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Michael Jackson’s Halloween - New animated special coming this fall

ivy said:
"It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" a 1966 cartoon airs on TV every year and is very popular. As far as ratings goes it outperforms most new shows. Same is true for "Charlie Brown Christmas" (1965). So being timeless isn't based on technical side of animation , it's based on content.
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You beat me to it, I was going to say the same thing!! I don't care that Charlie Brown isn't super modern, 4K, 3D, high def, blah, blah, blah, it's a wonderful classic and perfect the way it is. Not everything has to be all techie!!!
 
HIStoric;4209378 said:
I did say in the same post you quoted “What makes a film great is always going to be the story and it's characters, how well it's executed.”
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Yes I saw. In the same post you also asked "Go look at the most respected animations - the ones that actually do get replayed every year" and there can't be any better example for that than the Charlie Brown specials. They are over 50 years old, definitely not a high tech animation but they are still popular than ever. and that was my point. Content matters more than the technical side.
 
ivy;4209401 said:
Yes I saw. In the same post you also asked "Go look at the most respected animations - the ones that actually do get replayed every year" and there can't be any better example for that than the Charlie Brown specials. They are over 50 years old, definitely not a high tech animation but they are still popular than ever. and that was my point. Content matters more than the technical side.
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And I agree with you that the content side does matter more, but that still doesn’t mean we can’t hope for standards on the technical side of things.

In regards to a Charlie Brown, I haven’t watched those cartoons but I’m aware of it’s rather simple animation style. I don’t believe in the notion that for cartoons, simple = bad or anything. I do consider 2D cartoons different from 3D CGI though, which depending on its style I feel has the potential to look worse to the point it can be more distracting. I dunno, this definitely isn’t the worst animation I’ve ever seen and maybe I was harsh in my original post, but I do still think there are some scenes that could’ve visually looked nicer.

Speaking of the animation, as in the characters actually moving, this film is a 3D animation entirely based off Michael Jackson’s work, a man who’s arguably most famous asset was his dance moves. You’d expect them to give special attention to the dance moves animation with that in mind, wouldn’t you? This is a reason in particular why I have higher than normal expectations for the dancing and I think that’s fair enough. From what I’ve seen of the other motion outside of the dancing (Ie running, interacting with each other, ziplining etc), that looks fine to me. No qualms there.

EDIT: I partially take what I said about the way it looks back tbh. I just watched the version the Estate uploaded to Facebook, which colourwise wasn’t as bad looking as the fan ripped and uploaded video I saw somewhere last night. Least the colour was better on the official upload which can make a world of difference (probably a better encoding too).
 
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HIStoric;4209404 said:
Speaking of the animation, as in the characters actually moving, this film is a 3D animation entirely based off Michael Jackson’s work, a man who’s arguably most famous asset was his dance moves. You’d expect them to give special attention to the dance moves animation with that in mind, wouldn’t you? This is a reason in particular why I have higher than normal expectations for the dancing and I think that’s fair enough.
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I get you but this is also a money issue. For example the pixar movies that takes years to make costs also tens of and even hundreds of millions to make. Clearly this special did not have such budget. This is not a cinema release it's a TV only in US release. I believe fans attended the NY event said motioncapture was used for the dancing scenes. So it could be motion capturing one person and then multiplying those moves. I'm not really that knowledgeable about technical side of things. All I'm saying is realistic expectations is better.
 
ivy said:
I get you but this is also a money issue. For example the pixar movies that takes years to make costs also tens of and even hundreds of millions to make. Clearly this special did not have such budget. This is not a cinema release it's a TV only in US release. I believe fans attended the NY event said motioncapture was used for the dancing scenes. So it could be motion capturing one person and then multiplying those moves. I'm not really that knowledgeable about technical side of things. All I'm saying is realistic expectations is better.
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I don't expect it to have Pixar's hectic $175 million budget that's for sure :tongue: I do recognise that they won't make anywhere near as much money as a Pixar release either to justify a huge budget. In saying this, they've definitely made bank over the past 2 years (at least a billion if you combine 2016+2017's profit) so I still feel they could've invested a few million more.

