Whiplash Script vs Screen
2015 ж. 16 Қар.
510 405 Рет қаралды
As discussed on episode 224 of the Scriptnotes podcast, this scene from Damien Chazelle's Whiplash shows how the conflict was built on the page, and details that changed during filming and editing.
You can find the episode here: johnaugust.com/2015/whiplash-o...
Pay particular attention to verb tenses. Fletcher (JK Simmons) moves a lot of things into the past.
A big chunk is lifted from the back half of the scene, likely because it doesn't focus directly on Andrew and Fletcher's relationship in the present and future.
You can find the Scriptnotes podcast on iTunes.
The text is from the Whiplash script made available during award season.
A musician from the film told me that Simmons would bust out 20 pushups before a scene to make his veins bulge
kobebryanthashops lmaoooo
And that's a dedication to present the character the best he could, so if bulging veins will help that - he goes for it. Fascinating
METHOD ACTING. I love it
Source : trust me
kobebryanthashops I do that too before having sex
the dialogue in the movie is much more realistic than the script. very interesting
It's probably because once the actors get into character and when they really understand them, they stop thinking about what the script says and instead they start thinking like the character
@@tommyshommy yeah, but tis still interesting to note how much creative licence the actors are given.. Makes you wonder if thats the norm in hollywood (?)
How is that interesting? That happens with nearly every movie, actors improvise to make it sound more realistic..
@@nat-moody It is. I read a book about screenwriting and the author said that dialogue is very often changed on the spot. It's the most easily changeable aspect of a script, and is considered disposable.
That seems to happen quite often
''Unlike his uncles, his cousins, even his father, someone who gets it.'' I love that screenwriting.
that's exactly what you're not supposed to do. the script should just be what is said by the characters and their exact actions. let the actions and dialogue speak for themselves.
Jim Bob. But shouldn't it be a little descriptive so that the actors can get what they're acting if they're not sharp enough to deduce it?
Interpreting the script is literally the actor's job
Jim Bob I completely disagree. The screenplay needs to be used to convey not only what is happening in the film, but what emotion is in the film . It needs to perfectly portray the writers vision. Writing a screen play with only 'exact actions' and dialogue doesn't fully allow the writers vision to be seen at times. Notes like what Damien used here are used all across the greatest screenplays of all time.
it's not about showing the writer's vision, it's an instruction manual for what to film. if the writer's good, their "vision" will come across through what's being filmed and/or said.
This is straight up my favorite scene in cinematic history
You're right
@@ItsRY4N Course I'm right, can't be wrong about what my favorite scene is
a masterpiece of a movie
@@SchaffrillasProductions you’re wrong. It’s not.
You should make a video on it. I would love to see your thoughts on it.
J.K. Simmons improvises a lot more than Miles Teller.
Nathan Williams yeah that's true
simmons is a incredible actor next to one whos just pretty good, obv he would
There's no real merit in saying Simmons did more improv, the way the scene plays it's much more likely there were rewrites before, or even during, filming. The writer or director would most likely have been the ones making these changes.
Not Applicable because his lines are longer, like way longer
Miles barely manages to work with the few lines he had. Most of the times he seems to skip all but the dialogues. Some action lines present emotion in his character, and he's there just being Miles Teller.
God I love Miles Teller's performance in this scene. So awkward, as if he's scared Fletcher's gonna leap across the table and attack him, really showing the trauma Neiman had been through.
"its about weeding out the best from the worst so that the worst may become better than the best." cool line should've been said in the movie.
But I think it wouldn't have been realistic... It sounds corny and cliche
But then that line would have been correlated with Teller's character, insinuating he was the worst from the start, instead of the underappreciated passionate talent he is in the movie's narrative.
Yes and I like it because it gives more detail to what he's saying. Actually the whole paragraph around that was taken out and should have been left in.
But the whole performance will change, you'll never get that back unless you edit it in but may be off
Nah, it’s too on the nose. It’s been implied in the movie that that’s how Fletcher works anyway.
JK Simmons used the script as a guideline for the scene but changed Fletcher's lines to be more confident, declarative, and intense. He seemed to know the character better than even Damien Chazelle did. Brilliant performance.
Right? Even subtle changes like 'Any idiot' to 'Any fucking moron' just has that right Fletcher venom that we now take as natural to the character, something we do because of JK.
