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Interview With Michael Jackson Documentary Filmmaker, Jin Chohan
Written by Fiona DodwellBritish filmmaker Jin Chohan, who is the director of Takeflight Film LTD, has decided to tackle the story of Michael Jackson, and explore how the media has shaped our perception of him. So far, the documentary has garnered huge interest and has even had input from members of the Jackson family. Here we discuss the upcoming release, and what inspired him to take on such an ambitious project…
Jin, can you begin by telling us a little about your background and how you became involved in film and documentary making?
I’m from Birmingham originally – born and raised. My parents are from Punjab India, and that being said I was always kind of the odd one out in my family as being creative wasn’t very common for immigrant parents. I was always pushed into education and being compared to relatives who were becoming doctors and pharmacists. I was only interested in being creative. At 15 I fell in-love with dance and performance. I ended up going to university to study the sciences at the coercion of my parents, but eventually took a stand and quit when I was in my early 20s and started training dance full time as well as working at a Pharmacy to fund my traveling to auditions and such – this of course kept my parents happy to, until I quit and started working as a creative full time. I used to film almost every dance session I trained to review and make myself better, and that’s really where my working in film really began. I started making my own visuals and eventually started getting hired as a videographer for artists and weddings. I decided to go to UCLA and study filmmaking, after graduating I worked at a production company working on a series of documentaries on CNN. There was a transition as I got older in my 30s to filmmaking which felt very natural to me. After setting up my own production company in the UK I started working on my own feature documentary.
What projects have you worked on in the past?
After UCLA I worked for a production company in North Hollywood, in the editorial department on a series of documentaries for CNN called ‘The 2000s’. From working with brands, companies and artists the videos I’ve created are quite varied. On the documentary side I learned a lot at the production company, and after was hired to be a creative director for a health brand creating weekly content for a Vegas based company. I also worked for UCLA, creating a documentary for their Semel Institute, and covering concerts they would have in their auditorium for the staff at Ronald Reagan Medical Center across the road. Since I’ve worked on various documentary projects, either to learn, share and work on the film.
The documentary you’re working on at the moment – Trial By Media: The Michael Jackson Story – has garnered a lot of interest. What inspired you to take on this project?
I decided to do this project originally in 2019 after the airing of the documentary ‘Leaving Neverland’. The thing which struck me was the backlash I witnessed online compared to what was being spoken about on mainstream media. I felt their was an intentional disconnect there, and that was really the beginning of my endeavor to build on the topic on the whole and create ‘Trial by Media: The Michael Jackson Story’. I felt there was a much deeper story to tell about us the public and our relationship with celebrity and media. So in 2019 it was first a thought, originally knowing how huge of a project and challenge it would be I decided to work on the documentary which I am planning on doing after ‘Trial by Media’ – a documentary about Sikh’s of India. But this film persisted in my mind and I felt compelled to do this story justice and dedicate myself 100% to the completion of it.
You’ve already invested a lot of time into the documentary. How has this experience been so far, and what have been the biggest challenges you’ve faced?
The experience so far has been incredibly rewarding as a filmmaker and for the topic itself. I’ve learned a lot since I began this project. From speaking with Michael Jackson’s family to people who worked with him, to his attorneys and journalists the stories which have been shared are eye opening. As a filmmaker the journey has allowed me to put into practice much of what I learned at UCLA, and I feel I am learning and growing every day. The challenges I faced were taking on this topic as my companies first major project. It would have been hard to get my foot in the door to get access to the world of Michael Jackson, but thankfully it worked. I’ve interviewed over 20 people with about 70 plus hours of footage. Each interview was a challenge, but I overcame it by being honest and upfront about the topic and hopefully people can see my heart is in the right place with this film.
Why do you think this documentary needs to be made? What is it about Michael Jackson and the media that needs exploring, in your opinion?
I feel Michael Jackson is almost a mirror to society in some ways. I have a sense people see and project their own flaws on others and Jackson being such a huge figure he garners a lot of that attention. That being said I feel it’s very important we treat each other right in society and we follow the law without emotion getting involved in our judgments. These are ideas I feel everyone can agree with, so creating this film is important for putting a mirror to society and asking ourselves some questions which may be hard to answer. It’s a story which has a root in America’s history and America’s relationship with celebrity, this being so prevalent in today’s culture with social media now more than ever. The story of Michael Jackson – in hindsight – when unraveled can tell us a lot about ourselves.
Who has been involved in the project so far, if you’re able to tell us?
I’ve been lucky enough to speak with a number of people close to Michael Jackson from his family to people who worked with him. From Tom Mesereau, to Associated Press’s Linda Deutsch, to the 1970s/80s PR giant Howard Bloom, to music journalists. The stories have been very varied and educational for everyone in the room while interviewing.
Have you had a lot of support, or faced any backlash?
I’ve had incredible support on Twitter and online, Michael Jackson supporters have been incredible. There’s been little backlash really, I get the odd message on Twitter which doesn’t seem to progress the story or educate in anyway. Most of the part very supportive.
Have you learned anything during this process about Michael Jackson that has surprised you?
I have learned a lot, and I mean a lot with an exclamation mark. I originally went into the project knowing the story would grow and change, and it has grown in soul a great deal. I’ve learned people really do care and how he treated people really lasted on much of the people around him. The stories being shared in the film – each one – has been eye opening. From some interviews being very emotional from the very beginning to others which were surprisingly different to what I expected. And in particular the research side of this film has changed my opinion about media and pop culture in general.
At what stage is the documentary right now? When do you believe it will be completed and released?
The film is currently about 50-60% complete, I plan on having the film – which is now a three part series – complete by mid next year (hopefully).
What can people expect from the show – What message are you trying to convey in its release?
I want to turn the cogs in peoples minds and make them think from a different perspective. What I’m not doing is answering questions the public may have but simply relaying information in a compelling way which opens a door to the ‘house of Michael Jackson’ we’ve been led into over the past 35 years. I want this film to simply open that door for people to be intrigued enough to walk through and see things from a different perspective, not just about Jackson but about the media.
Where will people be able to view it once it is released?
This film is being designed for a major streaming service, from the format it’s being filmed and captured in. It will hopefully be able to be viewed on a major streaming service in the future. I’m currently working on this very part, to take this project to the next level.
What’s your opinion on Dan Reed’s Leaving Neverland documentary? There has been a lot of criticism that he failed to explore significant inconsistencies in the allegations made by Wade and James…
I feel the film is basically a movie, it’s fine to share stories but a fair story is paramount and this doesn’t seem to be that way inclined. What must be done is have a fair look at both sides. The public deserves the truth and I feel the public’s appetite for the truth is very much undermined. The way the media has handled this topic seems to be very bias on the filmmakers side. Inconsistencies have been shot down with no thought at all. Free speech is wonderful, but sometimes we have to put up with a lot of mess to hear the ones who deserve it.
Once this project is completed, what is next for you?
After this film I’d like to have a vacation, as I’ve been working on it full time since 2020. But in all seriousness, next will be a documentary film about the Sikh’s, a religion from north India. A look into the culture the religion gave birth to more than the religion itself.
Interview With Michael Jackson Documentary Filmmaker, Jin Chohan
British filmmaker Jin Chohan, who is the director of Takeflight Film LTD, has decided to tackle the story of Michael Jackson, and explore how the media has shaped our perception of him. So far, the…
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