2015年4月21日 - 阿什利·班卓（Ashley Banjo）和他的舞蹈團體“百變”（Diversity）受邀參加邁克爾·傑克遜（Michael Jackson）原計劃2009年在倫敦舉辦的演唱會時，簡直是美夢成真。但演唱會最終夭折，於是阿什利痛失良機。《視角》（Perspectives）紀錄片記錄下了阿什利對傑克遜及其《顫慄》（Thriller）專輯瞭解加深的過程。
阿什利去加利福尼亞面見傑克遜當時的合作夥伴。錄音師布魯斯·斯韋迪恩（Bruce Swedien）回憶起第一天錄影的場景，傳奇製作人昆西·鐘斯（Quincy Jones）告訴大家這一次要拯救行情慘澹的音樂行業。雄心勃勃的邁克爾·傑克遜實現了。
我們聽到了專輯主要鍵盤手葛列格·菲利格內斯（Greg Phillinganes）講他第一次聽到《比莉·珍》（Billie Jean）樣帶時的感受，以及他認為這首歌為什麼能變成邁克爾當時的經典之作。邁克爾·傑克遜看過愛爾蘭導演斯蒂夫·巴倫（Steve Barron）為“人類聯盟”（Human League）的《你不要我》（Don’t You Want Me）拍攝的音樂錄影后，決定選擇他為《比莉·珍》拍攝音樂錄影。斯蒂夫講述了他第一次看到傑克遜為這首歌跳舞時的激動。太空步在“摩城25周年”演出後成為《比莉·珍》的經典舞步。傑佛瑞·丹尼爾（Jeffrey Daniel）講到他和邁克爾排練舞蹈，以及當他看到傑克遜在“摩城25周年”上的演出，並且把街舞帶給世人後的反應。
《比莉·珍》之後就是搖滾歌曲《避開》（Beat It）。托托樂隊（Toto）分享了他們如何參與到這首歌曲的有趣故事，幫助邁克爾·傑克遜獲得新粉絲。《避開》的音樂錄影導演鮑勃·吉拉爾迪（Bob Giraldi）講述了傑克遜怎麼讓洛杉磯兩大著名幫派“瘸幫”（Crips）和“血幫”（Bloods）參與到錄影拍攝。編舞師文森特·派特森（Vincent Paterson）向阿什利講起和邁克爾初次合作的經歷，以及《顫慄》專輯如何改變了他的人生。
接下來的經典就是《想挑事》（Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'）。阿什利見了背景歌手沃特世家族（Waters Family）聽他們講合作的故事。《人之天性》的作曲者斯蒂夫·盧卡瑟（Steve Porcaro）告訴阿什利，當邁克爾·傑克遜和昆西·鐘斯聽完樣帶，就把這首歌收入專輯。
就當專輯在排行榜在停留了近一年時間後，邁克爾·傑克遜決定打出王牌：專輯同名曲及其音樂錄影。
阿什利見到了歌曲的導演約翰·蘭迪斯（John Landis），獲得七次奧斯卡獎的化妝師裡克·貝克（Rick Baker）和女主角歐拉·蕾（Ola Ray）。他看到了音樂錄影中的經典紅皮夾克，親手觸摸了傑克遜在舞臺上的標誌軟呢帽。
阿什利還從倫敦音樂劇《顫慄現場》（Thriller Live）的創作者以及編舞師特拉維斯·佩恩（Travis Payne）那裡學會了延續邁克爾·傑克遜的遺產及音樂。這些合作者告訴了他是什麼讓《顫慄》如此特別，以及傑克遜為此付出的代價。
The information contained herein is strictly embargoed from all press, online and social media use, non-commercial publication, or syndication until Tuesday 14 April 2015.
Series overview
The Perspectives documentary strand brings together powerful stories and unique insights into the arts from a range of well-known figures. Now in its fifth series, the strand will encompass six films from a rich variety of distinctive individuals offering their take on subjects for which they have a personal enthusiasm and fascination.
Episode 1: Michael Jackson’s Thriller with Ashley Banjo
It was one of the best days of Ashley Banjo’s life when Michael Jackson invited the young British choreographer and his dance group, Diversity, to support him at his planned London concerts in 2009. But the concerts never happened – the American superstar died following an overdose of prescription drugs – so Ashley never got to meet his musical idol. This documentary follows Ashley as he finds out more about the man who inspired him to dance and, in particular, Thriller - the album which sold a record breaking sixty million copies and catapulted Michael Jackson to global superstardom.
Ashley heads out to California to meet the people who Jackson worked with to create the best selling album of all time. Engineer Bruce Swedien recalls the first day of the recording when legendary producer Quincy Jones told the team that they were there to save the ailing music industry. It was a bold ambition which Michael Jackson accepted and fulfilled with room to spare.
We hear from Greg Phillinganes, the main keyboard player on the album about hearing the demo of Billie Jean for the first time, his explanation of why this track became a soul classic and the pressures of fame on Michael at that time. Michael Jackson chose Irish director, Steve Barron, to make the video for Billie Jean after seeing his work on The Human League’s Don’t You Want me. Steve shares what it was like to witness the explosive dance sequence for the video to very first time it was revealed to the world. The moonwalk became associated with Jackson’s live performances of Billie Jean but the first time he executed the move in public came some months after the video at the Motown 25 celebrations. Jeffrey Daniel talks about working with Michael on his dance moves, his own response to the famous Motown performance and the part the Michael Jackson and Thriller played in bringing Street Dance to a wider audience.
The follow up single to Billie Jean was another Michael Jackson composition: the rock inspired Beat It. Members of rock group Toto share the hilarious tale of how they came to work on this song – and helped to open up Michael Jackson to a whole new audience. Bob Giraldi, director of the video for Beat It, explains how Michael Jackson got members of two notorious Los Angeles gangs, the Crips and the Bloods, involved in the video shoot and the moment of film magic that saved the production. Dancer and choreographer, Vincent Paterson, talks to Ashley about working with Michael for first time on the Beat It video – and the way that life changed for the young singer after the phenomenal success of the Thriller album.
The next top ten hit off Thriller was Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’. Ashley meets up with famous backing singers the Waters Family to hear what it was like working on this track and their impressions of working with the soul superstar over many years. Steve Porcaro, the composer of yet another US hit single from Thriller, Human Nature, tells Ashley of the amazing stroke of good luck that meant that Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones listened to his demo and went on to select it for the bestselling album of all time.
After nearly a year on the charts album sales finally started to drop away but Michael Jackson had one card left to play: the release of the album’s title track – and, perhaps most importantly, it’s ground breaking video…
Ashley meets John Landis the A list Hollywood director behind the Thriller film, Rick Baker the seven times Oscar winning makeup artist who made Michael into a monster and Ola Ray, the former playboy model who lost her heart to Michael as his co-star in the film. He sees the iconic red leather jacket from the video and gets his hands on one of the custom made fedoras that became a part of Michael Jackson’s on stage identity.
Ashley learns about the enduring legacy of Michael Jackson and his musical masterpiece from the creator of the London musical Thriller Live! and from leading choreographer, Travis Payne, who worked with Jackson on his ill-fated final concert rehearsals. The people who worked with Michael Jackson on his masterpiece reveal what made Thriller so special – and the price that he paid for his unprecedented success…
Directed/Produced by Gareth Williams for Blakeway North
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