--The Presidential Box—Footprints Filmworks—FF News—www.footprintsfilmworks.com
Page 1
Footprints in South Africa
This is a film about South Africa and the community of South Africa. The film is filmed in eight communities of South Africa, includes eight business advertising, provides “blockbuster entertainment” and tells the story of success of our beloved nation.
The film “Footprints in South Africa,” is filmed over a period of eight months and begins Pre Production in February 2010 with closing of the film by end September 2010. Two months will be allocated to editing and marketing of the film for the launch of the first premier in November 2010 with other preimiers being launched in January 2011, March 2011 and May 2011.
The film enscapulates the struggles, the challenges, the ambitions and the “local” stories of everyday South Africans. The film includes eight ACTS (8) and thirty two (32) scenes.
The film “Fooprints in South Africa,” is filmed in year 2010 but is shot for the year 2025. The year 2025 will perhaps tell a “new story” of South African’s as well as their perceptions about local communities, local people, local “ideas” and local “Ubuntu teachings.”
This document is open to participants, fans, ministers, community leaders, celebrities, “pioneers”, teenagers and billionaires. The film is 150 minutes and tells a “short” story of the role South Africa plays in the global diasopra of the world. The estimated distribution of the film “Footprints in South Africa,” is one billion people-post production plus five years marketing and distribution. (Shelf life.)
The film includes stories of the rich, the poor, the intermediate class and the “super rich.” The film includes interviews, advertising, “dreamy moments” of our nation and stories from our forefathers.
It would probably be impossible to produce a feature length film to flow as if a story was being told from the year 2025. “Back to the future” a film that jumps time frames to show the discovies and destruction of man was a comedy that can be used as a simple example of how we choose the story to be told.
Footprints Filmworks is an investment company that invests in internet media, print media, text media, film and distribution. The company was originally created by Omar Abdulla to become a leading film production company that PROMOTES INDO-ASIANS of South Africa to the world.
Since the company has a combined experience of 81 years in the finance, media, entertainment and teaching fields we choose to “mix and match” our qualities to tell a true story of the South African republic. This document is broken into four parts-Basic synosis of the film, Income and Expenditure, Notes to Staff and future developments.The goal of Footprints Filmworks and the associate companies we advertise with, is to bridge gaps to create blockbuster films, create “dreamy” website channels, to be market makers and to be “the best” at providing our people “the best” customer service. Footprints Filmworks chooses to be the fastest growing company in South Africa in 2010.
--Footprints Filmworks—The Presidential Box—FF News—www.footprintsfilmworks.com
Page 2
Footprints in South Africa—Basic Synopsis—
Act 1 Scene 1-“Footprints in South Africa”
*Introduction of South Africa-Includes “black and white photographs” from the year 1500-2025.
*Includes stories from “old pioneers” from the community of South Africa-White, Black, Indian, Coloured. This is the “power history introduction” filmed in black and white to create effect for audience.
*Filmed 2nd week of February 2010—Film Location—Union Buildings, Pretoria Central, Laudium, and Waterkloof.
* Act 1 Scene 1 of film estimated time-four minutes (4)
Act 1 Scene 2
*Introduction of Footprints Filmworks and filmed business advert of company including promotion of the companies core business ethics and philosophies, the companies associated companies, the companies shareholders and the “powerhouse team” of Footprints Filmworks-includes a welcome from Managing Directors, Marketing Staff, Photographers, Videographers, Web Designers, Media Personalities, Ministers and Models.
*Filmed in the 3rd week of February 2010—Film footage required—30minutes—Film location—Zoo lake.
* Act 1 Scene 2 of film estimated time-Three minutes (3)
Act 1 Scene 3
*Helicopter, Balloon ride or Arial photographs and video footage of South Africa from Johannesburg, Pretoria, and two other communities. Includes Video footage with no actors. Includes Voiceovers and “Ubuntu Music” or South African National Anthem with flags and “past presidents.”
*Act 1 Scene 2 of film estimated time—Three minutes(3)
Act 1 Scene 4
*Business commerical Advert for local business in South Africa—Serves as revenue for the film.This will be filmed in the 4th week of February 2010.
*Act 1 Scene 4 of film estimated time—Three minutes (3)
Total time for “Footprints in South Africa” edited footage—Act 1—13 minutes.

