Britney: For the Record
Encyclopedia
Britney: For the Record is a 2008 documentary
of American recording artist and entertainer Britney Spears
. The 60-minute introspective documentary chronicles Spears' return to the recording industry after her much-publicized professional and personal struggles. Directed by Phil Griffin
and produced by Andrew Fried
, For the Record was entirely shot in Beverly Hills, Hollywood, and New York City
during the third quarter of 2008. Main shooting began on September 5, 2008, two days before Spears' appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards
.
MTV
, one of the two official distributors of the documentary, posted on their website the first promotional trailer on October 9, 2008. The documentary premiered via MTV on November 30, 2008 in the United States, two days before the release of her sixth studio album, Circus
, for which the documentary served as a promotion tool. For the Record was broadcast to high ratings and positive fan reactions, although critical reviews were mixed.
, going into the recording studio, to the video shoots of her singles "Womanizer
and "Circus
"—songs off her sixth studio album, Circus
—to rehearsals, and press tours. Madonna
also makes a special appearance and commentary. Spears talks about past relationships. She explains that going through her first break-up, with boyfriend Justin Timberlake
, in the spotlight was no easy task for a teenage girl. She felt that all the publicity made it even more difficult and confusing for her to move on at such a young age and so she began to act out. Her break-up with husband and father of her two sons, Kevin Federline
, was even worse she explains. This loss took an even greater toll on her and once again all the paparazzi attention did not help.
Spears talked about her feelings toward the conservationship her father contains and how she feels about her life, and quotes "There's no excitement, there's no passion...I have really good days, and then I have bad days. Even when you go to jail, you know there's the time when you're gonna get out. But in this situation, it's never ending. It's just like Groundhog Day
every day." Spears added "I think it's too in control, If I wasn't under the restraints I'm under, I'd feel so liberated. When I tell them the way I feel, it's like they hear but they're really not listening. I never wanted to become one of those prisoner people. I always wanted to feel free." The singer also commented on her feelings towards fans
and her music style. "It's weird because your music is a reflection of what you're going through," she says. "It's such a part of me, the record, 'cause of what I've gone through." In another clip, Spears talks about how she uses her work as a dancer and singer to deal with the stress of her life and how it helps her deal with her emotions. She said that for her, dancing is like therapy
. "If I have a lot of nervous energy, when I start dancing it all goes away and I just feel emotion. It's like a rollercoaster," she says. "People think that when you go through something in life you have to go to therapy. For me, art is therapy, because it's like you're expressing yourself in such a spiritual
way. "Sometimes you don't need to use words to go through what you need to go through," she continues. "Sometimes it's an emotion you need to feel when you dance, that you need to touch. And the only thing that can touch it is when you move a certain way."
on How I Met Your Mother
in mid-summer of 2008, The National Enquirer
reported that Larry Rudolph
, Spears' long-time manager who returned to her management after being dismissed in April 2007, was "pitching the idea of a reality series to several major networks". Many reports claimed that the "new reality show" would focus on Spears' life and comeback to her music career. FremantleMedia, one of the documentary's distributors, posted a press release on October 9, 2008. At night of the same day, MTV, the other distributor, reported that Spears would release a documentary
via their channel on November 30.
The concept of producing a documentary evolved out a conversation between Spears and Rudolph, where Spears expressed her interest in presenting herself back to the public. After hitting the "low point" in her career, Spears "really wanted to be able to tell her story, talk about where she's been, where she is today and where she is going", according to Rudolph.
