One of the best parts of the original Rocky was that he didnt win. He proved himself, and he went the distance, which is all any of us can truly hope for, and in alot of ways thats so much more important than winning.
In my opinion the best scene of the movie is when he sits in bed with Adrian, looking directly at us the audience, and confesses that he knows he can't win. That's where he lays out his own terms that he wants to last all 15 rounds. He also displays some real emotions in this scene, what I would describe as positive masculinity. Such a good scene.
I can't tell you how frustrating it is to see a story (book or film) have interesting ideas and be well made but completely fail for me for one reason: the characters. They are not the icing on the cake, THEY ARE THE CAKE.
The Coffee Nut Exacly. While an interesting plot can draw you in, it's the characters that make you care about the plot. This makes the story that much more enthralling and the story sticks with you so much longer.
I hate seeing characters passing through the story. Its something as a filmmaker I dread it at times because its up to the actors to make it shine bright, but if you write it, you hope that it inspires them to act well.
The Coffee Nut writing a book: Step 1: Think of an Idea you want to explore Step 2: Create characters that you can use to explore said idea Step 3: Create a world or setting that you can explore the idea in properly Step 4: Layout a plot that can bind 1-3 together Step 5: Write it
Jake Bray, well if you write these characters well and hire great actors, your job becomes easy in the filming process as does the actors. The actors' jobs are much easier when they have a great script with well realized characters. It's almost effortless, speaking from experience as an actor.
Whoever says Rocky is a "boxing" movie, they have never seen it. This is an inspiring movie about redemption, never giving up and that anyone can survive even the worst things in life. I still remember watching this masterpiece, just last year when I was 15 years old, and I instantly fell in love. This movie is so well written that the boxing is ironically not that important compared to other aspects and themes of the movie
Good video. The best thing about Rocky is that his call to action is only the A story. The B Story is that he is able to form a meaningful relationship with someone, regardless of prestige or financial reward. Rocky 'Wins' at the end of this movie, despite what Apollo might tell you ;)
+Clark Kents Rock and Roll Revue -- It wasn't until the extra features on Expendables 2 made me curious to do some research that I realized just how damn good a _scriptwriter_ Stallone is. If the Producers had their way, that's all he would have been. Then this movie happened. Rocky's struggle to be a boxer _is_ Stallone's struggle to be an actor. The movie isn't about Rocky _winning the fight._ Its about Rocky _becoming a top-level boxer._ That's no accident. Just like how the climax in "Rocky Balboa" is Rocky's son (played by Stallone's son) complaining about living in his father's shadow and his struggle to be his own man. And Rocky repeating the one lesson that life taught him. The fight itself is irrelevant.
It's one of the few movies where the two main plots are of equal importance and dovetail perfectly with one another. That ending is one of the best I've ever seen.
I would say that it's even more specific in the "A" story. They give you three pieces of information about Apollo's boxing record, one being that he's undefeated, two, that he's never been knocked down, and three, no one ever went the distance with him. Then there's the scene the night before where Rocky tells Adrian that all he wants to do is go the distance. Basically, he's challenging himself not to quit, no matter what. This, of course, makes the moments in the fight when he gets knocked down so emotionally intense, because even Mickey's telling him to stay down. Fuck, I love this movie.
I read Save the Cat last year and have been struggling to make an idea of mine fit into the formula. It's a good formula, but not one size fits all. I needed this video, now more than ever. Thank you.
Having written over 50,000 words for Nanowrimo in 2012, I've had no energy to go back and really edit it or write more to it. This story about Sylvester Stallone going through a rough patch when writing Rocky touched me deeply that I couldn't really explain.
I love Rocky. Just LOVE the movie. It isn't a just boxing movie, and I agree with him, I can't watch the movie without seeing Stallone's struggle. And all that time spent before Apollo Creed's offer makes it that much more powerful for me.
The problem with making you feel emotion forward characters is, if you fail to do so, you have a movie that feels very forced and enjoyable to watch. Rocky suceed on doing so because of great writing, great soundtrack, and magnificence performance of Stallone. But many over stories which tried to do the same - Failed and fell into oblivion.
Unraveler - Maybe the problem is that they tried too hard. Haven’t seen Rocky yet so take this with a grain of salt (or a shaker full) but without true heart I question how well it can work.
Building off this, am I the only one who actually likes those long, "boring" first acts in RPGs? I did a video on Twilight Princess a week ago on my channel, and I talked about how that game has my favorite Link. Why? Because we get to spend time living his sleepy village life. We help with herding goats. An impatient gamer might want to get to the action as early as possible, but I enjoyed going around Ordon Village, interacting with the locals and getting to see their relationship with Link. Because of this, I cared much more when he was forced away from his old life than I would have otherwise.
Perhaps because Twilight Princess was one of your first RPGs? There are 20+ games in the Zelda franchise, and there are literally no stakes in the cannon. If you've played enough games (RPGs in particular), a good story is already hard enough to come by. Zelda games are perhaps a notch above Mario games in the storytelling department, but at least the latter doesn't pretend to have depth and drag you through a series of dialogue boxes. Link. Zelda. Gannon. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.
You're not the only one! In games like The Witcher, or Horizon Zero Dawn, I role play with the game and sometimes open it not even to play any missions, but to hunt, to exist in its world, sometimes literally to take walks in the beautiful landscapes of the game. I love the story-building, and relish in a game's good story. Or if it's Skyrim, I invent my own character's motivations as I go through it. Really adds to the story for me, even if it's just all imagination since the game story itself is pretty standard, in Skyrim anyway
The Highbrow Gamer I agree with this to an extent, however I feel since games are at their core games there needs to be something extra in the opening hours. Probably my two favorite examples of slow opening hours are Persona 4 and Final Fantasy 9, sure nothing all that interesting or even fun happens, but the atmosphere and general feel of the games are just so alluring that I can't help but love those parts
Same in Berseria *SPOILERS FOR FIRST ACT*... That first act where you get to speak with everyone and take your time to make your brothers meal. The worry when he disappears. Then the relief when it's all okay. And then... you fall asleep... And when you wake up everyone you've been speaking with is now a monster. Holy shit that hit so hard. I wouldn't have enjoyed the rest of the game nearly as much if not for that. I really love those first acts. They're essential. They're a staple in classic fantasy and shouldn't go anywhere.