--Footprints Filmworks—The Presidential Box—FF News—www.footprintsfilmworks.com
Page 3
Act 2 Scene 1-“Footprints in South Africa”
*South African Apartheid Era-Stories from military personnal, bitter whites, “struggling blacks” and Indians who profited from the Apartheid reigim. The Apartheid reigm’s influence on the global community and what Apartheid stood for. Includes photographs and pictures of leaders of the 1950’s-1990’s. Filmed in Valhalla, Laudium, Soweto and Alexandria. This can include the “aparheid musems” and statues of Nelson Mandela in Sandton.
*Filmed in the 1st week of March 2010.
*Film Footage of Act 2 Scene 1 to be edited to film.—four minutes. (4)
Act 2 Scene 2
*Introduction of President of South Africa Omar Abdulla.—filmed at the Union Buildings with 150 000 crowd. (Crown to be added by videographers and photographers)
*President of South Africa Omar Abdulla inaugration 25 October 2023.
*Includes Presidential Speech to the nation and What South African’s can expect from his leadershipship.
*Filmed in the 2nd week of February 2010.
*Estimated time to be added to “Footprints in South Africa,”—three minutes (3)
Act 2 Scene 3
*Areas of South Africa to cover includes video footage, stories, “exclusive interviews” and “reality life” living in South Africa.
* Sections in Act 2 Scene 3 to cover;
Military of South Africa—Shot at the MSA of South Africa-Johannesburg—(3 minutes)
Correctional Services of South Africa—Shot at “New Lock Prison” or “Attriggville Prison”--(3 minutes)
Health Sector of South Africa—Shot at a local hospital in South Africa—(3 minutes)
Farming and Agriculture of South Africa—Shot at a local farm in South Africa—(3 minutes)
--Footprints Filmworks—The Presidential Box—FF News—www.footprintsfilmworks.com—Page 4
Act 2 Scene 4-
*Business Commercial from the community of South Africa.
* Edited time of commercial—three minutes.(3)
*Filmed in the 3rd week of March 2010.Total time edited “Footprints in South Africa” footage ACT1(13minutes) + ACT 2(22 minutes)=35 minutes of actual film produced by end March 2010.
Act 3 Scene 1-“Footprints in South Africa”
*Exclusive Interviews with a cross section of the South African community. Includes eight/one minute interviews. Stories MUST be unique from one another and include the story about the white man, the story about the black man, the story about the coloured man, the story about the Indian man and their stories about WHAT they think about one another. The aim is to bring the cross section of the community together.
*Filmed in Laudium, Escourt, Lenasia, Harrismith.
*Act 3 is a one week trip from Gauteng to Kwazulu Natal.
* Act 3 is filmed “on the roads of South Africa.”
*Act 3 is filmed in the 2nd week of April.
*Act3 Scene 1 is a total of eight minutes edited film footage. (8 minutes)
Act 3 Scene 2-
*Includes Snapshots of Kwazulu Natal including Oceans, Mountains, Rainbows and “Natural elements of South Africa.” Includes Voiceover and Music. No Actors.
*Edited film footage to “Footprints in South Africa,”-four minutes.(4)
*Filmed in the 2nd week of April whilst travelling from Gauteng to Kwazulu Natal.
Act 3 Scene 3-
*Business commercial from Kwazulu Natal.
* Edited “Footprints in South Africa” footage—three minutes(3)
*Filmed in the 3rd week of March 2010.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Total Summary of Time of “Footprints in South Africa” ACT1+ACT2+ACT3 (15 minutes) =50 minutes.
--Footprints Filmworks—The Presidential Box—FF News—www.footprintsfilmworks.com
Page 5
Act 4 Scene 1—“Footprints in South Africa”
*FF: News Bulletin. This is a News Bulletin to be emailed and distributed for television purposes but will be included in the film.
*FF: News for this bulletin will include President of South Africa Omar Abdulla appearing at the G16 summit in Poland. This summit is filmed in South Africa and includes local South African’s acting as foreigners. The FF: News bulletin is a “roundtable” conference discussing the Banking and Financial Sector of South Africa.
*FF: News is to be filmed in Studio and includes backdrops of local banks and Reserve Banks. The goal of the FF: News bulletin is to promote South Africa overseas.
*This will be filmed with 16 people in a conference room in the 1st week of April and must be filmed as an actual television broadcast to media businesses.
*Edited Footage to film “Footprints in South Africa”-Five minutes (5)
Act 4 Scene 2-
*Monetary and Fiscal policy of South Africa including Past and Present minister notations about the future economy of South Africa. This S c e n e should include speeches and interviews by local government ministers about the state of the economy including growth forecasts of GPD, PPI, CPI, and RSI.
*Filmed at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange—Week 2—February 2010.