On November 21, 2008, Rudolph, who had been involved in the documentary, gave an exclusive interview to MTV. He explained how development of the project started and who he got involved with it: "I was very involved in putting [the film] together, so I saw the process, It was a very interesting process. We made a deal from the very beginning — everybody sort of shook hands with the understanding that there were going to be no boundaries on this thing. We were going to make an open and honest film and that we weren't going to leave the good stuff on the cutting room floor." Rudolph explained that For the Record is part of the game plan for reintroducing Spears back to her fans as a pop star rather than a tabloid fixture.
and award winning filmmakers Radical Media for the documentary. For the Record was shot for around three months in 2008, beginning on September 5, two days before Spears' appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards
, to mid-November. The production crew used various past recordings of Spears on the documentary, her 2008 MTV Video Music Awards
appearance will be featured on the documentary along with the filming of the music videos to "Womanizer
and "Circus
." The interviews with Spears were shot at The Mondrian Hotel in Los Angeles. Spears frequented the hotel's lounge during "wilder times". Singer Madonna
's cameo appearance
in the documentary was filmed during her L.A. concert.
used her 2004 single "Toxic
" from her fourth studio album In the Zone
and the first single from her sixth studio album "Womanizer
". For the rest of the promos, the production had used Spears' newest songs such has "Out from Under
", "Kill the Lights
", "Quicksand", "Unusual You
" and "Phonography" from her sixth studio album Circus
. The instrumental version to the album's title track, "Circus
", was also used for the third promo production. During the American broadcast the documentary played the instrumentals for most of Spears' songs from "Circus", they also showed the recording sessions for "Trouble," "Womanizer", and "Circus". The instrumental for "Quicksand" was played in the film also. The music used at the end of the documentary is "Lower Your Eyelids and Die with the Sun" by French electro band M83
from their 2005 album Before the Dawn Heals Us
.
' official Britney site, has also promoted the documentary releasing exclusive photos, videos and interviews with Spears. Her official personal website BritneySpears.com has promoted the documentary posting pictures, and exclusive videos, her website was the first one to release the international promotional trailers, and the first one to release exclusive footage of the documentary. In order to promote the film, MTV released various commercial and movie (documentary) trailers. MTV aired The Britney Collection, promoting Circus and the documentary. The show contained Spears best music videos which were chosen by her fans. The website also released a series of promotional stills taken from the film. Yahoo! TV
posted an exclusive trailer of the film on Sunday November 23 a week before the release of the documentary. The promos were premiered on television nationwide on October 17 and October 20 worldwide.
allowing them to bring up to three friends. MTV posted a two-minute trailer on November 24, 2008.
, two days before the birthday of Spears and the release of Circus. The network's official website posted a sneak preview on October 8. The official MTV will air the documentary in Spanish language
countries such has Spainon November 30 two hours after the U.S premier. MTV Tr3s
will air a special edition of the documentary subtitled into Spanish for the American public. Britney: For The Record premiered with 3.7 Million Viewers on MTV. The documentary premiered in France and on special Spanish-subtitled version on Sony Entertainment Television
in Latin America
on December 1 as well as airing in Australia on December 2.
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, Britney: For the Record premiered exclusively on Sky1 and Sky1 HD on December 1, less than 24 hours after the documentary's premiere in the United States. This coincided with the release of the album in the country. In Australia, Network Ten
showed the documentary on December 2, along with Channel [V] on December 9. The documentary was also aired in France on NT1
under the title Britney Spears : la confession ("Britney Spears: The Confession"), with it being considered a major event, a countdown of the remaining days and hours frequently appearing on top of the screen and being shown on the channel's official website. It will be translated through additional voice-overs and followed by the two French-dubbed episodes of the show How I Met Your Mother
featuring the artist. In Latin America, the documentary was aired in Sony Entertainment Television, the 1st of December. In South Africa the documentary premiered on December 23, 2008 on M-Net
. In Italy the documentary premiere on December 26, 2008 on MTV Italy
in a special Britney Spears' day. In Turkey the documentary premiered on March 31, 2009 on Dream TV. It aired under the title "Britney: kayda geçmesi için" ("Britney: For the Record").
