Breaking Down the 'Bad' Short Film: the Visual Genius and Choreography That Changed Music Videos
By Marcus Vance
Where was the subway sequence for the "Bad" music video filmed?
The subway scenes were filmed on location at the Hoyt Schermerhorn subway station in Brooklyn, New York. The platform area was closed off during overnight hours across several weeks to allow the production team to set up tracks, lighting rigs, and choreography sets.
Who played the gang leader confronting Michael Jackson in "Bad"?
Wesley Snipes played the role of Mini Max, Darryl's neighborhood rival. The role marked Snipes' first major on-screen performance and played a pivotal role in launching his Hollywood acting career.
What real event inspired the storyline of the "Bad" short film?
Screenwriter Richard Price based the narrative on the real-life 1984 tragedy of Edmund Perry, a Harlem teenager who attended an elite Massachusetts boarding school and was fatally shot by a plainclothes police officer in New York. Jackson and Price wanted to explore the real tensions of young people navigating disparate social worlds.
Marcus Vance is a cybersecurity auditor and technology writer dedicated to educating the public about online safety, data privacy regulations, enterprise security, and emerging cyber threats.