The Highbrow Gamer I think the issue lies more with the person than the game. If people wanted something a bit more fast-paced, they'd play an action game or FPS.
I'm not a writer, i just like learning about things in my spare time . Might give writting anther go since i find your video's as a good breakdown and an eye opener for many good piece i never knew why i liked them. Keep up the good work.
Rocky is as great as a masterpiece can be. The story is so human, so beautiful, so touching. The music score is amazing. And about the acting... can anyone imagine anyone else playing their parts? What makes a great movie great? Watch Rocky.
Rocky follows a similar theme to how the ancient Greeks considered a hero. They always named a person as a hero only after meeting every challenge from a point of disadvantage, then coming out on top in the end. Even failing to meet the expected result works - just like the first Rocky movie. It is the journey to meet that objective that makes the difference, not the end result. This is how a person grows and comes out better than before. It works.
Funnily enough I was just reading the section describing Rocky's late inciting incident in Robert McKee's "Story" the moment I saw this video in my feed. You read my mind totally!!!
I read "Story" about a year and a half ago, but didn't remember his argument about Rocky when putting this together (otherwise I would have quoted him). But I feel more confident about it that we came to the same conclusion.
3:36 I'm not crying, you're crying... Man I love this soundtrack. It hits me every time, harder than any punch to the gut from the heavy weight champ because the weight it carries is more than just vibrations from an instruments that was recorder ages ago. It's because that sound, that EXACT wave/vibration of this soundtrack resonates with every fiber of my very being, connecting to experiences in my life that are more deeply rooted than anyone would understand unless I wrote a novel about it. Bill Conti is a brilliant composer, and everyone who made that soundtrack so impactful!
This video makes a very good point. Sadly a lot of modern movies "trim the fat" and cut scenes that would add to atmosphere and character development just because it doesn't "serve the plot" ...
Thanks, man. I really needed to hear this. I've been working on cutting down a script I'm working on, ironically called "Hit Me" about a washed up boxer/trainer turned gambling addict, and I've read/used/attempted the "Save The Cat" methodology trying to trim it down closer to 'the beats'... and I really felt like I was cutting out the heart of my story/main character. I couldn't have came across this video at a better time. Not just Rocky, but Sylvester Stallone should be an inspiration to all of us aspiring writers. Thanks again.
the StC structure works best with action, comedy and romance. while i suspect you're keeping the general three act structure intact, with a straight-up drama i'd say there's more leeway when it comes to hitting the beats. let me ask you this: if you could rewrite some things, rearrange others, to better fit the formula, would you if you felt the heart was still there?
Obviously you write about films and television, but I think it would be cool and interesting if you talked about writing narrative in games - the tools are different from screenwriting and interact much differently with one another. But it’s your channel mate, I’ll enjoy the content either way.
If this idea is taken into consideration, I would implore you to play spec ops: the line. The mechanics are designed to replicate the average 3rd person shooter so it works through mechanics alone as a criticism of the medium before basically turning to camera and saying "You're here because you wanted to be something you're not. A hero."
I think the issue with that is no one truly effectively knows how to write for games 100%. Reason being is as its an interactive medium it is difficult to hit beats, or create scenes because no one players experience is ever fully the same. And most of the time in video games story matters less than gameplay.
More people need to see this video because it makes a very important point. Too often movies rush along without slowing down to give us a moment with the characters. To give us time to connect with them and relate to them. When its done effectively it is what makes a movie great. You don't usually remember the movies that had cool action but lousy characters. You remember the Characters that had an emotional impact and connection with you, and you remember the movie because of that connection. You remember all the struggles and heartfelt moments that character goes through because you care about them as people, and of course you remember people you care about.
I was meant to see this. I read Blake Snyder and tryed to model my screenplay after his principals. My firt draft that is. But in any case: this video inspred me. Great work. I'm gonna work some more right now. Cheers
"When that bell rings and I'm still standing. I'll know for the first time in my life, that I werent just another bum from the neighborhood." He didnt fight to earn anybody's respect, he wants to prove something to himself. Despite his optimism, he was full of self doubts and insecurities. He, like us, just wants to look in to a mirror and be proud of the man staring back at him.
The moment you said "Page 55" I knew exactly what you said was true. I listened to the audiobook of Save the cat about 2 years ago and now I'm writing my own screenplay and I realize that when you're writing something you truly care about and want to make it perfect or exactly how you imagined it, you don't worry about time, you don't worry about the number of pages, you just be creative and write out everything your mind has to offer.
Excellent analysis, I absolutely love Rocky. One interesting point I would mention is that at 3:27 when you say that he's talking to his family in the pictures, he's actually talking into the mirror rehearsing a future conversation about the food for his turtles in a way to flirt with Adrian when he goes back to the store. You even hear him say basically the same dialogue the next time he sees her after that scene, which I believe makes it even more so emphatic as to how sympathetic of a character Rocky is.
I love this channel so much. This is the best video essay channel on UA-cam. I think that the idea of looking at movies in the “how can I learn this” perspective is a great idea and is a lot more interesting than a basic analysis or a fan theory. I am so glad that this channel is doing well!
Almost the whole nation felt like Rocky in 1976; the energy crisis - gasoline was being rationed, high inflation, high unemployment. Rocky may be a timeless story, but it truly was a product of its time. It spoke to people where they were living at the time.
Thank you for this inspirational video. I'm an actor who couldn't cry at one time in my career, but I learned to cry from the film Rocky. It has more heart than most other films combined. Stallone is a genius.
