If you watched the Oscars two Sundays ago and wondered why Damien Chazelle was nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay for Whiplash instead of Best Original Screenplay, here's the reason why.
In 2012, as he attempted to get his original screenplay into the attentions of promising producers and also prove he could helm the final film, Chazelle took a pivotal scene from his script and made it into a short film, with J.K. Simmons in the role which later got him an Oscar and Johnny Simmons (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) playing Andrew Neiman, a role Miles Teller played in the eventual feature. The short premiered at Sundance in 2013, where it eventually lead to its feature film production. That film, then, went back as a feature to Sundance in 2014 and the rest, of course, is history.
Since the word came out of its short film origins, however, many eagerly wanted to see the work which lead to the film which took home three Oscars last week. Now, in light of its continued success, a YouTuber has found the infamous 17-minute short film and posted it online. Now, Whiplash fans everywhere can see it in its entirety while it remains online.
As Chazelle explained to LA Times, via Slashfilm, he considers this short something of a rehearsal for himself and Simmons before they went to town with their fantastic film. As such, some aspects of the film, including sound to the cinematography to even Simmons' performance, are a tad rough around the edges.
It's still compelling work, however, and a sign of things to come for Chazelle, Simmons and also editor Tom Cross, who both cut this short and got an Oscar for cutting the final film. At the very least, it's worth a watch for those, like me, who thought Whiplash was the best or one of the best films of 2014.
Check out the short below:
Image courtesy of INFphoto.com