Whiplash

It's difficult to give Damien Chazelle's short film Whiplash, a seventeen minute long scene that is created almost verbatim in the feature-length film with a much more sophisticated production and a larger budget, a fair assessment, given the obvious limitations and the lack of polish. While the feature film incorporated a very intense, gold/black color scheme, with very little exterior lighting, providing for a sense of isolation, Chazelle's short film is entirely window-lit, making for a brighter tonality that doesn't quite balance the intensity here.

The short involves Andrew Neiman (Johnny Simmons instead of Miles Teller, who starred in the feature film), a drummer at Shaffer Conservatory of Music, who is recruited to be a part of studio band, led by the ruthless, uncompromising instructor Terence Fletcher (J.K. Simmons). Fletcher is a loud, vulgar instructor, pushing his students to their limits by hurling insults, personal remarks, physical abuse, and even chairs their way in order to make them the best of the best while simultaneously getting rid of those incapable of handling the challenge. This is Neiman's first day in studio band, and after sitting in and seeing what Fletcher can do to the band, he steps up to serve as the sole drummer on the orchestra piece "Whiplash." What begins as an ostensibly basic, introductory lessen, with Fletcher giving Neiman some leniency turns into Fletcher whipping him into shape by giving him a taste of what kind of an instructor he is.

Whiplash has that expected "student filmmaker sloppiness" to it, with its low-budget showing at every turn. The key element to watch is how Chazelle manages to obscure the lower budget, using quick-cuts and slickly-edited scenes showing the minute details of studio band. Chazelle foreshadows how/why the film would win Best Film Editing at the Academy Awards nicely. While watching this short film, it also occurred to me why the feature-film adaptation of Whiplash won me over; Chazelle effectively puts us in the middle of this studio band, showing us all the grueling trials, rehearsals, concerts, flubs, practices, and so forth, plunging us into this world and giving us a taste of the anxiety that builds over time. I've had numerous tell me Whiplash was one of the most intense motion pictures they've ever seen, and by that account, I think Chazelle has expertly detailed what it's like to work under the order of a demanding, vulgar instructor and with a large group of individuals where one false note can send the entire gang of players into a downward spiral.

Chazelle's short film Whiplash is a curious little feat, but is only optional to view. His feature film, Whiplash, however, is an inarguable must-see.

Starring: Johnny Simmons and J.K. Simmons. Directed by: Damien Chazelle.

It's interesting to watch this short film/proof-of-concept version of Whiplash after becoming very familiar with the more well-known feature film version. Almost all the dialogue and shots here find their way into one segment of 2014's Whiplash: Andrew Neiman's first experience playing in a band overseen by the fearsome Fletcher. Fletcher's the same as he ever was - J. K. Simmons appears in both versions, and he brings the same intensity and even delivery to all his lines - and there are a couple of recognizable supporting cast members... though Andrew's not played by Miles Teller here.

Besides Simmons, the short film is inferior - it doesn't look quite as good, its editing is slightly less impactful, and even the music noticeably doesn't sound as big or impressive. Still, it is a short film, and I feel like it's worth being a little easier on most of the shortcomings as a result. It's a very good short film that was made into an essentially perfect feature film, and though it's not really worth watching, now that the feature exists, I feel comfortable in saying that it remains good for what it is.

If you are curious if you should watch this before or after watching the feature length version: Either works.

This is (almost) a scene taken straight from the movie, and it's a compliment to the movie that it works so well by itself. This scene was one of my favorites in the movie (though there were many other good ones), and it works great as an introduction to the culture that Andrew (the main character) is getting into. It is also an introduction to Fletcher, the character played by Simmons - and by seeing this all alone you miss the build up that you find in the feature film. But the reverence the students have for him is still obvious from the get go.

This is a great short for the same reason Whiplash (2014) is one of the most intense films I've ever seen.

J. K. Father F - ing Simmons.

I'm watching this short before I watch the full-length film, Whiplash (2014) and this short demonstrates alone what has made me eager to watch this film for years.

This short is encompasses the beauty of what a "short" can be. That is, a short story about characters we learn a lot about without knowing anything about them. We witness the interactions between the music instructor/professor and his students especially the new drummer who's perplexed by the climate within the classroom.

If this is what the full film is about then I'm sold and in love. If you want to show someone how good Whiplash can be, just show them this short as it will demonstrate how perfectionism can lead to greatness and despair.