.
gave the film a positive reaction calling the film "an unstoppable documentary, Spears can finally tell her side of the story without periods, or commas". MSNBC
was negative in its review, writing that Spears provided "very little insight about her life, her decision-making, or her mistakes", and that Spears responses were "vague, occasionally contradictory". MSNBC concluded that "All that Britney: For the Record leaves us with, then, is a faint portrait of a 26-year-old whose life is unlike any other 26-year-old's, even though she wants to convince herself otherwise". The Hartford Courant criticized the documentary for being "an infomercial
about rehabilitating the image of Britney Spears." The review would go on to note "'No topic was off limits,' insisted a title at the beginning of the film, which explained that MTV cameras got to follow her for 60 days this fall. 'No question went unanswered.' But of course not every question was asked in the first place. Australian newspaper The Age
described it as "nothing more than a miserable, anxious limp through an entirely unsteady 'comeback'.
asked various fans in New York and Los Angeles, California
what they thought about the film, a fan quoted, "It made me love her even more," Shanna Birnbaum, 23, told MTV News
. "I think she was very honest. She really let her true self shine through. It showed people and young girls you can get through anything." Stacey Medura, agreed, adding that "For the Record" humanized the pop star. "It's easier to understand how she feels," Medura said. "Her opinion matters most. I think she covered a lot [in the special]." Some said this look into Britney's life was inspiring. "I really have gained a lot of respect for her now," Derek wrote. "I felt like this was the first time since she burst onto the scene a decade ago that she has spoken from the heart. ... I think this is what fans and others have wanted from her for a long time, to be honest. Her honesty can be helpful for others who may be going through situations like hers, such as dealing with a custody battle."
reported that "Britney: For the Record" accumulated the largest average viewers on a regular Sunday with averaged 3.7 million viewers, per the network. Combined with the rerun
immediately after the first showing, it received 5.6 million viewers overall. The documentary received three times more viewers than various MTV series including their number one hit series The Hills
. In Australia, the primetime broadcast on Network Ten
attracted a national audience of 1.42 million viewers, which equates to just under 7% of the entire country's population. The documentary, as such, became the fourth most watched programme of the week. In the United Kingdom, the broadcast received 391,000 viewers and 1.8% share. Moreover, it also received 4.6% amongst adults 16-34 and 5.1% among women 16-34. Aside from a repeat of Doctor Who
on BBC Three
, "Britney: For the Record" was the highest rated multichannel (cable) show for the night (December 1, 2008). According Televisa Views
in Mexico the documentary scored the number one spot two nights in a row, on its debut night the documentary was viewed by more than 2.3 million viewers and on its second night it scored 2 million for a total of 4.3 millions views in the two showings, the documentary beat Desperate Housewives
for the Sunday showing in Mexico by 1.25 million.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
of American recording artist and entertainer Britney Spears
Britney Spears
Britney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album...
. The 60-minute introspective documentary chronicles Spears' return to the recording industry after her much-publicized professional and personal struggles. Directed by Phil Griffin
Phil Griffin
Phil Griffin is President of United States cable news MSNBC. He was named President in July, 2008.-References:...
and produced by Andrew Fried
Andrew Fried
Andrew Fried is an American television producer and film producer.Fried attended the Long Beach High School in New York. He has produced such television shows as Iconoclasts, Britney: For the Record and the Great Performances special, In The Heights: Chasing Broadway Dreams.-External links:...
, For the Record was entirely shot in Beverly Hills, Hollywood, and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
during the third quarter of 2008. Main shooting began on September 5, 2008, two days before Spears' appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards
2008 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2008 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 7, 2008 live from Paramount Pictures Studios , honoring the best music videos from the previous year. Nominations for a majority of the categories were announced on the MTV program FNMTV after being selected through viewer online voting at...
.
MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, one of the two official distributors of the documentary, posted on their website the first promotional trailer on October 9, 2008. The documentary premiered via MTV on November 30, 2008 in the United States, two days before the release of her sixth studio album, Circus
Circus (Britney Spears album)
Circus is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Britney Spears. The album was first released on November 28, 2008 by Jive Records. Spears started work on the album in early 2008 with a range of producers including long-time producers Bloodshy & Avant and Danja...
, for which the documentary served as a promotion tool. For the Record was broadcast to high ratings and positive fan reactions, although critical reviews were mixed.
