impersonators and tribute artists do their best. But there’s only one Michael Jackson.”
This is not the first time The Estate of Michael Jackson has been accused of using impersonators in official products and events.
Thousands of Jackson’s most loyal supporters, together with the Jackson family and many of his former collaborators, insist that a impostor is singing on three songs – “Breaking News,” “Monster” and “Keep Your Head Up” – released by Sony on the Michael album in 2010.
The release of these allegedly forgeries caused uproar and division within Jackson’s community of dedicated fans. Many of them – myself included – still haven’t moved on from that fiasco.
In January 2012, when discussing Cirque du Soleil’s Immortal touring show, Estate co-executor John Branca stated that using an impersonator in the production would be ‘unthinkable’:
“We wanted to have a live show, because, as Berry Gordy said, ‘Michael was the greatest entertainer that ever lived.’ We couldn’t ever imagine having an impersonator, or a tribute show, because no one’s Michael. That would just be unthinkable.”
Just over a year later, Cirque du Soleil launched a second MJ-themed show called Michael Jackson ONE – a theatre production based out of Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. And despite Branca previously stating that it would be ‘unthinkable’ to use an impersonator, one was in fact used to create a hologram within the show. (It should be noted that director of the 2014 Billboard Awards hologram, Jamie King, is also the director of Michael Jackson ONE.)
During the week leading up to the 2014 Billboard Music Awards, Hologram USA Inc., Musion Das Hologram Ltd. and Alki David filed an emergency lawsuit against The Estate of Michael Jackson.
In their lawsuit, the companies claimed that they controlled rights to the technology that was being used by the Estate in their Jackson hologram. In response, Estate attorney Howard Weitzman successfully argued otherwise.
One interesting thing, revealed in court documents, was that the Estate did not refer to their planned Billboard stunt as a “hologram,” but rather as “Virtual Michael”.
Perhaps by using the word ‘virtual’ they were attempting to dodge questions about whether or not they ever actually promised Michael Jackson at all, or just a “nearly as described” version of him.
virtual
ˈvəːtʃʊəl,ˈ-tjʊəl/
adjective
1. almost or nearly as described, but not completely or according to strict definition. “the virtual absence of border controls”
2. not physically existing as such but made by software to appear to do so. “virtual images”
Damien Shields is the author of the book Michael Jackson: Songs & Stories From The Vault examining the King of Pop’s creative process, and the producer of the podcast The Genesis of Thriller which takes you inside the recording studio as Jackson and his team create the biggest selling album in music history.
Cascio Tracks
Producer Teddy Riley Comes Clean Regarding Fake Songs From Posthumous Michael Jackson Album
Legendary producer Teddy Riley has spoken out against the controversial Michael Jackson album he worked on after the pop star’s death, claiming that he believes some of the tracks he was asked to remix for the project are fakes, but that he was “pushed” to say they were authentic.
“I just hope that the truth comes to light because it was never proven to me that it was Michael’s voice,” said Riley in a bombshell video published today by hard-hitting pop culture interviewer DJ Vlad for Vlad TV.
The songs in question, known as the Cascio tracks, were provided to Sony Music and the Estate of Michael Jackson by the pop star’s longtime friend Eddie Cascio and his collaborative partner James Porte.
Cascio and Porte claim that Jackson recorded 12 songs in Cascio’s basement shortly before his death. Three of those songs – “Keep Your Head Up,” “Breaking News” and “Monster” – were included on the Michael album in December 2010.
Riley, who worked extensively with Jackson throughout his life, remixed “Breaking News” and “Monster” for the posthumous project.
Initially, Jackson’s family gave Riley their blessing to work on the project. Michael’s nephew, Taryll Jackson, even joined Riley in the studio.
But upon hearing the Cascio tracks, Taryll believed the vocals were sung by an impostor.
When the rest of the Jackson family heard them, they felt the same way, taking to social media to denounce the Cascio tracks as fakes.
Amidst all the controversy, Riley and Cascio appeared on Oprah Winfrey’s talkshow, where they both insisted the vocals were the real deal.
But when interviewer DJ Vlad asked Riley about it, the producer made the explosive claim that he was forced to say the vocals were authentic:
“I was influenced and pushed to say the things that were said.”
The producer went on to explain that he initially demanded proof regarding the authenticity of the vocals, but that no such proof was ever presented.
“They would not prove it to me,” says Riley.
Riley also says that Jackson’s nephew, Taryll, encouraged him to distance himself from the tracks, but that Riley felt too intimidated by those in control of the project to do so.
“I felt I was dealing with some high, powerful people. And I didn’t want no problems at all.”
Riley explains that his decision to continue working on the Cascio tracks ultimately cost him his friendship with Taryll.
“I was like, Taryll, I already got paid. What do you expect me to do? And he stopped speaking to me for a while. And I was like damn, I lost my friend over this.”
Riley said that to be involved in another Michael Jackson project in the future, he would need proof that the vocals were authentic, and for the Jackson family to be on board and involved.
“[Michael] is their family. This is their brother, their son, their uncle,” said Teddy.
“I will not move until I have their blessing. But this time I want a real blessing. I’m not talking about money. I want a real blessing from the family.”
Riley also took the opportunity to apologise to fellow producer Quincy Jones.
During the interview, DJ Vlad reminded Riley that back in 2010, Riley accused Jones of being too old to know the difference between the real Michael Jackson and a fake Michael Jackson.
“My apologies, my apologies,” said Riley to Jones in the video. “I always wanted to say that, because Quincy is someone I look up to… He’s a guy that I worship as my idol.”
Riley’s interview with Vlad TV comes just months after Sony Music and the Michael Jackson Estate abandoned the Cascio tracks.
As part of the settlement of a consumer fraud lawsuit filed against them over the Michael album, Jackson’s estate and Sony removed the three commercially-released Cascio tracks – “Breaking News,” “Monster” and “Keep Your Head Up” – from streaming platforms around the world.
The corporations have also re-pressed the physical CD of the Michael album without the Cascio tracks, and are now selling the amended version via the official Michael Jackson shop online.
For those of you who are interested, a podcast series called Faking Michael, detailing the findings of my 12-year investigation of the Cascio tracks, is currently in production. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube to be notified when episodes are released.
Damien Shields is the author of the book Michael Jackson: Songs & Stories From The Vault examining the King of Pop’s creative process, and the producer of the podcast The Genesis of Thriller which takes you inside the recording studio as Jackson and his team create the biggest selling album in music history.
Cascio Tracks
Huge Win for Michael Jackson Fan as Supreme Court Rejects Sony’s Free Speech Defense in “Fake” Songs Lawsuit
Two ‘get out of jail free’ cards, used by lawyers for Sony to avoid facing the music in a consumer fraud lawsuit, were ripped to shreds by the California Supreme Court on Thursday last week.
As part of their ruling, the court determined that the description on a posthumous Michael Jackson album cover was indeed commercial speech — not free speech, as lawyers for Sony and Jackson’s estate had argued — and that consumers have a case if false or misleading statements were made in the description.
The unanimous ruling sets an important precedent for the protection of California consumers in cases of alleged fraud moving forward.
This case
The controversy centers around an album titled Michael, released 18 months after Michael Jackson’s death by his estate and Sony Music Entertainment.
Prior to the album’s December 2010 release, members of Jackson’s family claimed that three songs on Michael — “Breaking News,” “Keep Your Head Up” and “Monster” — were fakes, with vocals sung by a Jackson impersonator.
But Sony and Jackson’s estate insisted the songs, which they acquired from the pop star’s friend Eddie Cascio and his collaborative partner James Porte, were the real deal.
The songs are known as the ‘Cascio tracks’.
In response to the controversy, Estate attorney Howard Weitzman said he’d conducted an “exhaustive investigation” during which a host of Jackson’s former producers had listened to the Cascio tracks and confirmed that the vocals were “definitely Michael”.
But several of those producers dispute Weitzman’s version of events. You’ll hear their stories in an upcoming podcast series called Faking Michael.
Nevertheless, based on the purported findings of Weitzman’s investigation, Sony asserted their “complete confidence” in the authenticity of the Cascio tracks.
With the authenticity a matter of conjecture, fan Vera Serova relied on Sony and the Estate’s assurances — that the tracks on Michael were indeed sung by Jackson — when she decided to buy the album.
Further convincing Serova to hand over her money was the product description printed on the reverse side of the album cover. It stipulated that the vocals were “performed by Michael Jackson”.
But as evidence contradicting the official story emerged, Serova began to believe she’d been duped.
And so she hired a world-renowned forensic audiologist, who conducted a groundbreaking scientific examination of the vocals on the Cascio tracks. His opinion: the vocals weren’t Michael’s.
That forensic examination was the catalyst for what became an eight-year David versus Goliath legal battle, culminating in Thursday’s Supreme Court ruling.
Corporations can’t sell fake art as the real deal
“Relief has long been available in California to unwitting purchasers of imitation art who relied on false representations about authenticity” said the court in their 45-page opinion.
“If Sony’s assertion that Jackson contributed lead vocals affects consumers’ experience of Michael, this illustrates how misrepresentations about an artist’s contributions can harm consumers in ways that matter to them.”
Executive director of the Berkeley Center for Consumer Law & Economic Justice, Ted Mermin, who supported Serova in her battle with Sony, said:
“If we are buying an album that is marketed as being the songs of Michael Jackson, it had better have the songs of Michael Jackson.”
As well as setting an important legal precedent protecting California consumers, the court’s ruling inadvertently protects artists.
Based on the ruling, there is no plausible excuse for falsely attributing fake works to famous artists. This puts songs on par with paintings and sculptures when it comes to outlawing art forgery.
The ruling is a huge win for creatives, whose reputation — and therefore livelihood and legacy — could be at stake if corporations were free to commercially exploit pastiches under their name.
“Misleading attributions on a record jacket might not only confuse consumers […] but also harm a performer’s reputation,” the court’s ruling states.
But what happens if a corporation sells a forgery without knowing it’s a forgery? This was also covered in the Supreme Court’s ruling.
Sony’s ‘lack of knowledge’ defense
Sony’s purported ‘lack of knowledge’ was raised by the corporation itself in a 2016 petition to be removed from Serova’s lawsuit.
At the time, lawyers for Sony and the Estate volunteered to argue their case based on the notion that the Cascio tracks were fakes, but that they ‘didn’t know’ at the time they released them back in 2010.
It should be made clear that this wasn’t an ‘admission’ that the Cascio tracks are indeed fake. Rather, it was their way of arguing that ‘even if’ the tracks are fake, they’ve done nothing wrong by selling them to fans as authentic Jackson material.
In a December 2016 trial court hearing, attorney Zia Modabber argued that to be liable for misleading consumers, Sony and the Estate had to know the songs were fake, adding that Cascio and Porte had “failed to disclose to Sony or the Estate that Michael Jackson did not provide the lead vocals.”
But the judge overseeing that hearing didn’t take kindly to Sony’s position, saying:
“I think what [Modabber] is saying here is. ‘We were duped… We didn’t know [Cascio and Porte] were recording stuff in a basement that wasn’t recorded by Michael. [Cascio and Porte] told us it was Michael. We believed it was Michael.’”
The judge accused Sony of throwing Cascio and Porte under the bus before ruling in Serova’s favour, ordering Sony to face the music.
But Sony appealed, and in 2018 the appeals court took Sony’s side, dismissing the corporation from the lawsuit.
Serova then challenged the decision to dismiss Sony, petitioning the California Supreme Court to intervene, which they did.
That, in a nutshell, is how we got to Thursday’s ruling — arguments for which were heard by the court on May 24, 2022.
During that May 24 hearing, Modabber again argued that Sony couldn’t be held accountable because they didn’t know the vocals were bogus when they released them in 2010.
But on Thursday, the court rejected Sony’s lack of knowledge defense once and for all, stating that if ignoring evidence was all a corporation had to do to get away with fraud, false advertising laws would be redundant.
“If ignorance around a product’s authenticity were a legitimate defense against false advertising claims, sellers would be incentivized to know as little as possible about their own products,” said the court in their ruling.
“Sellers making claims about their offerings surely do not avoid false advertising regulation […] by scrupulously declining to verify those claims or to acquire knowledge.”
Jeremy Bollinger, one of the attorneys representing Serova, told the LA Times that the court’s ruling was not only a victory for his client, but for all music and art consumers.
“The decision confirmed that it doesn’t matter whether the seller has personal knowledge of the veracity of its statements about its products,” Bollinger said. “If you’re going to sell something, you’re responsible for those representations.”
If they didn’t know in 2010, they knew by 2018
As we discussed earlier: back in 2010, before the Michael album was released, questions were raised regarding the authenticity of the Cascio tracks.
At that time, several people told Estate attorney Howard Weitzman that they did not believe the vocalist was Michael. They alleged it was another singer, named Jason Malachi.
In response, Estate attorney Howard Weitzman claimed that he spoke to Malachi and confirmed that he wasn’t involved.
But when fans heard the Cascio tracks, many identified Malachi’s voice — not Jackson’s — on the tracks.
Further validating the reaction of fans was Malachi’s longtime producer, Tony Kurtis. In a barrage of comments posted via YouTube, Kurtis stated that he knew “without a doubt” that Malachi was the vocalist.
Even the aforementioned audiologist noted in his forensic report that the dialect and vibrato of the Cascio vocalist were consistent with Malachi, but not with Jackson.
Then, in early 2018, Malachi hired a lawyer.
That lawyer then contacted Vera Serova’s legal team to discuss Malachi’s involvement with the Cascio tracks.
Serova and her lawyers claim that Malachi’s lawyer said that his client wanted to help resolve Serova’s litigation with Sony — and to get paid for his involvement.
A meeting between Malachi’s lawyer, Serova’s lawyers and lawyers for Sony and the Estate was arranged.
But according to Serova’s lawyers, the day before the meeting was set to take place, Sony and the Estate cancelled it, and communications with Malachi’s lawyer came to an abrupt end.
For the four years that followed Malachi’s attempted intervention, Sony and the Estate continued to argue their ‘lack of knowledge’ defense, while also continuing to commercially exploit the Cascio tracks as authentic Jackson recordings.
Calls and emails to Malachi and his lawyer — offering them the right of reply — were not returned.
Why don’t Sony and the Estate sue Cascio and Porte for fraud?
In their 45-page ruling, the California Supreme Court supposed that if the Cascio tracks are indeed fake, Sony and the Estate would want to file a fraud action against Cascio and Porte for duping them, stating:
“Presumably, Sony would seek to invoke any warranties, or assert fraud or other claims, against Cascio and his associates if it believed they peddled fake recordings.”
But in this case, it’s the exact opposite.
In fact, Sony and the Estate have stood firmly behind Cascio and Porte since 2010, regardless of the overwhelming evidence and public outcry against them — something that no one, including Jackson’s family, fans and former collaborators can understand.
Songs removed, case closed
In a somewhat anticlimactic end to their eight-year legal battle, just days before the Supreme Court issued its ruling, Sony and the Estate reached a settlement agreement with Serova.
As part of the settlement, Sony and the Estate were forced to remove the Cascio tracks from digital retailers and streaming platforms around the world.
Based on Serova’s statements over the years, it was clear that no settlement could have been reached without this demand being met.
It should be noted that, according to Serova, she did not receive any money as part of her settlement.
As she has maintained from the beginning of her legal action, Serova’s main objective in filing this lawsuit was justice for Michael Jackson, his art and his fans.
And while Sony hasn’t offered refunds — or an apology — to fans who feel they’ve been duped, the removal of the Cascio tracks from digital platforms worldwide has gone a long way to restoring the integrity of Jackson’s discography.
