Cast (research)

       One of the most important mise en scene elements in a film is the cast list. The actors are the audience's direct connection to the story in the film. If the correct actor is chosen, certain emotions are easily conveyed to the audience. So as the director, I knew that who we cast could make or break our swede. To take a step back, we have to understand the original cast of my team's film, Whiplash.

        A little backstory: Whiplash (2017) is based on Whiplash, the short film, that the filmmaker made a year prior. According to slashfilm.com, the original short film served as a necessary "proof-of-concept" in order for Damien to secure funding. But in addition to this, Damien got to see if his casting could hold up to his expectations. It did not. SlashFilm states that Johnny Simmions' (Andrew in the short film) line delivery felt very "campy" and "over the top" compared to Andrews' complex nature. Thus, following the premiere of Whiplash the short film, Damien decided to cast Miles Teller as Andrew Neiman rather than Johnny. 

Whiplash Original Short Film

         Yes, this decision "hurt" Johnny's feelings, but making these tough decisions is part of the process in producing a better film.