By Tom Vogt, The Columbian
VANCOUVER -- Before "Thriller" chilled millions, John Brune watched Michael Jackson's fright-fest from a different perspective.
Knowing when it was time for the walking dead to step lively. Making sure each zombie had the correct number of arms.
Brune, who grew up in Portland, was part of the production when Jackson filmed the landmark music video in 1983.
After helping Jackson tweak matters of life and death 26 years ago, Brune said Friday, "It's really a shock to hear he's dead."
Brune, who now lives in the Vancouver area, said he hadn't talked to Jackson in more than 10 years. But Brune's home near Fisher's Landing has plenty of reminders of the work they did together, which also included the videos for "Beat It" and "Billie Jean."
Brune's business partner Michael Peters choreographed several Jackson projects. Brune served as an assistant to the director and an assistant choreographer.
Part of the preliminary work on "Thriller" was shopping at a thrift store, Brune said. "We bought a lot of ugly dresses."
Not everything came at bargain-rack prices.
The dancers were fitted with fanglike dentures over their teeth, and throwaway limbs, Brune said.
Which meant that the choreography included cues that dancers hardly ever hear, Brune said: "This is when your arm will fall off."
The job also included keeping track of continuity, making sure everything from cast positioning to lighting was consistent from one scene to the next.
"Dancers would practice between takes. I'd make sure they were all lined up, and watch for mistakes" when the filming resumed.
"The main thing I remember about that video was that when it was finished, Michael Jackson freaked out," Brune said. "He was afraid people would associate it with the occult, and he didn't want to release it."
Brune was severely injured in an auto accident in 1984, and suffered a series of heart attacks a few years ago.
One of his keepsakes from Jackson is an autographed photo encouraging Brune to get well.
Brune, 56, moved to Vancouver a few years ago to be closer to his parents, who live in the Portland area.
After Jackson's extensive run of legal problems began in the 1990s, Brune said, an inquiry came his way.
"I got a call asking if I'd seen anything involving children and sexual behavior. I never saw any of that," Brune said.
However, Brune recalled a show business idol who still had a lot of growing up to do, particularly when faced with something he didn't want to do.
"He'd act like he was tired, or act like he didn't understand," Brune said. "Childlike, really."
