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1[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/damien_chazelle.jpg]]
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3Damien Sayre Chazelle, born on January 19, 1985 in Providence, Rhode Island, is an American film director, screenwriter and producer.
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5Many of Chazelle's produced films -- namely ''Film/GrandPiano'' (which he didn't direct), ''Film/{{Whiplash}}'', and ''Film/LaLaLand'' -- share a common theme of music, which isn't an accident, given his original focus in studying {{jazz}}. His experiences as a jazz drummer in particular inspired the story of ''Whiplash'', for which he received a nomination for the [[MediaNotes/AcademyAwardForBestAdaptedScreenplay Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay]].
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7At the 89th Academy Awards in 2017, he was honored with the [[MediaNotes/AcademyAwardForBestDirecting Oscar for Best Director]] for ''La La Land'', which made him, at 32 years of age, the youngest person ever to receive the award.
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9In addition to his work in writing and directing, Chazelle is a graduate of Harvard University and worked for numerous years as a "writer-for-hire" in Los Angeles after he graduated. Alongside ''Grand Piano'', he also co-wrote ''Film/TheLastExorcism Part II'' and was brought in to rewrite ''Film/TenCloverfieldLane'', the directing gig of which he ultimately turned down to focus on ''Whiplash''. He was additionally roommates in college with composer Justin Hurwitz, who has since [[AssociatedComposer scored each of his films]]; the two were also among the founding members of the {{indie pop}} band Chester French, for which Chazelle played drums and Hurwitz played piano and percussion.
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11!! Selected filmography
12!!! '''As writer:'''
13* ''Film/TheLastExorcism Part II'' (2013)
14* ''Film/GrandPiano'' (2013)
15* ''Film/TenCloverfieldLane'' (2016)
16!!! '''As writer and director:'''
17* ''Film/{{Whiplash}}'' (2014)
18* ''Film/LaLaLand'' (2016)
19* ''Film/{{Babylon|2022}}'' (2022)
20!!! '''As director:'''
21* ''Film/FirstMan'' (2018)
22* ''Series/TheEddy'' (2020)
23** Episode 1 : "Elliot"
24** Episode 2: "Julie"
25* ''Film/VerticalCinema'' (2020)
26!! Tropes present in Damian Chazelle's work include:
27* AuthorAppeal:
28** His directorial efforts have primarily focused on the struggles artists (primarily musicians) tend to go through.
29** He also ''really'' likes jazz music - had he not gone into filmmaking, he’d have been a jazz musician.
30* BittersweetEnding: Is a very big fan of these.
31** ''Whiplash'' [[spoiler: has Andrew perform a very complicated and impressive drum solo, but it's left ambiguous whether or not this has made his personal and professional lives suffer as a result.]]
32** In ''La La Land'', [[spoiler:Mia and Sebastian end up fulfilling their dreams, but end their relationship with each other as a result.]]
33** In ''10 Cloverfield Lane'', [[spoiler:Michelle realizes the world has been overrun by oppressive aliens, but hears a radio signal based in Huston and starts heading towards there, with he hope that there's other life available.]]
34* CareerVersusMan: A rare gender-inclusive example. His characters are faced with the difficult task of choosing between their careers and their personal lives (love included). [[spoiler: More often than not, career wins.]]
35* {{Determinator}}: ''Whiplash'' {{deconstruct|ion}}s this trope, while ''La La Land'' somewhat {{reconstruct|ion}}s it. He doesn't deny the hardships one goes through when trying to achieve your dreams, however. He himself is a big example. [[https://filmschoolrejects.com/6-filmmaking-tips-from-damien-chazelle-6f05f190f427#.rdxxq3yzy He attributes his talent to good old-fashioned hard work and practice in interviews]] and during the production of ''Whiplash'', he had gotten into a rough car accident, [[spoiler: eerily like Andrew does in the film,]] had gone to the hospital and returned to direct only a day later.
36* GenreThrowback: ''La La Land'' is this to the old Hollywood musicals of the 1950's, as well as the musicals of Creator/JacquesDemy.
37* GenreRoulette: In his career so far, he's co-written a sequel to a supernatural horror film (''Film/TheLastExorcism Part II''), a thriller set during a piano performance (''Film/GrandPiano''), a bottle movie/thriller/mystery/character drama/post-apocalyptic sci-fi picture (''Film/TenCloverfieldLane''), a thriller/character drama/deconstruction of the "Mentor and Muse" relationship/examination of ambition with elements of autobiography and set in a music conservatory (''Film/{{Whiplash}}''), a light romantic comedy/stylish homage to Hollywood musicals about two struggling artists in L.A (''Film/LaLaLand''), a biopic of Neil Armstrong (''Film/FirstMan''), and an epic period drama set in 1920s Hollywood (''[[Film/Babylon2022 Babylon]]'').
38* LighterAndSofter: While sharing similar themes, ''La La Land'' is '''MUCH''' lighter than ''Whiplash''.
39* ProductionPosse: All of his films have been scored by Justin Hurwitz, Tom Cross has edited all his films starting with ''Whiplash'' and Linus Sandgren and Mary Zophres were cinematographer and costume designer, respectively, for both ''La La Land'' and ''First Man''. On the acting side, he has worked with Creator/RyanGosling and Creator/JKSimmons twice each. He was meant to reunite with Creator/EmmaStone for ''Babylon'', but it fell through.
40* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVsCynicism: ''Whiplash'' is very much on the cynical end, while ''La La Land'' is much more idealistic.
41* WriteWhatYouKnow: His experiences as a jazz musician, filmmaker and an overall artist, as well as what it means to strive for greatness and to balance art and life, have informed the themes and situations invoked in his movies.

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