I think that there is another lesson here, running just under the surface, that you touched on briefly, but I would love to see expanded on a bit: make sure your climax fits the theme. I mean, really, make sure everything fits the theme, but the climax should ideally be where you can look back and say, "All of that we just saw? That was all just to get here, to this moment." A lot of films do this well, but I think that Rocky is amazing for it. You said it best in your own video - The first huge chunk of the movie is basically us following Rocky around, watching him get beat down, but keep going. It definitely makes it easier for the audience to connect with him, and really *care* about him and his relationships, but it also sets us up beautifully for the match against Creed. Because that's ultimately what Rocky is about, and nothing encapsulates that better than the fight at the end - Rocky probably won't win, but he's tough, and he's gonna stick it out, far past the point everyone thought he would and past the point that a lot of others could have. Maybe even past the point where he thought he could have. A lot of films fail to pull that off, and the truncated version of Rocky you described at the end would have failed to pull that off as well. Which is why hard-and-fast rules ultimately don't hold up - every story is going to be about something different. And if you want to fully explore that, you need to give yourself the room to explore what your story is really about.
Reminds me of Pet Semetary by Stephen King. Though spooky stuff happens before- namely the first visit to the titular cemetery and what may or may not be a bout of night terrors- nothing supernatural truly happens until well over 100 pages in the book and the truly horrible stuff doesn't happen until the last 50 or so pages. The rest of the book is just us getting to know the characters- the nice neighbors, the alienated parents-in-law, the family of the main character, etc. This makes the point where everything really goes down late into the book that much more horrific.
I'm currently in the pre-production process of an animated short film. As it stands this is a one-man-band situation. I've created characters, done visual concept work, scripted and have begun storyboarding. This is what occupies my weekends, when I have the energy and motivation to do so. Thank you for being a source of inspiration, and sharing yourself with us. Keep up the good work brother.
What makes the movie greater is knowing it was as much a do or die project for Stallone. Rocky is like his alter ego. Also knowing Stallone went to the eventual producers for an acting job was turned down then they remember sly walking out & stopping playing w/ the door handle & saying " u know I do a little writing too " so they were like ok bring it by & they did not like one of his scripts so he said " I got another one " & it was Rocky. They read the story & were blown out how good it was. Also they went to director john avildsen & he said " I don't like sports films " but he read it & saw on page 3 this guy talking to his turtles & was charmed by it. Also knowing it was made on a 900k budget & a 28 day shooting schedule created art through adversity. So many wonderful moments were created bc they simply did not have the money or time. Like the ice skating scene is so lovely & I'm glad they were alone at the rink , makes sense it was Thanksgiving & the guy was closed & instead of paying all these extras to works so much better. The steady cam which was a revolutionary achievement b/c they couldnt afford to lay the dolly tracks. Think of the time that saves too. They also couldnt afford to pay the teamsters to film in philly so having such a small crew they got away w/ it & they also shot him starting his workouts at dawn to also avoid paying. The cast used their own wardrobe did their own hair & makeup so it has such an authentic real look to it. Also bc of the low budget they went to a young hungry composer in bill conti who took 25k for the entire budget ! Thats incredible even in 75. That's for the orchestra , the studio time & Bill's labor. That score is perfection & I think anyone would put it up there w/ a john William's score. Plus the idea is just brilliant. The heavyweight champ cant find any est. Boxer to fight him w/ only 5 weeks to train so apollo ( the best antagonist ever who is so likeable smart & not a villain) comes up w/ an idea to make the match a novelty. It's the bi centennial & philly is a historic place so the idea to give a local underdog a chance of a lifetime is brilliant. Also I love that rocky did not win yet it was still a victory bc he went the " distance " 15 rounds was shocking for a club fighter vs the champ. The love story is one of the best & I love all the moments at the end like paulie pushing the rope down so his sister can get in the ring or rocky not even caring to listen to who won all he Wants is adrian. I tear up everytime. Esp when apollo Knicks rocky down in the 14th & mickey says " down stay down " bc as much as mickey would love to win a title he cares about rocky more & just when apollo is raising his arms in victory he sees rocky up & he puts his head down like " are u kidding me " I also love dukes line " he doesn't know this is a damn show he thinks it's a fight now finish this bum & let's go home !"
Rocky is without a doubt one of the most heartfelt movies in history. I can't watch this movie and not come out motivated both mentally and physically (the movie never fails to get me pumped for the gym). Honestly, that's my biggest complaint about the Creed series. Michael B Jordan has done amazing work but the movie just doesn't have the 'oomph' behind it (and I think this is in part because of the music).
I always looked at save the cat as a map of audience expectations. following it as a story formula can handicap you, but understanding that things need to happen (even quiet things) helps you for spinning your wheels or stalling out completely. And knowing what people, on average, are expecting at say page 15 is helpful, but not required. This was a great reminder of staying true to your story! thanks for sharing!
This was excellent. I'm glad you touched on the importance of emotional truth in storytelling, without it stories tend to have little to no resonance and are generic. It's also what helps you to find the right structure for each story. Congrats on reaching that many subscribers. Keep it up.