But despite the Supreme Court’s ruling — that the wording on a CD cover is subject to consumer protection laws — it appears Sony and the Estate have opted against recalling CD copies of Michael from music stores or other retailers around the world.
This is surprising.
The case with Serova is settled only with Serova, meaning anyone else who purchased the album within the statute of limitations — or anyone who might buy the album in the future — would be able to sue Sony and the Estate just like Serova did.
The only difference is that a potential future plaintiff wouldn’t have to argue that the wording on the album cover was commercial speech, or contend with a ‘lack of knowledge’ defense from the corporations.
Now that the case is settled, will the truth regarding the Cascio tracks and the Michael album ever be told?
After selling the Cascio tracks as authentic Jackson recordings for almost 12 years — since December 2010 — Sony and the Estate’s settlement with Serova seems to have absolved Cascio and Porte of liability. At no point were the alleged forgers required to testify under oath, or prove the authenticity of their songs.
And while Sony and the Estate have stated that the recent removal of the Cascio tracks from digital platforms is the “simplest and best way to move beyond the conversation associated with these tracks once and for all,” many of Jackson’s most dedicated fans continue to demand answers.
My forthcoming true crime podcast series Faking Michael will explore those answers, taking listeners behind the scenes to uncover the music industry scandal they were never meant to hear about.
Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be notified when episodes become available.
Damien Shields is the author of the book Michael Jackson: Songs & Stories From The Vault examining the King of Pop’s creative process, and the producer of the podcast The Genesis of Thriller which takes you inside the recording studio as Jackson and his team create the biggest selling album in music history.
Cascio Tracks
Alleged Forgeries Removed From Michael Jackson’s Online Catalog After 12 Years of Protests and a Fraud Lawsuit
Three songs alleged to have been falsely attributed to Michael Jackson were abandoned by the pop star’s estate and record company this week after 12 years of fan protests and a consumer fraud lawsuit.
The alleged forgeries – known as the ‘Cascio tracks’ – come from a collection of 12 songs which producers Eddie Cascio and James Porte claim Jackson secretly recorded in Cascio’s basement in the fall of 2007.
The 12 Cascio tracks were sold to Jackson’s estate a year after the pop star’s death, and three of them – “Breaking News,” “Keep Your Head Up” and “Monster” – were officially released by Sony Music on the Michael album in December 2010.
But Jackson’s fans insist the songs are fakes, with vocals sung by an impostor, and they’ve been demanding the tracks be removed from Jackson’s catalog for the past 12 years.
This week, they got their wish, with the controversial songs being removed from streaming platforms around the world. Jackson’s estate also appear to have discontinued the original 10-track CD version of the Michael album, replacing it with a 7-track edition which can now be ordered from their official website.
But according to a joint statement issued by Jackson’s estate and Sony – who are currently co-defendants in a class action lawsuit which alleges that the Cascio tracks are fakes – their decision to abandon the tracks had nothing to do with their disputed authenticity:
“The Estate of Michael Jackson and Sony Music decided to remove the tracks ‘Breaking News,’ ‘Monster’ and ‘Keep Your Head Up,’ from the 2010 ‘Michael’ album as the simplest and best way to move beyond the conversation associated with these tracks once and for all,” reads the statement, adding that “nothing should be read into this action concerning the authenticity of the tracks – it is just time to move beyond the distraction surrounding them.”
But many fans aren’t accepting Sony and the Estate’s position, because the “conversation associated with these tracks” is founded entirely on their disputed authenticity. According to some fans, removing the songs while defending their authenticity is not way to move “beyond the distraction surrounding them.”
And despite the fact that the “conversation associated with these tracks” has persisted relentlessly for 12 years, Sony and the Estate continued to sell the tracks to unwitting consumers throughout that entire period, while reaping millions of dollars from what many believe are brazen forgeries.
Until now.
The Jackson family tried to warn them
Prior to the release of the Michael album in 2010, several members of the Jackson family tried to reason with the Estate, informing them that the vocals on the Cascio tracks were not Michael’s while urging them not to move forward with their release.
Michael’s siblings Randy, Jermaine and Latoya all claimed that the vocals on the tracks did not belong to their brother.
They were ignored.
Michael’s mother – Estate beneficiary and family matriarch, Katherine Jackson – raised her voice against the tracks.
She was also ignored.
Michael’s oldest brother, Jackie Jackson, also came out against the Cascio tracks, revealing that both he and Estate co-executor John McClain had insisted for many weeks that the alleged forgeries should be removed from the album.
Their concerns were “not taken seriously.”
Michael’s nephews Taryll, TJ and Taj from the group 3T also spoke out, taking to social media to dispute the authenticity of the songs and raise awareness regarding some of what went on behind the scenes.
Once again, their concerns were ignored.
In a statement issued on the 5th of November 2010, Sony asserted their “complete confidence” in the authenticity of the tracks. It was even reported that two independent forensic musicologists had verified that the vocals were Jackson’s.
Fans reject Breaking News
On the 8th of November 2010, five weeks before the Michael album was officially released, Sony unveiled one of the Cascio tracks – “Breaking News” – in a world premiere on Michael Jackson’s website.
When fans heard the track, they revolted.
Many rejected the notion that Michael was the vocalist while pointing the finger at another singer named Jason Malachi.
But as they’d done with the Jackson family, Sony and the Estate ignored the opinions of fans.
Instead of reconsidering their plan to release the Cascio tracks, the Estate opted to gaslight fans in a statement, claiming that they’d investigated the authenticity of the vocals and believed “without reservation” that they were indeed Michael’s.
The following month the Estate and Sony took things a step further, stipulating in no uncertain terms that the vocals were “performed by Michael Jackson” on the back cover of the Michael album – released in the U.S. on the 14th of December 2010.
They also arranged for Eddie Cascio to defend the authenticity of his songs on the Oprah Winfrey show. The Jackson family, however, were not invited to tell their side of the story.
The lawsuit
In June 2014, Michael Jackson fan Vera Serova filed a class action consumer fraud lawsuit against Jackson’s estate, Sony, Eddie Cascio, James Porte and their production company.
In her lawsuit, Serova alleges that Cascio and Porte are the masterminds of an “elaborate artistic fraud” in which they forged a collection of fake songs, and that Sony and the Estate misled her and others by attributing those forgeries to Michael Jackson on the Michael album.
As part of her lawsuit, Serova demanded the removal of the Cascio tracks from Jackson’s discography – a demand which now seems to have been met.
But despite the Cascio tracks having now been removed, Serova’s lawsuit remains ongoing.
It has been reported by the media this past week that Sony and the Estate won this case in 2018.
This is simply not true.
In fact, Serova actually won the initial ruling on Sony and the Estate’s involvement in this case back in 2016. At that time, Sony and the Estate had tried to shirk responsibility, but were ordered to face the music by the Los Angeles Superior Court.
But Sony and the Estate felt they’d done nothing wrong and appealed that ruling – an appeal on which they prevailed in 2018.
In turn, Serova fought back, petitioning the California Supreme Court for review.
And based on the Supreme Court’s view that the appeal court’s ruling was legally “problematic,” Serova won her bid for review.
Oral arguments in that review were heard by the state Supreme Court the 24th of May 2022.
A ruling has not yet been made, but is expected soon.
Sony and the Estate will need to prevail to be officially removed from litigation once and for all. If they don’t prevail, they’ll remain defendants in this case.
As of today (July 7), neither party has definitively prevailed and there is no judgment.
As mentioned, the original producers of the Cascio tracks – Eddie Cascio and James Porte – have also been sued as part of Serova’s lawsuit. They are sued with fraud, and that aspect of the lawsuit also remains ongoing.
You can hear my opinion on the removal of the Cascio tracks and much more below, in a roundtable discussion hosted by Michael Jackson podcast The MJCast:
I am also working on a podcast series called Faking Michael detailing the ins and outs of the Cascio tracks and the Michael album. Subscribe via podcast apps to be alert when episodes are released in the future.
Damien Shields is the author of the book Michael Jackson: Songs & Stories From The Vault examining the King of Pop’s creative process, and the producer of the podcast The Genesis of Thriller which takes you inside the recording studio as Jackson and his team create the biggest selling album in music history.
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Mike Gunn
May 20, 2014 at 7:21 pm
It was a let down the fact that they used an impersonator ( looked like Navi) The problem was he did not capture Michaels ‘ spirit, electricty. At best he was the tired MJ of the History tour era. My reaction after watching this was “hmmmmmmmmmmm” not the jumping out of my chair and wanting to dance reaction that you get after watching MJ. E casanova is probably the closest you can get to MJ in terms of impersonators, but he is like a mirror image so does everything the wrong way round.
Diana Rose
May 20, 2014 at 11:36 pm
it didn’t look like navi to me, whoever this was, he looks better than navi.
WhoIsItIsItAFriendOfMine
May 22, 2014 at 7:47 pm
It wasn’t Navi. It was Earnest Valentino. Same exact dance moves, and Earnest Valentino is the only impersonator who tends to use white tape on his pinky, ring and index finger. Just like the “CGI”, strangely enough.
Diana Rose
May 23, 2014 at 8:45 pm
oh i didn’t realize you were being sarcastic samhabib. The posts I’m making are coming from my heart. Not from some Estate mumbo jumbo. i could see with my own eyes it was a cgi image of michael and now it’s confirmed. 20 years from now are people going to look back and care how this was made? Michael used a theme in many of his short films of coming back to life. moonwalker and ghosts both used the theme. this is going with that theme. anywho…. remember that halloween special that never was that still could be? i think i figured out how they plan to get it done without michael. also…hey i remember he had videos planed for alot of the songs on invincible he never got to make. if he talked enough about what he wanted to do, or wrote these things down, and the blanks were filled in with ideas loyal to the Michael Jackson visual art theme… i mean…it feels like alot of fans want this stuff to just die and go away. if michael didn’t do it while he was alive it’s not worth seeing or hearing, but you know what? it all is. Dr. Suess’s kind of books lived on after he died even though he wasn’t there to write them. the Curious George books too…. Michael wasn’t just a singer and dancer he told stories too. I think if they can use this to tell us stories in the spirit of Michael Jacksons work and imaginary world done in respect and love that cgi creation…and yeah that is what it was…might not have been perfect but i could tell it was made out of love. it was so well made it looked like a real person to some. the only issue is it didn’t look or move exactly like michael jackson. im prettty sure it will get better if we can just be patient and wait for the next thing they have to show us. i bet there will be at least one cgi video made for this album. maybe a few more than that. Blue Gangsta!
Diana Rose
May 23, 2014 at 10:56 pm
my last comment posted in the wrong place completely….it was meant to be down at the bottom….
Really Really
May 20, 2014 at 7:22 pm
Of course it’s not Michael Jackson! He did NOT make any footage for an illusion performance and you have to realise the impossibilities of trying to create it otherwise right??? This isn’t really an issue except for the people who are ultra-purists and don’t except the fact that Michaels not here to do this stuff himself!!!!
Enough already
May 20, 2014 at 8:25 pm
I totally agree with you. The PURISTS will never accept anything less than MJ himself and that’s their prerogative. BUT enough already. This is like the golf purists who never accepted the change and modernization that Tiger Woods was bringing to the golf world. Well, golf purists liked their golf the way it always was but that audience was dying on the vine and nobody was making money.
Elvis impersonators have kept him alive in the hearts and minds of many as will MJ’s impersonated holograms in a virtual world of illusions.
If ENOUGH people send their requests to the Estate to “spend money converting all his groundbreaking short films to HD and transition his official DVDs to Blu-ray discs” I’m sure it’ll happen but for now it’s the unreleased stuff that has priority so if purists can’t accept that just let others enjoy in peace and stop badmouthing everything the Estate does.
It is what it is!
Andrew Mills
May 20, 2014 at 11:16 pm
“The PURISTS will never accept anything less than MJ himself ” – Are you kidding? For people to accept anything BUT MJ is disconcerting to say the least. People who do accept a computerised image of a impersonator flouncing around on stage, and squealing as though they were front row at Wembley Stadium in 1988, are delusional. Honestly, people’s despertation to hang to any scrap of MJ dehumanises the man and cheapens his legacy.
Also, admittedly I’m not an Elvis fan, but I’m not aware of any impersonator performing songs of his that he himself never released. Plus when you watch an Elvis impersonator, I’m pretty sure most people know that’s what it is.
Diana Rose
May 20, 2014 at 11:53 pm
the “squeals” were part of the song, the vocals on which we allready know were Michael. criticize the dancing. criticize the look but don’t criticize the vocals. We know that part was MJ.
Andrew Mills
May 21, 2014 at 5:05 am
I’m referring to the ‘squeals’ of the people watching and of those demanding more of the same.
Debra
May 21, 2014 at 2:38 pm
I would except a hologram if they actually used Michael Jackson’s image and not an impersonator and then try and cover it up by saying we are ungrateful , it not fair, I would watch a cartoon of him I just don’t want to see the likes of navi or some other cheap poser trying to take credit for being mj. Just use his image is all. That stringy haired half made up poser was not his image and also next time tell the guy to make up his neck before posing as the king. That was the telltale sign right there. We are not fanatical or ungrateful I loved their effort just seemed disrespectful to use a cheap poser. IMHO .
Janie
May 20, 2018 at 11:38 pm
I agree I was so excited to see this until I seen it wasn’t Michael. There is so much video on michael they could have copied his dance moves and his image without the impersonator. And then try to pass it off as real. I loved Michael and feel this was faking his legends. I dont think it was Navi or e Casanova either. I don’t think either look like the hallogram. I think it was another. The one they used did not dance like mj. Thanks
Gerben
May 22, 2014 at 1:15 pm
I do think Damien has a point when he mentions the release of other material as per quote: ‘spend money converting all his groundbreaking short films to HD and transition his official DVDs to Blu-ray discs’.
I doubt unreleased material has a priority. Sony made a deal for a number of albums which they want to fulfill. I get that. I like what they’ve done with the Xscape album (but I did get the deluxe to get demo versions). But there is a lot of great stuff out there which also deserves attention. Video is something completely different so it could be persued simultaneously. There are revolutions in there to. How about 3D Blu-ray conversions of MJ performances and video’s. For that matter: How about Captain EO. But also a collection of special events performances, like actual award show stuff, would be very much wanted. HD renditions of Dangerous and HIStory concerts anyone?
And musicwise there is a lot of lesser known stuff out there. Tracks Michael worked on with other artists that ended up on other albums. Such collaborations like Dave Mason’s Save Me on one album together with the MJ music on McCartney’s Pipes of Peace Album would be great.
There is so much possible with what he left behind for the Estate to work with, without having to go through questionable productions. That being said… it is publicity and it does keep Michael’s name alive enough for people to check out the originals.
Diana Rose
May 23, 2014 at 5:47 am
how about Night Line for one…
WhoIsItIsItAFriendOfMine
May 22, 2014 at 7:49 pm
Uhm there is no “enough already”. If people felt this “Virtual MJ” was lacking, and horribly executed, they have every right to say so.
Mike Gunn
May 20, 2014 at 9:25 pm
They could still have used a better impersonator.
Diana Rose
May 20, 2014 at 10:34 pm
they need to make a cgi avitar and make it move based on mj’s actual movements for the most part. so we don’t have to look at an impersonators face when told it’s a “virtual Michael”
Debra
May 21, 2014 at 2:49 pm
Then call it a tribute not the man himself, comeon have a heart the man earned it.
