Film producer Marc Schaffel plans to release previously unseen footage of pop star Michael Jackson in a new documentary project tentatively titled The Real Michael.
The material comes from a fly-on-the-wall documentary Jackson began making in 2001, when he defied lingering allegations of child molestation to film scenes with celebrities, meet fans, and return to his hometown. Schaffel, a long-time friend of the singer, produced and paid for the footage, which shows Jackson at the peak of his fame during the second half of his career.
Unseen Footage and Home Tour
The unreleased video features Jackson giving words of reassurance to a 19-year-old Beyonce, who was then emerging as a star in her own right. Cameras also recorded Jackson touring his original family home in Gary, Indiana, and flicking nostalgically through old family photo albums.
While inspecting the Gary residence, Jackson laughingly told cameras he was glad that "dirty pictures" had been removed from the bedroom he once shared with his brothers in the Jackson Five. Schaffel explained that by the early 2000s, the house was occupied by an older relative who had received little notice prior to the start of filming.
Filming came to a halt in November 2003 when officers from the Santa Barbara Sheriff's Department raided Jackson's Neverland ranch in California as part of a criminal investigation into sex abuse. Although Jackson was acquitted two years later in 2005, he subsequently left the United States for Bahrain, causing television networks to lose interest in the project and leaving Schaffel with a vast collection of unused footage.
Producer Marc Schaffel on The Real Michael
Schaffel told The Mail on Sunday that he now believes the footage represents one of the last sustained portraits ever made of Jackson and deserves a wider release. "During the time these clips were shot Michael was about at the pinnacle of his second half of his career," Schaffel said. "The 1993 allegations made by Jordan Chandler had passed. He was in a great mood and the fans were very welcoming to him."
"The material was originally shot to be a reality show I was making about Michael," Schaffel added. "It was my long personal friendship with Michael that made filming this series possible. I own and have shot and paid for the footage and production."
The decision to release the project follows a resurgence of interest in Jackson 15 years after his death, driven by the theatrical success of the biographical film Michael. The biopic grossed more than $1 billion worldwide and introduced the artist to a new generation of fans, with a movie sequel already in production.
"This footage is a perfect real-life account of his life - and perfect to accompany the massive theatrical release of the Michael film," Schaffel said.
Limousine Pranks and Personal Moments
The footage also captures lighthearted moments, including scenes of Jackson relaxing and fooling around with assistants in the back of his personal limousine. Schaffel clarified one unusual clip in which the pop star is repeatedly sprayed with cologne inside the vehicle.
"Michael, being the consummate prankster with the people closest to him would over-do the cologne and perfume," Schaffel recalled. "At the time, he liked this very expensive perfume. His nickname for cologne was 'smells' so when he asked for smells his cousin, who was his assistant on that trip, brought out the perfumes and started over spraying as a prank but unfortunately for all of us in the limo with him [it] was so strong we couldn't breathe."
The report was prepared with contributions from Daphne Barak, a senior interviewer, documentary filmmaker, and cancer survivor who works with a charity associated with the University of California, San Diego.