The best example of exceptional writing in Rocky didn't include a single line of dialog. It was scene you showed, but didn't talk about. It was scene when Rocky returns to his horrible apartment after the opening fight of the film, and picks up the picture of him as a young boy. Back and forth he looks...from the picture to the man in the mirror. Back and forth...with just a profound sense of regret and actual sadness on his face, before turning away. In that one 20 second scene, without speaking a word, we get an insight into the essence of who Rocky is. He's a man who regrets how his life turned out. He's a man who knows he has become something that his 8 year old self wouldn't have recognized. It just shows the talent of Stallone. A less skilled writer would have written a shoehorned scene of Rocky actually verbalizing (probably to Paulie) about how he hates how his life turned out, how he feels life has passed him by, and how it actually depresses him. Stallone did it in 20 wordless seconds. And, that realization of what he's feeling in that scene is really what created the iconic timeless character....because far too many people can relate to that feeling. The feeling of, when looking back at childhood pictures, it was all still in front of us...we could have done anything. And now, as we look at ourselves, we realize we just haven't lived the lives we though we would. To me, that's one of the greatest scenes ever written. It really does set up a Campbell hero's journey of redemption. We meet him as a nobody. He gets an opportunity to go on a journey (fight the champ), that he initially rebels against (in the film he starts out by saying that, no, he doesn't want to fight Creed). He embarks reluctantly, and on the way finds redemption as he ends up becoming the man his eight year old self would be happy to have become. You miss the point of the redundancy. It's not to show that Rocky is an outcast that is alone and nobody likes. It's to show that he's a genuinely good guy. And, a nice guy. A guy worth cheering for...that we want to see succeed. We see him help the passed out wino into the bar and out of the cold. We see him try to dish out life advice to Marie, only to have her insult him (and we see his genuine hurt over this). We see him backing down and no breaking the person's thumbs. We see him resisting knocking the hell out of Paulie, because he realizes that Paulie is just as broken as he is. And, in another superbly written throw away scene, we see him stopping while he leaves Adrien's, after watching them make fun of him at the press conference, and saying, "you know when I said it didn't bother me what those guys said?" "It did." Rocky is the type of person we would say, "he's a good guy...he deserves a break." That's what we're thinking in the first hour of character's development. And, the scene in the manager's office does a masterful job of further creating the image of a good guy. There is no Ali showmanship or confidence in him at all. He doesn't say, "hell yeah I want to fight the champ...where do I sign!!' He looks off, remembering who he is, and meekly says, "no." At this point he is a good guy, who the audience feels deserves a break, and who is hugely sympathetic because it's obvious life has beat out all the self belief in him.
Man, just yesterday I started a Rocky marathon. I've seen 1, 2 and Creed, so my friend borrowed me the other 4 movies. Rocky III is cool and fun, and Rocky IV is pretty stupid, but also fun. I really love the 1st one and Creed, and I think I'll really like the 6th one. And about the writing, I recently started writing a psychological horror story with the theme of depression, since horror is about something that should let someone afraid, and depression to me is the biggest fear. My best friend, my sister, and some other friends of mine struggle with it, and I'm afraid to maybe lose them to it, so all my emotions go into the script. In a screenplay, for making a great story you really have to feel what the characters feel, but not only in the moment, you must have felt that before, and therefore, the movie is about your own struggle, and in my case, my struggle to watch other people struggle and not being able to do anything about it, except being there for them. Great video.
That's a really poignant theme to touch on, and I think it's a good sign that you've figured out what your core emotional idea for the story is first. All best crafting your screenplay!
What makes Rocky so effective is, well, the movie is like its hero. It really is the Little Movie that Could. None of the studios believed this movie had a chance. The reason the sets and whatnot look so authentically gritty isn't because they had an amazing set designer; it's because they were operating on what was considered a shoestring budget even by the standards of the time. In fact, when Adrian and Rocky go to the ice rink on their date, they had originally intended for there to be other ice skaters on the rink as Rocky and Adrian get to know each other, but they couldn't afford to pay for Extras, so Rocky and Adrian hung out alone. Haven't seen any of the subsequent Rocky films; I'm not sure I want to. The first one was just such a damn good little film and I don't really want to spoil it, especially since subsequent films turn Adrian into such a nag. I thought the blossoming relationship was one of the sweeter aspects of Rocky. Adrian is all mousy and down-trodden, so used to be being used and abused by everyone in her life, that she doesn't know how to handle it when a guy is genuinely interested in her and genuinely cares for her.
Love the description of it as "The Little Movie That Could." Also, I'd definitely check out the rest of the series! Rocky II, Rocky Balboa, and Creed are just as good as the original, or so close to it the difference is negligible. III, and IV get a little silly, but I still love them. Even Rocky V has some good ideas in the first half before it completely falls apart in the second. If you can get over that hump though, the series holds together remarkably well.
I was always told that the indicting incident needed to be on page 10 and the plot had to be in full swing by page 30... I'm so glad you told me that was stupid because now I have time to develop the characters and settin... I believe you... I BELIEVE ROCKY!
Your videos make me cry half the time man... Now I understand why I Rocky is one of the best movies I've ever seen. I'm gonna watch the movie again now...
Thoroughly enjoyed this video! It's so refreshing to hear somebody actually go against the formula but by tracing a very good example of a film that does it and does it successfully. And like you, Rocky is my favorite film. There's no close second.
I've never been comfortable with just following the 3-act structure, for the reasons you're highlighting here. I can remember reading about the style followed by Carl Barks (created Scrooge McDuck for Disney's comics), where he started by figuring out the key scenes that made the story impactful, and growing everything else from there, then I finally found the description to my aproach that I was already doing naturally. One of the bits here that makes Stallone's performance brilliant is seeing his trying to coax Adrian into a date, while she was hiding behind a door, then when she finally agrees and starts walking with Rocky tailing her, you see him looking in Paulie's ddirection with the perfect facial expression like, "OK, it worked, maybe this will go good tonight."
I would like to take this moment and thank Sylvester Stallone fr writting one of the most influential and inspiring story of all time and inspiring many people like me who seek positivity and inspiration in this cruel world,this movie will keep inspiring generation after generation.And thank u fr making this video fr spreading ur knowledge u guyzz are amazing keep up the good work 👍
That was excellent. It was insightful and interesting, but what set your analysis apart from others was the level of love you clearly feel for the film. Your heart shows through your words, and that's what resonates. ...which is exactly what you say about why Rocky resonates wit people. It's all about heart.
I'm a novelist trying to get published. Rocky is one of the best examples of how I try to structure characters. It's not all about the fighting, its about the man. It's about Rocky.