Diana Rose
May 21, 2014 at 9:00 pm
we all know he deserves the best but we’ve gotta come to terms with the fact that the people running the estate are perhaps not as talented or imaginative as the genius Michael Jackson. it’s just what it is. Branca is a law guy and Mcclain is a music guy. As far as I know, neither one ever claimed to know as much as michael about showmanship. its like when a parent dies and kids are unhappy with whoever they’re left with just because they aren’t as wondeful as the parent who died. yeah the Michael album was a bit messed up but do we know for sure that the estate guys had a good enough ear to know it might not be Michael? my older brother who’s been a fan longer than I have still believes the cascio tracks are Michael there are some fans who aren’t “fake” fans who just don’t have the ear to tell the difference. maybe the estate guys couldn’t either. Maybe they aren’y trying really to mess us over but maybe their job is alot harder than we can imagine. it seems like they might be putting alot of controll into LA Ried’s hands at the moment and whatever he’s doing whether it may or may not be underhanded seems to be working to get this album positive attention from the general public even though us fans might have our gripes. I really don’t tink LA Reid gives a damn about Michael. HE doesn’t seem to know much about him at all. he really should have done more homework about what Michael expected of himself and the people who work on his projects. honesty integrity and honest hard work no short cuts like mixing a song a day… maybe the estate shyouldn’t have let him into the “vault” in the first place. while the songs ended up pretty good, i can hear michael saying “that’s good but it can be even better!” its like in my head i can hear the absence of embellishments and fishing touches that should be there. but at least it’s still better than anything else that’s popular on the radio at the moment. yeah they’re messing up with alot of things but most people don’t even notice. it’s like Motown 25 when Michael wanted to stay on his toes but didn’t hold it. nobody noticed untill it was pointed out by him. if he’d never said anything we wouldn’t even know. and we’re sitting here pointing out all these flaws that people don’t see because we’ve pretty much been trained by Michael to think that way… but if we don’t say anything they won’t know. the less they know the bigger this thing is and the more fans we can win over. and ultimately that means Michael’s messages of coming together all nations sing lets harmonize all the colors of the world should be not always please be not always and if always…heal the world. us fans have totally lost our sense ot togetherness and harmony since Michael died. Alot of us are bitter and jaded. we look to greet the stars but theres no stars to see. I miss the united Army of Love. I really do. Spreading the love is the most important thing. these people who make money off it don’t realize the money really doesn’t matter if they lose their souls. let them make their money i don’t care. I just wish we could get excited and united about things again. in the spirit of love.
Diana Rose
May 21, 2014 at 9:09 pm
while that is a sleep deprived rant it should make sense to people who really know what those song referances mean. please be not always. love is really what matters. the message matters. how it’s spread isn’t really that important anymore. if we can take advantage of this michael moment that is xscape to keep michael’s message relevant we are the winners even if they think they’re getting the best of us.
Jessica Colt
July 14, 2014 at 3:47 pm
Diana you have articulated your message extremely well in my eyes. I understand everything you saying and agree with just about everything. We don’t have to like it all, but we shouldnt be a negative mass of complaints about it. Continue to celebrate Michael and spread his message of LOVE. Use this newly released media to get new fans on board and show them the stuff that made us fall in love with MJ. Keeping his memory alive is top priority. find the good and discuss the discrepancies as differences instead being negative.
Gerben
May 22, 2014 at 12:50 pm
It’s not that simple. You can create movement based on previous performances and thus capture the essence of his moves. This takes a lot more time and money, but it would be a more lifelike rendition. The same was basically done with his face. They chose a shortcut by using an imporsonator. I’m not totally against that, but then be fair in presenting it differently.
The technique is clearly still in development and this shows where we could be headed. The way his face ‘acted’ was not completely lifelike. It had an android quality to it. But still it’s pretty impressive and in a few years with a few extra bucks who knows… maybe they could bring the This Is It concert to the stage.
Morinen
May 20, 2014 at 7:25 pm
“You cannot tell the difference.” What an insult to Michael.
I still cannot get over the fact that they released it – not only released but hyped it the way they did and continue doing. One would have thought a lesson was learnt from last time. But no. What a wreck and what a shame…
CEThom
May 20, 2014 at 7:29 pm
“This isn’t really an issue except for the people who are ultra-purists…”
I find this comment frankly unbelievable.
What a disgrace.
Really Really
May 20, 2014 at 7:34 pm
You people act as if Michaels here to do all of this stuff himself; that all the work he did beforehand was made with the foresight that such technology would not only be possible, but that he would not live to see it and therefore would be created in such a way that his old work could be used to create this kind of illusion.
It’s not Michael Jackson. It’s an illusion; an effect. In the same way that Michael himself used stunt doubles all throughout his career, even in the month before his death for the TII vignettes. The people out there don’t think it’s Michael Jackson: they think it’s smoke and mirrors; CGI used to create the image of MJ onto a stage. They get it. These “nothing lives up to my impossibly high standards” people don’t get it.
Diana Rose
May 20, 2014 at 10:36 pm
the person that rocketed off the stage at the end of the dangerous concerts wan’t michael either.
RiogirlS77
May 23, 2014 at 12:09 am
Wow… “You people”?? REALLY??? SMH.
Of COURSE we know it wasn’t REALLY Michael… but to make a hologram, you don’t necessarily need someone to film himself in 3D with motion capturing technology. That is the beauty of the technology… That is why it has been used to “bring to life” dead people!
The thing is however, MJ WAS filmed with motion capturing technology – for his GHOST short film, so the makers of thois “illusion” had that at their disposal, if they’d only wanted to. Also, during an interview with reporters about the “MJ Experience” prior to Sunday night, LA Reid said that they had found old footage of MJ recording the song Slave to the Rhythm from their 1991 recording sessions in Atlanta, at LA Reid’s Larabee Studios, and that at FIRST, they hadn’t known what to do with it. He insinuated that the footage was the basis for the hologram in the first place!
Given the above, and all the hype, and all the testimonials from people who supposedly SAW parts of the “illusion” in the theatre during rehearsals, yeah, we were expecting it to look and dance like Michael. That is what THEY HAD TOLD US! Over and over and over… “It’s so real that you will think Michael never died!” said one report!!
IF they had promoted it as an “illusion of Michael”… “a tribute to Michael”… “a Mike-like performance”, etc, that would have been fine. We wouldn’t have expected it to really look like Michael. Our gripe though, is that it was NOT PROMOTED like THAT! They ALL said that it would be a hologram OF MICHAEL JACKSON… not a hologram that LOOKS LIKE Michael Jackson!
For you to say that we expected Michael to have pre-arranged a 3D filming of himself in case he died and they wanted to make a hologram of him one day, is ludicrous. We had NO such expectation. We expected TECHNOLOGY to do the “magic” of turning a 2D performance into a 3D one… And if not THAT exactly, then we expected maybe a body double to do the dancing and motion capturing, but AT LEAST have Michael’s REAL FACE superimposed! It’s not like there isn’t a ZILLION film opportunities to choose from! And like I said, LA Reid said that they in fact had FILM of MJ singing STTR in the recording studio, so they could have used his LIPS at least, to superimpose onto a CGI face!
There’s a saying “Ignorance is bliss.” In this case, I really think it applies. People/fans who didn’t read everything there was to read about this performance didn’t experience the hype and didn’t know all the stuff they were promising us, so they weren’t disappointed. But those in the know, and those who devoured the information highway to learn as much as they could about this “performance” were VERY disappointed.
I think that’s only natural.
Peace.
Diana Rose
May 23, 2014 at 5:53 am
maybe the people who witnessed it in the theater during rehersals didn’t get close up enough. I have heard that there was video taken by people who were there and iy looked real in their video. I havent looked it up or anything, but maybe that’s why it was said.
Adam S
May 20, 2014 at 7:37 pm
I’m just curious; by what definition would you consider an “authentic” Michael Jackson?
Because there’s really only two options for making these “holograms” (which are nothing more than projected video); hire an impersonator and CGI the face, or build an entirely CGI Jackson (this is what was done with the Tupac performance). Other performances in the past, such as the Gorillaz/Madonna hologram featured new original video footage recorded of Madonna, which would quite simply be impossible with Jackson no longer being with us.
Now, it’s true you could have perhaps used motion tracking data from, say, the Ghosts music video to create a perfect digital replica of Jacksons movements, but that choreography wouldn’t be original and, more importantly, the chances of that data still being around is pretty slim.
So, again, the options are a completely simulated (be it through CGI, or traditional animation) or a combination of a live performer and a CGI face. So again I ask, what would be “authentic”? Is it simply because the impersonator was so bad that people are so up in arms?
Don’t get me wrong; I think the whole idea is silly, and agree that the weird CGI face looked nothing like Jackson, but that doesn’t seem to be the crux of most peoples arguments.
And for all the fans who keep shouting “it’s not the real Michael”, I ask how on earth they could sound so surprised. Michael Jackson is dead. A hologram, regardless of how good it is, will ALWAYS be a simulacra and never the real thing. Period.
Damien Shields
May 20, 2014 at 7:43 pm
If it’s not possible to give authentic MJ then just don’t fucking do it at all!
Really Really
May 20, 2014 at 7:46 pm
Because I’m really sure MJ would’ve wanted his image to not be relevant with today, given how much he cared to utilise the latest technology… Oh wait.
CEThom
May 20, 2014 at 8:04 pm
The suggestion that Michael Jackson would somehow become ‘irrelevant’ or ‘forgotten’ if the Estate didn’t screen holograms of impersonators on awards shows has no basis in reality.
There are artists who died decades ago and are still as famous and respected today as they were then, without holograms of impersonators, or old songs being tampered with by new producers.
Jimi Hendrix. John Lennon. Marvin Gaye. All doing just fine.
Michael has one of the greatest legacies and bodies of work in music history. He simply cannot and will not ever be forgotten – hologram or no hologram.
Really Really
May 20, 2014 at 8:13 pm
Jimi Hendrix is still having albums released to this day, with people reworking his songs. People remember these icons yes, but they fade from public view. They *know* about them, but they don’t think about them. Take the London Olympics: it ignited talk of John Lennon and Freddie Mercury again because it featured their images. Michael was all about keeping his work in people’s thoughts, and wanting them to stand up and pay attention, it’s what made him constantly push boundaries with new technologies. This is a new technology being pushed in Michael’s name.
Diana Rose
May 21, 2014 at 10:05 pm
i don’t know many young kids who can tell me who marvin gaye or jimi hendrix was. if children are the future then the future will have less and less of these classic artists then maybe many manyyears from now some future civilization will find artifacts like cd’s that the information has eroded off of and wonder what they could possibly be.
CEThom
May 20, 2014 at 8:02 pm
Agreed, Damien. If you can’t make the hologram look and move like Michael Jackson, there is simply no point in creating it to begin with. What is the point of a Michael Jackson hologram that can’t dance? It is a stupid waste of time and money. If I want to see an impersonator, I’ll pay my $10 at a bar in Ibiza. Spending millions of dollars on a hologram of an impersonator is deranged. It’d be cheaper to just send the impersonator on tour in the flesh.
All this hologram does is sends one of two messages. 1) ‘We don’t think Michael was actually that good, and this hologram that can’t dance is just as good as he was’. Or 2) ‘Michael’s fans are all so stupid that they won’t be able to tell the difference’.
RiogirlS77
May 23, 2014 at 12:15 am
I’ll agree with you on these points Charles…
JJ
October 1, 2014 at 7:09 am
totally agree with you!
Terry
May 20, 2014 at 7:46 pm
Well said Adam. Motion capture (or whatever it’s called) has to be done by a live person. I thought the performance was sad, but, if they could have at least made (CGI ?) the face look a bit like Michael, it would have helped sell the entire illusion. I just expected something so much better………..
Jackie
May 21, 2014 at 2:10 pm
Why is it impossible to make a real Michael Jackson hologram if they already did it to Tupac? Can you tell me the difference? I just wished that they used Michael Jackson’s footage and created a real MJ hologram like what they did to Tupac. Yes, he is dead and you he’s not here to record a new dance steps and songs for a hologram, and so Tupac as well. If it’s possible to Tupac it is also possible to MJ!
Diana Rose
May 21, 2014 at 10:09 pm
thing about tupac is he’s not really remembered for the way he moved. with michael it’s so much harder to get it right.
Gerben
May 22, 2014 at 12:58 pm
Quote: Now, it’s true you could have perhaps used motion tracking data from, say, the Ghosts music video to create a perfect digital replica of Jacksons movements, but that choreography wouldn’t be original (..)
Adam, did you actually see any original moves? All movement by the impersonator was based on classic MJ moves. So why not use those. Re-arrange the moves to fit a ‘new choreography’ and you’d have something a lot more interesting.
Diana Rose
May 22, 2014 at 1:59 pm
there’s some wierd shimmy stuff and some of the choreography during the “pyrotechnics” seems to be something I’ve never seeen Michael do. it was perhaps done in a MJ like way but i don’t think he ever did those moves at least in a public performance. I’m sure there’s video in existance of him dancing we haven’t seen along the lines of what we see in the Private Home Movies where he’s dancing to Janet’s music and the bit where he’s talking about experimenting with socks for thriler did he use some of those moves in any of that? Probably not. if it had been michael working with a choreographer who worked those moves into a performance I could see him using them. but he prolly wold have mede them more his own than this guy did.
Teresa Bashford
May 20, 2014 at 7:40 pm
Of course is not Michael Jackson, I wish it was, nor is an impersonator. It’s computer imaging but we are many years away to be able to make a perfect copy of a human being. Excellent effort though.
Lee-Ann
May 20, 2014 at 7:44 pm
I did not expect to see Michael, so I don’t really feel that dissapointed. It was a computer generated image and to expect it to move as smoothly or accurately as MJ is unrealistic. I thought it was a pretty good tribute to the King, loved the song, the choreography and the set.
Biggie
May 20, 2014 at 7:46 pm
Great Article Damien! that is excactly what i was trying to tell all those fans that “enjoyed” this fake hologram.
the Estate + Reid made so much Hype…making it sounds as if its Michael himself….
i dont care about the hologram… i care about the lies they been selling the world and the fans
maybe the world Ate it..the fans (most of them) didn’t
its a disrespect to Michael and they should’ve added “tribute” to the whole thing. it would be much more understandble.
I didnt felt anything watching this. because it was all 0% Visual Michael. and 100% vocal.
where is that videotape? nothing. just an impersanator hologram tribute. they could save the cash and bring the impersonator in with a mask.he is alive..the impersonator…
RiogirlS77
May 23, 2014 at 12:24 am
Exactly Biggie. If they’d hyped as a TRIBUTE performance, they could have brought in a LIVE impersonator and he would’ve danced and we would all have been happy that they did a Tribute (so long as the guy danced well enough!)
They would have saved a ton of Estate money… and fans wouldn’t have been disappointed.
Yeah, it wouldn’t have been a “technological event” and maybe it wouldn’t have garnered the public interest as much… but the premiere of Love Never Felt So Good, on the iHeart Music Awards, with just Usher and some dancers performing it, was pretty well received! It was hyped as the debut of Michael’s NEW SONG! And it was an EVENT… A well-received one at that! They could have done similarly with “ANOTHER DEBUT from his NEW ALBUM, XSCAPE!”
And, with that, the fan community wouldn’t be so divided.
I hate when this stuff happens… 🙁
Diana Rose
May 23, 2014 at 5:56 am
a live impersonator wouldn’t have gotten the news coverage of a hologram one
peterpanpyt
May 20, 2014 at 7:57 pm
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I miss Michael Jackson 🙁
Babykay
May 20, 2014 at 9:23 pm
It’s interesting to say that The billboard choreography was Original , I’ve not seen anything new .. Better to see a re-creation of an old mj choreography than a fake impersonator .
