Synopsis

Set inside a sleek, futuristic spacecraft, Michael and Janet Jackson escape the pressures of Earth and the relentless media attention surrounding them. The black-and-white video moves through stark corridors, a lounge, a zen garden and other surreal spaces as the siblings dance, play and vent their frustration. Rapid editing, distorted typography, computer-generated effects and playful moments turn the song's anger into a stylish fantasy of isolation, freedom and sibling solidarity.

Mark Romanek has said this video is an attempt at “epic minimalism”. He then went on to say “I feel Michael is the greatest entertainer in the world, and I feel his fan’s have come to expect something quite epic and grand with his video’s. So I applied the epic minimalism and, a lot of the sounds in the song put me in mind of science fiction, so I came up with the idea that Michael and Janet have their very own super sleek space ship, so they can just get away, and take a joy-ride in space, to escape all the pressures the song is describing”.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video was made on an estimated $7 million budget and was recognized by Guinness World Records as the most expensive music video ever produced at the time.

• Production used seven soundstages and 13 sets, including the spacecraft's lounge, corridors, garden and gravity-defying environments. The scale of the build made the schedule unusually demanding for a music video.

• The monochrome look was an intentional stylistic choice. It gives the video a stark, futuristic feel while keeping attention on the performers, choreography, graphic design and visual effects.

• The production featured elaborate digital morphing, including transformations between Michael and Janet, as well as animated objects and floating electric guitars.

• Janet later said that she and Michael did not always film together. Michael generally worked at night while Janet worked during the day, and access to the set was tightly controlled between their teams.

• "Scream" received a record 11 MTV Video Music Award nominations in 1995 and won three, including Best Dance Video, Best Choreography and Best Art Direction. It also won the Grammy for Best Music Video, Short Form in 1996.

• The 1996 horror film "Scream" was originally developed under the title "Scary Movie." Its title was changed after producer Harvey Weinstein heard the Jackson song and decided that "Scream" better suited the project.

• The video marked the first major musical collaboration between Michael and Janet Jackson, despite their shared family history and long careers as solo performers.