La La Land is a film released in 2016, directed and written by Damien Chazelle, who has also produced movies such as Whiplash, First Man, and 10 Cloverfield Lane. Knowing this film is older, it is still relevant because this April 13th, from 5 pm-9 pm, you can join the Prep Program and go to the Griffith Observatory. If you have ever watched La La Land, you know the scene where Mia and Sebastian dance in the stars was filmed at the observatory. La la Land is a fantastic movie that I recommend to anyone.
La La Lands’ has many elements of this movie that come together to make this movie extremely beautiful. We see how Damien Chazelle uses everything from editing, visual effects, costume design, the script, cinematography, and music to make everything come to life.
Starting with the script. This is the foundation of the story. Looking at the script to screen, we see the development of how the script changes or is improvised by actors, showing how the script is just the first draft to help everyone remember the movie’s goals. This movie would only be something with Damien Chazelle, as he was the one directing. His thought process and understanding of color theory are showcased throughout the film. If you watched “Whiplash,” you would see this also shown off. It’s wonderful. Damien uses inspiration from movies from the 30s and 40s, taking the Spirit and feel to consider. Damien wanted that Fantasy from Reality to heighten Reality.
Meet our main characters, Mia and Sebastian. Mia is a girl who dreams of becoming an actress, and Sebastian has an undying love for jazz. These characters wouldn’t be the same if it weren’t for Emma Stone or Ryan Gosling. This movie wouldn’t have been this successful without both actors, as their chemistry and ability to make us believe these experiences happening to them were possible.
Everyone in production design worked hard to make every little detail mean something to the painted murals or the planetarium set. We see the production design shown off in the fantasy reality scenes. Every location was filmed on the actual location with the help of production to make it seem like its own universe. This wasn’t just creating a set but a new world for this story. Mary Zophres, a costume designer, and Damien talked about colors for days. They went through the whole script and saw the meaning behind what the characters wore and what it could symbolize. It was all about using costumes as an expressive tool.
The music is the most essential part of the movie. It moves the story along. Starting with the songs “Another Day of the Sun” and “Someone in the Crowd,” we realize this movie could be trying to tell us how the Hollywood industry makes us fantasize about life as Mia does. And “Someone in the Crowd” tells us how empty this industry could make you feel as you try to reach the top. “Another Day of Sun” shows us how we all view the world around us as we go day by day, missing the dream life we could be living. The music is used as hopes and dreams. “Mia and Sebastian’s Theme” is this movie in a nutshell. It shows Mia’s dream of being an actress and Sebastian’s love of jazz in just seven notes. This is why every time you hear this song, you feel the connection between them. You feel the love, journey, and happiness. It summarizes every event and song to the last moment. It is a story that seems so easy on the outside look but so complicated on the inside, making this movie so Beautiful.
So, if you would love to come to the Griffith Observatory, pick up a permission slip in the upstairs library. Registration is open to the first 45 students only. PREP will be providing Transportation and food.
