Abstract
Michael Jackson was not only known for his music but also for his pioneering short films. In this issue, we published a discussion about Monochromatic Cinematography in Michael Jackson’s Bad and Stranger in Moscow. Elizabeth discusses the documentary Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall and other thought-provoking news in the world of Michael Jackson, and we published interviews with author Lissa Brisse and author Zack O’Malley Greenburg.
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Contents
1. Editorial by Karin Merx
2. Episode 4: Michael Jackson And Monochromatic Cinematography
by Karin Merx & Elizabeth Amisu
3. MJ Studies Today III
by Elizabeth Amisu
4. An Interview with Lisa Brisse
by The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies
5. Episode 5: MJAS Exclusive – Michael Jackson’s Estate
by Karin Merx & Elizabeth Amisu
6. Episode 6: Spike Lee’s Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to ‘Off the Wall’
by Karin Merx & Elizabeth Amisu
7. MJ Studies Today IV
by Elizabeth Amisu
8. An Interview with Zack O’Malley Greenburg
by The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies
1 Editorial
Michael Jackson is known as the pioneer of music videos. Jackson, however, preferred to call them short films. Jackson’s Thriller opened the door to MTV, and not only for him but also for other black artists. Michael Jackson’s short films are an art form in itself and a very interesting topic for research.
In this issue, we published a discussion about Michael Jackson and Monochromatic Cinematography. We discuss the function of monochrome cinematography in the short films Bad and Stranger in Moscow. Elizabeth discusses the new documentary of Spike Lee,
In her third column MJ Studies Today, Elizabeth discusses the new documentary of Spike Lee, Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall.
The journal had the honour to interview Lisa Brisse who wrote: The Man in Our Mirror: A Reflection of Our Collective Soul. Brisse discusses her process and her unique perspective on Michael Jackson’s life and work.
In our first exclusive episode of Michael Jackson’s Dream Lives On we discuss Michael Jackson’s estate. They apparently decided to sell Michael Jackson’s catalog to Sony. In episode 6 we return to Spike Lee’s documentary Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall and how this documentary can be used for research.
In her 4th column Elizabeth writes about exciting and thought-provoking news in the world of Michael Jackson Studies. Finally, we are pleased to include our interview with Zack O’ Malley Greenburg. O’ Malley wrote the insightful book Michael Jackson Inc.: The Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of a Billion-Dollar Empire. He discusses his process and his research on Michael Jackson, business and posthumous reception.
Karin Merx
2. Episode 4: Michael Jackson And Monochromatic Cinematography
by Karin Merx & Elizabeth Amisu
In this episode Elizabeth and Karin talk about the function of black and white (monochrome/chiaroscuro) cinematography in the short films, Bad (dir. Martin Scorsese, 1987) and Stranger in Moscow (dir. Nicholas Brandt, 1996). Taking their academic essays on two of Jackson’s most monochromatic short films as source material, they consider how Jackson used cinema language to communicate with his audience in a way that was both subtle and resonant.
http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/the-dream-lives-on-4-black-and-white-in-bad-and-stranger-in-moscow/
3. MJ Studies Today III
by Elizabeth Amisu
March 2016 discusses the screening of Spike Lee’s new documentary, ‘Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to Off the Wall’.
http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/mj-studies-today-iii-15-03-16/
4. An Interview with Lisa Brisse
by The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies
Lisa Brisse, author of The Man in Our Mirror: A Reflection of Our Collective Soul, discusses her process and her unique perspective on Michael Jackson’s life and work.
5. Episode 5: MJAS Exclusive – Michael Jackson’s Estate
by Karin Merx & Elizabeth Amisu
In this fifth episode, a bonus MJAS Exclusive, Elizabeth and Karin discuss the recent sale of the Sony/ATV catalogue by the Michael Jackson Estate. They use a range of sources to explain exactly what the Estate is, how it functions, and go on to reach new conclusions on Jackson’s posthumous resonance from an academic perspective.
http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/episode-5-mjas-exclusive-the-business-of-michael-jacksons-estate/
6. Episode 6: Spike Lee’s Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to ‘Off the Wall’
by Karin Merx & Elizabeth Amisu
In this sixth episode, Elizabeth and Karin discuss the 2016 documentary, Michael Jackson’s Journey from Motown to ‘Off The Wall’, directed by Spike Lee. Their discussion begins with Lee’s body of work, and how it connects with this particular documentary, and go on to explore the use of it as a text for teachers, researchers and academics. Throughout this episode the wonderful solo album, Off the Wall remains a key topic of discussion.
http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/episode-6-michael-jacksons-journey-from-motown-to-off-the-wall/
7. MJ Studies Today IV
by Elizabeth Amisu
April 2016 has been incredibly exciting and thought-provoking in the world of Michael Jackson Studies.
http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/mj-studies-today-iv-14-04-16/
8. An Interview with Zack O’Malley Greenburg
by The Journal of Michael Jackson Academic Studies
Zack O’Malley Greenburg, author of Michael Jackson, Inc., discusses his process and his research on Michael Jackson, business and posthumous reception.
http://michaeljacksonstudies.org/an-interview-with-zack-omalley-greenburg/