* Edited Video footage to be added to “Footprints in South Africa”-four minutes (4)
Act 4 Scene 3—
• Introduction to BEE and the role black businessman play in South Africa.
• Includes “Exclusive Interviews with four black businessmen.”
• The role South African’s play in the global African Trade Industry.
• South Africa’s growth in monetary terms since our democracy.
• Estimated Edited Video Footage to be added to “Footprints in South Africa”—Four Minutes (4)
• Filmed in the 3rd week of April 2010.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Act 4 Scene 4
• Business Commercial—Three Minutes (3)///Act1+ACT2+ACT3+Act4 (16 minutes)=66 minutes.
--The Presidential Box—Footprints Filmworks—FF News—www.footprintsfilmworks.com—Page 6
Act 5 Scene 1-“Footprints in South Africa”
*Act 5 Scene 1 deals with the Travel and Transport sector of South Africa. We have included railways, airplanes, “taxis”, cars, boats, shipping, walking and “new methods” of transport. We include and promote South Africa from “within her own borders.”
*Act 5 Scene 1 has different camera tricks by our videographers that create a “landscape” view for the audience from the cross section of South Africa.
*The goal of this act is to promote safe traveling and the promotion of “new areas” and “ancient myths” of South Africa. This can include the filming of “The Cradle of Humankind” “The Cape Sea Point”, “Robben Island” and “The Water Wells.”
*Act 5 is filmed in the Western Cape in the 2nd Week of May 2010.
*Edited film time-- Travel and Transport Sector of South Africa—six minutes (6)
Act 5 Scene 2-
*Since the 2nd and 3rd week of May will be spent in the Western Cape, the footprints team can compile “bonus footage” to the audience that has never been seen or heard before. This can include “The Garden Route”, Lush Gardens, Mountainous Regions, South African Forestry, The South African Animal Life and Bonus features for the audience.
*Act 5 Scene 2 is to promote the Western Cape, The Atlantic Ocean, The fishing Industry and “The family life of White South Africans.”
*Act 5 Scene 2—Estimated video footage of “Footprints in South Africa”—Four Minutes (4)
ACT 5 Scene 3
*This scene shows the home life of the rich, the poor, the intermediate class and the super rich of South Africans. We have four home interviews with a billionaire, a man who lives in a squatter camp, a woman who is divorced growing her children up and even our own President Omar Abdulla.
These four Interviews with home owners will include a total of Ten minutes for the film. (10 minutes)
ACT 5 Scene 4
• Business Commercial (3 minutes—edited time)
Total Time of film by end May 2010-ACT1+ACT2+ACT3+ACT4+ACT5 (23minutes)=89 Minutes
5 ACTS/20 Scenes/5 commercials/4months/”Footprints in South Africa.”