This makes me want to watch Rocky! I always assumed Save the Cat was a jumping off point. It gets a lot of criticism for making script writing formulaic but for someone just starting out, it was an eye-opening revelation for me. It was like learning you can draw a series of circles and connect them to become an owl when you are first learning how to draw. Perhaps it gets so much criticism because STC isn't presented as a jumping off point, but I found it very helpful. It never felt like the only way to do a thing....just a way for my brain to comprehend how a thing might be approached....and maybe after trying it a few times you can get in deeper and branch out, or abandon it entirely in favor of a new method. For someone like me who never wrote much and was incredibly intimidated by the process, having a paint-by-numbers guide to writing was incredibly helpful.
This video was surprisingly moving. By the time you talk about what the movie meant to you personally, and what Stallone gave up for it, a viewer could almost get a little choked up!
6:02 "squeezing a story into preordained boxes will only guarantee you'll make ok at best films" this part is so spot on, and brilliant. I wish hollywood could learn this lesson.
The whole Rocky series ( even Creed ) is always going to have a special place in my heart. while i am not old enough to catch them at the big screen ( just RB and creed ) , i did grow up with this movies, and now as an adult i notice a lot more details in them that make me love Rocky even more. Awesome video !
I've been writing for a while now. The inciting incident does not have to happen on page 12. It can happen on page 1, page 12 or page 50 depending on what the story is and what the total page count is. What's important is to keep the story and character development moving at a steady pace and to hold the audiences attention.
Please, don't lower the quality of the content of your videos in order to meet the new schedule. A lot of science and book-related channels have done that and in the process burned down their creativity.
Quality is key for me, and I find it physically impossible to post a video if I think it's subpar. But two weeks is about as long as the videos have been taking me to complete, so I'd like to maintain that schedule. Of course, they may be a few days late if I need that extra time :)
First rule of writing: Use recipes, not formulas. Think of a pot of chicken soup, what does it usually have? Some traditional ingredients, like chicken (obviously), onions, carrots, celery, maybe potatoes, right? These ingredients are things like an inciting incident, a save the kitty/pet the dog beat, a status quo, a darkest hour, etc. But that doesn't mean these classic ingredients need to be introduced to the pot (the story) all at once, in strict succession or, sometimes, even at all. For instance, and I've discussed this with colleagues, you don't necessarily need to give a villainous protagonist a "save the kitty" beat, or a "pet the dog" beat. You can substitute both with something I like to call "kick the jackass". A good example is when, in 'Breaking Bad', Walter blows up a self-absorbed yuppie's new sports car--- for cutting Walter off (nearly killing him), for taking his spot at the gas pump, and for being a frog-mouthed narcissist yacking away on his ear piece, practically snapping his fingers under the nose of the clerk making change for the yuppie's gas. We don't agree with Walter, but we enjoy the schadenfreude, the catharsis sweetening his descent as a drug dealer. Another example of a movie that doesn't have a "pet the dog" or "save the kitty" moment? 'From Dusk til Dawn', the main character (Seth Gecko) doesn't save anyone or do anything nice where these beats would normally go. For the entire opening act, instead of being nice, Seth simply doesn't do anything needlessly cruel; because, as a thief he's self-interested, but, unlike his lunatic brother, he's not totally self-destructive. It isn't until page (30-ish?) that he's even cordial to another human being, when he's chatting casually with the preacher; that he's holding hostage along with his son and daughter, the latter of whom is in the back of the RV: under the gun of Seth's brother, a confirmed rapist and serial killer.
You Sir are amazing! I have felt the same way about the "rules" of writing for some time now and I hate how fans and critics usually hate on a film bc it didn't follow a certain formula. Very well made video and I'm glad stuff like this is out there. Hopefully this helps other narrow minded people widen their gaze on what can be done with screenplays.
The best stories are exciting and dramatic and funny and clever and frightening and heartwarming and heart-wrenching and captivating even before the villain shows up. Rocky is a perfect example of this.
I absolutely love these films. Phenomenal breakdown. I like how that 55 pages of character building actually serve the rest of the franchise going forward, because those are often structured MUCH more traditionally than this one, but we have that baseline of care for Paulie, Adrian, and Rocky himself.
This is the video that made me love this channel. Though I don't believe I could ever write a movie, you have made me love the process and analyzation of movies. Which has made them so much more enjoyable in a way I never could have enjoyed them before. Thank you
Taking the time to make the audience feel attached to the characters and really layer their life experience so it's tangible is underrated, underused in Hollywood today, and why I love the film. I didn't get around to watching Rocky until college despite being a big boxing fan. I felt like I knew the story due to the widespread acknowledgment of the triumphant underdog narrative its famous for. But I was so wrong; those scenes developing Rocky make him feel like an actual person with real struggles and the movie had so much more heart than I anticipated. Not the manufactured kind but a human drama we can all relate to.
Very good point about personal struggles often (read: nearly always) fuelling creativity and resonating with the audience. Look at Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Shelley, Hubert Selby Jr: all had serious emotional and substance issues, but their works are still considered superb even today.
I have been trying to cut so much character from my book just to mimic the save the cat outline. I really needed this video to remind me that it’s ok to be creative and challenge the rules sometimes.
Originally I thought the movie was ok but months later at Friday's I saw a small poster of Rocky. It was Rocky at the end of his jog and it's him with his arms up. I then realised how great the film is. All the problems I had with it were just plain dumb. The movie is inspiring and it has a great message. In order to do great things you have to work hard, and it won't be easy.
I like how you balanced the point about not following a formula with the suggestion of building up your writers tool belt. Congrats on reaching 200 000 subs! You deserve it!
One of my favorite scenes from the movie, strangely enough, is the one where Rocky went running and came back to find Adrian at his door with Butkus the dog. Right then, Rocky greeted Adrian with one of the most innocent tone I've ever heard in films: "Yo.", then he played around with Butkus and invited Adrian in. I don't know why, but it feels...real, heartwarming. That's the one scene that really stays with me over the years, along with the arguments between Rocky, Paulie and Mick.
Great scene! I've watched the movie dozens of times, and only on my most recent rewatch did I notice this joke: Rocky: (about Butkus) what does he eat? Adrian: Little turtles.
