This is It - Behind the Scenes

The following photos are screenshots taken from the movie "This is It'.  While the movie was a box office success, many people don't realize the behind the scenes events that took place.  Take a look at the story today and what documents have been uncovered to reveal the real story behind the making of the movie:

One of the first scenes in the movie are interviews with various dancers.  The interviews, as stated on the film, were taken April 15, 2009.  This date coincides with Kenny Ortega's testimony in the Conrad Murray trial that rehearsals for the This is It show began "mid April". 

Footage, as described in the opening statement on the film, was taken from March thru June, 2009.   The footage was intended for personal footage and show footage, although AEG Live emails discovered during the Katherine Jackson v AEG trial, show reference the film as far back as January.

Below is a shot of Michael Jackson seated next to Dr. Tohme Tohme, his one time manager, arriving for the announcement of the "This is It" shows in London on March 5 2009.  In the front seat sits AEG Live executive Randy Phillips and standing on the left is Alberto Alvarez, Jackson's security guard directed by Dr. Tohme and paid by AEG Live.

Michael Jackson, Dr Tohme Tohme and Alberto Alvarez

Randy Phillips, AEG Live executive pointing the way.

Michael Jackson taking the stage followed by Dr. Tohme.

Emails describing what happened earlier that day: 

 "I screamed at him so loud the walls are shaking.  Tohme and I have dressed him . . "

"I just slapped him . . "

On his way in to the announcement, Michael moves his arm away from Dr. Tohme Tohme as he tries to grab him: 

Frank DiLeo watching rehearsals behind Kenny Ortega the show director.  As you can see from the document above, Frank was also being paid by AEG Live.

Credits are below.  You'll see Michael Jackson's personal assistant Michael Amir Williams listed, although he did not appear in the film.  He, also, was being paid by AEG Live.

A larger shot from the above credits, allows us to see "Tohme R. Tohme" also listed on the credits as Michael Jacksons Personal Advisor, also being paid by AEG Live, as referenced in the above document.  However, Dr. Tohme was fired in March by Michael Jackson himself.  His formal termination letter follows the screenshot.

Today Investigates, March, 2009

Produced by:  Randy Phillips of AEG Live, Kenny Ortega and Paul Gongaware, also of AEG Live. We'll see they filed for copyrights just days after Michael Jackson passed (7/2, Michael passed on 6/25 and they already filed for a "motion picture" copyright) in the document following the screenshot.

When and how did they make these arrangements?  On the Sunday following the Thursday death of Michael Jackson, Randy Phillips and Tohme Tohme met with John Branca apparently acting as the Estate of Michael Jackson.  Remember, this was on Sunday, three days after Michael's death.  No one was NAMED as the Estate of Michael Jackson.  No will was validated at this point. Although you'll see from the screen shot below the document filed with the Estate that Sunday that both executors, John Branca and John McClain were executive producers for the film.

You'll also see that Michael Jackson LLC, the company in contract with AEG for the shows, was in all actuality Tohme Tohme, who was never authorized to sign for Michael Jackson LLC as further demonstrated in the Sole Officer email below:

Document showing Michael is the Sole Officer and only person authorized to sign on behalf of Michael Jackson LLC.
This was an AEG document.

The document signed three days after Michael Jacksons death by Randy Phillips and Tohme Tohme, representing The Michael Jackson Company LLC.

As you can see from the document below, Randy Phillips of AEG wasn't too concerned about Michael's death.  As he state here, Michael's death was a tragedy but life must go on, he was going to "make a fortune":

Also acting attorney for the film, below, was John Branca:

Part of the fortune went to proceeds collected from album sales as well; John McClain, MJJ Music and Epic Records:

All rights were reserved by "The Michael Jackson Company LLC", the company Tohme was acting for and the company insured by Lloyds of London that AEG had filed documents for.  Lloyds sued AEG, but that suit was settled by the Estate of Michael Jackson for them.

Another document showing how AEG and the Estate worked together refers to an exhibition scheduled in August of 2009.  AEG would again split the profits with The Estate of Michael Jackson.

As you can see below, the Estate of Michael Jackson calls these facts "stale internet conspiracy theories" (see bottom caption on photo)

However, "stale internet theories" should never warrant paying a company thousands of dollars to clean up the evidence..I mean "stale internet theories".  You'll see in the document below a company called Websheriff was paid $30,000 in 2013 alone:

(Note:  This document is a screen shot from the accounting of the Estate, The Estate of Michael Jackson was ordered to file in court)

More "theories" coming soon!