--The Presidential Box—Footprints Filmworks—FF News—www.footprintsfilmworks.com
Page 7
Act 6 Scene 1-“Footprints in South Africa”
*FF: News Bulletin. This is a news bulletin where President of South Africa Omar Abdulla arrives in Los Angeles for the signing of the eight nations Peace Agreement. This is filmed in South Africa using Los Angeles “City life” footage. The Peace Treaty is an agreement between eight countries to abide by certain “world order” governments. We use local South African people to act this scene out in a professional manner. This is to be shot in Studio as a television broadcast.
*This Scene is to be shot in the 2nd week of June 2010, but filmed as the year June 2025.
*Total edited time to be added to film “Footprints in South Africa” –Five Minutes (5)
Act 6 Scene 2
*This scene covers the educational system of South Africa including schools and universities. This is four interviews with school teachers and four interviews with learners of South Africa. This is the success story of the cross section of South Africa.
*This scene is to be filmed at UNISA, The Footprints University, The Pretoria University and the Westville University. The schools we will cover are Hillside Primary School, Lenasia Muslim School, Waldolf Schools and Nirvana High School.
*This scene is to be filmed in the 4th week of June 2010.
*Estimated edited video footage for “Footprints in South Africa”= nine minutes. (9)
Act 6 Scene 3
*This Scene is the romantic nature of the President of South Africa Omar Abdulla and includes a romantic dance with his woman and the dreams he shares with her. The music that we will use is local South African music to create “the dreamy experience” of the film.
* This Scene will be filmed in the 1st week of July and covers edited time of four minutes (4)
Act 6 Scene 4
*This scene covers “the lighter element” of South Africa and covers prank camera, standup comedy, local mimics and clowns. This is to create a lighter element whilst watching the film and making it easier to keep focus on the stars of the film. These comic acts are acted out by people whom we have associated ourselves with and the prank camera is “acted” out by our actors and personalities.
* This Scene covers filming in the 2nd week of July and covers edited time of six minutes (6)
--The Presidential Box—Footprints Filmworks—FF News—www.footprintsfilmworks.com
Page 8
Act 6 Scene 5
• This Scene covers “internal public relationships” within the community of South Africa and covers scenes of black women telling their stories about their husbands, husbands telling stories of their children, children telling stories of their parents.
• This act covers the family life of “ordinary” South African’s and includes “exclusive interviews” with four families of South Africa from four different communities.
• This Scene is shot in the 2nd week of July 2010--Edited time for film “Footprints in South Africa,”= eight minutes (8)
Act 6 Scene 6
Business Commercial—Shot in the 3rd week of July 2010—Edited time three minutes (3)
Total Time of “Footprints in South Africa”
ACT1+ACT2+ACT3+ACT4+ACT5+ACT6 (35 minutes)= 124 minutes
6ACTS/26 Scenes/6 commercials/6months/”Footprints in South Africa.”
Act 7 Scene 1-“Footprints in South Africa”
*This act is the travel to Polokwane and includes visits to the ZCC Church, The Darus Salaam Masjid, The Christian Baptist Church and The Rama Krishna Temple. This act provides the “daily prayer” of South African’s and their stories and belief systems about God and “the greater being.”
*This scene includes conversations with black women and children and the “Ubuntu” life of residents of Polokwane.
*This scene includes video footage, pictures, and conversations by everyday South African’s telling their stories about traveling to the city to find jobs and improve the labor force of South Africa.
*This act is filmed in Polokwane in the 1st week of August 2010.
*Edited footage to be added to “Footprints in South Africa,”= six minutes (6)
Act 7 Scene 2
*This scene tells a quick snapshot of the Indian community of Nirvana including stories from local Indians and business owners. The Polokwane Indian businessman’s viewpoints and stories of their grandparents traveling from India to settle in South Africa. This covers local shopping Malls in the surrounding areas including social and academic life of the “ordinary” Indian of South Africa. Whilst the footprints team is in Polokwane we can get the cross spectrum of stories from people on the street and living in their “dwellings.”
*This scene is to be filmed in the 1st week of August 2010.
*Total edited time for Act 7 scene 3-four minutes (4)