Just saying thank you, been watching you about a year now, and my first book is almost done on page 250 of 326 doing my self editing before sending it off.
I asked for Rocky last video and you did it! Nice Job! A few points in addition to these...[SPOILER] Stallone writes that he loses the fight at the end. That breaks every sports movie rule! But its perfect, Rocky doesn't care about winning the fight. He simply wants to go the distance with Creed, and at the end he is still the winner. Which is perfect for Rocky 2, where Creed feels like he lost and Rocky feels like he won! Also, a comment on the characters. Creed is a black athlete, but he is written as a businessman first! I love this! He promotes his fights better than anyone! Rocky is obviously a strong person, but Adrian is the one who gives him strength throughout the Rocky series. If you ever wonder what quality to look for in a woman, look for an Adrian, she will NOT let Rocky put himself down, and he returns the favor. Polly is easy to hate but then he does something to make you love him again. He's infuriating but underneath he has a good heart and is there for those around him. And Micky, is going to put his boxers first! Always! Even if it means hurting feelings on occasion he is going to say what he needs to get his fighters prepared, the sport and his fighters come first. I love this movie!
A lot of old movies didn’t age well for a new generation to simply love, but this one did. I watched it my 19 years old son. He simply loved it. He is into multi tasking (Playing online, Twitching, texting at the same time) so when a movie is slow, he quits easily. Not Rocky. Great stuff.
Rocky 4 is my fav. There are three montages in a row (Easy way out, burning heart, hearts on fire) and then a epic fight with another montage in it. Come on! Doesn’t get much better than that.
You know funny thing is this can be applied to music, i play guitar and introducing chords which generate emotion will give a glimpse of a scene or an act or a small information then introduce the Catalyst which could act like a bridge to a solo and then climax....Thank you for igniting the spark on why i picked the instrument in the first place.
I really love the fact that durning the final fight Rocky did not have that slow emotional journey flash back nor power of love second wind moment for Adria. Only after the final bell he became conscious enough to cry out Adria which draw a picture how desperate Rocky hang on to his mind just to survive 15 rounds.
I love this so much. Creating a movie with math and science doesn’t work. Art should be something deeper than understanding and it can’t be put into a box.
But the movie is least about boxing and more about the character. The actual inciting incident was when Mickey closed Rocky's locker anfd gave it to someone else. It broke Rocky who now goes into exustential crisis. The whole movie is about a low self esteem guy who feels he is a loser because everyone says so. Thats why he loved Adrian because she is the only one who was nice to him. He picks Apollo's offer only when the manager tells Rocky "that out of all the Boxers, Apollo chose you" Making Rocky feel that he is actually someone! Thats the core of the movie!!
Congrats on your success. I don't work more on weekends towards my goals I go to bed early (8to9) and then get up early (4to5) and have an extra few hours every morning to work on my music, I find daily work like this is much more helpful then cramming stuff into my weekend.
Absolutely! It's best to work every single day towards your creative goals, but forming that habit is tough. I'm hoping that, for the people who follow that advice of working on the weekends, that it eventually grows into a daily routine for them.
Very thoughtful video. I actually think they followed the formula, but the thing is that the story isn't about Apollo, it's about Rocky and Adrian. We meet her pretty early on. Apollo comes at about the midpoint, which raises the stakes of Rocky becoming a better man...for Adrian.
I'd say the same could be said of Interstellar. One of the first things I noticed on my first viewing was how it took it's time to get you to get to know the characters.
Truth. I've written a couple of pilots where a few people told that not enough happens soon enough. But I used the 1st act as one should, setting everything up. It's slow, but that doesn't mean it's bad. I use reddit to get feedback, and while a lot is good, a lot is bad. I get the feeling that many zealously believe in a Schneider-style formula, and whenever somebody diverges from this, they automatically think it's wrong -- just bec/ that's what they read/heard. I think some need to learn that innovation only comes when people do something new.
One of the best parts of the original Rocky was that he didnt win. He proved himself, and he went the distance, which is all any of us can truly hope for, and in alot of ways thats so much more important than winning.
In my opinion the best scene of the movie is when he sits in bed with Adrian, looking directly at us the audience, and confesses that he knows he can't win. That's where he lays out his own terms that he wants to last all 15 rounds.
He also displays some real emotions in this scene, what I would describe as positive masculinity. Such a good scene.
I can't tell you how frustrating it is to see a story (book or film) have interesting ideas and be well made but completely fail for me for one reason: the characters. They are not the icing on the cake, THEY ARE THE CAKE.
The Coffee Nut
Exacly. While an interesting plot can draw you in, it's the characters that make you care about the plot. This makes the story that much more enthralling and the story sticks with you so much longer.
I hate seeing characters passing through the story. Its something as a filmmaker I dread it at times because its up to the actors to make it shine bright, but if you write it, you hope that it inspires them to act well.
"They are the cake." Great way to say that :)
The Coffee Nut writing a book:
Step 1: Think of an Idea you want to explore
Step 2: Create characters that you can use to explore said idea
Step 3: Create a world or setting that you can explore the idea in properly
Step 4: Layout a plot that can bind 1-3 together
Step 5: Write it
Jake Bray, well if you write these characters well and hire great actors, your job becomes easy in the filming process as does the actors. The actors' jobs are much easier when they have a great script with well realized characters. It's almost effortless, speaking from experience as an actor.
Whoever says Rocky is a "boxing" movie, they have never seen it. This is an inspiring movie about redemption, never giving up and that anyone can survive even the worst things in life. I still remember watching this masterpiece, just last year when I was 15 years old, and I instantly fell in love. This movie is so well written that the boxing is ironically not that important compared to other aspects and themes of the movie
Fernando Sosa It's a character piece
It's about rising to the challenge, not giving up on yourself. It's a genuine masterwork and it's bananas that Stallone hasn't written more scripts.