When the script says "I will never apologize for trying" it could be inferred that Fletcher regrets that he abused his students, but ultimately viewed it as a necessary evil in order to produce the next great jazz musician. He wants to pursue the glory that comes with that, so he selfishly puts the well-being of his students on the line to chase his fantasy. On the other hand, "I will never apologize for how I tried" makes it so that Fletcher clearly believes there was nothing immoral about his methods. It implies that he sees himself as an agent of some supernatural intervention. He isn't selfishly pursuing the glory that comes with producing a legendary musician. He is responsibly fulfilling what he views as some sort of divine obligation to find the next Charlie Parker no matter the means. It was 99% likely Simmons' idea to make Fletcher easier to sympathize with, but also somehow simultaneously more deranged than he already was. Like a Scientologist.
The script also goes through edits. This script is the original draft Damien wrote over a year before they even did the Short film.
@@spencerwattamaniuk950 How do you know the script in this video is the original draft?
@@romilrh Because it's available online and it matches.
"Maybe a bassist." LMAO.
thats messed up lmao
Fletcher’s the original Glenn Fricker apparently
Was Fudd a bassist?
its always the bassist lol
3:41 Glad that part of the script got cut out, either on set or in the cutting room. It would've made the point of the film too obvious to have JK Simmons literally say "I wanted to be the guy who created Charlie Parker".
Interesting distinction around 4:10. Script says "I will never apologize for trying" but Fletcher says ".... how I tried."
It gives Fletcher more conviction. When the script says "I will never apologize for trying" it could be inferred that Fletcher regrets that he abused his students, but ultimately viewed it as a necessary evil in order to produce the next great jazz musician. He wants to pursue the glory that comes with that, so he selfishly puts the well-being of his students on the line to chase his fantasy. On the other hand, "how I tried" makes it so that Fletcher clearly believes there was nothing immoral about his methods. It implies that he sees himself as an agent of some supernatural intervention. He isn't selfishly pursuing the glory that comes with producing a legendary musician. He is responsibly fulfilling what he views as some sort of divine obligation to find the next Charlie Parker no matter the means. I wouldn't be surprised if it was Simmons' idea to make Fletcher easier to sympathize with, but also somehow simultaneously more deranged than he already was. Like a Scientologist.
I think the change implies blame on the students like their was fuck all Fletcher could do to help such worthless amateurs, it's more in character to sound so boldly domineering and to make the students feel as bad as possible as to keep control over them through manipulative means.
When he said Parker, it almost gave me flashbacks to spiderman
The omission of "I don't need to" was necessary. The cut was fine.
Yep, it would have been too cheesy. Total suspense killer.
This solidifies J.K Simmons performance as one of the greatest of 2014. You can tell the amount of effort he puts even into one scene. He really just understood how to bring fletcher to life. Brilliant.
Easily the best performance of 2014. You gotta talk about how it's one of the bests of the decade
He steals the show in every part he plays. Omniman in Invincible, JJJ in MCU, Whiplash. He's just an immense presence on the screen
0:44 That must have been the peak of his rage.
I always respect when script writers allow actors to kinda free flow their dialogue - shows that they’re willing to hear out criticism and understand that sometimes the actors might know better than the writer.
I don't think the writers would generally be anywhere in sight, unless it's a writer/director. But it is a good pass of natural editing (almost like an additional draft) and good for the actors to be in the zone to allow them to paraphrase.
@@studyinginthedesert7690in some cases, you’d be right but damien chazelle both wrote and directed whiplash in this case (1yr late reply lol)
Imagine writing that whole script just for J. K. Simmons to say “Not my tempo.”
Talk about trimming the fat! But it's amazing how we don't really lose anything from Fletcher's character and it infact enhances how fleshed out he feels, especially once you get the reveal that Fletcher was once again playing nice. But then with how the film ends we never know what is what when it comes to Fletcher, and that's fucking awesome.
This is old but you actually do kind of get what is what with him. His expressing during the final scene shows how he realized he’s just created his Charlie Parker. In his mind he did it. The drummer didn’t just give up when humiliated, he went back and proved how he was the best. It’s pretty on the nose with what they are talking about in this scene.
@@Thebees21 now that I've watched it a few more times it's been obvious to me, you're right lol
This video is REALLY helpfull for writters, you should to do more like this! congrats!
I write dialogue scenes quite often as an author these days. I think you’ll find it interesting that I try very much to do something like this with casual-speaking characters, but I also have sophisticated-speaking characters. Those are the characters with dialogue phrasing that would ABSOLUTELY need to be perfectly mimicked by an actor word for word.
At 4:39, I feel that he knew exactly what he was saying. He just wanted to hear Fletcher say it.