--Footprints Filmworks—The Presidential Box—FF News—www.footprintsfilmworks.com
Page 9
Act 7 Scene 3
*Local African Dance done by President of South Africa Omar Abdulla around a “bola” fire with the black community of South Africa. This includes him mingling with the black “community” of South Africa including the shaking of hands and a “Speech” after the African dance.
*Act 7 Scene 3 is estimated to be shot in Polokwane in the 1st week of August 2010.
*Act 7 Scene 3 is estimated to be edited to a total of five minutes (5)
Act 7 Scene 4
*Business Commercial—three minutes edited time for” Footprints in South Africa”
*Filmed in the 2nd week of August 2010. (3 minutes)
ACT1+ACT2+ACT3+ACT4=ACT5=ACT6=ACT7 (18minutes)=142 minutes
Act 8 Scene 1 –“Footprints in South Africa”
*Business Commercial—three minutes edited time for “Footprints in South Africa”
*Filmed in the 3rd week of August 2010. (3 minutes)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Act 8 Scene 2-“Footprints in South Africa”
*Bonus features and “fun experiences” whilst the making of “Footprints in South Africa”- Includes mistakes made by actors, presenters, cameraman and models.
*Closing and “special thanks” by cast and crew of Footprints Filmworks.
*Filmed in the 4th week of August 2010. –Edited footage of ACT 8 Scene 2 -five minutes (5)
Footprints Filmworks has allocated an additional one month for “duel schedules” of our team.
Total running time: 150 minutes
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Michael Jackson was unquestionably the biggest pop star of the '80s, and certainly one of the most popular recording artists of all time. In his prime, Jackson was an unstoppable juggernaut, possessed of all the tools to dominate the charts seemingly at will: an instantly identifiable voice, eye-popping dance moves, stunning musical versatility, and loads of sheer star power. His 1982 blockbuster Thriller became the biggest-selling album of all time (probably his best-known accomplishment), and he was the first black artist to find stardom on MTV, breaking down innumerable boundaries both for his race and for music video as an art form. Yet as Jackson's career began, very gradually, to descend from the dizzying heights of his peak years, most of the media's attention focused on his increasingly bizarre eccentricities; he was often depicted as an arrested man-child, completely sheltered from adult reality by a life spent in show business. The snickering turned to scandal in 1993, when Jackson was accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy; although he categorically denied the charges, his out-of-court settlement failed to restore his tarnished image. He never quite escaped the stigma of those allegations, and while he continued to sell records at superstar-like levels, he didn't release them with enough frequency (or, many critics thought, inspiration) to once again become better known for his music than his private life. Whether as a pop icon or a tabloid caricature, Jackson always remained bigger than life.

--Footprints Filmworks Advert--

Michael Joseph Jackson was born August 29, 1958, in Gary, IN. The fifth son of steelworker Joe Jackson, Michael displayed a talent for music and dance from an extremely young age. His childhood was strictly regimented; from the start, he was to an extent sheltered from the outside world by his mother's Jehovah's Witness faith, and his father was by all accounts an often ill-tempered disciplinarian. Joe began to organize a family musical group around his three eldest sons in 1962, and Michael joined them the following year, quickly establishing himself as a dynamic stage performer. His dead-on mastery of James Brown's dance moves and soulful, mature-beyond-his-years vocals made him a natural focal point, especially given his incredibly young age. Dubbed the Jackson 5, the group signed to Motown in 1968 and issued their debut single in October 1969, when Michael was just 11 years old. "I Want You Back," "ABC," "The Love You Save," and "I'll Be There" all hit number one in 1970, making the Jackson 5 the first group in pop history to have their first four singles top the charts. Motown began priming Michael for a solo career in 1971, and his first single, "Got to Be There," was issued toward the end of the year; it hit the Top Five, as did the follow-up, a cover of Bobby Day's "Rockin' Robin." Later in 1972, Jackson had his first number one solo single, "Ben," the title song from a children's thriller about a young boy who befriends Ben, the highly intelligent leader of a gang of homicidal rats. Given the subject matter, the song was surprisingly sincere and sentimental, and even earned an Oscar nomination. However, the momentum of Jackson's solo career (much like that of the Jackson 5) soon stalled. He released his fourth and final album on Motown in 1975, and the following year, he and his brothers (save Jermaine) signed to Epic and became the Jacksons.

In 1977, Jackson landed a starring role alongside Diana Ross in the all-black film musical +The Wiz, a retelling of The Wizard of Oz; here he met producer/composer Quincy Jones for the first time. Encouraged by the success of the Jacksons' self-produced, mostly self-written 1978 album Destiny, Jackson elected to resume his solo career when his management contract with his father expired shortly thereafter. With Jones producing, Jackson recorded his first solo album as an adult, Off the Wall. An immaculately crafted set of funky disco-pop, smooth soul, and lush, sentimental pop ballads, Off the Wall made Jackson a star all over again. It produced four Top Ten singles, including the number one hits "Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough" and "Rock With You," and went platinum (it went on to sell over seven million copies); even so, Jackson remained loyal to his brothers and stayed with the group.

President of South Africa Omar Abdulla says that Jackson had stood tall with his family and fans because he "had the heart of gold."