If Rocky came out today I could just see the reviews. "SLOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW"
"BORING"
"He just walks around not hitting things"
There is Creed, you know. Structured nearly the same
Creed is pretty much the same story, and still managing to reach an emotional truth AND had great reviews.
Red Panda plus he cries. When is the last time you have seen an action hero actually ugly cry?
bunny m He doesn’t
I found to be an absolute masterpiece
It is the movie that invented the training montage
Wasn't that Rocky 4?
Rocky 4 perfected it, and most follow the formula from it.
Get off that. Rocky 4 is by far the worst in the franchise.
Akira kurosawa did it like 20 years earlier. Nevertheless first Rocky will always be my favorite film.
Kurosawa is a genius
Good video. The best thing about Rocky is that his call to action is only the A story. The B Story is that he is able to form a meaningful relationship with someone, regardless of prestige or financial reward. Rocky 'Wins' at the end of this movie, despite what Apollo might tell you ;)
+Clark Kents Rock and Roll Revue -- It wasn't until the extra features on Expendables 2 made me curious to do some research that I realized just how damn good a _scriptwriter_ Stallone is. If the Producers had their way, that's all he would have been. Then this movie happened. Rocky's struggle to be a boxer _is_ Stallone's struggle to be an actor. The movie isn't about Rocky _winning the fight._ Its about Rocky _becoming a top-level boxer._ That's no accident.
Just like how the climax in "Rocky Balboa" is Rocky's son (played by Stallone's son) complaining about living in his father's shadow and his struggle to be his own man. And Rocky repeating the one lesson that life taught him. The fight itself is irrelevant.
It's one of the few movies where the two main plots are of equal importance and dovetail perfectly with one another. That ending is one of the best I've ever seen.
I would say that it's even more specific in the "A" story. They give you three pieces of information about Apollo's boxing record, one being that he's undefeated, two, that he's never been knocked down, and three, no one ever went the distance with him. Then there's the scene the night before where Rocky tells Adrian that all he wants to do is go the distance. Basically, he's challenging himself not to quit, no matter what.
This, of course, makes the moments in the fight when he gets knocked down so emotionally intense, because even Mickey's telling him to stay down.
Fuck, I love this movie.
@@Grizabeebles Sly’s son doesn’t play Robert in Rocky Balboa. That was in Rocky V. The actor in Balboa is Milo Ventimiglia.
I read Save the Cat last year and have been struggling to make an idea of mine fit into the formula. It's a good formula, but not one size fits all. I needed this video, now more than ever. Thank you.
Never conform to formulas, do what you feel will work. Do what you feel is right ;)
Evlin DuBose hiii
Can we talk about writing?
I hope your project goes well!
Thanks! :) Love your vids.
"Back to formula"
That's it. I'm gonna finally watch Rocky. See you later.
Same.
Me too XD
Guy from the Internet You won't be disappointed.
I watched all of them for the first time 2 weeks ago. I'm in love, yo.
ABOUT DAMN TIME!!!
Like a wise man once said: We Need Emotional Content.
Bunkhead Bruce Lee said that
Your point being?
Bunkhead .Bruce Lee s principle s is applicable to all fields even writing
ua-cam.com/video/3iokKq1VUrE/v-deo.html
Having written over 50,000 words for Nanowrimo in 2012, I've had no energy to go back and really edit it or write more to it. This story about Sylvester Stallone going through a rough patch when writing Rocky touched me deeply that I couldn't really explain.
ADRIIIIIIIAAAAAAAN
Vicente Ortega Rubilar that is my favorite line in the movie.
I love when in Rocky 2, he shouts at adrian in the tv after winning the tittle of champion
Vicente Ortega Rubilar me too.
hahahah thanks for the laugh
KHAAAAN!!
Greatest movies ever.
I love Rocky. Just LOVE the movie. It isn't a just boxing movie, and I agree with him, I can't watch the movie without seeing Stallone's struggle. And all that time spent before Apollo Creed's offer makes it that much more powerful for me.
The problem with making you feel emotion forward characters is, if you fail to do so, you have a movie that feels very forced and enjoyable to watch.
Rocky suceed on doing so because of great writing, great soundtrack, and magnificence performance of Stallone. But many over stories which tried to do the same - Failed and fell into oblivion.
Unraveler - Maybe the problem is that they tried too hard. Haven’t seen Rocky yet so take this with a grain of salt (or a shaker full) but without true heart I question how well it can work.
Building off this, am I the only one who actually likes those long, "boring" first acts in RPGs? I did a video on Twilight Princess a week ago on my channel, and I talked about how that game has my favorite Link. Why? Because we get to spend time living his sleepy village life. We help with herding goats. An impatient gamer might want to get to the action as early as possible, but I enjoyed going around Ordon Village, interacting with the locals and getting to see their relationship with Link. Because of this, I cared much more when he was forced away from his old life than I would have otherwise.
Perhaps because Twilight Princess was one of your first RPGs? There are 20+ games in the Zelda franchise, and there are literally no stakes in the cannon. If you've played enough games (RPGs in particular), a good story is already hard enough to come by. Zelda games are perhaps a notch above Mario games in the storytelling department, but at least the latter doesn't pretend to have depth and drag you through a series of dialogue boxes. Link. Zelda. Gannon. Lather.
Rinse. Repeat.
You're not the only one! In games like The Witcher, or Horizon Zero Dawn, I role play with the game and sometimes open it not even to play any missions, but to hunt, to exist in its world, sometimes literally to take walks in the beautiful landscapes of the game. I love the story-building, and relish in a game's good story. Or if it's Skyrim, I invent my own character's motivations as I go through it. Really adds to the story for me, even if it's just all imagination since the game story itself is pretty standard, in Skyrim anyway
The Highbrow Gamer I agree with this to an extent, however I feel since games are at their core games there needs to be something extra in the opening hours. Probably my two favorite examples of slow opening hours are Persona 4 and Final Fantasy 9, sure nothing all that interesting or even fun happens, but the atmosphere and general feel of the games are just so alluring that I can't help but love those parts
Same in Berseria *SPOILERS FOR FIRST ACT*... That first act where you get to speak with everyone and take your time to make your brothers meal. The worry when he disappears. Then the relief when it's all okay. And then... you fall asleep... And when you wake up everyone you've been speaking with is now a monster.
