A thirty-minute long-form music video, "Rhythm Nation 1814", was produced to promote the album. Referred to as a "telemusical", the storyline incorporates three separate music videos: "Miss You Much", "The Knowledge", and "Rhythm Nation". Jackson and director Dominic Sena developed the screenplay, which centers around two boys whose dreams of pursuing music careers are destroyed through substance abuse and drug trafficking. Sena referred to the film as the "1814 Project", attempting to keep the public unaware that Jackson was filming on the streets of Los Angeles. The project had a budget of $1.6 million and was aired on MTV prior to the album's release. A&M co-founder Jerry Moss stated that the decision to film the composite videos all at once for "Rhythm Nation 1814" regardless of budget was "a brilliant way to go" allotting Jackson more time to focus her attention elsewhere.