Synopsis
Britney Spears is an American singer, song-writer, dancer, entertainer, actress and occasional author. The documentary reveals Spears most intimate moments in the span of 60 days, from the beginning of her much publicized meltdown, until how she returned to the music spotlight. She also reflects on past decisions, saying "I'm a smart person...What the hell was I thinking?!" For the Record includes footage from her appearance at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards2008 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2008 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 7, 2008 live from Paramount Pictures Studios , honoring the best music videos from the previous year. Nominations for a majority of the categories were announced on the MTV program FNMTV after being selected through viewer online voting at...
, going into the recording studio, to the video shoots of her singles "Womanizer
Womanizer (song)
"Womanizer" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her sixth studio album, Circus. It was released on September 26, 2008 by Jive Records as the lead single of the album. Produced and co-written by Nikesha Briscoe and Rafael Akinyemi of The Outsyders, the song had to be...
and "Circus
Circus (song)
"Circus" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her sixth studio album, Circus. It was released on December 2, 2008, by Jive Records as the second single from the album. "Circus" was written by Dr. Luke, Claude Kelly and Benny Blanco as a metaphor for the public's perception of...
"—songs off her sixth studio album, Circus
Circus (Britney Spears album)
Circus is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Britney Spears. The album was first released on November 28, 2008 by Jive Records. Spears started work on the album in early 2008 with a range of producers including long-time producers Bloodshy & Avant and Danja...
—to rehearsals, and press tours. Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
also makes a special appearance and commentary. Spears talks about past relationships. She explains that going through her first break-up, with boyfriend Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
, in the spotlight was no easy task for a teenage girl. She felt that all the publicity made it even more difficult and confusing for her to move on at such a young age and so she began to act out. Her break-up with husband and father of her two sons, Kevin Federline
Kevin Federline
Kevin Earl Federline is an American dancer, rapper, fashion model, and actor. Previously engaged to actress Shar Jackson, Federline is best known for his two-year marriage to pop singer Britney Spears...
, was even worse she explains. This loss took an even greater toll on her and once again all the paparazzi attention did not help.
Spears talked about her feelings toward the conservationship her father contains and how she feels about her life, and quotes "There's no excitement, there's no passion...I have really good days, and then I have bad days. Even when you go to jail, you know there's the time when you're gonna get out. But in this situation, it's never ending. It's just like Groundhog Day
Groundhog Day (film)
Groundhog Day is a 1993 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. It was written by Ramis and Danny Rubin, based on a story by Rubin....
every day." Spears added "I think it's too in control, If I wasn't under the restraints I'm under, I'd feel so liberated. When I tell them the way I feel, it's like they hear but they're really not listening. I never wanted to become one of those prisoner people. I always wanted to feel free." The singer also commented on her feelings towards fans
Fan (person)
A Fan, sometimes also called aficionado or supporter, is a person with a liking and enthusiasm for something, such as a band or a sports team. Fans of a particular thing or person constitute its fanbase or fandom...
and her music style. "It's weird because your music is a reflection of what you're going through," she says. "It's such a part of me, the record, 'cause of what I've gone through." In another clip, Spears talks about how she uses her work as a dancer and singer to deal with the stress of her life and how it helps her deal with her emotions. She said that for her, dancing is like therapy
Therapy
This is a list of types of therapy .* Adventure therapy* Animal-assisted therapy* Aquatic therapy* Aromatherapy* Art and dementia* Art therapy* Authentic Movement* Behavioral therapy* Bibliotherapy* Buteyko Method* Chemotherapy...
. "If I have a lot of nervous energy, when I start dancing it all goes away and I just feel emotion. It's like a rollercoaster," she says. "People think that when you go through something in life you have to go to therapy. For me, art is therapy, because it's like you're expressing yourself in such a spiritual
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
way. "Sometimes you don't need to use words to go through what you need to go through," she continues. "Sometimes it's an emotion you need to feel when you dance, that you need to touch. And the only thing that can touch it is when you move a certain way."
Development
After Spears' cameo appearanceCameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
on How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
in mid-summer of 2008, The National Enquirer
The National Enquirer
The National Enquirer is an American supermarket tabloid now published by American Media Inc . Founded in 1926, the tabloid has gone through a variety of changes over the years....
reported that Larry Rudolph
Larry Rudolph
Larry Rudolph is a personal manager. He is best known as the manager of Britney Spears from 1999–2004, briefly in 2007, and 2008-present.-Career:...