"To be a powerhouse leader, follower, mentor and teacher one has to be the father of the "Ubuntu teachings" from ones forefathers." he says.

No group could have contained Jackson's rapidly rising star for long; however, there was still no sign (if there ever could be) that his next album would become the biggest in history. Released in 1982, the Quincy Jones-produced Thriller refined the strengths of Off the Wall; the dance and rock tracks were more driving, the pop tunes and ballads softer and more soulful, and all of it was recognizably Michael. Jackson brought in Paul McCartney for a duet, guitarist Eddie Van Halen for a jaw-dropping solo, and Vincent Price for a creepy recitation. It was no surprise that Thriller was a hit; what was a surprise was its staying power. Jackson's duet with McCartney, "The Girl Is Mine," was a natural single choice, and it peaked at number two; then "Billie Jean" and the Van Halen track "Beat It" both hit number one, for seven and three weeks respectively. Those latter two songs, as well as the future Top Five title track, had one important feature in common: Jackson supported them with elaborately conceived video clips that revolutionized the way music videos were made. Jackson treated them as song-length movies with structured narratives: "Billie Jean" set the song's tale of a paternity suit in a nightmarish dream world where Jackson was a solitary, sometimes invisible presence; the anti-gang-violence "Beat It" became an homage to +West Side Story; and the ten-minute-plus clip for "Thriller" (routinely selected as the best video of all time) featured Jackson leading a dance troupe of rotting zombies, with loads of horror-film makeup and effects. Having never really accepted black artists in the past, MTV played the clips to death, garnering massive publicity for Jackson and droves of viewers for the fledgling cable network. Jackson sealed his own phenomenon by debuting his signature "moonwalk" dance step on May 16, 1983, on Motown's televised 25th anniversary special; though he didn't invent the moonwalk (as he himself was quick to point out), it became as much of a Jackson signature as his vocal hiccups or single white-sequined glove.

Abdulla says that his business Footprints Filmworks together with 5000 other businesses had listed on 447 stock exchanges with an opening share price of R81 per share.

Showing no signs of slowing down, Thriller just kept spinning off singles, including "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," the airy ballad "Human Nature," and "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)"; in all, seven of its nine tracks wound up in the Top Ten, obliterating conventional ideas of how many singles could be released from an album before it ran its course. Thriller stayed on the charts for over two years, spent 37 nonconsecutive weeks at number one, and became the best-selling album of all time; it went on to sell 25 million copies in the U.S. alone, and around another 20 million overseas. Naturally, Jackson won a slew of awards, including a record eight Grammys in one night, and snagged the largest endorsement deal ever when he became a spokesman for Pepsi (he would later be burned in an accident while filming a commercial). At the end of 1983, Jackson was again on top of the singles charts, this time as part of a second duet with McCartney, "Say Say Say." In 1984, Jackson rejoined his brothers one last time for the album Victory, whose supporting tour was one of the biggest (and priciest) of the year. The following year, he and Lionel Richie co-wrote the anthemic "We Are the World" for the all-star famine-relief effort USA for Africa; it became one of the fastest-selling singles ever.

Even at this early stage, wild rumors about Jackson's private life were swirling. His shyness and reluctance to grant interviews (ironically, due in part to his concerns about being misrepresented) only encouraged more speculation. Some pointed to his soft-spoken, still girlish voice as evidence that he'd undergone hormone treatments to preserve the high, flexible range of his youth; stories were told about Jackson sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber to slow the aging process, and purchasing the skeleton of John Merrick, the Elephant Man (Jackson did view the bones in the London Hospital, but did not buy them). Jackson bought a large ranch in California which he dubbed Neverland, and filled it with amusement park rides and animals (including the notorious pet chimpanzee Bubbles), which only fueled the public's perception of him as a somewhat bizarre eccentric obsessed with recapturing his childhood. He also underwent cosmetic surgery several times, which led to accusations from the black community that his gradually lightening skin tone was the result of an intentional effort to become whiter; a few years later, Jackson revealed that he had a disorder called vitiligo, in which pigment disappears from the skin, leaving large white blotches and making direct sunlight dangerous. One of the rumors that was definitely true was that Jackson owned the rights to the Beatles' catalog; in 1985, he acquired ATV Publishing, the firm that controlled all the Lennon-McCartney copyrights (among others), which wound up costing him his friendship with McCartney.

