SCENESSCENESSCENESSCENES
    0
  •   was successfully added to your cart.
  • Home
  • Country
  • Pop
  • Rock
  • Americana
  • R&B
  • Culture
  • Premium
  • About
  • Contact
    • Music Submissions
    • Advertising
      • Media Kit
    • Customer Support
  • Shop

Filmmaking According to Damien Chazelle

    Home The Director's Chair Filmmaking According to Damien Chazelle

    Filmmaking According to Damien Chazelle

    By Matt Noble | The Director's Chair | Comments are Closed | 21 September, 2016 | 0

    The leaves are changing colors, a chill is finally settling in at night, and all the hipsters are breaking out their lumberjack outfits again, all of which can only mean one thing: we are getting closer to Oscar-Bait Season.  This is the time of year when hollywood schedules the releases of all their “best” and most “artistic” films, to ensure they are fresh in the Academy’s mind come January.  One of these films, La La Land, stars faces you know and love, but comes from the mind of a writer/director you may not recognize… yet.

    Damien Chazelle has very few credits to his name, yet he will be one of the directors to follow into the future.  His most recent (and only his second) film, Whiplash (2014), received five Oscar nominations (and won three).  Chazelle’s third feature, La La Land, debuts this December, and critics have already lavished it with their praises.  But what makes this young and inexperienced artist one worth watching, and what about his approach to filmmaking sets him apart from others?  I believe there are two things: 1. His concern for story, 2. His concern for characters.

    It is possible to boil Whiplash down into one sentence, and even (perhaps more importantly)Whiplash with Miles Teller and JK Simmons one picture.  An obsessed and ruthless music teacher pushes a student to the edge of sanity to obtain greatness.  The whole film revolves around that one relationship, which could have been horrifyingly dull.  Instead, the 107 minute film feels more like a thriller than a drama.  That’s because Chazelle cares so much about trimming the story down to the bare necessities, and because he had two very skilled actors to portray the characters.  He also follows the director’s mantra: “Show the audience, don’t tell the audience.”  Extensive amounts of script and footage were cut from Whiplash because they told instead of showed.  Additionally, Chazelle used the talents of his stars, Miles Teller and J.K. Simmons to convey feelings and emotions through their eyes and facial expressions as much as possible.  

    Although these are simple and not revolutionary approaches to telling a story on film, many directors struggle to implement them well and instead create bloated or disjointed films about characters that feel fake and one-dimensional.  Damien Chazelle excels where much of hollywood struggles, and for that reason, you should watch him and his work into the future.  La La Land will likely receive another half dozen Oscar nominations, proving, once again, that experience and money do not a great film make.

    la-la-land-pngLa La Land hits theaters December 2nd and stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone.

    If you are interested in an interview in which Chazelle explains what he cut from Whiplash and why, the following interview contains some interesting information (beginning around 31 minutes) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beWp2XCQDHQ   

    Character Development, Damien Chazelle, La La Land, Story Telling, Whiplash

    Related Post

    • Your Guide to the 2018 Academy Awards

      By Matt Noble | Comments are Closed

      The 2018 Oscar ceremonies take place on March 4 and here’s your guide to the major categories.

    • movies of 2018

      The Top Movies to Watch or Not in 2018

      By Matt Noble | Comments are Closed

      Here’s the 2018 movies’ lineup so you can decide whether to buy tickets or not.

    • the last jedi

      Movies for 2017: The Good, The Bad, and the Over-Hyped (Part 2)

      By Matt Noble | Comments are Closed

      The second half of 2017 proves far more interesting and exciting than the first half!

    • Kong skull island 2017

      Movies for 2017: The Good, The Bad, and the Over-Hyped (Part 1)

      By Matt Noble | Comments are Closed

      Movies for 2017 have already hit theaters and more are cued with upcoming release dates. Some will be great. Others will be all hype. Let’s check them out.

    • Oscars 2017

      #OscarsSoLaLa: La La Land Gets 14 Oscar Nominations?

      By Matt Noble | Comments are Closed

      Those 14 Oscar nods notwithstanding, the nominations are out and indicative of positive things happening with the Academy. Most notably is recognized diversity.

    • Sign up for our Daily Digest, where we deliver the top headlines in music and exclusive SCENES Live Sessions details straight to your inbox!

    Download Sessions and Buy Merch

    • Bailen on SCENES Live Sessions $2.99
    • TRALA on SCENES Live Sessions $2.99
    • Kendall Beard on SCENES Live Sessions $2.99
    • Jenna Raine on SCENES Live Sessions $2.99
    • Maggie Miles Maggie Miles on SCENES Live Sessions $2.99
    • Media Kit
    • Privacy Policy
    © 2022 | All Rights Reserved
    • Home
    • Country
    • Pop
    • Rock
    • Americana
    • R&B
    • Culture
    • Premium
    • About
    • Contact
      • Music Submissions
      • Advertising
        • Media Kit
      • Customer Support
    • Shop
    SCENES
      0 items