* Michael Jackson Podcast – “Thrillercast”

A year-long project approaching a seminal piece of creative work from five distinct viewpoints

  Created: 2/2008 - 11/2008

  1. Episode 01 - DMC Darryl DMC McDaniels 9:51
  2. Episode 02 - will.i.am will.i.am 8:45
  3. Thrillercast: Nick Cannon Nick Cannon 7:18
  4. Episode 04 - Shane Sparks Shane Sparks 6:36
  5. Episode 05 - Imogen Heap Imogen Heap 6:17
  6. Episode 06 - Omarion Omarion 6:10
  7. Episode 07 - Adam Curry Adam Curry 11:43
  8. Episode 08 - DJ Spooky DJ Spooky 5:37
  9. Episode 09 - Katharine McPhee Katharine McPhee 6:30
  10. Episode 10 - Nelson George Nelson George 16:21
  11. Episode 11 - Quincy Jones Quincy Jones 7:18
  12. Episode 12 - Vincent Paterson Vincent Paterson 18:27
  13. Episode 13 - Chris Botti Chris Botti 7:00
  14. Episode 14 - Kirk Franklin Kirk Franklin 6:10
  15. Episode 15 - Mark Goodman Mark Goodman 8:14
  16. Episode 16 - Mia Michaels Mia Michaels 5:59
  17. Episode 17 - Larry Hamby Larry Hamby 8:36
  18. Episode 18 - Wade Robson Wade Robson 10:34
  19. Episode 19 - Céu Céu 3:50
  20. Episode 20 - Lee Abrams Lee Abrams 7:11
  21. Episode 21 - Salaam Remi Salaam Remi 5:28
  22. Episode 22 - Q-Tip Q-Tip 6:03
  23. Episode 23 - The Electric Boogaloos The Electric Boogaloos 9:21
  24. Episode 24 - Herbie Hancock Herbie Hancock 6:35
  25. Episode 25 - Weird Al Yankovic Weird Al Yankovic 8:44
  26. Episode 26 - LL Cool J LL Cool J 10:15
  27. Episode 27 - Shout Out to MJ - Part 1 Various 8:10
  28. Episode 28 - Shout Out to MJ - Part 2 Various 7:48
The Cast:

Music:

Dance:

Production:

The Industry:

“It was artistry on every level. Every single aspect of that record was sculpted to the highest level of musicianship.” -Chris Botti

Production Notes:

  • From my conversations at work and with friends, it seemed like everyone had a story about their own personal experience with “Thriller,” and how it affected their lives. I wanted to capture that energy, respect and excitement from notable people across the spectrum.
  • Because Thriller was such a game-changer, there were lots of areas that we could mine for casting. Ultimately, we cast based around those who influenced Michael, those were a part of the Thriller experience, and those who were influenced by it, in four key areas (The Music, The Videos, The Dancing, The Industry).
  • There was a ton of ‘hype’-style content and marketing happening both within the label and externally (Thriller25 was hard to miss). We wanted to take a more human approach with this series. We aimed for an infectious enthusiasm, letting the stories speak for themselves rather than an overblown steamroller of productions, sales messaging and gimmicky casting.

The Result:

  • Episodes of Thrillercast were downloaded over 3 million times.
  • Michael Jackson’s “Thriller 25” opened at #2 on the Billboard Top 200, and was in the top 3 best selling albums for Sony in 2008.

Credits:

  • Executive Producer, Project Lead: Jeremy Meyers
  • Interviewer, Editor, Co-Producer: Joseph Vella, Vella Interactive
Back To Top