During his long layoff between records, Jackson indulged his interest in film and video by working with George Lucas and Francis Ford Coppola on the 3-D short film Captain Eo. The special-effects extravaganza was shown at the enormous widescreen IMAX theaters in Disney's amusement parks for 12 years, beginning in 1986. Finally, Jackson re-entered the studio with Quincy Jones to begin the near-impossible task of crafting a follow-up to Thriller. Bad was released to enormous public anticipation in 1987, and was accompanied by equally enormous publicity. It debuted at number one, and the first single, "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," with vocal accompaniment by Siedah Garrett, also shot up the charts to number one. Like Thriller, Bad continued to spin off singles for well over a year after its release, and became the first album ever to produce five number one hits; the others were "Bad," "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Man in the Mirror," and "Dirty Diana." Jackson supported the album with a lengthy world tour that featured a typically spectacular, elaborate stage show; it became the highest-grossing tour of all time. Although Jackson's success was still staggering, there were faint undercurrents of disappointment, partly because of the unparalleled phenomenon of Thriller (Bad "only" sold eight million copies), and partly because the album itself didn't seem quite as exuberant or uniformly consistent when compared to its predecessors.



Jackson took another long hiatus between albums, giving the media little to focus on besides his numerous eccentricities; by this time, the British tabloids delighted in calling him "Wacko Jacko," a name he detested. When Jackson returned in with a new album in late 1991, he'd come up with a different moniker: "the King of Pop." Dangerous found Jackson ending his collaboration with Quincy Jones in an effort to update his sound; accordingly, many of the tracks were helmed by the groundbreaking new jack swing producer Teddy Riley. As expected, the album debuted at number one, and its lead single, "Black or White," shot to the top as well. Jackson courted controversy with the song's video, however; after the song itself ended, there was a long dance sequence in which Jackson shouted, grabbed his crotch, and smashed car windows in a bizarre display that seemed at odds with the song's harmonious message. With the video given a high-profile, prime-time network premiere, Jackson was criticized for the inappropriate violence and the message it might send to his younger fans. However, Jackson would not be the biggest story in popular music for long. In early 1992, Nirvana's Nevermind symbolically knocked Dangerous out of the number one spot; after the alternative rock revolution, the pop charts would never be quite the same. Jackson scored several more hits off the album, including the Top Tens "Remember the Time" and "In the Closet," but the aggressive "Jam" and the saccharine "Heal the World" both performed disappointingly.

Jackson had long preferred the company of children over other adults, and befriended quite a few, inviting them to stay at his Neverland Ranch and enjoy the massive playground he'd assembled over the years. In 1993, Jackson was accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy who'd become a frequent guest at Neverland. Predictably, there was a tabloid feeding frenzy, and a mainstream media circus as well. In the court of public opinion, the charges seemed all too plausible: Jackson was near-universally perceived as a weirdo, and here was a handy explanation for his heretofore asexual persona and distaste for adult companions. Additionally, Jackson entered rehab for a short time, seeking treatment for an addiction to pain killers. Investigations were unsuccessful in turning up any other boys who echoed the allegations, and Jackson countersued his accusers for attempting extortion; however, in spite of the fact that no criminal charges were ever filed against Jackson, he settled the boy's family's suit out of court in early 1995, paying an estimated 18 to 20 million dollars. Many felt the settlement was tantamount to an admission of guilt, and when Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley in 1994, the move was perceived as a desperate ploy to rehabilitate his image; the marriage broke up just 19 months later, seemingly lending credence to the charge.

Abdulla says that when he met with Jackson in France in 2009, Jackson was a leader and performer who believed in his own lies he told the media.