RiogirlS77
May 23, 2014 at 12:25 am
AMEN to that!
Diana Rose
May 20, 2014 at 11:08 pm
I thought it was a cgi avitar and thought the issues with the dancing were a technology flaw, if this were the case it might have been impressive. even a few glitches and issues would have been excusable because i understand how difficult and expensive it is to get cgi to seem right. but if it’s pretty much confirmed it’s a impersonator it’s a whole different story. If they’d used an impersonator in an honest way I doubt it would be an issue. Most fans have some respect for these impersonators when they are presented to us as what they are. those guys do work really hard and some of them are really good. heck if they’d get a few of the best impersonators to do a choreographed tribute together onstage at one of these award shows it would be kinda cool as long as they did it in an honest way. it almost feels like they’re testing us to see what we’ll accept and what we won’t in terms of Michael vs. Imitation of Michael. the way they do this is not just degraging us fans, or Michael’s Image, but also the respectful profession of the tribute artist. those people are talented in their own right. whether its a vocal imitator, or an impersonator. they get really close, closer than most of us can dream of to replicating a Michael Jackson experience. and if they’d be honest about using these people instead of trying to trick us we might be more okay with it.
Arya
May 21, 2014 at 12:18 pm
My thoughts exactly! 🙂
RiogirlS77
May 23, 2014 at 12:29 am
Amen!
It’s pretty terrible to feel deceived…
Many MJ fans are very discriminating and knowledgeable. You can’t really expect us to not know what Michael looked like… So if it’s not really Michael’s image, just be HONEST for God’s sake. That’s all I’m asking. Don’t try to pull the wool over our eyes! We’ll get pissed at you!
TJ
May 20, 2014 at 11:16 pm
Just when we thought the estate couldn’t fuck things up any more, they put a hologram of an impersonator on the BBMAs stage!
The hologram really only performed a showcase of MJ’s iconic moves, most of which, including the Moonwalk, were performed by the man himself for the motion capture technology used in the Ghosts short film. Not that i would condone them raiding that work to turn it into something else anyway, but surely they could have utilized what was captured back then to create a hologram that performs Michael’s actual moves?
How could using an impersonator, especially one who moves nothing like MJ, be the better choice?
But at the end of the day, i don’t care if it really did look like Michael up there, I wouldn’t be happy about his image being used to sing a remix of a song he shelved, to promote an album he would hate, for a record label he despised. The man is dead, It’s time to let him rest.
For those interested, i posted my thoughts in a youtube rant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-Teioso6pM
Trinity
May 20, 2014 at 11:16 pm
Promising one thing and delivering another is really the biggest issue here. To be promised that the hologram would be so realistic as to be completely believable, then to deliver this lacklustre version is just plain insulting. Some of the facial expressions and body movements are just plain creepy. Why could they not have motion tracked Michaels face from studio footage of him recording Slave to the Rhythm (assuming that footage exists). I agree about E’Cas….if anyone is going to impersonate Jackson it should be him and the fact that he is a mirror is not a huge issue. Simply flip the footage and you’re set!
As a big MJ fan myself I of course expected the movements (were they to be original not from previous footage) to be from an impersonator, however with todays technology and the ability to create completely lifelike looking CG characters, it’s terribly disappointing how wrong the creaters managed to get MJ’s face. Maybe the main issue was the resolution of the screens wasn’t high enough to make it look realistic…but to me MJ looked like a bad CG rendering from a computer game. Michael himself demanded nothing less than perfection. The people who worked on this “hologram” need to seriously raise their standards.
Diana Rose
May 21, 2014 at 12:05 am
sidefloat was in the wrong direction. is this beacuse they have to use mirrors to project the image…in which case e’cas would be the best person to use as he is a mirror image
gg
May 20, 2014 at 11:18 pm
I would have a true michael jackson’s hologram but i think it’s not possible yet, but it’s perfectible and in less than 10 years it will be perfect and Michael will go on world tour again.
This is not for the fans i think so, but for young guys who never see him on stage.
The biggest problem is the dance part the hologram can’t dance flawlessly like michael jackson. I hope the next try will be better.But one thing even a bad hologram is better than all the others singers we have now they can’t even touch the level of michael jackson bad copy !!! This is a lesson for them.
Diana Rose
May 20, 2014 at 11:29 pm
if they would create a cgi avitar, they could probably use any of the fottage of michael dancing during his life to motion capture his performance from a library of moves and gestures. yeah it would be tough but that’s how they got the rabbit in the speed demon short film to move like michael. not motion capture as we know it now, but a reproduction of Michaels movements based on what you see on film of Michael.
CJ DeVillar
May 20, 2014 at 11:36 pm
A hologram of Michael Jackson implies that it was made from Michael Jackson. It was not. A poorly rendered hologram of the real MJ would have been much more striking imho.
Diana Rose
May 21, 2014 at 12:16 am
tell me im a bad fan or I’m not a real fan or whatever, but I personally enjoyed the hologram performance very much. Would Michael have done it better?- hell yeah he would have, and I really wish Michael was still here to show them all. But however they were able to make that hologram I think for the most part it was pretty cool.
Diana Rose
May 21, 2014 at 12:19 am
if they used an impersonator they should be more honest about it. there should have been a “making of the hologram” special to show us exactly how they made it possible.
gg
May 21, 2014 at 12:23 am
they will perhaps. ?
Jackie
May 21, 2014 at 2:14 pm
YEs, they should tell and be honest to their viewers.
Diana Rose
May 21, 2014 at 12:40 am
i remember years back the gorillaz cartoon hologram. i know it might sound silly but what about a cartoon Michael hologram. nobody would say oh that’s an impersonator, or that cgi is bad if it was obviously a cartoon and meant to be a cartoon. if they did it wel enough it could be really good. I understand both sides of the arguement while the music and short films and performances michael did while he was alive should be enough for the fans, unless we can bring in fresh fans regularly, Michael’s fanbase will eventually get old or die out. most of us fans are older, maybe even out of touch with todays music world. today’s youth. If a publicity stunt like a “hologram” can bring in new fans maybe it’s not so bad. kids who watched that who never even heard about Michael Jackson are talking about how cool that was. Maybe they’ll now go back and watch his videos on youtube or download his music. how many people heard the song Slave To The Rythm tht wouldn’t have if they’d had usher or one of the other mj inspired artists debut this song…and i have a feeling the plan b if the hologram wasn’t allowed to be used was going to be Justin Bieber performing the duet with a disembodied voice with a montage of old pictures of Michael. would you all have rather seen that? would it have gotten the song on all the news shows? probably not quite as much.
Arya
May 21, 2014 at 11:35 am
I am glad someone here actually saw the Gorillaz and understands virtual entertainment. Gorillaz don’t have much of a fan following but they are known to be different. They are shown as virtual band members who don’t exist (although Damon Albarn is the man behind them). And they give live performances via Holograms and 3D projections. Something completely knew and clearly aimed for the young generation. As a kid, that is how I started listening to them. The holograms and virtual live performances excited me. The case with MJ is completely different. To introduce him to the world virtually will definitely not be accepted by everybody because majority of fans have experienced his magic as a living and breathing person. Nothing can match MJ’s live performances, that aura he generates is otherworldly when he takes the stage. I can say I am from a generation stuck in the “middle”, the one who has also lived in MJ’s era and also someone who is into trippy stuff like “Gorillaz”. A rendition of MJ as an animated character is something I had welcome. Mainly because I love animation and completely into visual effects and such things. But not everybody will accept this and sadly people like me are in a minority. Everybody has a certain image of MJ in their minds and love that MJ VERY much. A majority wouldn’t welcome anything new especially when they feel its being “imposed” on them. I don’t know about others but I believe in giving MJ’s new virtual image a chance. It will appeal to a larger number of audience. MJ was all about being diverse. Trying out new things. People just kept criticising and pushing him back just because it was different. What he did later was not bad. It was “different”. They forget that it was still MJ. Its the artist who matters in the end. Whether it was the projection or not, it was about MJ.
Diana Rose
May 21, 2014 at 9:32 pm
michael created an image of himself a public persona based on people he admired walt disney is one of those greats he admired. michael loved animation. I think he would have been okay with the idea as long as it was done well with his moral standards, and taste and style in mind. glitter and magic that makes you hope and dream. honestly that hologram was the best performer at that darn awards show. even a crappy impersonator of michael jackson is better and more worth watching than the other sexed up immoral crap those other artists call performances.
Diana Rose
May 21, 2014 at 9:40 pm
and yeah the gorillaz are the shiznit
Diana Rose
May 21, 2014 at 9:55 pm
really michael is not Elvis. Michael is not Jimi Hendrix. Michael is not Kurt Cobain. “Michael Jackson the public persona” is a creation created by Michael Jackson himself. it is a commercial brand associated with certain morals and aesthetics. it’s Disney mixed with Martin Luther King Jr mixed with the Beatles with a hint of all sorts of other things that truely meant something to him. it’s a brand and it sells music yes, but that’s really just part of the brand too. what the music sells is Michael Jacksons vision of people helping people and making the world a better place for their children and their childrens children and their childrens children. Michael USED himself as the mascott of this idea. he put himself through hell for this idea to stay relevant. and im pretty sure if the brand that sells this idea can live on and have new life as long as it is used to continue to get people to buy into the message i think that is what would matter to him.
RiogirlS77
May 23, 2014 at 12:38 am
LOL! Well, I’l agree with that… Even a non-real MJ hologram was better than all the other performances of the night! That’s saying something! 🙂
Jessica Colt
July 14, 2014 at 3:57 pm
Diana Rose….Geez not to sound like a stalker…but I am now a fan of yours lol. I say this because you speak so intelligentlly and know our MJ so well. I find myself interested in the discussions your having and the way your not forcing it down. People should take your lesson on “How to Have a Proper Dialogue” Thanks for staying classy. You saved those of us who agree with you a lot of typing. =)
Nicholas
May 21, 2014 at 12:44 am
Hologram=Bad Idea.
No Hologram can come close to the Real Michael Jackson.
The Billboard performance was awful!!
Eric H
May 21, 2014 at 1:13 am
The hologram/impersonator was done in poor taste. It felt too rushed, and whomever they got to be MJ up there, sucked balls. I can move better then that clown, and I don’t look a thing like Michael. I had my doubts about this “history making event”, and damn looks like my gut instinct was right.
Just when we thought the estate and Sony couldn’t do something more stupid then the whole Michael album fiasco, they pull this fucking bullshit.
Ashley
May 21, 2014 at 2:20 am
I guess some fans are missing the perspective.
Why have a hologram of an MJ impersonator. Why not just have a hologram of Michael Jackson.
What’s the point, it’s basically just like having an MJ impersonator with an MJ mask on.
Oh please, forgive the fans who actually thought it was going to be OF Michael Jackson. Twilight Zone, I’m tellin’ ya’ll.
Dots and squares
May 21, 2014 at 2:29 am
It was CGI people
Dots and squares
May 21, 2014 at 2:31 am
It wasn’t an impersonator , A CGI HOLOGRAM
Terry
May 21, 2014 at 2:49 am
For CGI – the first step is Motion Capture. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_capture
That would require, and I use the term loosely an “impersonator”, a choreographer and perhaps a song. Then, it’s up to how good the CGI artists are………..
Moon
May 21, 2014 at 3:31 am
All I have to say is:
Motion capture; Ghosts/speed demon
Face 4D scan imaging: MoonWalker <– they put his face on the stunt double too.
They didn't need to use an impersonator..or warp his face so badly.
It does look an odd mix of bad/dangerous eras.
Movement/timing/rhythm was so off it was painful.
RiogirlS77
May 23, 2014 at 12:43 am
EXACTLY!! THANK YOU! 🙂
There really isn’t an excuse for this…
GHOSTS motion capture + MOONWALKER 4D face scan + LA Reid’s film footage of Michael recording the EXACT same song, Slave to the Rhythm, from 1991, at his own Larabee Studios + CGI technology = GREAT “hologram MJ Experience”!!
Heath Claiborne
May 21, 2014 at 3:51 am
People can keep using the term computer generated imagery (is CGI the acronym of the week) all you want but what you saw was a damn video of a impersonator caked in makeup with some slight lame digital masking on the face, and of computer effects everywhere around him. There was awesome computer imagery on the stage and special effects. Hell, the choreography, beam lighting (looked like ClayPak sharpies), and flames were excellent too. The problem occurred because the television camera zoomed in too close. PERIOD. It was not made for television . If you zoomed in on the “hologram” at the Mandalay Bay One show, it would appear just as freaky lame. The dance number in One is also more fragmented and digitally imagined (he disappears and pops up in other places, swirls, and transforms) and less complicated to make look authentic than a straight up dance number. A live viewer would have never seen the caked up white dude with the modified nose because he was too far away. Go to the One show-unless you have eagle eyes you can’t see well enough because the gel screen is tethered to the rear of the staging. It would be logical that the dancer it is the same impersonator as the man in the One show.
Diana Rose
May 21, 2014 at 5:44 am
not everyone can travel to the one show and i enjoyed seeing whatever it was on the billboard awards precisely because i will probably never see an impersonator or the one show ever in my life.
Heath Claiborne
May 21, 2014 at 4:22 am
People can’t we consider hitting the pause button and consider an Occam’s razor approach?
Remember the movie the Prestige. When he pulled off the ultimate magic trick of the century, everyone’s head spun. Was it a trap door! Did he run really fast! Wait I know it was a mirror!… Nopey, turned out it was just a twin brother. It is most often so much simpler than people extract or read into to.
Isn’t it possible the morons simply zoomed in and focused the television camera too close on the gel screen like a bunch of tools!!!
Likewise, isn’t it logical…wait for it…
that the Cascio tapes were real recordings, but they were just sloppily produced with audio processors that tainted the vocal pitch, and an over use of samples and effects taken from outside sources. OMG! Earth shattering deduction!
I mean isn’t this possibility just as probable as some vast and complex conspiracy theory!! Geez.
The truth most often lies in the middle.
Diana Rose
May 21, 2014 at 5:46 am
if youre going to reference that movie the part where hugh jackman used a double is probably more relevant.
Diana Rose
May 21, 2014 at 5:54 am
that’s one of my favorite movies by the way. the thing is i see it as a magic trick. michael did magic tricks in his shows. we didn’t consider it lying when he pretended to dissapear or used a double to rocket offstage. we are the ones in the know yes. we know how he did his magic tricks because we’ve watched his performances over and over again. we know how the moonwalk is done because we’ve watched him do it so many times. we are the only ones who pay this close attention to detail. the general public don’t really care how it was done. another cool movie btw that is relevent to this situation and came out around the same time as the prestige is the illusionist. deals with holograms as well as supposedly bringing someone back from the dead with a hologram ghost.
Ashley
May 21, 2014 at 10:59 pm
Oh, please, now. The Cascio tracks are fake.
Tom
May 23, 2014 at 11:43 am
When you have 12 complete tracks:
-that appeared out of nowhere after Michael’s death
-that were never mentioned once in any note that he made (and he made a lot of notes, handwrote lyrics, the whole shabam, Damien has a nice article about Scared of the Moon with a shot of the songs he was working on: http://www.damienshields.com/scared-of-the-moon-the-little-song-that-could/ Look! “Best of Joy”, “I Was the Loser”, “All In Your Name” (Barry Gibb MJ Song, “Hold My Hand”, “Hollywood Tonight”! Where’s the complete album of songs he supposedly recorded around the same time as songs like that?)
