





One of the many things Michael Jackson is known for is his brilliant music videos. The King Of Pop’s Smooth Criminal was one of his many hit songs, and will likely remain iconic for years to come. In the music video for this song, Jackson portrays a bystander in an old-school gangster setting, who is checking on Annie, as she has been struck by a “smooth criminal”. Jackson enters an underground club of sorts, and immediately engages in dance, festivities, and fights. The first picture selected is a shot of Jackson making his way through the club, and the second image is of Jackson dancing with some of the other people in the club. Michael Jackson uses color scheme and filmic language to show the setting, as well as to highlight certain aspects of his music video for Smooth Criminal. 

Michael Jackson at the club @ (need to find time)Michael Jackson at the club @ (need to find time)This image depicts Michael Jackson as his character begins to promenade through the club. This particular shot is a medium shot, as it shows Jackson from his knees up, as well as because the photo is only of Jackson. The image is achromatic aside from the blue that is featured in the shot. The blue featured in Jackson’s outfit could represent the sadness with regards to Annie, or that he is experiencing whilst in the club. The white and black colors provide a sharp contrast, and represent the old-school gangster time period and the overall setting. Overall, this image’s color scheme is very purposefully simple, representing the setting Jackson dancing with the club members @ 8:03Jackson dancing with the club members @ 8:03and mood of that particular event.





The second image is of Jackson as he begins to dance with some of the other people in the club. This image is an establishing shot, as it encompasses all of Jackson, as well as the other dancers and that particular room in the club. Jackson is wearing the same outfit as he is in the first photo, so not much has changed there. The other dancers, however, are wearing very dark colored suits, and Jackson is wearing a white suit, so there is a very sharp contrast in this image. Since Michael is wearing the white, and because he is highlighted by the spotlight, our eyes are drawn to him. Not all of the colors here are represented on the color wheel, so the color scheme cannot be classified. Because of the contrast, and the other factors mentioned in this paragraph, Jackson becomes the central point of the entire club, representing his shift from innocent bystander, to involved vigilante. 

These images represent a variety of things within the music video. The first image represents the confidence Michael Jackson has. He leaves his torso wide open by extending his arms, showing that he is not scared of the criminals at this club, even while knowing they all have guns, and that he is unwelcome there. Similarly, his head is held up, which as another common symbol of confidence, as he is able to look the people around him in the eyes. The second image has similar characteristics. Jackson still leaves himself vulnerable to attack, and this is only amplified by the fact that he is the clear outlier, with the white suit and the spotlight. He is also standing in the middle of a group of “bad guys”. It is through these images that Jackson is able to show the danger of the setting, as well as to highlight his confidence through the situation.

The use of color and filmic properties in this music video only emphasize its’ excellence. Color is used not only as a symbol, but also as a point of emphasis. The camera shots and angles perfectly depict Jackson’s attitude, and activity, while also showing the setting very well. Everything in this music video had a purpose, so everything in the two pictures in this paper has a purpose. It seems as if Michael wants to draw as much attention to himself in the majority of his projects. For example, in his “Thriller” music video, Jackson wears an all-red outfit. Red is the color that is the most attractive and noticeable to the human eye. The white in this music video does the same for him because of the contrast. Michael Jackson is clearly not the everyday individual, so maybe he is trying to tell that to the world.






