This is it! The Creative Process Immortalized

Imagine watching Michelangelo crush his own pigments, process comments and criticism from the politicians & clergy, and witness the technical prowess as he engineers and constructs a scaffolding system to support him as he masterfully creates one of mankind’s most treasured works of art.

Imagine seeing first hand as Ansel Adams transforms a seemingly common landscape into a relatively new visual expression of photography. Creating imagines, so rich in detail, they rival the most realistic sculptures for their musculature and textural nuances.

Imagine walking among hundreds of expert mathematicians, structural engineers and aviators working under the genius of Howard Hughes as he molds Hughes Aircraft into one of the nation’s most revered companies in American History.

This is the creative process in action
This is masterful talent in motion.
This is genius in the flesh.

THIS IS IT!

Like many of us who love music and dance, we’ve grown up listening and grooving to Michael Jackson. Legendary songs like Bad, Thriller, and the Man in the Mirror are indelibly engraved in our consciousness. We see flash mobs dancing to Beat It across the globe and kids of all ages want to master the moonwalk. But like much in history, the creative mind behind legendary cultural contributions such as these can often prove mysterious and elusive to comprehend.

As a visual artist who wants to leave a lasting impression on our culture and a musician for many of my formative high school and college years, I knew immediately upon the announcement of Michael Jackson’s This Is It film release that I would want to enjoy it with my family. But what surprised me most of all was not the iconic music, not the incredibly skilled dancers and musicians, not the spectacle of the concert performance. What impressed me most was the feeling the respect Michael and the entire creative ensemble had for each other and the gift they would share with their audience.

This film doesn’t just show Michael as the world's most gifted pop dancer – yes, he could still pop the moves with more precision than dancers less than half his age. The film doesn’t just show the many emotions he could evoke with the subtle nuances of his voice – the vocal performance for I’ll Be There is heart wrenching. What the film does better than anything else is to show all the creative contributions working together seemlessly and the creation of a stage show that would have undeniably marked each and every audience member.

Michael envisioned it all, and through his creative partner Kenny Ortega (the creative brilliance behind High School Musical) Michael perfected every aspect of the performance he wanted to celebrate with his fans. He also expected perfection of those who were talented enough to surround him. He didn’t threat, intimidate, use harsh language or disrespect a single musician, lighting technician, dancer or photographer. He surrounded himself with only the best, and the best wanted to impress the King of Pop. It was incredible to watch the creative process unfold as each craftsman and musician gave Michael their undivided attention and spoke with only the deepest admiration. As the show evolved and creative decisions were formed by hundreds of skilled lighting designers, choreograpers, coaches, musicians and dancers, Michael was there every step of the way to offer clear direction, support and congratulations on each success. When there was conflict – who could really argue with the King of Pop – it was shown resolved with humility and honor. In Michael’s words “all for love.”

It would be neglectful to ignore the other half of this film’s and performance’s creative brilliance – Kenny Ortega. This unassuming, caring, yet determined director brought out the best in everyone – including Michael. His direct, patient, respectful and fluid manner of keeping the production moving forward was truly inspirational to watch. The insight he showed by working with so many talented artists is worth the ticket price alone.

So, would I see it again? Aboslutely! In fact, I will likely add a few more dollars to the box office success before the weekend is up. And, I’ll definitely purchase the DVD and soundtrack. Why? This film represents the potential of true dedication and talent, not by seeing the finished result, but by capturing the magic that happens during the process of creative discovery.