Whip-Pan Frenzy & Classic Cinema Cues In 'La La Land'

Fresh off its record-tying 14 Oscar noms, everyone is talking about “La La Land.” After sweeping the Golden Globes, “La La Land” is looking to win big on Oscar Sunday. Regardless of what you may think of the story, there’s no denying the technical achievements in the film. Put simply, “La La Land” is a good-looking, stylish movie.

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Recently, a YouTube video surfaced highlighting the camerawork going into one of the more dynamic scenes. In the scene, Emma Stone’s character is dancing wildly as Ryan Gosling’s character is playing piano in a nightclub, with the camera whipping back and forth between them. As seen in the video, director Damien Chazelle is orchestrating the camera motions by tapping the cameraman to quickly go back and forth. It’s almost musical itself, seeing Chazelle tapping to the beat. Meanwhile, another video has surfaced highlight the classic-cinema cues peppered throughout “La La Land,” which doesn’t hide its influences.

It’ll be interesting to see the eventual copycats that spawn from this film. Will other talented filmmakers take their chance on a modern, original musical? Or maybe we’ll see a few lesser creators try and fail miserably. It’s clear from these videos, and everything known about the production of the film, that this was a passion project for Chazelle, who is proving to be a technically savvy filmmaker.