-that weren’t copyrighted until after his death
-that his children (who were there when he stayed in New Jersey!) don’t believe he sings on, along with his family and multiple other people he worked with AND the impersonator’s old producer Tony Kurtis
-that have the same vocal on all 12 tracks without any significant processing (people like to throw the word “processing” around, but the truth is the 9 other tracks that weren’t overproduced to release on the album don’t have any significant vocal processing and still sound exactly the same as those 3 released ones)
-that sound more like an impersonator than the real thing (you can call it processing all you want)
-that miss all the characteristic traits of a Michael Jackson recording like footstomps, fingersnaps and even breaths (where’s the breathing?
-that aren’t even sung well (the terrible vibrato that is identical to Jason Malachi’s is well-discussed, people point to Melodyne for that but Celemony have stated on multiple occasions that their software retains vocal characteristics such as vibrato)
-that were augmented with all these adlibs and breaths (he recorded multiple takes of backing vocals, but not adlibs? Please.)
-that don’t have outtakes because the “hard drives were destroyed” (come on!)
-that rehash a lot of his old material up to the point where it sounds like a tribute album (Michael Jackson, the innovator, always aspiring to exceed his previous efforts, re-using the chorus from Heaven Can Wait, doing a rewrite of songs like Stranger in Moscow, On the Line, Keep the Faith? What?)
… then all things point to it not being Michael Jackson singing.
Let me just throw your Occam’s razor back at you. Don’t cut yourself on it!
Heath Claiborne
May 25, 2014 at 2:32 pm
I’m familiar with Melodyne, AutoTune, FlexPitch. I didn’t just throw the processiing term around. I work in the industry. I can’t say they are not Michael’s vocals, nor can Bruce Swedien, nor can other qualified people. I certainly don’t believe that the Cascios, a reputable family who did not compromise the relationship for over 20 years suddenly got on Oprah and lied. Who would believe the story that MJ lived at a Italian family’s NJ suburb home for two months. That makes no sense…wait…that’s actually true!
Crappy recording can screw up the most talented musician’s vocals, even MJ.
Bruce Swedien: “The first thing I want to tell you is – no matter how good a song is, or how accomplished the musicians playing it are, a poorly done recording and mix of that song will leave you cold.”
At the end of the day, the musicianship displayed by the recording/sound engineers is at least as important as any other musical element in a song. MJ always surrounded himself with amazingly talented people, all working together, pooling those talents to make Michael’s records as musical, creative, and sonically incredible as possible. He did not have this in 2007 when he was jumping around almost in drifting exile.
Ultravioletrae
May 21, 2014 at 4:32 am
I was so puzzled by this “illusion” and I think you are absolutely right – why go to all the trouble and expense to make a hologram that looks exactly like an MJ impersonator? It makes no sense whatsoever.
However, now that I’ve had a chance to absorb this I’m beginning to realize that it all boils down to truth in advertising. If the hype had been about introducing new, ground-breaking CGI technology and the most amazing, CGI virtual performance ever – then I probably would have watched and thought “cool! what amazing technology! how great they used this for Michael Jackson!”. I think would have been happy and even a little excited it.
But what was all this nonsense about people crying and shaking because it was life like? So incredibly real that artists would never have to tour again? No difference between the incomparable Michael Jackson and a cartoon CGI MJ? Are you kidding? It was perfectly obvious who the cartoon characters were!
If he truth had been presented upfront about what the technology actually was, I really don’t think it would have been a problem (even with the silly-looking choreography and direction). I personally love the idea of MJ as the most amazing cartoon ever and I suspect MJ would have been on board with that, too. But please don’t ask us to believe cartoon Michael actually looks like Michael Jackson.
Diana Rose
May 21, 2014 at 6:00 am
people were crying and shaking probably because they were far back enough in the audience not to tell it didn’t quite look like him. also probably becaue they want to feel something so they let themselves believe a little. watching it on tv i can tell you the minute it came on i got goosebumps, it’s like when you tell a ghost story, and you know it’s not real but you get goosebumps anyway, or visiting a cemetary at night… the idea of a Michael Jackson hologram alone is enough to cause an emotional reaction.
Diana Rose
May 21, 2014 at 6:05 am
also i would think if L.A. Ried thought this hologram was so amazing he’d be watching it intently without taking his eyes off it to get some face time for the cameras.
Diana Rose
May 21, 2014 at 2:54 pm
LA told me, “You’ll be a pop star, All you have to change is everything you are.”
RiogirlS77
May 23, 2014 at 12:47 am
EXACTLY.
Diana Rose
May 21, 2014 at 6:17 am
speaking of digitizing someone’s face….does anyone remember when they said Michael’s face was digitized to look darker for the 30th anniversery TV special ? it’s not really relevent to the arguement i was just wondering if anyone remembered that.
Diana Rose
May 21, 2014 at 9:02 am
so Billboard.com has a poll about the “hologram” which gives you three choices of opinion. there are 3,954 votes in all. only 15.71% of voters thought it was creepy (621 votes). 52.73% of voters said the hologram was cool (2,085 votes). and 31.56% of voters said it was both cool and creepy(1,248 votes). the majority of the voters thought the hologram was cool, which leads me to believe the majority of people who care enough to vote enjoyed it.
Ultravioletrae
May 21, 2014 at 2:40 pm
Notice they didn’t ask viewers whether it looked 1) REAL or like 2) CGI. How on earth they thought they could suggest it looked real and that people would buy into that is beyond me. If you have a CGI image to present, then fine! Say so!
Diana Rose
May 21, 2014 at 2:59 pm
well i think compared to tupacs hologram it looked much more real. did it look like michael jackson was live on stage? no but I don’t think anyone needs to give the death hoaxers that much so called proof so maybe it’s a blessing it didn’t look completely real.
RiogirlS77
May 23, 2014 at 12:57 am
LOL regarding the Death Hoax Believers!
I must admit, I HAD wondered how they would react!
RiogirlS77
May 23, 2014 at 12:55 am
I disagree with your conclusion.
First of all, just under 4000 votes represents only a tiny fraction of the total # of people who watched the show (13.5 MILLION)
Second, the terminology used was flawed. NO loyal and empathic MJ fan would ever call him CREEPY. Had they used different words, like simply, Was this cool?? Was this DISAPPOINTING? Was it a little of both ? , then I’m sure the results would have been different, and had a LOT more votes as well. I din’t vote,because NONE of those options applied to me.
Diana Rose
May 23, 2014 at 6:06 am
they aren’t talking about MJ being creepy I don’t think they were referring to the idea of a hologram of a dead guy being creepy, but it doesn’t really specify but maybe they were, but most who would call michael jackson creepy would be looking up articles about Michael Jackson’s hologram to answer a poll and not just call it creepy instead of cool and creepy.
Diana Rose
May 23, 2014 at 6:08 am
and creepy isn’t always a bad thing either. some of Michaels best videos and songs are meant to be creepy in a good way. i think the idea of Michaels hologram is a bit macabre but in a really awesome way.
Arya
May 21, 2014 at 11:41 am
It wasn’t an impersonator. The people who think that have hit themselves with the “Uncanny Valley”. To understand this, watch the video from James Cameron, director of Avatar.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wK1Ixr-UmM
Its a request. Please try to understand what you are dealing with before all of us go onto blame and again drown the efforts of the estate. I believe there was NO impersonator. Just animation.
Ultravioletrae
May 21, 2014 at 2:48 pm
I personally think there is a world of difference between the artistry of Michael Jackson and CGI animation. My guess is that if you did a study, about 100% of respondents would be able to tell the difference between the two. The problem with the animation is that it was being presented as life-like.
I think the fans are correct to point out that the performance looked like an impersonator because I assume that the technology required the use of impersonators to create the image. That’s the reason it looks so much like an impersonator.
Arya
May 22, 2014 at 8:02 am
Achieving “life-like” animation is still a field that is undergoing a lot of research. Making people connect to computer generated images is a difficult task. I personally think, putting myself from a perspective of a non “fan” I would have found MJ’s CGI cool and would dig in for more of his videos. But having seen his live performances and concerts so many times, all I could say was “good”. It definitely wasn’t “bad”. There were few moments when I went “wow”. There is still a lot of work needed here.
Heath Claiborne
May 21, 2014 at 3:37 pm
It’s already been confirmed it was an impersonator videoed with graphics added
Heath Claiborne
May 21, 2014 at 3:38 pm
It’s already been confirmed it was an impersonator videoed with graphics added
Heath Claiborne
May 21, 2014 at 3:48 pm
What does motion capture in the Avatar makingg video have to do with anything? They did not need motion capture to put clothes on an impersonator. The impersonators filmed video was inserted in an animated backdrop, with real choreographed dancers, lighting, and flames. They also doctored the impersonators face. But remember you were NOT supposed to see the face that close. Otherwise a more perfected CGI on the face would have been necessary. That would have taken over a year. But is was unnecessary. I music video was also in the contract. It will almost certainly be more television ready and perfected
Ultravioletrae
May 21, 2014 at 5:40 pm
I think motion capture is the technique used in making CGI.
Arya
May 22, 2014 at 7:53 am
I was talking about the “Uncanny Valley” which is a hurdle every person working in digital entertainment has to face. There were many big budget animated and vfx movies like Tron, Beowulf which failed to click with the audience. Simply because the animated characters in them instead of awing the audience they found it “creepy”. People took one look at Angelina Jolie in Beowulf and were creeped out. Why? Its the same case with MJ’s hologram. A lot of people found it “unsettling”, “creepy”. A lot like the people commenting here, even Damien. And after the initial reaction, with their distrust towards the estate (why mention the cascio tracks??) fear and anger take over and people are going on a spree of accusing that there was an impersonator and such things. Its the Uncanny Valley, the more you approach human, there is suddenly a dip in your response curve towards the character because you suddenly find it very artificial. Its a popular term in robotics and animation. Some people actually found it cool, even amazing. Why? Because they WELCOMED this new image of MJ or either saw him that way for the first time. But as we fans are already acquainted with MJ so well, our attraction to this character dropped. I posted that video to make people understand how James Cameron who animated completely non-human alien characters and managed to make the audience click with them. Its a difficult task and he succeeded. The challenge now they have to face is how to make the fans click with MJ’s CGI in the future. And even if they had to use an impersonator, why not use the best one out there? It doesn’t even make sense lol. It was the fault of the animators and VFX specialists.
Patricia Smith
May 21, 2014 at 7:02 pm
Damien, loved your article, as usual. I didn’t know what to expect , but I was disappointed. The minute I saw the face I knew it was flawed. I agree with almost everything said above. Damien as you say about the DVD etc of MJ’s past performances would be a delight to have. I am going to see ONE in Vegas in June, don’t tell me I will be disappointed. I would much rather watch LNFSG put out by a fan with MJ dancing some of his dances from previous short films and performances. Now that bought tears to my eyes.
Heath Claiborne
May 21, 2014 at 7:15 pm
Motion capture is used to make Computer generated imagery at times. In the Avatar youtube video link posted above, it’s used to turn actors into blue imaginary creatures. So you “capture” the kinetic movement of the limbs, eyes, and lips to create the CGI creatures. That’s not what occurred here. CGI can also just be digitally created imagery, such as the stage and throne Michael sat on. The filmed video of the real impersonator dancer was combined on top of the computer generated imagery. Some of the dancers were also video -the ones that magically evaporated. Some were real live performers dancing in the correct exact spots and cues. If they fell or messed up, they could actually fall into the transparent foil or into the path of light the projection. You would have seen the projection of MJ dancing on the back of their ass or head!
Heath Claiborne
May 21, 2014 at 7:26 pm
The One 3D projection ( a hate saying hologram) is excellent because it is used live as it was intended. These projections are not good enough to zoom in on because they are an impersonator with a face that is not perfected. You can’t tell that the impersonator in the One show is not as fluid and natural as Jackson because it is beautifully broken up into imagery where he disappears and reappears in different spots in a ghost magical animation effect. You can’t see his face close enough to tell like they goofed up on in the televised broadcast. Gradually, it will be perfected. The only way to do it correctly would currently take years of editing and red tape/permission to take existing video and edit it into a 3D projection- but it ID already doable!
RiogirlS77
May 23, 2014 at 1:04 am
You’re correct about the hologram in the ONE show, but most FANS knew it wasn’t him right away, by just the size of his HIPS and LEGS!!! (they were too short and too thick!) Lol! We KNOW our MJ VERY VERY WELL! 😉
Diana Rose
May 21, 2014 at 8:01 pm
i can’t be convinced that the hologram wasn’t a completly computer created image looking at the way the clothes look and the movement of the body and the movement of the face to me it looks like a completely fabricated image. yes they probably used an impersonator to motion capture so that the computer generated image could dance, the way michael danced for the skeleton in ghosts. yes they messed up on the face but seriously they did stuff like that while Michael was alive. remember the HIStory statues? did they look anything like Micheal? besides that if you’ve looked at peoples art of MJ so many artists, even good artists get michaels face totally wrong. I really believe the whole thing is an artificial image set to move to the dancing of an impersonator. ya’ll keep telling me it’s an impersonator and i almost get convinced, then i go back and watch it again and again and all i see is a video game type image. i don’t see a person. not in the face not in the body. especially the hands, they look very much like michaels big hands. i don’t think i’ve seen an impersonators hands look like that. but i’ve really only seen impersonators in pictures and bad quality youtube videos. i have dial up internet too so the youtube thing is a rare privlege for me. but it looks like the kind of cgi you see in video game charachters to me. while tupacs seems to look more like a bad sports video game charachter, Michaels looks like something from a more stylized game like god of war or prince of persia. those game charachters usually look almost real except for the face which is what I am pretty sure I’m seeing here.
Diana Rose
May 21, 2014 at 8:04 pm
and how did they get an impersonator to seem to be part of the painting before it came to life and then go back to being part of it at the end?
Diana Rose
May 21, 2014 at 8:05 pm
i really believe the beginning image, the first part we see has to be entirely cgi. Michael, the woman, the man.. anyone else in that image is not real i don’t think.
Diana Rose
May 21, 2014 at 8:10 pm
btw, im watching this on a big tv on a dvd i recorded off abc while it was happening. not a youtube video or a small computer or phone screen. im just telling you what i see.
Heath Claiborne
May 21, 2014 at 11:00 pm
It’s called “pause”
🙂
The video if the impersonator is also digital. Video is video. It’s just real life video merged into imaginary video. It’s simply still
Heath Claiborne
May 21, 2014 at 10:41 pm
It’s just my opinion based on a lot of factors. You have to remember you were looking at television footage of a projection on a slanted transparent gel screen. It was actually moving slightly and out of focus.
All I can say is I do this stuff everyday. I own an historic theatre I completely remodeled. I promote and book bands and DJ. I am a lighting and sound designer, and I am experienced in video production/editing, CGI, DMX, laser software and design, recording, production, special effects.
I don’t know who to confirm what I’m saying, but I know many people in the lighting and music industry, including friends with some Imagineers at Disney in Orlando who concur with me. (Interestingly, I met an imagineer I met at an Immortal show who designed the amusement rides at Neverland Ranch). I’ve mixed and created many of my own Jackson videos we play on the silver screen in the theater, and designed laser shows to Jackson music. I’m a visual artist/painter. ArtbyHeath.com BooktheCapitol.com
I’m definitely a Jacksonista or “purist” I think has been termed. Haha
I don’t just follow Jackson I follow his supporting cast whether the contractors, writers Quincy, Westlake, Swedien, Ortega, Buxer, Jerkins.. and all the ones who swam in and out his career. I own every Jackson album all the way to Motown. I acquired furniture for my theatre from MJs home theatre in the Holmby Hills mansion, and collected some of his personal clothing along with other Rock n Roll artifacts.