Motion capture is good, albeit expected. It would certainly make the animators jobs far easier and make the dance move itself look more natural (God, I'd hate to see what it'd be like without haha). I don't even have a problem with the dancing animation on it's own, like I saw Michael at the beginning and he was fine. If I saw Hay Man alone he would've looked fine... my only issue would be if every character in a scene had the exact same animation with no variance, because it feels robotic and artificial you know? They could've very well just multiplied the moves across each character, but I hope they didn't. Different creatures of different sizes will move around a bit differently to each other and so I hope they do in the final film - even if it's small.

I suppose to most people it is a pretty tiny and ignorable thing, like I'd be fine with it in any old children's CGI film but with a Michael Jackson film I just hope they'd go a little bit further for the dance scenes because it's something so attached to MJ's image. And I fully admit that it's hard to tell in that footage because it's so short so I might even be completely wrong, which is why I am leaving my final reservations until I see the film :)
 
KOPV said:
from what I am seeing, this is right down an MJ themed story... learning to be yourself, don't conform to what people want you to be! that's Michaels story!
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Yeah. Great. - Really it's like the theme in Ghosts
 
Zeus7 said:
Ouch! I loved the clip, especially the Dangerous stained glass window ?
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Me too!!! When I saw that window...that's when I got excited! I can't wait. Does anyone know the date for the UK? Sorry if its already posted, too busy and slightly lazy!
 
ivy said:
Yes I saw. In the same post you also asked "Go look at the most respected animations - the ones that actually do get replayed every year" and there can't be any better example for that than the Charlie Brown specials. They are over 50 years old, definitely not a high tech animation but they are still popular than ever. and that was my point. Content matters more than the technical side.
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I've been thinking about this being a 'seasonal' animation, which means that it probably won't be played throughout the rest of the year, but hopefully that 'downside' will be outweighed by the 'every year repeatability' factor. Other recent animations that I can think of that use MJ's music (eg 'Angry Birds' and Despicable Me') haven't seemed to me to be infinitely re-watchable, in the way that older classics like 'Bambi, 'Dumbo' and even 'Tom and Jerry' cartoons are, and I think that's because the central characters (like Peanuts) need to be lovable. The advertising suggests that the characters in 'MJ's Halloween' are 'relatable', but I'm hoping that at least some will be strong enough to be more than that, and to find a place in the audience's heart.


Does anyone know the date for the UK? Sorry if its already posted, too busy and slightly lazy!
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I haven't seen UK or other global TV release dates announced yet....
 
I just hope this will air in Denmark too. - Hopefully on one of the big, main stations DR or TV2.

Otherwise I will have to see it online. - I wonder if it will be released on Blu-Ray?? Are tv specials released on DVD/Blu-Ray?
 
Michael deserves a cartoon series! :) There's enough magic from his character to last for years! He always loved the J5 one (as did I, and many others).. It's only right he gets a sequel. I'm surprised it didn't happen earlier!

Think of all the powers he could have, and all the adventures he could go on! :)
 
I hope this does turn into to a series i do also love the J5 cartoons. To see the magic and to hear the music of Michael would be awesome.
 
I cannot wait to see this, so any news on Uk premiere??? Netflix? music channels??? Anybody any idea?
 
The main thing about this project * Thriller3d, and special animation* is that the estate is fulfilling Michaels wishes as before he passed :( , he was going to make this special he had it on a hand written note.

Dam I miss his presence and aura.
 