, Spears' long-time manager who returned to her management after being dismissed in April 2007, was "pitching the idea of a reality series to several major networks". Many reports claimed that the "new reality show" would focus on Spears' life and comeback to her music career. FremantleMedia, one of the documentary's distributors, posted a press release on October 9, 2008. At night of the same day, MTV, the other distributor, reported that Spears would release a documentary
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
via their channel on November 30.
The concept of producing a documentary evolved out a conversation between Spears and Rudolph, where Spears expressed her interest in presenting herself back to the public. After hitting the "low point" in her career, Spears "really wanted to be able to tell her story, talk about where she's been, where she is today and where she is going", according to Rudolph.
On November 21, 2008, Rudolph, who had been involved in the documentary, gave an exclusive interview to MTV. He explained how development of the project started and who he got involved with it: "I was very involved in putting [the film] together, so I saw the process, It was a very interesting process. We made a deal from the very beginning — everybody sort of shook hands with the understanding that there were going to be no boundaries on this thing. We were going to make an open and honest film and that we weren't going to leave the good stuff on the cutting room floor." Rudolph explained that For the Record is part of the game plan for reintroducing Spears back to her fans as a pop star rather than a tabloid fixture.
Filming
Spears teamed up with the American cable television network MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and award winning filmmakers Radical Media for the documentary. For the Record was shot for around three months in 2008, beginning on September 5, two days before Spears' appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
, to mid-November. The production crew used various past recordings of Spears on the documentary, her 2008 MTV Video Music Awards
2008 MTV Video Music Awards
The 2008 MTV Video Music Awards took place on September 7, 2008 live from Paramount Pictures Studios , honoring the best music videos from the previous year. Nominations for a majority of the categories were announced on the MTV program FNMTV after being selected through viewer online voting at...
appearance will be featured on the documentary along with the filming of the music videos to "Womanizer
Womanizer (song)
"Womanizer" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her sixth studio album, Circus. It was released on September 26, 2008 by Jive Records as the lead single of the album. Produced and co-written by Nikesha Briscoe and Rafael Akinyemi of The Outsyders, the song had to be...
and "Circus
Circus (song)
"Circus" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her sixth studio album, Circus. It was released on December 2, 2008, by Jive Records as the second single from the album. "Circus" was written by Dr. Luke, Claude Kelly and Benny Blanco as a metaphor for the public's perception of...
." The interviews with Spears were shot at The Mondrian Hotel in Los Angeles. Spears frequented the hotel's lounge during "wilder times". Singer Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
's cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
in the documentary was filmed during her L.A. concert.
Music
For the first broadcast trailer, MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
used her 2004 single "Toxic
Toxic (song)
"Toxic" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, co-written and produced by Bloodshy & Avant, from her fourth album, In the Zone. It was released on January 12, 2004, by Jive Records as the second single from the album. After trying to choose between " Boom Boom" and "Outrageous" to...
" from her fourth studio album In the Zone
In the Zone
In the Zone is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Britney Spears, released on November 16, 2003, by Jive Records. Following the end of the Dream Within a Dream Tour in July 2002 and her break-up with Justin Timberlake, Spears announced she would take a six-month break from her...
and the first single from her sixth studio album "Womanizer
Womanizer (song)
"Womanizer" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her sixth studio album, Circus. It was released on September 26, 2008 by Jive Records as the lead single of the album. Produced and co-written by Nikesha Briscoe and Rafael Akinyemi of The Outsyders, the song had to be...
". For the rest of the promos, the production had used Spears' newest songs such has "Out from Under
Out from Under (song)
"Out from Under" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, taken from her sixth studio album, Circus . The song was written by Shelly Peiken, Arnthor Birgisson, and Wayne Hector, initially for the soundtrack of Bratz: The Movie, featuring vocals of American recording artist Joanna...
