It's interesting to watch this short film/proof-of-concept version of Whiplash after becoming very familiar with the more well-known feature film version. Almost all the dialogue and shots here find their way into one segment of 2014's Whiplash: Andrew Neiman's first experience playing in a band overseen by the fearsome Fletcher. Fletcher's the same as he ever was - J. K. Simmons appears in both versions, and he brings the same intensity and even delivery to all his lines - and there are a couple of recognizable supporting cast members... though Andrew's not played by Miles Teller here.
Besides Simmons, the short film is inferior - it doesn't look quite as good, its editing is slightly less impactful, and even the music noticeably doesn't sound as big or impressive. Still, it is a short film, and I feel like it's worth being a little easier on most of the shortcomings as a result. It's a very good short film that was made into an essentially perfect feature film, and though it's not really worth watching, now that the feature exists, I feel comfortable in saying that it remains good for what it is.
