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Rocky training montage5/16/2023 ![]() ![]() It is a moment that is the antithesis of an earlier scene where a luxury shopping store rejected her because of the way she was dressed. The scene is meant to convey a fun moment of this call girl experiencing being pampered through trying on and buying luxury clothes that she could never have afforded. One of the best and most iconic examples is the shopping scene in Pretty Woman. Single Location MontageĪ character or group of characters are in a single location, and you want or need to convey their passage of time there. The key is to keep the format as simple as possible. There are many examples of montage formats that have evolved over the years. The point is to offer the reader or audience a visual experience that summarizes a gap between two pivotal scenes or between two story acts. Some screenwriters think that montages allow them to throw in any information in quick fashion without having to craft full scenes around that information. It's not meant to be used as a cheat by any means. Or it is used to communicate multiple reactions or experiences of multiple characters in multiple locations at the same time. The montage is used to communicate a big chunk of story in a short span of time, with the goal of still being able to allow the reader and audience to experience the informational and emotional elements of that chunk of story. And those guidelines and expectations are simple - express what the reader should be seeing through their own cinematic mind's eye as quickly and simply as possible. There is no hard and fast rule on how these types of scenes are formatted within a screenplay beyond general guidelines and expectations. Montages can even be used to sum up a character's experience in multiple or single locations by using visuals and moments that best communicate that experience. Those visuals and moments showcase character and story arcs, either in the progression of building to a particular arc point (Rocky running up the stairs, ready for the big fight) or merely showing multiple characters in multiple places reacting to something. Within a screenplay, the montage is a compilation of short scenes or moments - usually with little to no dialogue - that are grouped together to convey a passage of time quickly while communicating necessary visuals and moments within that condensed timeline. The term "montage" is defined as the process or technique of selecting, editing, and piecing together separate sections of film to form a continuous whole. Whether it's a Pretty Woman trying on luxury clothes or a Philadelphia boxer named Rocky training to go the distance, the montage sequence continues to be a cinematic staple. A main thoroughfare lies right next to the bike path, allowing vehicles to pass through the area.What's the proper way to format a montage within a screenplay and how do you know when to -and when not to - write them? We're going to explore that question here for this installment of our ongoing Screenwriting Basics series. Location scout Tony AKA “Captain Catholic” tracked down this road and managed to run the trail himself – “It has barely changed!”, he says of the Kelly Drive trail, which has been repaved as a bike path with a yellow line running down the center, but is otherwise nearly identical to its appearance in Rocky. Keep going south and you’ll hit the stone arched bridge and within a mile or so, end up at the Rocky Steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art where Rocky completes his training triumphantly atop the museum steps. It runs right past Laurel Hill Cemetery, where the characters of Adrian and Paulie Pennino are buried, as featured in Rocky Balboa and Creed, then winds past the Philadelphia Zoo on the west side, seen in Rocky II as the spot where Rocky proposes to Adrian. ![]() The Schuylkill is a hotspot for Rocky filming locations in this area of Philly. ![]() During the late 19th century, the Connecting Railway Bridge was a frequent subject for scenic paintings of Philadelphia. The bridge has been identified as Philly’s Connecting Railway Bridge, built in 1866, and Rocky jogs south along the Kelly Drive bike trail in the movie. ![]()
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