", "Kill the Lights
Kill the Lights
"Kill the Lights" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, taken from her sixth studio album, Circus . The song was written by Nathaniel Hills, James Washington, Luke Boyd and Marcella Araica, who previously worked with Spears on Blackout...
", "Quicksand", "Unusual You
Unusual You
"Unusual You" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, from her sixth studio album Circus. It was released on September 15, 2009, as the fifth and final single from the album in Australia and New Zealand. The song was written and produced by Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg from...
" and "Phonography" from her sixth studio album Circus
Circus (Britney Spears album)
Circus is the sixth studio album by American recording artist Britney Spears. The album was first released on November 28, 2008 by Jive Records. Spears started work on the album in early 2008 with a range of producers including long-time producers Bloodshy & Avant and Danja...
. The instrumental version to the album's title track, "Circus
Circus (song)
"Circus" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her sixth studio album, Circus. It was released on December 2, 2008, by Jive Records as the second single from the album. "Circus" was written by Dr. Luke, Claude Kelly and Benny Blanco as a metaphor for the public's perception of...
", was also used for the third promo production. During the American broadcast the documentary played the instrumentals for most of Spears' songs from "Circus", they also showed the recording sessions for "Trouble," "Womanizer", and "Circus". The instrumental for "Quicksand" was played in the film also. The music used at the end of the documentary is "Lower Your Eyelids and Die with the Sun" by French electro band M83
M83 (band)
M83 is a musical act by French musician Anthony Gonzalez. It is named after a spiral galaxy, Messier 83. The band was founded in 2001 by Gonzalez and former member Nicolas Fromageau in Antibes, France...
from their 2005 album Before the Dawn Heals Us
Before the Dawn Heals Us
-Release history:-Singles:*"A Guitar and a Heart"/"Safe" *# "A Guitar and a Heart"*# "Safe"*"Don't Save Us from the Flames" *# "Don't Save Us from the Flames"*# "Until the Night Is Over"...
.
Promotion
Britney.com, Jive recordsJive Records
Jive Records was a record label based in New York City, operating under RCA Music Group. Jive was primarily known for a string of successes with hip hop artists in the 1980s, and in teen pop and boy bands in the late 1990s. The word "jive" was inspired by Township Jive, a form of South African...
' official Britney site, has also promoted the documentary releasing exclusive photos, videos and interviews with Spears. Her official personal website BritneySpears.com has promoted the documentary posting pictures, and exclusive videos, her website was the first one to release the international promotional trailers, and the first one to release exclusive footage of the documentary. In order to promote the film, MTV released various commercial and movie (documentary) trailers. MTV aired The Britney Collection, promoting Circus and the documentary. The show contained Spears best music videos which were chosen by her fans. The website also released a series of promotional stills taken from the film. Yahoo! TV
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
posted an exclusive trailer of the film on Sunday November 23 a week before the release of the documentary. The promos were premiered on television nationwide on October 17 and October 20 worldwide.
Screening
On November 13, 2008, Britney.com announced that Spears will host a special screening of the documentary. The website offered the chance to apply for, among the, free 200 tickets via "1iota". The screening took place in Hollywood, California on Thursday November 20 at 11:45am. Fans were asked to wear funky and trendy attire for the event, and not to take phones or cameras to the event. The day of the screening many fans were left disappointed. According to Spears' official website some of the fans that won tickets through "1iota" were eventually turned away. Many of them complained that they received an e-mailE-mail
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
allowing them to bring up to three friends. MTV posted a two-minute trailer on November 24, 2008.
Broadcast
Britney: For the Record premiered on November 30, 2008 via MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
, two days before the birthday of Spears and the release of Circus. The network's official website posted a sneak preview on October 8. The official MTV will air the documentary in Spanish language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
countries such has Spainon November 30 two hours after the U.S premier. MTV Tr3s
MTV Tr3s
Tr3s is an American cable, satellite and over-the-air network that prides itself as a bi-cultural entertainment destination. It is rooted in the fusion of Latin America and American music, cultures, and languages, bringing the biggest names in pop, urban, and rock music...
will air a special edition of the documentary subtitled into Spanish for the American public. Britney: For The Record premiered with 3.7 Million Viewers on MTV. The documentary premiered in France and on special Spanish-subtitled version on Sony Entertainment Television
Sony Entertainment Television (Latin America)
Sony Entertainment Television, commonly shortened to Canal Sony , is a general entertainment channel co-based in Perú, Chile, Venezuela, Brazil and Miami, Florida, United States. It airs in 26 countries in Latin America, and is owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment...
in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
on December 1 as well as airing in Australia on December 2.
