Whiplash
Short description
Whiplash centers on Andrew, a young jazz drummer studying at an elite music conservatory, who is selected by Terence Fletcher, the conductor of the school's top ensemble. Fletcher is known for his talent and for his harsh, combative teaching methods, and he pushes Andrew relentlessly toward technical perfection. Andrew, whose ambition is bound up with his relationship to his father, submits to the pressure and lets it take over more and more of his life. As Fletcher's demands escalate, Andrew's pursuit of excellence turns into an obsession that strains his health and his closest relationships.
Damien Chazelle wrote and directed the film, which followed his 2013 feature of the same title in his filmography and preceded La La Land, First Man and Babylon. Miles Teller plays Andrew, J.K. Simmons plays Fletcher, and Paul Reiser, Melissa Benoist, Austin Stowell and Nate Lang appear in supporting roles. The production, backed by Blumhouse Productions, Sierra/Affinity, Bold Films and Right of Way Films, was made for about 3 million dollars and went on to gross roughly 50 million worldwide, a substantial return on its budget for a drama of this scale.
On IMDb the film holds a rating of 8.6 out of 10 from 308 reviews, and on TMDB it holds an 8.4 out of 10 from more than 17,000 votes, indicating strong approval from both critics and audiences.
What's left behind the scenes
- During the filming of the intense rehearsal scenes, the director intentionally did not stop the process so that Miles Teller would drum to the point of exhaustion.
- The film was shot in 24 days.
- Despite his experience playing the drums, Miles Teller took additional lessons. He practiced four hours a day, three days a week, to prepare for the filming of the movie.
- The film's director and screenwriter, Damien Chazelle, was unable to secure funding for the movie, so he turned it into a short film, which he presented at the Sundance Film Festival in 2013. Shortly after the successful festival screening, Chazelle found the necessary funds.
- The film is partly based on Damien Chazelle's personal experience. When he was in high school, he played in an orchestra and, according to Chazelle, was afraid of his teacher.
- Dane DeHaan turned down the role of Andrew.
- Miles Teller, who has been drumming since the age of 15, rubbed his hands raw until they blistered during filming. As a result, the drumsticks he used and the drum kit itself were stained with his blood.
- During the filming of the scene where J.K. Simmons slaps Miles Teller, several takes were made in which Simmons only pretended to hit Teller without actually doing so. During the final take, the actors decided to make it real. Ultimately, this take was the one used in the final version of the film.
- J.K. Simmons was injured (two cracked ribs) when Miles Teller grabbed him during the filming of a scene.
- At the very beginning of the film, while Andy is rehearsing, Fletcher listens to him but leaves the room in disappointment—only to return later for a jacket that was missing from the hanger in the previous shot.
- At the start, as the camera zooms in on the protagonist, the hallway doors are wide open, but then, when Fletcher enters, one of them is closed.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