When Fletcher said one of his drummers wasn’t cutting it, I kept thinking the shit the drummer had to have been going through knowing how fletcher is lol
Be aware that at least part of the lines were "lost" because of the editors besides the actors skipping many lines
Hi, I tend to know a handful on acting and well havnt done much in a year but what are the background explanations to why they paraphrased or skip? i can conclude they shaped up the lines to build well into their individual roles, or the directer had them work towards with certain traits of each
Brandon Reyes sometimes actors will do it because they forget the exact lines or maybe because they feel it’s more natural the way they present it. This version is kept in the movie probably because Damien Chazelle liked it more than the script
Substitution is not uncommon from script to screen as long as it 'doesn't take away the original dialogue context within the scene - none of it did on this occasion. As for extended dialogue, they may have done a couple of takes with it incorporated into the scene and decided that is just wasn't required in the end to get the message across to the audience, hence it being deleted from the movie.
It probably was filmed but they left it out in the cutting room because they noticed it didnt feel right as they were editing.
JK does so much MORE with the lines than as they are written. He changes the lines to have them make more impact. Thank you so much for teaching me something. Grateful
This really shows what to cut out from the script that makes the film more compelling
Fletcher is such a dangerous man, holy crap.
“Thats a good laugh, right?” He knew it!
Thank you for putting that together. Awesome learning tool.
They stuck to the tone of the script, just not the lines. Probably to keep the conversation more natural
please do more of these. Theyre very good
This is great. Thank you!
HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BRING UP SEAN OH NO
I watch this scene before studying for any big engineering exam im about to take and boy is it a motivator.
Script: "Excuse me, sir? Could you please come back later? I'm trying to have a talk with my students right now." Simmons: "Get the fuck out of my sight before I demolish you."
I like Chazelle's overuse of ellipses. Takes the place of parentheticals (which I hate).
His use of parentheticals was flawless. It's all about the economy of the page, man.
he didn't write the script
The title page says WHIPLASH by Damien Chazelle...
Kit Mun he did, go search It in imdb
"Maybe a bassist" lmao
Both the film and screenplay were awesome. It's a great read.
Love this! I so want to learn this craft.
An incredible script paired with incredible actors, a perfect mix.
SOme writers/Directors want the script to be followed to a tee, I like that Chazelle lets the actors say the gist of the line and put their own spin on it, allowing for a more natural dialogue than one that feels rehearsed.
'It's about weeding out the best from the worst so that the worst become better than the best' - An utterly golden line that I am devastated was not in the film.
aaaa right, my favourite fragment in the movie... > "I told you that story about how Peter Parker became Peter Parker, right?" - "J. Jonah threw an Spiderman album at his head" > "Exactly"
Thank you for doing this script to screen exercise, it's fantastic. *BTW, you misspelt Damien's last name in the description*
According to Wikipedia: joe jones threw a cymbal near Charlie Parker’s feet, not his head.
That’s Wikipedia bro, get a better source
ninjakiller23735 What’s then a better source? a fictional movie ?
@@YassineBoulfiham I like to see it as another example of Fletcher's flagrant manipulation of the facts, for better or worse. Here he's amplifying the given image of Jones throwing the cymbal at Parker's feet to exaggerate the connotation of humiliation to strengthen what they know was Charlie's eventual musical redemption to provoke a similar response in Andrew.
You can tell they capture what the writer intended. That’s what scripts are for. They’re a guideline to tell a story, but actors don’t need to adhere to every word
Proud but never satisfied. An amazing leader...
ScottRidesHonda Except, you know, when he physically and mentally abused his students. And lied about one of his student's deaths. But yeah, other than that, great guy!
I said a good leader, not a good person.
+ScottRidesHonda I don't think it's right to make that distinction.
+George Hamilton I think it's essential to make that distinction to any person you meet, so that you can take away, learn from them without slurping down all the unwanted stuff. Take the Waffen-SS as an example - a well-coordinated, well-equipped, disciplined, modern (for the times) army with revolutionary tactics that proved to be very effective in their suggested environment on one hand, but a den of blood-thirsty, Nazi-influenced, brainwashed, merciless murderers on the other.
Looking back, I realize that I wasn't clear on what I meant. My point was that good leaders in music are also good people, or at least act like good people, to their followers.
Imagine if someone said to Michael Jordan "good job" in his highschool basketball days , instead of cutting him from the team
This is why Simmons is so good. The script says “any idiot can...” and he changes it to “any fucking moron...” lol.
He never have a Charlie Parker but a Peter Parker.
My favourite screenplay.