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, Britney: For the Record premiered exclusively on Sky1 and Sky1 HD on December 1, less than 24 hours after the documentary's premiere in the United States. This coincided with the release of the album in the country. In Australia, Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
showed the documentary on December 2, along with Channel [V] on December 9. The documentary was also aired in France on NT1
NT1 (television)
NT1 is a French television network. It is available through digital terrestrial television in France. It is a subsidiary of TF1 Group....
under the title Britney Spears : la confession ("Britney Spears: The Confession"), with it being considered a major event, a countdown of the remaining days and hours frequently appearing on top of the screen and being shown on the channel's official website. It will be translated through additional voice-overs and followed by the two French-dubbed episodes of the show How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
featuring the artist. In Latin America, the documentary was aired in Sony Entertainment Television, the 1st of December. In South Africa the documentary premiered on December 23, 2008 on M-Net
M-Net
M-Net is a subscription-funded television channel in South Africa, established in 1986 by Naspers....
. In Italy the documentary premiere on December 26, 2008 on MTV Italy
MTV Italy
MTV Italy is the Italian speaking version of the popular 24 hour music and youth entertainment channel. Unlike its counterparts elsewhere in Europe, MTV Italia is a national channel available free-to-air on terrestrial television since September 1, 1997 and available on digital terrestrial...
in a special Britney Spears' day. In Turkey the documentary premiered on March 31, 2009 on Dream TV. It aired under the title "Britney: kayda geçmesi için" ("Britney: For the Record").
DVD Release
The DVD release was first announced on Spears' official website. The documentary was released to DVD on Tuesday, April 7 in the United States and was released on the United Kingdom's HMV website/stores on Monday, June 1. In Colombia the DVD was released at the end of May. It sold 3,095 copies in its first week in the United States. Britney: For The Record DVD was released in Australia on the 28th Of August at all major DVD Retailers. This DVD is a director's cut of the MTV version and includes footage not previously seen on TV. Filmed around the making of her 2008 comeback album, the tell-all documentary "Britney: For The Record" captures Britney Spears in intimate confessionals and revealing candid moments. The pop superstar shares her own views on her family, friends, fans, and critics, as well as the toll of her media troubles, alleged public mental breakdown, and the necessary rigors of jumping headlong back into work. In this honest and at times harrowingly introspective portrait, nothing is off the record. The DVD release peaked at number seventy-nine on the Japanese Oricon Video ChartOricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan. It started as , which was founded by Sōkō Koike in November 1967 and became known for its music charts. Oricon Inc...
.
DVD Details
The DVD includes:- Full documentary
- Rare scenes that didn't air on MTV
- The American release also included six bonus remixes of Britney's "WomanizerWomanizer (song)"Womanizer" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her sixth studio album, Circus. It was released on September 26, 2008 by Jive Records as the lead single of the album. Produced and co-written by Nikesha Briscoe and Rafael Akinyemi of The Outsyders, the song had to be...
" and "CircusCircus (song)"Circus" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears from her sixth studio album, Circus. It was released on December 2, 2008, by Jive Records as the second single from the album. "Circus" was written by Dr. Luke, Claude Kelly and Benny Blanco as a metaphor for the public's perception of...
" singles:- "Womanizer" (Kaskade Remix)
- "Womanizer" (Benny Benassi Extended Remix)
- "Womanizer" (Junior Club Remix)
- "Circus" (Diplo Alt Clown Remix)
- "Circus" (Tom Neville's Ringleader Remix)
- "Circus" (Villains Remix)
- The Brazilian release also included a bonus sticker instead the six remixes.