I've seen this message from the MJ Estate Online Team:

Hello MJFam!
We’ve got two bits of good news for you this week. The first is that the Estate has decided to add a new feature to MichaelJackson.com providing answers to some of the frequently asked questions that we receive. For example, many people have asked us how the Estate decided to create Scream and Michael Jackson’s Halloween.
Here is the answer:

The Scream album and the animated Halloween special were inspired by Michael's love of Halloween and animation as well as the public interest every October in Thriller. Michael Jackson’s Halloween and the Scream album are intended to serve as the first part of a slate of Halloween releases to take place in future years – we love the idea of Michael Jackson dominating Halloween!

Scream is meant to be a playlist that will return to streaming services each October and there may also be special collector vinyl and CD releases like this year’s glow in the dark vinyl that could include other content or surprises as well.

Similarly, Michael Jackson’s Halloween is intended as an annual release, like the animated Charlie Brown holiday specials, ultimately being broadcast in most countries around the world each year. Though while not intended to compete with the $100 million + budget animation theatrical films, the quality of this amination exceeds anything that’s on television. It is meant for family viewing and to attract new fans. As importantly, it offers an opportunity to hear Michael’s music in an entirely new way and to share one of Michael’s own guiding principles – believe in yourself and follow your dreams – in a fun and entertaining way. Just as in Ghosts, Michael plays many parts and appears in multiple disguises to help two millennials, Vincent and Victoria, both of whom are struggling with this very issue, including as a stylized, superhero version of himself that fits in this magical world. It is not meant to be a true representation of the actual person but rather a magical character that belongs in the world that has been created. We recommend watching the program with a great stereo and the volume turned up. It is also a showpiece to allow Hollywood film and TV directors and global merchandisers to experience how effectively Michael's music can be used to drive a story.

The Halloween take-over doesn’t stop there! We know everyone will enjoy the new short films, “Blood on the Dance Floor 2017” and “Blood on the Dance Floor X Dangerous” that feature Michael’s footage from his original short films in new and fresh ways. And next year, we intend to add a release of “Thriller 3D” or “Ghosts 3D” in movie theaters around the world as part of the annual celebration.

These projects, and others that may be added in subsequent years, when taken together will help introduce Michael to new generations of fans and help parents introduce Michael to their children. For example, we heard of a fan who played “Torture” for his wife which led to her wanting to hear more Michael and Jacksons music. While we are happy to know that fans are enjoying the album, anecdotes like this mean we are also finding new fans!
The initial batch of Q&As is now on the FAQs page where more will be added in the future. You can check it out: http://michaeljackson.com/michael-jackson-faq
Furthermore, we are ready to announce the winners of the Scream Pre-order contest!

Thank you SO much for participating in the Estate’s exclusive pre-order contest. We received hundreds of entries from Michael’s most dedicated fans, and we are thrilled to announce the winners of the contest, all of whom have already been notified.

Congratulations to:
Sarah H. - UK
Maria Amelia M.- Brazil
Wendy C.- Canada
Alessia A. - France
Giul S., - Italy

and our grand prize winner, who will be attending the SCREAM party in Los Angeles on TUESDAY, October 24, Omar R. from the US!
We hope everyone is enjoying SCREAM!

MJOnline
The Official Online Team of The Michael Jackson Estate™
 
myosotis;4209548 said:
I've seen this message from the MJ Estate Online Team:

Hello MJFam!
We’ve got two bits of good news for you this week. The first is that the Estate has decided to add a new feature to MichaelJackson.com providing answers to some of the frequently asked questions that we receive. For example, many people have asked us how the Estate decided to create Scream and Michael Jackson’s Halloween.
Here is the answer:

The Scream album and the animated Halloween special were inspired by Michael's love of Halloween and animation as well as the public interest every October in Thriller. Michael Jackson’s Halloween and the Scream album are intended to serve as the first part of a slate of Halloween releases to take place in future years – we love the idea of Michael Jackson dominating Halloween!

Scream is meant to be a playlist that will return to streaming services each October and there may also be special collector vinyl and CD releases like this year’s glow in the dark vinyl that could include other content or surprises as well.

