This Is It Question

[RockOrBluesInNorway]

So for This Is It, he would perform WBSS and then Jam. The thing is I don't see the point of bringing the backing dancers back down the boosters and then shoot them back up again for the beginning of Jam.

 

[reibish]

::shrug:: we really don't see the full show, and only parts of rehearsals. Just because that's what we see in the film doesn't mean that was the final setlist. So I don't think there's a "point" to anything, I'm sure at different times in rehearsals and production, both songs were slated as opening numbers and it changed...probably more than once.

 

[RockOrBluesInNorway]

::shrug:: we really don't see the full show, and only parts of rehearsals. Just because that's what we see in the film doesn't mean that was the final setlist. So I don't think there's a "point" to anything, I'm sure at different times in rehearsals and production, both songs were slated as opening numbers and it changed...probably more than once.

I just took it out of the set-list from wikipedia (Yes I know you can't trust everything you read on the internet especially wikipedia, but considering the information the one who wrote it has, I'm going to trust them). Just wondering why he would do it that way

 

[reibish]

Right, but the setlist changes. And we see rehearsals from before and after adjustments. So what I'm saying is that while the setlist may have been finalized by a certain date, we see footage preceeding that time. There is nothing to read into it or questions to ask - because it was all just rehearsal.

 

[RockOrBluesInNorway]

Right, but the setlist changes. And we see rehearsals from before and after adjustments. So what I'm saying is that while the setlist may have been finalized by a certain date, we see footage preceeding that time. There is nothing to read into it or questions to ask - because it was all just rehearsal.

I still think the way they arranged the songs would be the way they would they would be performed, makes a lot of sense i would say

 

[reibish]

They were very selective about which footage to use. They wanted footage that specifically showed a healthy, vibrant Michael doing full routines. It has nothing to do with presenting it as a full concert. The toasters are not the only inconsistency in the film, and they skip around the time frame a lot. They presented the songs in a general list, yes - but if it was about a seamless show, well, there were definitely rehearsals that had a full show top to bottom - especially near the end - and they could have just done that instead.

Also remember the bare-bones aspect of the set - we knew there were costumes and amazing props and sets but we barely saw any of them.

 

[SoCav]

I think the plan was for the dancers to be toasted up during the pause in WBSS (right before Michael goes 'can't feed your baby'), but not to bring them back down again prior to Jam.

In the film both the early and June 23 rehearsal footage of WBSS shows Michael starting out on stage by himself. Tommy Organ moves to the front of the stage for the guitar solo, but the backing dancers are not there. During the pause in the song the dancers are shot onto stage (at Michael's cue) with the toaster. Clips of the dancers shooting up come from both the early rehearsal (in the silver jacket with orange pants, not sure if the exact date for this has ever been established) and June 23 rehearsals. Given that it is done that way in both the early footage and the June 23 rehearsal footage I think it is reasonable to assume they settled on this way of introducing the dancers.

After that the film cuts to a few clips from the dancer auditions, some shots of the crew assembling the stage and then some shots of the dancers being toasted. I think this footage is from the first time they got to practice with the toaster, because Ortega is explaining to them how it works. Although the intro to Jam starts playing under this, there is no actual footage of the performance of Jam that shows the dancers being toasted up. As soon as they cut to actual performance footage, the dancers are already out on stage. So I don't think that clip of the dancers practicing the toaster was related to the performance of the song. Another reason for that is that in the same clip they also show the background singers rising up from the floor, which they would do for the J5 medley.

I still think the way they arranged the songs would be the way they would they would be performed, makes a lot of sense i would say

The film roughly follows the structure of the planned setlist but certain songs that were rehearsed were not shown.

 

[AtlasAir]

Yeah, the order of the songs in the movie didn't really mean it was going to be the actual show.
He wouldn't have done Billie Jean between Earth Song and MITM, for example.

And the dancers would probably already still be on stage. No need to shoot anyone out.
Unless, since there were like 9 male dancers, a few would be out there for WBSS and the rest would come out later for Jam.