- The Thailand release also included a bonus Photo Gallery
Critical reception
Critical reaction to the documentary was mixed. Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
gave the film a positive reaction calling the film "an unstoppable documentary, Spears can finally tell her side of the story without periods, or commas". MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
was negative in its review, writing that Spears provided "very little insight about her life, her decision-making, or her mistakes", and that Spears responses were "vague, occasionally contradictory". MSNBC concluded that "All that Britney: For the Record leaves us with, then, is a faint portrait of a 26-year-old whose life is unlike any other 26-year-old's, even though she wants to convince herself otherwise". The Hartford Courant criticized the documentary for being "an infomercial
Infomercial
Infomercials are direct response television commercials which generally include a phone number or website. There are long-form infomercials, which are typically between 15 and 30 minutes in length, and short-form infomercials, which are typically 30 seconds to 120 seconds in length. Infomercials...
about rehabilitating the image of Britney Spears." The review would go on to note "'No topic was off limits,' insisted a title at the beginning of the film, which explained that MTV cameras got to follow her for 60 days this fall. 'No question went unanswered.' But of course not every question was asked in the first place. Australian newspaper The Age
The Age
The Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
described it as "nothing more than a miserable, anxious limp through an entirely unsteady 'comeback'.
Public reception
The public's reaction towards the documentary has been positive. MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
asked various fans in New York and Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
what they thought about the film, a fan quoted, "It made me love her even more," Shanna Birnbaum, 23, told MTV News
MTV News
MTV News is the news division of MTV, one of the first and most popular music television network in the U.S., as well as some of MTV's related channels around the world. MTV News began in the late 1980s with the program The Week In Rock, hosted by Kurt Loder, the first official MTV News correspondent...
. "I think she was very honest. She really let her true self shine through. It showed people and young girls you can get through anything." Stacey Medura, agreed, adding that "For the Record" humanized the pop star. "It's easier to understand how she feels," Medura said. "Her opinion matters most. I think she covered a lot [in the special]." Some said this look into Britney's life was inspiring. "I really have gained a lot of respect for her now," Derek wrote. "I felt like this was the first time since she burst onto the scene a decade ago that she has spoken from the heart. ... I think this is what fans and others have wanted from her for a long time, to be honest. Her honesty can be helpful for others who may be going through situations like hers, such as dealing with a custody battle."
Ratings
MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
reported that "Britney: For the Record" accumulated the largest average viewers on a regular Sunday with averaged 3.7 million viewers, per the network. Combined with the rerun
Rerun
A rerun or repeat is a re-airing of an episode of a radio or television broadcast. The invention of the rerun is generally credited to Desi Arnaz. There are two types of reruns—those that occur during a hiatus, and those that occur when a program is syndicated. Reruns can also be, as the...
immediately after the first showing, it received 5.6 million viewers overall. The documentary received three times more viewers than various MTV series including their number one hit series The Hills
The Hills
The Hills is a reality television series which originally aired on MTV from May 31, 2006 until July 13, 2010. The show uses a reality television format, following the personal lives of several young adults living in Los Angeles, California, but tends towards a narrative format more commonly found...
. In Australia, the primetime broadcast on Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
attracted a national audience of 1.42 million viewers, which equates to just under 7% of the entire country's population. The documentary, as such, became the fourth most watched programme of the week. In the United Kingdom, the broadcast received 391,000 viewers and 1.8% share. Moreover, it also received 4.6% amongst adults 16-34 and 5.1% among women 16-34. Aside from a repeat of Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
on BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
, "Britney: For the Record" was the highest rated multichannel (cable) show for the night (December 1, 2008). According Televisa Views
Televisa
Televisa is a Mexican multimedia conglomerate, the largest mass media company in Latin America and in the Spanish-speaking world. It is a major international entertainment business, with much of its programming airing in the United States on Univision, with which it has an exclusive contract...
in Mexico the documentary scored the number one spot two nights in a row, on its debut night the documentary was viewed by more than 2.3 million viewers and on its second night it scored 2 million for a total of 4.3 millions views in the two showings, the documentary beat Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
for the Sunday showing in Mexico by 1.25 million.