All this bloviating to say I’ve been following the technology and everything Jackson for years. I’m fascinated by it. For example I went to LDI (light design trade show) in 2009 and saw the LED pixel monitors that were supposed to have been crated and sent to the London 02 arena. It would have been spectacular because his concerts were always going to be a cut above everything else available I admire that risk taking, vision, and ingenuity. It would have one upped the U2 crawl structure.
I saw the Immortal and One shows, twice. It is clear the public does not understand and probably does not care about what has been deemed “hologram.” The truth is one can build a state of the art, ground breaking earth shattering cutting edge “hologram” system with a screen, mirror foil, and clear screen similar to Musion for about $10k or less. The problem is there is no content. And no audience. You have to have edited content that is projectable without backgrounds to work properly. I could make my own Frank Sinatra video and create a 3D ghost effect on my stage the same way they did it at One. However I can’t sell it. Not legally nor would anyone buy a ticket to watch a projection for an hour and a half. ( although the Japanese don’t seem to mind watching a cartoon).
As far as CGI for clothing you speak of- it’s would be completely unnecessary and redundant and much more timely and expensive to create clothes for video when you can just film the clothes on the impersonator. Plus it would look better than CGI clothing. The problem was the face. If CGI was used on the face and it was intended for a close up by the television, It sucked. It really really sucked. There are much better examples and possibilities already capable, even on a rush job. Based on ONE, it seems only common sense that the face was good enough and indistinguishable had it been not zoomed upon. If you were there in the live audience the harsh face was hardly detectable and impressive. Even to a purist. The mechanical dancing? Well there is just not a replacement for that yet except actual existing footage. But it will happen gradually regardless where you stand. The illusion technology will be perfected and commonplace one day.
RiogirlS77
May 23, 2014 at 1:10 am
Thank you for your informed specialist information! 🙂
Deborah bain
May 22, 2014 at 12:10 am
O my, let me talk some sense…
If Michael was alive today, do you think he could perform as a twenty year old Michael?
No!!! He would of been 50+ !!!
Do you think he would of wanted the world to see his attempt as a fifty year old… after seeking perfection throughout his career.
No!!!
This was Michael’s idea, his last thought for his fans. His estate have tried to do their best!!!
Love the the thought, the magic and his gift. Amenxxx
RiogirlS77
May 23, 2014 at 1:16 am
OMG… Sounds like you didn’t watch This Is It. And even if you did, in the film This Is It, he was mostly at REHEARSAL speed, not full out. Smooth Criminal and the way You make Me Feel were exceptions to that! He still had that incredible “perfection”, no matter HOW old he was!
If you have the opportunity to watch footage of the DANGEROUS Tour rehearsals, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you watch how “half-assed speed” he did those… and we ALL know how INCREDIBLY ENERGETIC he was during every ACTUAL show during that time, despite the BS that was going on around him!
Michael would never perform “at 50 speed”. It was all or nothing.
Diana Rose
May 22, 2014 at 2:52 am
im so conflicted and confused about everything MJ these days. who are the bad guys? who are the good guys? fingers get pointed in all sorts of directions and everyone has a differing opinion. i miss the good old days when we knew who the bad guys were. and we knew who we could trust back then too and we usually agreed on who these people were. now we get tricked and lied to and most of the press seems to fawn over MJ in a way they never did while he was alive. i feel like im about to have some sort of a breakdown. i liked the hologram and i refuse to feel bad about it. im too tired of all this to feel bad. i like that people are loving mj right now. i really loved the hologram it wasn’t as good as mj no but ill tel you i don’t think the face was ugly at all. maybe the dancing wasnt as good as mj’s but it was pretty good. they could have done alot worse. I expected ALOT worse. maybe it’s cause i know better than to get my hopes up about seeing a realistic life like mj onstage. and ya’ll should probably know better by now not to psych yourself up too much. i was pleased because i expected something truely awful i didn’t expect the performance to tell a story either and it kinda did. the music went well with everything and i can’t get slave to the rythym outta my head now and i didn’t like the song much before the billboard awards. everyone i speak to away from this site has given me positive reviews. they thought it was so cool. they thought it was totally magical. no they didnt think it looked real but they didnt pcych themselves up on announcements about it being so lifelike. this is positive for MJ even if it’s not done exactly the way we want it. they prolly used a double for tupac as well. at least in some way. what do you want them to do? have a seance and call up MJ’s actual ghost from the dead???
NIGEL GEORGE
May 22, 2014 at 3:57 am
HOW DARE THEY DO THAT TO US MICHAEL JACKSON FANS. HOW DARE THEY TARNISH HIS LEGACY BY GIVING US A WEAK IMITATION (AN IMPERSONATOR) AND STAMPING MICHAEL JACKSON’S NAME ON IT, THE GREATEST ENTERTAINER THAT EVER LIVED. THEY THINK WE’RE ALL STUPID AND CAN BE EASILY FOOLED. IT IS SUCH AN EMBARRASSMENT. MICHAEL, I’M SO SORRY, YOU WOULD NEVER HAVE APPROVED THIS AND YOUR TRUE FANS DON’T ACCEPT THIS. YOU’RE THE GREATEST. RIP LOVE, -NIGEL
Heath Claiborne
May 22, 2014 at 8:11 am
The ol’ all caps how dare you.
You know Jackson fans can be some of the sanest people in real life, we’re talking about lawyers, really successful business people, people in their 40s, but when it comes to MJ they fall to pieces, go bananas, highly educated people broken down to tears, hanging out by fences, anger over what they view as a tarnish of legacy or personal attack or insult to fandom. I’m not dismissing this I just find it interesting how rabid some fans are. Hell, I’ve collected his records, books, furniture and belongings myself, but good grief, get a hold of yourself people.
I will always be a huge MJ fan. He is not just one of the greatest entertainers, but also one of the greatest visionaries of all time. But Legacy Spmegacy- The answer to 99 out of 100 questions to “why” is $$$. Always has been, always will be. Jackson had a great sense of humor and would laugh at a lot of this nonsense.
Heath Claiborne
May 22, 2014 at 4:41 am
This isn’t about good vs evil. It’s a forum where fans simply opine and share. If you like the hologram that’s great! Many people liked it also. Some a little, some a lot. Some were creeped out. Some like me were expecting much better with so many available resources and technology.
I think our analysis can sometimes be kind of like a hotdog. You can just watch it come out of the steamy cart at the ball game and enjoy it in all it’s succulent unhealthy glory, or you can over analyze and break down where it came from, and what’s actually in it God forbid, to the point it can get quite disturbing. All the informed ideologues who avoid the simple enjoyment of the delicious hotdog in moderation might end up getting flattened by a big truck anyway (with tofu and wheat grass in their stomach).
We also can read into things too much. Once there was a boy who got away from his parents and was running around an art gallery like a little hellion. Inside one of the galleries was a huge Jackson Pollack picture. Two men were discussing this “paint splattered mess” and agreed that either one of them could paint it themselves. As they cynically conversed, the kid came running by and came to a long sliding stop on the marble floor. He peered his head into the gallery, and peered up in wonder at the massive colorful painting. “Wooow!” He exclaimed, then he ran back down the hall.
I’d like to point out that while MJ was the ever perfectionist, he also had a good sense of humor. He would love the fact people are paying attention to him. He would love the PT Barnum aspect. As Oscar Wilde wrote,
“There is only one thing worse than being talked about and that is NOT being talked about.”
I think Michael’s concern for perfection was more about what he actually created, what he was 100% responsible for. If he made it, then it had to be perfect. But he loved other things he did not make. Look at the atrocious Weird Al “Just Eat It,” and the funny “Bad” kids version video. He would be more worried or shy about having to do an interview or say dance by request because he was solely responsible for the presentation, I need the right shoes, right surface, right clothes, right lighting, is my hair right, all the things he knew needed to fulfill an expectation that he was fearful of not meeting to a viewer or fan. Yet I bet if he saw say that cheesy “Behind the Mask” fan made video he would enjoy it because he was not responsible for it, and it was fun, harmless, and he would like the affection and celebration of him. Everything does not have to be about legacy and some artistic moral clause.
It’s also ok to criticize. Again I was disappointed in the hologram because I know it could have been better, and I work in the industry, and I am a cynic. I also see through the typical B.S. in the marketing, the estate’s normal and anticipated flubs, and expected public ignorance. But you know, I’m glad for the attempt. I’m glad there is something new to enjoy and discuss. The virtual projection technology will also improve and there will certainly be better presentations in the future. I’m willing to take a chill pill and enjoy the music.
BJ
May 24, 2014 at 2:32 pm
“…God forbid, to the point it can get quite disturbing.”
Appreciate your special insight working in the industry as you do and your point about the hotdog. That word ‘disturbing’ struck a chord.
Sure, CGI, special effects, illusions and impersonators can be good, mediocre or bad but aside from the purist’s view of the art itself, it’s the reason for the application of the illusion that can be the disturbing part. In this case you mentioned a reason ‘why’. That reason would not be enough for Michael and I don’t think he’d be laughing about that.
But also, as in the case of the hotdog, it certainly is disturbing to consider the illusions we’re willing to accept for whatever reason or justification we can come up with, whether we know they’re illusions or whether we don’t. Maybe I’m just put off by some of the CGI and other disturbing illusory stuff out there (strike the ‘maybe’). It’s impossible to be ‘chill’ when chilled to the core. Maybe you’ll get where I’m coming from there, maybe you won’t. I did enjoy The Matrix though.
Heath Claiborne
May 25, 2014 at 11:31 pm
I completely appreciate where you are coming from. I am just glad you can still google Michael Jackson and a new article pops up daily. That projection was a rush job. It could of been better with the right artists. Regardless of my positive take that we got to see and anticipate Something, I was disappointed. I’m trying to be appreciative that a younger generation gets to learn about him. Bottomline, It was not MJ worthy; I confess.
Heath Claiborne
May 22, 2014 at 5:18 am
http://www.theverge.com/2014/5/18/5729866/michael-jackson-hologram-at-billboard-music-awards
Heath Claiborne
May 22, 2014 at 5:19 am
Scroll down to the second video on how it was made
http://www.theverge.com/2014/5/18/5729866/michael-jackson-hologram-at-billboard-music-awards
Heath Claiborne
May 22, 2014 at 5:26 am
On second video called “MJ’s Hologram Not a Hologram” pause the video at 1:15 and you can see a good diagram how it works. The same thing happens in the ghost waltz scene at the Haunted Mansion at DisneyWorld and DisneyLand if you have ever been.
http://www.theverge.com/2014/5/18/5729866/michael-jackson-hologram-at-billboard-music-awards
Heath Claiborne
May 22, 2014 at 6:13 am
There was a lot of discourse above and confusing. To be clear my assessment is there is digital video of an impersonator dancing,wearing what you see, filmed basically on the gold staging you see with shadows but embellished digitally. From neck up the face of the dancer is masked digitally. Was motion capture used on face to create the face movement. Maybe. His face is definitely computer generated and masked in some digital technique. Weird looking but good enough for live audience from a distance but not for dissecting on television screens and computer monitors. The subpar mechanical dancing of the impersonator was recognized as off by knowledgable fans, and was not due to the uncanny valley effect, it’s was just due to the fact as good as the impersonator was, discriminating fans could tell “he ain’t MJ” but someone trying to be MJ.
Diana Rose
May 22, 2014 at 2:09 pm
why can’t we just see it as an actor playing MJ in a presentation meant t be representative of mj but yeah of course it’s not as good as MJ because he’s not here to make it that good but are we really trying to find something or someone to replace MJ or maybe just represent him in his absence?
Diana Rose
May 22, 2014 at 2:12 pm
and it’s repersenting the image not the person. this impersonator or creation of whatever isn’t putting words in MJ’s mouth or anything.
RiogirlS77
May 22, 2014 at 11:33 am
Pretty early on after seeing the “performance”, I wondered what your reaction would be Damien. I, for one, was too shocked and disappointed and angry to come and see what you’d thought at that moment. I was too consumed.
In the weeks leading up to Sunday’s “MJ Experience”, I too was swept up in the hype, and contributed to it in turn, by researching and posting everything significant that I could find on the internet. The day before, I too read the “definitive” article written by Robin Leach. It blew me away! In addition, I had ALSO read that L.A. Reid had said that he had found old film footage of Michael recording Slave to the Rhythm all those years ago, and it was insinuated that that footage was the basis for the making of the “hologram”! To say that my hopes were soaring is probably an understatement! I sent out reminders to my friends, posted and re-posted links and images… including that countdown clock that some website posted! I hardly slept the night before… hardly ate the day of! I was so nervous and excited I trembled with anticipation in front of my computer in the 2 hours before “show time”! At 7:30pm EST, I forced myself to eat something while at my computer, watching the Red Carpet interviews, and once again hearing testimonials from x, y, and z that they had seen parts of the rehearsal of the “experience” and that it was beyond belief… phenomenal… like he’s really there, they cried, etc etc!
In a live feed on FB, someone had found a pic of the evening’s order of performances, and I posted that pic as a new post on my wall. My friends and I did commentary in real time: “so and so just performed… 4 performances left ’til MJ time!”
As the last performance before MJ was about to end, I signed off of FB and went to get my camera and sit in front of my TV screen… I was shaking too much with anticipation to hold the camera myself – I had to set up my tripod instead!
“OMG, It’s starting!” I said aloud.
But, like you, my excitement turned to disbelief as I saw that very first image of “Michael” in that chair.
I hoped that it would get better… thought maybe it was just that darn Mylar screen blowing in the wind generating that distorted image of his beautiful face… But NOPE.
“WTH??? That’s not MICHAEL! OMG! They’ve done it AGAIN…!” 🙁
I took a few pictures of my TV and the performance and tried to “get into it” but I just couldn’t… I smiled almost politely. My stomach seemed to drop a few inches in my body, and my breathing was so shallow that it made me think of how I felt when I first heard that he’d been rushed to the hospital that God-awful June 25th day… Shocked silence; vice-grip on my lungs and heart. 🙁
I came back up to my computer and posted my first review… “Hmmm… That was disappointing…”
SMH… Looked like they did a hologram of an impersonator to ME! 🙁
WHY ON EARTH would they DO that? If they didn’t have a hologram of MICHAEL, why not just do a Tribute performance by a LIVE impersonator??? Why spend all that money on a hologram of an impersonator??? I couldn’t understand it.