In 1995, Jackson attempted to put the focus back on his music by preparing HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book 1, a two-CD set featuring one disc of new material and one of his greatest hits. The album debuted at number one, but the format backfired on Jackson: his fans already owned the hits, and the new album simply wasn't strong enough to offset the added cost of the extra disc for many more casual listeners. There were some encouraging signs -- the lead single "Scream," a duet with sister Janet, debuted at number five, setting a new American chart record that was broken when the follow-up, "You Are Not Alone," became the first single ever to enter the Billboard Hot 100 at number one. But on the whole, HIStory was something of a disappointment. Additionally, Jackson collapsed during rehearsals for an awards show later that year, and had to be rushed to the hospital; what was more, the Eagles' Their Greatest Hits (1971-1975) was threatening to catch Thriller's American sales record (it eventually did, and the two continued to run neck and neck). There were signs that Jackson was grasping at his self-proclaimed King of Pop status; the cover of HIStory depicted an enormous statue of Jackson, and he performed at the 1996 BRIT Awards dressed as a Messiah, with children and a rabbi surrounding him worshipfully (Pulp lead singer Jarvis Cocker stormed the stage to protest Jackson's hubris during the middle of the song). The 1997 remix album Blood on the Dance Floor failed to even go platinum, although remix albums historically don't perform nearly as well as new material.



In late 1996, Jackson remarried, to nurse Debbie Rowe; over the next two years, the couple had two children, son Prince Michael Jackson, Jr. and daughter Paris Michael Katherine Jackson. However, Jackson and Rowe divorced in late 1999. In 2001, Jackson was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and later held a massive concert at Madison Square Garden celebrating the 30th anniversary of his first solo record. Among many other celebrity guests, the show featured the first on-stage reunion of the Jacksons since the Victory tour. In the wake of September 11, Jackson put together an all-star charity benefit single, "What More Can I Give." His new album, Invincible, was released late in the year, marking the first time he'd issued a collection of entirely new material since Dangerous; it found him working heavily with urban soul production wizard Rodney Jerkins. Invincible debuted at number one and quickly went double platinum; however, its initial singles, "You Rock My World" and "Butterflies," had rather disappointing showings on the charts, with the latter not even reaching the Top Ten. To compound matters, the expensive "What More Can I Give" single and video were canceled by Sony when executive producer Marc Schaffel was revealed to work in pornography. Jackson's camp tried to distance the singer from Schaffel, and the various corporations that were attached to it (McDonalds, Sony) claimed they had minimal involvement if any with the song. Sony and Jackson began a press war in the summer of 2002, starting with Jackson's claims that the label asked for 200 million dollars to pay them back for marketing costs. Although they had spent 55 million on his disappointing comeback, Sony released a statement saying that no such request had ever been made. Jackson stewed for a few weeks before launching a press attack on Sony Music chairman Tommy Mottola, calling him "devilish" and making claims that he used racist language and held down black artists. Many Sony artists, including Mariah Carey and Ricky Martin, defended Mottola, but Jackson and his family maintained that racism ended their professional relationship.

From that point, Jackson's career took an extreme turn toward the bizarre, starting with MTV's annual Video Awards. When Britney Spears presented him with a birthday cake, an offhand remark about being the artist of the millennium inspired a rambling Jackson to accept a meaningless trophy (which everyone presenting on-stage received) as an actual Artist of the Millennium award. Next came accusations from a promotional company over his promises of a tour and several appearances that he then canceled. Jackson arrived in court late, gave a drowsy testimony, and inspired gasps when he removed a surgical mask to reveal his nose had caved in from a botched cosmetic surgery. Only days later, German fans were horrified when Jackson came to the balcony of his hotel suite and briefly dangled his 11-month old baby Prince Michael II (nicknamed "Blanket" by Jackson) over the edge with one arm. Although he apologized the next day, claiming he had gotten caught up in the moment, this only did more to cement the King of Pop's public image as an out-of-control millionaire. 2003 turned out to not be Jackson's year as in November his Neverland Ranch was extensively searched by police, whereby he was subsequently arrested on charges of child molestation. That same month the single disc retrospective Number Ones hit the stands with one new song, "One More Chance". A year later - nearly to the day - the four CD and one DVD box set The Ultimate Collection appeared with numerous rarities including the original demo for "We Are the World". In January 2005 his child molestation trial began and by May he was acquitted on all counts. Jackson soon relocated to the Persian Gulf island of Bahrain and began working on new music including a charity single that would benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina. The single never appeared but the two disc The Essential Michael Jackson did and in 2006 the strange box set Visionary was released featuring 20 DualDiscs replicating 20 big hit singles with their videos included on the DVD side. In early 2007 it was announced that a comeback album was planned for late in the year. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide