How Come Michael Jackson's "SCREAM" Music Video Costs $7 Million?

[Kenji4861]

http://www.neverland-valley.com/neverland-valley/video-clips/videos/08_history/scream/scream-site_01.htm

$7 million? Why?

 

[iwearnosox]

On set trailer filled with teenage boys, and the subsequent attorney costs. =)

 

[Aves]

MTV had a show once showing the most expensive videos ever and I think that was number one.

A lot of the cost supposedly came from using expensive stuff on the set and a lot of the animation.


Edit:

The Most Expensive Music Video

1. "Scream"
Cost: $7,000,000+
Artist: Michael Jackson (featuring Janet Jackson)

Michael Jackson's videos have always been ridiculously expensive. In 1983, he spent $800,000 on "Thriller," which would be about $1.4 million today. But remember that before "Thriller," no one even came close to spending that kind of money, and he had to do it with limited technological capabilities. As technology improved, Jacko's videos became more expensive, spending over $1.2 million on "Black or White" in 1992, and even more on "Remember The Time." But if he can keep an oxygen chamber, a petting zoo, the Elephant Man's bones, and an entire plastic surgery team in his mansion, it's certainly no biggie to drop another $7 mil on a video with his sister.

"Scream's" $7,000,000 price tag is more than twice as much as the next most expensive music video (Puff Daddy's "Victory" at $2.7 million), and it's easy to see why: he spent $5 million alone on 11 sets. Yet while watching the video, it all seems incredibly wasteful, not coming close to the film quality of "Thriller", "November Rain," or "Victory."


Computer-generated spaceship: $65,000
Breaking guitars: $53,000
Morphing artworks: $50,000
Michael's makeup: $3,000
Janet's makeup: $8,000 a day
Choreography: $40,000
Giant video screen: $80,000
Lighting: $175,000
Cost per day: $636,000 (about 11 days)
Total cost of 11 sets: $5,000,000

 

[bean52]

scroll to bottom

 

[Kenji4861]

GEEZ!

Computer-generated spaceship: $65,000
Breaking guitars: $53,000
Morphing artworks: $50,000
Michael's makeup: $3,000
Janet's makeup: $8,000 a day
Choreography: $40,000
Giant video screen: $80,000
Lighting: $175,000
Cost per day: $636,000 (about 11 days)
Total cost of 11 sets: $5,000,000

They got ripped!
$8000 for makeup everyday!? SHEEZ!!! Better do that in a day.
Lighting $175,000?! The H#$@(#)? I know people who pay MSRP at car dealerships.. I thought that was bad... this is... they GOT JACKED!

 

[ElFenix]

thriller was awesome

9. "November Rain"
Cost: $1,500,000+
Artist: Guns N' Roses

An 11-minute video extravaganza, this video tells the supposed tale of singer Axl Rose and model Stephanie Seymour getting married, having a party, and living out their lives together until death. And all it took was 11 minutes? . . . A classy video that combines storytelling with live concert performances, Guns N' Roses actually paid for the video themselves, to insure that it looked as they envisioned.

* Renting a symphony orchestra: $25,000
* Specially constructed chapel: $150,000
* Wedding dress: $8,000
* Specially constructed coffin: $8,000

use you illusion videos were some of the best videos ever.

 

[DaveSimmons]

$7 million? Why?

Because the record companies needed an excuse to raise the price of CDs

Because the record company execs still though Wacko Jacko was relevant

Because Janet threatened to hurt them if they'd didn't pay

Because Michael threatened to cry and kick his feet if they didn't pay

Because it would be so much better than promoting 10 CDs by artists that didn't suck.

Because he's big in Japan

 

[Kenji4861]

He's not big in Japan... where did you hear that?

Watching this video.. I swear, some rookie can go pick up Maya and make a better spaceship...

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons

$7 million? Why?

Because the record companies needed an excuse to raise the price of CDs

Because the record company execs still though Wacko Jacko was relevant

Because Janet threatened to hurt them if they'd didn't pay

Because Michael threatened to cry and kick his feet if they didn't pay

Because it would be so much better than promoting 10 CDs by artists that didn't suck.

Because he's big in Japan

 

[ElFenix]

Originally posted by: Kenji4861
He's not big in Japan... where did you hear that?

Watching this video.. I swear, some rookie can go pick up Maya and make a better spaceship...

i don't think maya was out back when that video was made.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Originally posted by: Kenji4861
He's not big in Japan... where did you hear that?

Watching this video.. I swear, some rookie can go pick up Maya and make a better spaceship...

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons

$7 million? Why?

Because he's big in Japan

It's an amusing cliche, and also a good Tom Waits song. Many pop and rock artists that have fallen out of favor in the US and UK have still been popular, sometimes wildly so, in Japan.