Michael Jackson this time, wrote hits such as "Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)" (1979), "This Place Hotel" (1980), and "Can You Feel It" (1980). Jackson's work in film began in 1978, when he moved to New York City to star as the Scarecrow in "The Wiz", a musical directed by Sidney Lumet. It costarred Diana Ross, Nipsey Russell, and Ted Ross. The film was a box-office failure. Its score was arranged by Quincy Jones, whom Jackson had previously met when he was 12 at Sammy Davis Jr.'s house. Jones agreed to produce Jackson's next solo album. During his time in
The Wiz (film) Norma Kamali. Albert Whitlock created the film's visual special effects, while Stan Winston served as the head makeup artist. Quincy Jones was the musical supervisor and music producer for the film. He later wrote that he initially did not want to work on the film, but did it as a favor to Lumet. The film production marked Jones' first time working with Jackson, and Jones would later produce three hit albums for Jackson: "Off the Wall", "Thriller" and "Bad". Jones recalled working with Jackson as one of his favorite experiences from "The Wiz", and spoke of Jackson's dedication to his