The more I talked with others about it, the worse I felt… the sadder I got… the angrier I got…
Still, I just spoke with a few friends on my own wall and on theirs. I didn’t DARE go to a web page or Facebook group page. Soon enough, I was getting pop up chats from people informing me that the fan community was once again in the midst of a huge heated divisive battle… Great. 🙁
I tried to keep a level head… tried to explain my position and why I felt the way I did without getting into any personal battles… but even some friends were trying to PROVE to me that it was “REALLY Michael” and insisting that I just “enjoy it!” It was disheartening to see other fans saying that fans feeling like I was were just “never satisfied” and we were “being negative”; that we were a bunch of ingrates, always putting down everything that was presented to us; that we were a bunch of “glass half empty” types, who would piss off the Estate and then they’d never do anything ever again. 🙁 They gave excuse and after excuse why the thing didn’t look like Michael : Oh, it was meant for those in the theatre, not as good on TV (although in fact, the OPPOSITE had been stated in a few web links!); they were doing the best they could with what they had; technology isn’t able to re-create exact likenesses; they didn’t have footage of Michael performing that song (but in fact, LA Red said he DID!); etc But I think many of them were trying to convince themselves… Some had a healthy attitude about it: it was geared towards the “general public” and as such, they wouldn’t be able to tell the difference, and what mattered was the garnering of many more “fans” eager to order their own copy of XSCAPE, the album. There was finally POSITIVE PRESS about something “Michael”, which was a GOOD thing, etc. After awhile, I was able to see that side of things, but still…
My whole beef really, was with the promotion of the event. If they hadn’t hyped it up to be so spectacular and unbelievable, then I wouldn’t have had my expectations as high as they were! To me, it was all their fault! How could I “just enjoy it” if I just DIDN’T? I felt cheated and lied to. I thought we’d had enough of that after the fiasco with the MICHAEL album and those Cascio fake tracks! 🙁
I have NEVER been a boycotter or an anti-Estate fan… but at that moment, I was NOT impressed at ALL. 🙁
They had promised us the moon and the stars, and instead, we ended up with just a virtual mirror ball od a performance… 🙁 Just a “Michael-ISH” image…
SMH.
I watched the YouTube and Daily Motion video of the event, a few times over, trying to get a more “positive” attitude about it, but it was hard. I watched a “from the audience” snippet and agreed that LIVE, it looked a lot better, but I had already said that the long shots weren’t too bad… It looked enough like the real Macoy… from FAR AWAY! But that FACE!!! 🙁 That tip-toe-ing mini moonwalk! What the heck was THAT?
The next day, I awoke to news that the performance had been removed from YouTube, soon to be replaced by the Official VEVO video, in HD. I watched it. It looked slightly better… but still, that face… 🙁
I realized by the end of the day that the VEVO version had been EDITed!! The original wobbling Mylar shot was replaced with a shot of the same scene from a distance and from the right; the offensive and probably scripted scene of LA Reid’s wife dabbing at her crying eyes was taken out; the scenes of the crowd were taken out; some scenes that were close-ups originally were made into long shots, and vice versa; and we actually got to SEE the proper ending of the performance, instead of watching some guy stick his tongue out and wonder “Why is everyone facing the wrong way?? Why do they have their BACKS turned to MJ’s stage??”
All of this made me wonder, “Did all the fans even SEE the SAME thing? Is THAT why some said so staunchly, that it WAS Michael, while others vehemently and mournfully said the contrary?”
Today, when I saw that there had been a statement from the Estate, I thought they would address this controversy, but no… just a thank you note for supporting the album and pointing out the positive press and album sales…Oh well.
I just want to point out that I LOVE the album itself… and DO appreciate the positive press that it has been generating, aided by a strong promotional campaign… no doubt! <3
But is it really too much to ask that they be HONEST with us, the fans? Sure, Michael would have been excited about such a grandiose tribute using the latest technology (Y), but I'm also sure he would have been displeased to learn that his fans had been lied to. 🙁
All I ask is that.
Peace.
Arjun Sanyal
May 22, 2014 at 11:44 am
Very disappointed – after the controversy with the ‘Michael’ album, why did The Estate of Michael Jackson use an impersonator! I liked the performance, but it is totally unfair to call it a Michael Jackson performance. Funny that a couple of days earlier, I suggested the hologram going on an Xscape World Tour. I did not think that the Estate would go this far.
Arya
May 22, 2014 at 7:45 pm
I don’t think its an impersonator. And, I don’t think the tracks on “Michael” were fake either. The songs ARE tampered with, there is no doubt about it. But to me it sounded like the producers were trying to make MJ’s voice sound like the voice what 90% of the fans are used to hearing. Like his high-pitched voice during Bad and Dangerous. His voice in “Hollywood Tonight” sound so much mature, fuller and deeper, just like his vocals in Invincible era, his voice was amazingly smooth. Its crazy because I still see fans increasing the pitch of 2000 watts and saying that is MJ. To me its plain awkward. And personally I love the track. I can totally imagine MJ’s voice go down and sound like that. I have watched interviews where his voice goes deep. He sounds different. But I do believe they shouldn’t have tampered with his vocals in those tracks. This is just my opinion, of course! Just add it to the list of other possible theories, lol.
Diana Rose
May 22, 2014 at 9:42 pm
maybe similar to the way they manipuulated the vocals on Love Never Felt So Good. not saying i believe 100% that the cascio track are michael but i still dont know how to tell either way.
RiogirlS77
May 23, 2014 at 1:32 am
Oh Lord… If you believe the 3 Cascio tracks sound anything like Michael, I have some land to sell you in Florida too…
SMH.
BTW, the Cascio tracks do NOT include Hollywood Tonight! That song is 100% MJ, musically aAND vocally, and was the best song on the album! (The Cascio tracks are Keep Your Head Up, Monster, and Breaking News)
WHY would anyone have to “tamper” with MJ’s voice if it was MJ’s voice???
That is ridiculous.
MJ had a wide range vocally, but chose to sing in a high tenor most of the time. 2000 watts is him singing in a lower range. But is 100% HIM!
RiogirlS77
May 23, 2014 at 1:35 am
??? – The vocals on Love Never Felt So Good were not “tampered with” in any way! Did you hear the original version in the Deluxe set? They are EXACTLY the same, and have been that way for 3 decades! The song was leaked on the internet several years ago, and I have had that EXACT original demo on my hard drive ever since.
SMH…
Diana Rose
May 23, 2014 at 6:14 am
yeah on the deluxe set they are identical but i have heard the leaked one. they lowered the pitch on both the original and the contemporized versions.
Arya
May 23, 2014 at 6:43 am
This is just my opinion. You don’t have to agree. I mean I don’t expect anyone to agree with me anyway. I know which tracks are the cascio tracks. I have read comments which even doubted the vocals in “hollywood tonight”. I dunno whether they were just making fun or were serious. We have its demo and that is why we know for sure. I was also surprised when there were people who doubted the low voice in “Chicago”. Its kind of sad to see what the cascio tracks have done, but providing MJ’s demos with this album is the ONLY reason why its managed to survive out there. I am not ready to believe anything until I have the demos of the cascio tracks which is impossible to get. And I never said 2000 watts isn’t him. I KNOW its him but just do a quick search on YouTube and you will see videos of 2000 watts pitched up and saying that’s his original voice. That is why I felt “maybe” the producers changed the pitch in those tracks to make it sound it is MJ indeed. Please read my comment with understanding. I hate arguing, I hate hating altogether. Its not in my heart. Now, the “hologram” happened and again there is this uproar. Its just sad to see the community venting out frustration like this.
Heath Claiborne
May 23, 2014 at 6:58 am
Why does Arya say it’s not an impersonator when it already has been confirmed by sources involved in the production that it was. I knew it definitely was an impersonator when I saw it and I work in the industry and can also now confirm it was. Did you know we landed on the moon. You may not believe it but I have sources! Lol The only debate was how much the impersonator was manipulated for video. It’s obvious the face was digitally masked. I say the body and limbs were virtually untouched-complete organic video.
Arya
May 23, 2014 at 12:05 pm
Really what kind of sources are they? Because now it has been assured that there was no impersonator. This has been cleared.
http://www.mjjcommunity.com/news/the-secret-of-michael-jacksons-illusion
Please give this a read. I was right with the “uncanny valley”. I now hope you will understand my motives when I posted that Avatar video.
Heath Claiborne
May 24, 2014 at 6:47 am
My sources are two people who know others associated with the production.
The article did not say an impersonator was not used. It has one sentence that says, “Next, a computer-generated Jackson circa 1991 (the period chosen by the Jackson estate) was subjected to an arduous animation process that was crucial to its success.” This is referring to his face.
The animation and uncanny valley is referencing the face. An impersonator was videoed and a CGI animation was “arduously” placed on top of the impersonator video body.
The transparent screen and system is exactly how I said it was done, except the image can also be reflected from the floor. The term hologram is a term Musion tried to coin.
Regarding the uncanny valley. The only reason it is creepy is because faces can’t be duplicated exactly yet. I’m an artist/painter. I can paint photo realistically. However hands and feet are very difficult for me and most artists. Even so done who can only draw stick figures can tell that they don’t look right if they aren’t dead on. Again it’s only uncanny because technology and graphic artist can duplicate it perfectly yet. It ought to be called “ain’t good enough valley effect.”
Heath Claiborne
May 24, 2014 at 7:53 am
I recognized an impersonator video from start. Everyone could see the dancing was off. But worse off was the distracting face, especially on zoomed in parts. It was so bad I could not believe the artists were that far off especially since there are already higher quality animation virtual reality renderings examples in Hollywood. It appeared to be a make up face covered by digital drawing once the Vevo video came out. They simply did not invest enough time. The broadcast zoomed in too close; it was obvious. The Vevo video corrected blur issues and edited some other flaws. When the impersonator was, say, turned to the side, then they would have to find a video of Jackson also turned to the side as a reference frame to “mask” the impersonator’s face. How much of the impersonators face eyes mouth bone structure and nose had to be redrawn, overlaid, or manipulated in angle, dimension, and color frame by frame can only be speculated. They would have to render a frame for every framed videoed of the impersonators face. The One show was done the same way but a much easier project because there was no close ups as it is far back from the stage. I keep repeating a live viewer saw something much more believable. There is no way they can nor will use the term “impersonator” at any cost. You can be damn be sure Sony and the Estate emphasized not to disclose that aspect of the production. The USA Today article and interview was carefully worded. This is why I questioned your mention of motion capture. Are you saying they motion captured old video of Michael? That makes no sense. What are you saying they motion captured, an impersonator or existing video? What did they “capture?” They motion captured actors faces in Avatar so they could “draw” them into blue creatures but retain the natural movement of eyes and mouth. Why would they go through time and expense to digitize and impersonators body when it is mostly visually dead on already. All they did was draw on top of the impersonators face, and left the impersonators body.
Heath Claiborne
May 23, 2014 at 7:01 am
I also definitely believe the Cascio tracks are 100% real MJ vocals recorded in the NJ basement. They were just used too much audio processing and added foreign music samples and fragments. Kind of like crappy DJs use the same trite audio effects trying to play DJ and they muddy and crap it all up. No conspiracy theory. Occums razor people!
BX
May 22, 2014 at 11:55 am
Well, I have 4 words for this performance: SLAVE TO THE SYSTEM. A travesty. Not a Michael Jackson performance.
Doc
May 22, 2014 at 11:56 am
I’m not offended that it wasn’t a hologram of the real Michael, as I knew that would be extraordinarily unlikely. That would require that there had actually been some 3D footage shot of him doing the dance routine they intended, which seemed very unlikely. (Even if it had been made with motion capture, the actual image would still be a CGI, like the skeleton in Ghosts, and thus wouldn’t be the “real” Michael either, though the movements would be real).
So I figured it would either be shot with motion capture using an impersonator or 3D animated from scratch – or a combination of those.
What I find offensive is that they try to make people who know nothing about technology believe that what they were about to see would somehow be a resurrection of the real Michael Jackson.
I generally don’t have a problem with interpretations, 3D images, impersonators, remixes, cover-versions and all other things of that sort, as long as it’s clear that that is what it is!
But I absolutely hate that they made people who barely understand the difference between the creation of a 2D and a 3D image believe they were about to see something that would actually be Michael.
Diana Rose
May 22, 2014 at 2:37 pm
I enjoyed this presentation very much. there were things wrong with it yes. Let’s look at it though for a moment as if this is an MJ charachter being played by an actor in order to give us something entertaining. Let me tell you what I see that was right about it… I like that the MJ charachter is the one in controll of this created world he lives in. It’s the charachters magic that brings the scene to life. awakened by the music the MJ charachter snaps his fingers and makes other charachters in this world also come to life and then leads them in a dance for a short time before returning back to the world of the painting but it’s changed now. it would be more offensive to me if the MJ charachter was the one being brought to life by the other charachters in the story. then he would be the puppet, but it’s the other way around. thye show us a represntation of Michael that is in controll of his fictional world. I feel that though they may lack the creativity Michael posessed they are trying in some way to keep the idea of Michael in controll of this fictional world and I”m interested to see more of this fictional MJ. to see more of the world they create around him. whether it’s a cgi representation or an impersonator playing the part i think it’s not the worst rendering of Michael we could have. they could have done worse. and enough about the face. since when does a face matter so much to us? If they’d rendered any version of Michael’s face perfectly, we’d be arguing about which face it was they used. if it looked like Michael during Thriller we’d be offended by that. some might be offended if theyd used an image from his final years saying they would rather have the public see him in his prime….but his when his “prime” was is also subject to opinion ughhh….
Diana Rose
May 22, 2014 at 2:48 pm
and it does bother me that people are believeing somehow it was “really Michael” i just heard someone on the news talking about that Brett Nichols kid who did a performance at his high school saying there were comments that he was better than the hologram, but then the reporter said something like “but they used the real Michael for the hologram so that was really Michael” but this is more likely a case of news reporters not knowing wtf they’re talking about so that’s not really new to the Michael Jackson community. but yeah… people should be seeing this as an official fictoinal representation of Michael Jackson. if the estate uses it further they need to be clear about it being a fictional thing used to tell a story or entertain. but maybe they don’t exactly feel the need to explain this as it should be obvious as Michael Jackson is no longer really with us and poeple should be able to use common sense, but maybe they’re keeping quiet and letting people choose what to believe for themselves because that’s what most people want do be able to do anyway..
Diana Rose
May 22, 2014 at 2:54 pm
did anyone have to explain that the tupac hologram wasn’t really tupac? or was it just obvious enough that it didn’t need explaining?
Diana Rose
May 22, 2014 at 4:08 pm
Who’s right? Who’s wrong? When love is gone….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAnVRbF2dUw
Diana Rose
May 22, 2014 at 6:35 pm
Michael Jackson fans… there has been allot of division within the Michael Jackson community these days. I makes me sad and I think back and remember the days when we referred to ourselves as The Army Of Love. We were a united force. We were a worldwide family. Where has that gone?
Many of us are angry about some the decisions the estate makes. Many are still angry about the Michael album. whether the Cascio tracks were fake or not there are still many fans who can’t even figure it out. Those recordings were handed to the estate as Michael Jackson recordings. Michael wasn’t there to say he didn’t record them. How were they supposed to know for sure? Maybe they messed up in not thinking through letting those three songs on The Michael Album. People mess up.
This Xscape album in some ways feels like they’re doing a better job this time around. yeah they contemporized the songs. The intention of that is to get them radio play and get Michael Jackson music out there again. Some people say it’s just a money grab… I’ll get to that in a minute.
The hologram…some fans are angry about it. Some were expecting a true image of Michael Jackson himself. They feel it damages Michael Jackson’s legacy to use an imitation.. I choose to see it as a fictional representation of Michael Jackson used to entertain and tell a story. I thought the presentation at the Billboard awards was really cool. If it’s viewed as fiction then the argument of whether they used CGI or an impersonator to create it doesn’t really matter. I’m looking forward to see if they’ll use this “fictional MJ” to make short films in the future. maybe not a tour as some people have been chattering about. That might be going too far.
Anyhow that brings me to the money grab issue….lets think back to when Michael Jackson bought the Beatles catalog. some Beatles fans were angry about it. They were further angered when Michael let the songs be used in ways Beatles fans felt damaged the Beatles legacy. Us Michael fans know Michael had great respect for the Beatles- John Lennon especially. The choices Michael made with Beatles songs were choices he believed would help keep the Beatles legacy alive. Beatles fans thought he made the decisions to make money. Yeah Michael did make money off the Beatles catalog. Was he in it for the money?
