In this episode of The Screenplay Lab, host and screenwriter Jeff Barker takes a closer look at the screenplay behind La La Land by Damien Chazelle. Known for its music and emotional impact, this film offers just as much inspiration on the page as it does on the screen.

Jeff explores how the screenplay handles musical storytelling without lyrics, how it subverts traditional romantic structure, and how it uses formatting and choreography to express character and emotion. He also shares the backstory behind the script’s development, early rejections, and how Whiplash helped bring La La Land back to life.

Whether you are a screenwriter, filmmaker, or a fan of the film and its stars, Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, this episode reveals what makes the script stand out and what writers can take into their own work.

Highlights include
• Writing visual musical sequences
• How the screenplay was originally developed and rejected
• Chazelle’s use of structure and seasonality
• Standout dialogue and formatting choices
• What the ending teaches about character and storytelling

🎙️ About The Screenplay Lab:
Welcome to The Screenplay Lab, where we study and appreciate screenplays as stand-alone literary works, not just blueprints for film. We deconstruct a script in each episode, uncovering what makes it unique and exploring what writers can learn.

#screenwriting #filmmaking #movies #screenplay #LaLaLand #moviemaking #EmaStone #RyanGosling #Damien Brazelle

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There are screenplay breakdowns on:

• Anora (Mikey Madison) by Sean Baker
• Nosferatu (Lily Rose Depp, Bill Skarsgard) by Robert Eggers
• Heretic (Hugh Grant) by Scott Beck and Brian Woods
• A Complete Unknown (Timothee Chalamet, Edward Norton, Elle Fanning) by James Mangold
• The Substance (Demi Moore, Margaret Qualley) by Coralie Fargeat
• A Real Pain (Kieran Culkin) by Jesse Eisenberg
• Conclave (Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow) by Peter Straughan
• The Brutalist (Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce) by Brady Corbet and Mona Fastvold
• Us (Lupita Nyong'o) by Jordan Peele (with Curry Barker interview)
• Babygirl (Nicole Kidman, Harris Dickinson) by Halina Reijn
• The Lighthouse (William Dafoe, Robert Pattinson) by Robert and Max Eggers
• La La Land (Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling) by Damien Chazelle