Similarly, Michael Jackson’s Halloween is intended as an annual release, like the animated Charlie Brown holiday specials, ultimately being broadcast in most countries around the world each year. Though while not intended to compete with the $100 million + budget animation theatrical films, the quality of this amination exceeds anything that’s on television. It is meant for family viewing and to attract new fans. As importantly, it offers an opportunity to hear Michael’s music in an entirely new way and to share one of Michael’s own guiding principles – believe in yourself and follow your dreams – in a fun and entertaining way. Just as in Ghosts, Michael plays many parts and appears in multiple disguises to help two millennials, Vincent and Victoria, both of whom are struggling with this very issue, including as a stylized, superhero version of himself that fits in this magical world. It is not meant to be a true representation of the actual person but rather a magical character that belongs in the world that has been created. We recommend watching the program with a great stereo and the volume turned up. It is also a showpiece to allow Hollywood film and TV directors and global merchandisers to experience how effectively Michael's music can be used to drive a story.

The Halloween take-over doesn’t stop there! We know everyone will enjoy the new short films, “Blood on the Dance Floor 2017” and “Blood on the Dance Floor X Dangerous” that feature Michael’s footage from his original short films in new and fresh ways. And next year, we intend to add a release of “Thriller 3D” or “Ghosts 3D” in movie theaters around the world as part of the annual celebration.

These projects, and others that may be added in subsequent years, when taken together will help introduce Michael to new generations of fans and help parents introduce Michael to their children. For example, we heard of a fan who played “Torture” for his wife which led to her wanting to hear more Michael and Jacksons music. While we are happy to know that fans are enjoying the album, anecdotes like this mean we are also finding new fans!
The initial batch of Q&As is now on the FAQs page where more will be added in the future. You can check it out: http://michaeljackson.com/michael-jackson-faq
Furthermore, we are ready to announce the winners of the Scream Pre-order contest!

Thank you SO much for participating in the Estate’s exclusive pre-order contest. We received hundreds of entries from Michael’s most dedicated fans, and we are thrilled to announce the winners of the contest, all of whom have already been notified.

Congratulations to:
Sarah H. - UK
Maria Amelia M.- Brazil
Wendy C.- Canada
Alessia A. - France
Giul S., - Italy

and our grand prize winner, who will be attending the SCREAM party in Los Angeles on TUESDAY, October 24, Omar R. from the US!
We hope everyone is enjoying SCREAM!

MJOnline
The Official Online Team of The Michael Jackson Estate™
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That was me! :clap:

Currently my wife is listening to the Jackson's and MJ album in chronological order (like me she has a bit of OCD about things like that), and is adding loads of tracks to her playlists.

One new Jacksons/MJ devote just from playing SCREAM in my car. (y)
 
Also goes to prove they are reading comments on sites like this.

Even more reason to be respectful to the memory of Michael Joseph Jackson.
 
It was nice to set my DVR to to record it! :) It's THAT close
 
It's a deal with CBS, isn't it?

I doubt it will be shown elsewhere, at least just yet, on rival channels. Why would they?
 
SmoothMJ said:
It's a deal with CBS, isn't it?

I doubt it will be shown elsewhere, at least just yet, on rival channels. Why would they?
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Well, it is a 'Halloween' special, so they can't really sensibly screen it elsewhere (globally) AFTER Halloween this year.......so if not screened elsewhere soon, I guess the screenings will be set for next Autumn...... The estate did appoint a company to distribute it globally on TV, earlier this summer. No telling if they have been successful. I don't know how early in the year TV schedules are 'set'. If TV shows are shown on commercial channels, the around - and mid- show advertising has to be sold in advance.... Of course they can charge more for advertising in a show that is expected to have a big audience. (Maybe they are still negotiating!)


(I don't have satellite TV so I don't know if CBS have a separate channel in the UK)
 
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