Get Some Insight Into WHIPLASH With New Video Essay Before Damien Chazelle's LA LA LAND Hits Theaters

We're only a few days away from the official release of writer/director Damien Chazelle's new movie La La Land, which has been earning rave reviews ever since its debut on the film festival circuit earlier this year. Editor Kees van Dijkhuizen Jr. decided now would be a good time to take a quick look back at Chazelle's breakout movie, Whiplash, with the latest entry into his Insight video essay series, which takes audio from director commentaries and marries it to the visuals from the films they're discussing.

I've written a lot about Whiplash here on the site — it was my favorite film of 2014 — and this is one of the most succinct, well-edited videos I've seen about it. It's a nice blend of Chazelle talking about the short that inspired the feature, along with some highlights from the feature itself. Do yourself a favor and watch the movie before you check this out, though, because the ending of this video culminates in a discussion of the film's (fantastic) climax.

Damien Chazelle, writer and director of 'Whiplash' and 'La La Land', narrates his process of turning an award-winning short into an award-winning feature and how most films would do just fine without their endings. Subtitles available. This video combines excerpts from the two audio commentary tracks available on the home release of 'Whiplash' with visual demonstrations from both the short and feature film. Watching the feature prior to watching this video is highly recommended. Edited by Kees van Dijkhuizen Jr., © 2016. This non-profit project was made solely for educational purposes, not aimed at breaking copyright law. All rights to all material remain courtesy of their respective owners.