You can hear one of Justin Hurwitz's songs in the background!
Hi John. I must say you videos have played a big part in sharpening my script writing which I intend to start writing soon. I would like to kindly request a video on how to write a better action fight scene in a scrip. Thank you.
I think the way the script is written would work much better on a stage. The tweaks here work so much better for film. All that extra dialogue you get in JK's facial expressions in close-up.
@Bryan - Fixed! Damn autocorrect.
TThis mоviеe is now аvаilаblе tо watch heееrе => twitter.com/1b0020ce81cbd60bd/status/795841717324763136 Whiplash Sсript vs Scrееn
which software do you use
I've always thought of him as being more interested in abusing his students than to push them to success, no matter how harsh. but then, he seemed genuine in his method when he said "the next Charlie Parker would never get discouraged". however, it's suspicious, in that he kicked out the drummer either because he wasn't cutting it, or either because he saw an opportunity to screw Andrew over, so he kicked out a competent drummer, despite the fact that it'd sabotage his band's performance. actually, come to think of it, it wouldn't have mattered anyway because he was going into the orchestra with the intent of having Andrew messing up. so I think it's pretty much conclusive that he's a spiteful arrogant SOB more than anything, including honing talents. for once, this isn't a movie with open-ended interpretation. this is a great movie for character examination specifically the abusive, manipulative type. if you're not careful, you can be persuaded to empathize and defend horrible characters.
Yeah, he does all of it just so he could achieve the glory that comes with finding and making a legendary musician. It's not that he isn't trying to produce great jazz musicians, it more so that he's doing it for selfish reasons, even though this scene makes it seem like he's doing so out of some sort of divine obligation.
JK Simmons is literally the perfect casting for this character. He brings such a unique energy to the role of Fletcher that I don't think any other contemporary actor could mirror.
Two of the top 10 castings of the last decade.
Brilliant
3:43 I find it really interesting to read everything skipped over here. It's all well written, and you can see why Chazelle may have included this, but you can also see why it was cut. Every point about how Fletcher wants to create a new Chalie Parker and how Sean isn't one can be interpreted through subtext.
I think I would have enjoyed reading the screenplay just as much as watching the movie
i love this movei
can you make a video on fight club bar scene. TIA
Up there with Brando's "I could have been a contender."
Immaculate
The best uses of a script are when the actors don’t use it as a word by word instruction on what to do and say, but rather just use it as a general guide for what beats to hit and the *idea* of what to do and say
This is one of the most inspirational scenes of all time in a movie!
That's a dangerous mindset to have. I really don't know if Damien Chazelle meant to deceive such a large portion of the fanbase into being inspired by this movie.
@@georgeofhamilton I highly doubt it. It's clearly a critique of Fletcher's teaching style and not a praise.
@@Pierrot110194 well, it seems to have fooled Mr. Wumbo
0:50 he was about to say "i know i made... mistakes. but then corrected himself, because he beleives in his philosiphy."
My most favorite movie ever
Fletcher proceeds to fuck Andrew over and Andrew came back with a fuck you and came up with the best drum solo I ever heard.
One of my favourite bits in the movie. > Mouths *Fuck you* 'I will gouge out your motherfucking ey-' *Smash*
Oh please do one of the “Thor vs. Loki” scene from the first Thor film. The original script had directions for Loki to cackle maniacally. Instead, Tom burst into tears of rage/pain. It’s profound!!
Perfect example of Less is More
Does anyone know how I can create this script-scrolling effect below a movie clip?
I wasn’t able to read the rest of the script but I feel JK knew where the important lines were and chose to hit hard on those. He transitions the conversation very naturally even after skipping half the scripts
They could have recorded them but cut them later. It's hard to tell what all JKS did but is just missing.
Even the devil was once an angel
Reminds me of how Ross Robinson treated bands like KoRn, especially when recording their debut and his process of breaking down Jonathan Davis to go to the darkest and deepest places in his life when recording the song Daddy
playlists are for spotify
i was waiting for this
Wow they didn't stick the script
I'm curious what causes the changes? Is it just they make the actors not remember their lines perfectly and just let the conversation unfold more naturally that way? I'm starting to study film atm and this video was great, even tho it's early days I can tell one of my weaknesses is writing dialogue. Due to two problems really,I have a hard time getting into the characters shoes and thinking what would they say in this situation so It's mainly just what I would say here, another one is I just let the conversation flow in a boring fashion to get from point A to B because i've already developed the story rather than taking the conversation somewhere interesting to reveal character.
