Fast Forward: Growing Up in the Shadow of Hollywood

by Lauren Greenfield, Richard Rodríguez (Afterword), Carrie Fisher (Introduction)

Now available in paperback, Lauren Greenfield's acclaimed Fast Forward is a powerful look at Los Angeles youth culture and its influence on the rest of our society. From the affluent children of the Westside to the graffiti gangs and party crews of East LA, young Angelenos reckon with an overwhelming barrage of advertising and entertainment images emphasizing money, possessions, and eternal youth. This collection of 79 color photographs, accompanied by interviews with the children and their parents, reveals the realities of growing up fast in a culture that is at once irresistible and unforgiving. A compelling precursor to Greenfield's widely praised Girl Culture , Fast Forward is a telling document of the direction in which today's ultra image-conscious culture is pointed.

Genres: Photography, Nonfiction, Art

128 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

About the author

Lauren Greenfield is an American artist, documentary photographer, and documentary filmmaker. She has published three photographic monographs, directed four documentary films, exhibited in museums, and published in magazines and other publications.

Reviews

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

A consise pictorial essay on why I moved the fuck out of LA.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant collection of photos. Greenfield clearly immersed herself with these people and their various scenes to capture these moments (although she mentions in the introduction that she witnessed many of these moments repeated in various forms).

I loved the inclusion of text derived from conversations with various kids. One guy offered his definition of Hollywood as "acceptance of the insane." This collection of photographs documents that idea.

[Jen Snow]

lauren greenfield is smart. she takes great photos and she puts together great projects. (this is my favorite of her books.)

[Rashelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this photographer. She is amazing in her use of photography to convey important messages that can be understood by everyone.

[Morgan Schulman · Rating 4 out of 5]

It just scratches the surface of what we are going to see in "Girl Culture" but it's still very enjoyable.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the picture are a bit dated (1997), the sentiments seem appropriate to today's time. I would be interested to see a follow up to know if my assumptions are correct. I also enjoyed the contrast between the extreme wealth of Hollywood and other neighborhoods, like Compton.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unsettling but compassionate view of teens in L.A.

[Paula · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a lot of text, but what's there packs a punch. The stories of some of the young people pictured in the book are mostly sad.

[Charlie Herndon · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a person who loves photobooks I’m deeply in admiration and can see why this exploded Lauren Greenfield’s career. And to think, this was a “great time to live in LA” relative to what it is now, according to some. Great snapshot of generation X. I say this as the biggest lover of LA, but:

I blame car culture for it all.

[Pyrate Queen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Photo journalistic approach to everyday teenagers in the LA area. Very poignant and eye opening.