Michael was in similar shoes back then to the ones the estate is in now. Did we like when Beatles fans hated on Michael for decisions he had the right to make? Did we agree with Beatles fans when they said Michael was in it for money?
Maybe we ought to give the Michael Jackson Estate the chance to do what they think is right for the Michael Jackson Estate. In the long run maybe all this might be a good thing for Michael’s image and his fans. The Estate has some pretty big shoes to fill. Nobody will be able to do it like Michael did it. So we need to stop expecting that.
Do I still have questions about what they’re doing? You bet. But only time will tell.
Diana Rose
May 22, 2014 at 10:53 pm
we’re always going to miss Michael. We’re always going to hurt. we still have healing to do. we are like a broken family and everyones mad at someone else for something nobody can change. all the fans seem to be asking for different things. we all branched off into differnt categories when Michael died. we have a hard time even communicating with eachother or the estate about what it really is we want. what really we want is we can’t have. we want OUR Michael back. we have to come to terms with that. but if there can be an official representatation of Michael to help show other people what he meant to us and to help us remember and give us things to look forward to maybe it’s not the worst thing. i feel as if the estate is offering us a possible future. a way to have an imagined future where a fictional Michael lives on in a fairytale world. how many of you heard behind the mask or another day and had an idea in your head about what michael could have done with a short film of those songs? there may be a way to create that. yes we have issues with the look of the fictional michael. yes we have issues with the movements. these things can eventually be fixed. with our input i think amazing and wonderful things could happen, and remember Michael promised us the best is yet to come. Michael would want that promise to be kept even if it’s not in the way he meant.
Diana Rose
May 23, 2014 at 1:01 am
http://www.mjworld.net/news/2014/05/22/xscape-becomes-1-album-in-the-world/ 🙂
samhabib
May 23, 2014 at 9:35 am
More fakery from the Michael Jackson Estate. When are people going to stop propping this shit up?
samhabib
May 23, 2014 at 10:40 am
‘Diana Rose’s’ posts give me life
Diana Rose
May 23, 2014 at 7:39 pm
thankyou
Diana Rose
May 23, 2014 at 11:01 pm
oh i didn’t realize you were being sarcastic samhabib. The posts I’m making are coming from my heart. Not from some Estate mumbo jumbo. i could see with my own eyes it was a cgi image of michael and now it’s confirmed. 20 years from now are people going to look back and care how this was made? Michael used a theme in many of his short films of coming back to life. moonwalker and ghosts both used the theme. this is going with that theme. anywho…. remember that halloween special that never was that still could be? i think i figured out how they plan to get it done without michael. also…hey i remember he had videos planed for alot of the songs on invincible he never got to make. if he talked enough about what he wanted to do, or wrote these things down, and the blanks were filled in with ideas loyal to the Michael Jackson visual art theme… i mean…it feels like alot of fans want this stuff to just die and go away. if michael didn’t do it while he was alive it’s not worth seeing or hearing, but you know what? it all is. Dr. Suess’s kind of books lived on after he died even though he wasn’t there to write them. the Curious George books too…. Michael wasn’t just a singer and dancer he told stories too. I think if they can use this to tell us stories in the spirit of Michael Jacksons work and imaginary world done in respect and love that cgi creation…and yeah that is what it was…might not have been perfect but i could tell it was made out of love. it was so well made it looked like a real person to some. the only issue is it didn’t look or move exactly like michael jackson. im prettty sure it will get better if we can just be patient and wait for the next thing they have to show us. i bet there will be at least one cgi video made for this album. maybe a few more than that. Blue Gangsta!
Sina
May 24, 2014 at 6:43 pm
Never thought I would need an eleborate explanation to understand what I was seeing on a stage that was supposed to be Michael Jacksons(but still find it horrible.).
So from now on the excuse for everything will be that Michael loved magic and innovation.
Most frightening to me though is how the executors and/or producers who financed the project will recoup their investment and what they will make “Michael “do for it. I am getting AEG vibes.
Diana Rose
May 24, 2014 at 8:45 pm
I was thinking a while back and the truth is the estate doesn’t really NEED to use Michael Jackson to make their money. They are obligated to put out a certain number of abums but whether they do good or not isn’t a stipulation in the cotract. The Estate if they reallly didn’t care about Michael could put in NO effort to make this stuff do well.They could release crap. They’ve got the Beatles, Elvis and have of Sony’s catalog to make money off of so why would they even have to spend time on a Michael Jackson album if they didn’t want to. Why? because they want to bring Michael back into the conciousness of the public in a positive light. ya’ll talk about having them rerelease the old stuff but a rerelease would NOT be number one in the world right now. or number two on the billboard charts for that matter. Michael’s image was dragged though the mud for so long before he died. theres sill a whole bunch of people that don’t realize they’ve been lied to about Michael Jackson by the media. they don’t understand why we love him so much the people running things NEED to get Michael’s image out there in positive newsworthy ways so his legacy has a better chance of being remembered for what WE know and love him for instead of what the haters have said for so many years.
Sina
May 24, 2014 at 9:33 pm
I was thinking a while back and the truth is the estate doesn’t really NEED to use Michael Jackson to make their money
There you have it! hence the hologram
I wonder who invested in the development of the hologram/CGI , who owns the rights (= who benefits) if in using an impersonator they avoid to use Michaels image , so no money for his estate and what the longterm plan for it is.
A tour maybe , with only songs produced by Branca McClain and others, sans MJ.
You are right that they dont need him, the show will go on anyway.
Sina
May 24, 2014 at 10:52 pm
‘The Michael Jackson Hologram Proved That the MJ Industry Doesn’t Actually Need Jackson to Survive’
http://www.vulture.com/2014/05/michael-jacksons-hologram-the-phantom-menace.html
Diana Rose
May 24, 2014 at 8:53 pm
and i’m pretty sure the things that were said about the event being “realistic” or like “michael jackson was right there” maybe they weren’t meant for US maybe they were meant for the media and the general public. if you remember Michael had seperate messages for them and us sometimes. he would use the fanbase to let us know what was up and the media to tell only the tidbits he wanted to. we need to learn to remember the difference between again.
Diana Rose
May 25, 2014 at 8:57 am
http://beatlesblogger.com/2014/01/23/some-fans-angry-about-the-new-u-s-albums-set/ thought this was an interesting article. the comments are interesting too. one beatles fan says she was pissed at Michael Jackson for not releasing some american beatles recordings or something in 1987. I’m curious to find information about how beatles fans feel about the MJ Estate now.
Heath Claiborne
May 26, 2014 at 6:44 am
The article cited above, “phantom menace,” describes the projection as a computer made face on top of an impersonator’s body. Notice how the estate and Pulse Revolution avoided using the word impersonator. Not only that but the wording cleverly dodges the fact that the “arduous” work was on the face. They pasted a face on live organic video of an impersonator. Ultimately I find absolutely nothing wrong with the attempt of using real video of an impersonator.The issue I have is the marketing B.S. they used to dupe an ignorant or uninterested viewership, and the hype and exaggeration. The estate states they tried to keep expectations in check and had nothing to do with the over hype. This is plausible but you can be damn sure they told the men at Pulse to do NOT use word impersonator. Just talk about the digital process vaguely ( the face). People are generally to ignorant to know the difference or what they are talking about. They share the Pepper’s Ghost rigging part, but avoid getting into the digitalization specifics so that the impersonator part is avoided at all costs.
“Dead celebs who do well in the afterlife are nothing new, of course; artists ranging from Elvis Presley to Bob Marley still earn tens of millions a year. But there was something particularly grotesque about the holographic Jackson spectacle last Sunday. There were the highly publicized lawsuits that raged between warring hologram companies mere days before the Billboard Awards, putting the agonies of capitalism on full display. There was the sinking feeling among viewers of being duped by elaborate smoke-and-mirrors marketing — we soon learned that “Jackson” was a floating digital face grafted onto an impersonator’s body, not a full hologram. The performance itself was wooden, not at all up to Jackson’s exacting standards. The impersonator danced robotically, flanked by a phalanx of dancers, against a glistening over-the-top backdrop that looked like something out of a Fellini movie.”
BJ
May 30, 2014 at 11:20 pm
“The estate states they tried to keep expectations in check and had nothing to do with the over hype. This is plausible but…”
Plausible deniability comes in handy.
That’s not a criticism of your comment. On the contrary, what you know and what you have to say is incredibly important in the whole scheme of things.
Vanhove
May 26, 2014 at 7:40 am
For projection in 3d u need at least 3 projector…
Then no light just above him wthell… Just a look a like for me :/
And he looked to real to be projected and sorry but he did not really like MJ
Even the dance moonwalk etc… Looked 3 times the video to search any projector didn’t see any one :/
And if u look good don’t remember the time but they dance on the floor some one touching him … And what ?!? His legs of “MJ” moved good projection bravo I say haha
Vanhove
May 26, 2014 at 8:05 am
Ok I know some companies are really good but to make that kind of performance they wil need at Least 8 projector above 6 on the floor big. Very. Very. Big screens and a fucking lot of mirrors …. It’s Maybe not a fake but that my opinion to big to be hologram 🙁
Vanhove
May 26, 2014 at 8:10 am
And if it’s was not a fake I really hope they do London or Bucharest concert cause I was to young to going to see have the DVD but “live” OMG Will be Amazing :))))
Heath Claiborne
May 26, 2014 at 6:57 pm
That is exactly what I think the hologram technology would be the most exciting. Take live concert footage from the past and clean it up. Take human figures and objects highlight/contrast certain attributes so they are more dimensional. Add some real performers and real light design, lasers, smoke, special effects to create an immersive 3D experience. Essentially you watch a recorded live concert as if you are there. I already do this at my theatre but of course there is no hologram. You can already simply watch a 3D concert by wearing glasses, and there are already 3D panels that simulate 3D without wearing glasses. But imagine entire music video footage or live concert footage fully hologrammed out.
The hurdle for slave of the rhythm they had to make him sing a new song. I personally would have preferred the same staging and dancers but just watch a hologram of him of old footage performing a past song in 3D projection form. Even smiling at the end and bowing and thanking the audience. More authentic, engaging, and would have served marketing purpose.
Diana Rose
May 26, 2014 at 10:29 pm
I’m prettty sure it was a cgi made from scans of an impersonators body and face with MJ’s face somewhat badly superimposed. I think they did ths because it was probably too hard for them to turn images of Michael from film into a 3D image. so an impersonator was needed as a model. earlier Heath Clairborne asked why use cgi for the clothes or whatever when you can just use an impersonator, well If this was just a one time thing that might make sense, but I think they plan on using the cgi virtual Michael for other projects. so I think in that case they wouldn’t want to have to pay an impersonator to perform every single time. if you are correct and they did use straight up video of an impersonator well then they really need to get to work on creating a cgi body now. I have a theory they allready have cgi short films made for some of the songs on xscape.Also I read something on the Michael Jackson website that was posted last year where a fan wrote a letter to the Estate about the “hologram” hosting a Ghosts halloween special this year, and there were comments talking about petitioning the estate for this to happen. There are alot of fans who have been pushing the Estate to do things like this for a long time. Maybe they need to work on the presentation of it a bit more but I really do think great things could come of this in time.
Heath Claiborne
May 27, 2014 at 3:48 am
I don’t understand what you mean by a cgi body to replace an impersonator for the future. There is no such thing. Cgi is not so a science fiction permanent replacement you can infinitely create any movement you want. It is simply a digital illustration-frame by frame. If for example MJs gold coat was digitally drawn or “illustrated” (instead of simply being an actual real gold coat worn by the impersonator as I claim) then you still have a drawing of a gold coat, moving exactly as it is drawn and nothing else. That’s all it is. It it was anything else, any other color, moving any other way you have to redraw it. Same for pants, face, arms,hands, wrinkles, shadows, lighting, outlines etc. That’s why I keep emphasizing there is no reason not to simply use the actual video of the impersonator. It is not some miracle dancing illustration that can do anything you want it to. The video you saw, regardless whether organic or cgi, was THE video. It can’t be anything you saw but that single performance. The reason original existing film footage is not used is 1 it is not green screened and would be very difficult to extract the figure from its existing background, but possible 2 there was no existing footage of MJ dancing to specifically to Slave to the Rhythm in a full choreographed routine 3 if you did use existing video, the staging, live performers, and all cues, lighting, and choreography would have to be build around that videos movement and timing which would be very difficult
You Feel I'm Real
May 26, 2014 at 10:35 pm
Even when Michael was alive I had suspicions that in the event of his death he planned on things like this and wanted them to happen. Some of the things he said about death were right in the same vein as some things andy warhol used to say about building a robot of himself for when he died, so that a part of his essence could be left behind. Michael had home videos made of almost everything he did. Andy warhol did he same thing and would say it was for gathering information for his robot about who he was…I started getting suspicious of this WAY back when Michael did the Bashir interview and said he wanted to live forever. then the Private Home Movies where he’s talking about having video cameras around him all the time. I was suspicious WAY BACK THEN. I don’t think it’s possible for someone’s actual conciousness to live on through technology, Michael is in heaven. But I wonder if he didn’t intend for some record of himself to live on.
You Feel I'm Real
May 26, 2014 at 11:25 pm
look up Morgan Spurlock inside man How To live Forever
You Feel I'm Real
May 26, 2014 at 11:41 pm
http://thecelebritycafe.com/feature/jane-fonda-michael-jackson-wanted-live-forever-12-12-2011 I think Michael MUST have been onto this kind of thing.
ILIA
May 31, 2014 at 2:26 pm
It is not a hologram or an impersonator! do some research before u talk!
Heath Claiborne
June 1, 2014 at 4:02 am
FAIL
It IS an impersonator…filmed.
It is a projection using Peppers Ghost technique, AkA a “hologram” as the terminology used by Musion and others in the industry. You commented late. Most readers here are astute MJ fans.
Jim Lang
June 4, 2014 at 2:08 pm
I like that the impersonator wasn’t the real Jackson, cause the real one was a pedophile. You’ll never convince me otherwise and the farce that is the court system can kiss my moral indignation. Also, when greedy people try to keep a franchise alive in order to make money by fooling their following which made them that money, they are no longer deserving of our attention. Ditch them. Turn your back and walk away sheeple.
Diana Rose
June 8, 2014 at 9:22 am
WHY IS THIS GUY EVEN HERE READING OR COMMENTING ON ANY OF THIS????
A.Lee
June 17, 2014 at 7:35 pm
It looked pretty good to me, but it was obvious that it was a body double with a CG Michael head on him. There were a few moments where he clipped the background dancers, and I think the CG head clipped the body at one point.
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Vlad Jackson
August 27, 2015 at 8:36 pm
why couldn’t they just make a 3d doll of Michael and then programme the dance moves into it. It’s not that hard, they do it with vocaloid all the time. And vocaloid is way more advanced than that, I wish they wouldn’t make such a hype over how advanced it is, since it’s really not that impressive. It’s actually fairly common nowadays.
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Terri
November 4, 2017 at 9:56 am
I could never watch this performance…I didn’t want to see MJ as a hologram nor did I want to see an impersonator trying to trick people. You know if MJ is still alive he could be walking around anywhere and we would never know. With all the tribute artists around who is going to see one out in public, (not performing at the time), and start saying ” this is the real MJ” ….whoever does would get an ambulance ride to the nearest psych. ward. So you never know.