Ikr, I'm thinking did the actors just make the role their own,, beyond where the writer even wanted the impact to take effect- or was the script further developed. Like Simmons as Fletcher saying "any moron" over "any idiot", the head gets nearly "decapitated" rather than having the head "sliced off"..little changes just make such a different effect.
Actors cutting out what they think was uneccesary shit and I think they made the right choice. Also, they've grown into their roles so much, that they make changes, Amy e even without thinking about it as that's what certain words or lines the character would say that the script doesn't use.
Last thing you need to worry about is dialogue. Buy Robert McKee's Story: Style, Structure, Substance, and the Principles of Screenwriting. You'll find EVERYTHING you need to know in there.
Excuse me... I don't think so... Without the Writer... you wouldn't have a story (script), which wouldn't be produced... which would never be made into a movie... The STORY is First and for most...
Judi Christopher Writing is king. But directing is God. As in the Director should make sure that the writing gets translated from the page to the screen.
Incredible improvisation... But I do really wish I got to hear JK Simmons say “this isn’t fucking ‘Smucker’s’”
When you know how to direct, Altman is right behind you.
Interesting that, at the end, it sounds like Fletcher wants to believe he did a good job even though he failed. Interdasting.
the movie is so different... the acting is so different haha
The writer was probably crying themselves to sleep that night and the next morning probably still cried.
I like this scene. This is the middle ground between Andrew and Fletcher; I didn't have to worry about Fletcher throwing a cymbal at Andrew's head.
Thanks for sharing. Good example of an unfilmable being appropriate. My philosophy is if you have an unfilmable that's one line and is vital getting character stuff across, do it. Heck, there's even a "beat" in here too. None of it ever seems to matter if your story is entertaining and captivating.
They should've kept that Smuckers line in there lmao
Personally ending of soul is my fav
is this yours? i want to see more of this, or could you reffer to me who did it?
0:44 his face here is incredible hes SO MAD he hates him SO MUCH it reminds me of the scene in american psycho where bateman has dinner with paul allen
I wonder how a writer learns to come to grips with their vision being mangled and morphed? How often do producers, directors, and actors change a production to the point the original author no longer even recognizes it as their creation? Not all rewrites, improvisations, or edits are good. A question then is, how does one best ensure the heart of the vision is not lost in translation?
What Ive always assumed is that artistic decisions are finalized by a consensus; that is, the writers aren’t accepting the deviations from their script so much as they are agreeing to it. Also, im sure the writers understand that a script is inherently amenable once filming starts, because writing involves imagination, and a scene may not look as good as they pictured it once its actually filmed.
Best case scenario is for the writer to be on set as a consultant to the director. Whiplash especially benefitted from this, as the writer & director are the same person, so he could approve the improv on the spot. Ultimately, it'll be very individual as to whether the writer will approve of their script being changed. Some writers are extremely anal & will only accept the strictly word perfect deliveries, with no deviations. Some are completely loosey-goosey, and will let the actors do whatever they want, so long as the intention of the scene & the relevant information are delivered. Most probably fall somewhere in the middle, allowing room for re-interpretation & paraphrase, but still doing their job to keep them on target. I think a lot of it comes down to how natural the lines sound coming out of the actor's mouth. Sometimes an actor will just autocorrect a phrase because it's not something that feels natural to them, as so long as it doesn't interfere with the story or contradict the character, that will get approval, a lot of the time.
How did you put that script on the video like that?
The amount of stuff skipped shows that you can do more with less
So he felt like he was sub par as a teacher if he didn't produce the next Louis Armstrong? Sounds like someone was very hard on him growing up too for him to be feeling that was his responsibility. I wonder if some musicians become great despite abuse rather than because of it. Who is to say Bird still would not have practiced hard if he was self motivated rather than needing the approval of others. Sure the music business is tough and you have to be talented but if you are not talented being tough will probably just make you a bully.
You are exactly right, alot of what the movie gets wrong is the absolute love for music everyone has. All ur top performers are people who snapped into this absolute dying infatuation for music. This causes someone to practice hours a day, which in turn, makes them great.
This shows that Chazelle understands that it isn’t about the words said. Both Simmons and Teller are in character and present who they are well enough to not say things word for word.
the massive amount of skipping lines shows how fluent they were with the script and characters
If you need more of the wonderful JK Simmons in your life, check out the great HBO series Counterpart. :)
0:49 when you're talking with Akira Toriyama
Finally got his bad boy and can't take it.
When was this In the movie?
which software do you sue to creat video like this
No, this has been rewritten and then improvised upon. There’s no way.