Holy shit that hit so hard. I wouldn't have enjoyed the rest of the game nearly as much if not for that. I really love those first acts. They're essential. They're a staple in classic fantasy and shouldn't go anywhere.
The Highbrow Gamer
I think the issue lies more with the person than the game. If people wanted something a bit more fast-paced, they'd play an action game or FPS.
I'm not a writer, i just like learning about things in my spare time . Might give writting anther go since i find your video's as a good breakdown and an eye opener for many good piece i never knew why i liked them. Keep up the good work.
Rocky is as great as a masterpiece can be. The story is so human, so beautiful, so touching. The music score is amazing. And about the acting... can anyone imagine anyone else playing their parts? What makes a great movie great? Watch Rocky.
I've been watching youtube videos since 6 years...and this is one of the best videos I've ever seen. Amazing job! Hit me right in the sweet spot.
Thank you John! That means a lot!
Rocky follows a similar theme to how the ancient Greeks considered a hero. They always named a person as a hero only after meeting every challenge from a point of disadvantage, then coming out on top in the end. Even failing to meet the expected result works - just like the first Rocky movie. It is the journey to meet that objective that makes the difference, not the end result. This is how a person grows and comes out better than before. It works.
Funnily enough I was just reading the section describing Rocky's late inciting incident in Robert McKee's "Story" the moment I saw this video in my feed. You read my mind totally!!!
I read "Story" about a year and a half ago, but didn't remember his argument about Rocky when putting this together (otherwise I would have quoted him). But I feel more confident about it that we came to the same conclusion.
Just Write The section on Rocky's late inciting incident is on page 223. It's very brief by the way.
3:36 I'm not crying, you're crying... Man I love this soundtrack. It hits me every time, harder than any punch to the gut from the heavy weight champ because the weight it carries is more than just vibrations from an instruments that was recorder ages ago. It's because that sound, that EXACT wave/vibration of this soundtrack resonates with every fiber of my very being, connecting to experiences in my life that are more deeply rooted than anyone would understand unless I wrote a novel about it.
Bill Conti is a brilliant composer, and everyone who made that soundtrack so impactful!
This video makes a very good point. Sadly a lot of modern movies "trim the fat" and cut scenes that would add to atmosphere and character development just because it doesn't "serve the plot" ...
Thanks, man. I really needed to hear this. I've been working on cutting down a script I'm working on, ironically called "Hit Me" about a washed up boxer/trainer turned gambling addict, and I've read/used/attempted the "Save The Cat" methodology trying to trim it down closer to 'the beats'... and I really felt like I was cutting out the heart of my story/main character. I couldn't have came across this video at a better time. Not just Rocky, but Sylvester Stallone should be an inspiration to all of us aspiring writers. Thanks again.
That's an incredible coincidence! Have fun with your next edit!
the StC structure works best with action, comedy and romance. while i suspect you're keeping the general three act structure intact, with a straight-up drama i'd say there's more leeway when it comes to hitting the beats.
let me ask you this: if you could rewrite some things, rearrange others, to better fit the formula, would you if you felt the heart was still there?
Obviously you write about films and television, but I think it would be cool and interesting if you talked about writing narrative in games - the tools are different from screenwriting and interact much differently with one another. But it’s your channel mate, I’ll enjoy the content either way.
If this idea is taken into consideration, I would implore you to play spec ops: the line. The mechanics are designed to replicate the average 3rd person shooter so it works through mechanics alone as a criticism of the medium before basically turning to camera and saying "You're here because you wanted to be something you're not. A hero."
Ye video games do it
He doesn't just write about movies and TV, he writes about books too. So maybe..
I think the issue with that is no one truly effectively knows how to write for games 100%. Reason being is as its an interactive medium it is difficult to hit beats, or create scenes because no one players experience is ever fully the same. And most of the time in video games story matters less than gameplay.
The last of us.
More people need to see this video because it makes a very important point. Too often movies rush along without slowing down to give us a moment with the characters. To give us time to connect with them and relate to them. When its done effectively it is what makes a movie great. You don't usually remember the movies that had cool action but lousy characters. You remember the Characters that had an emotional impact and connection with you, and you remember the movie because of that connection. You remember all the struggles and heartfelt moments that character goes through because you care about them as people, and of course you remember people you care about.
I was meant to see this. I read Blake Snyder and tryed to model my screenplay after his principals. My firt draft that is. But in any case: this video inspred me. Great work. I'm gonna work some more right now. Cheers
Best of luck Clark!
Thanks
"When that bell rings and I'm still standing. I'll know for the first time in my life, that I werent just another bum from the neighborhood."
He didnt fight to earn anybody's respect, he wants to prove something to himself.
Despite his optimism, he was full of self doubts and insecurities. He, like us, just wants to look in to a mirror and be proud of the man staring back at him.
The moment you said "Page 55" I knew exactly what you said was true. I listened to the audiobook of Save the cat about 2 years ago and now I'm writing my own screenplay and I realize that when you're writing something you truly care about and want to make it perfect or exactly how you imagined it, you don't worry about time, you don't worry about the number of pages, you just be creative and write out everything your mind has to offer.
Excellent analysis, I absolutely love Rocky. One interesting point I would mention is that at 3:27 when you say that he's talking to his family in the pictures, he's actually talking into the mirror rehearsing a future conversation about the food for his turtles in a way to flirt with Adrian when he goes back to the store. You even hear him say basically the same dialogue the next time he sees her after that scene, which I believe makes it even more so emphatic as to how sympathetic of a character Rocky is.
I love this channel so much. This is the best video essay channel on UA-cam. I think that the idea of looking at movies in the “how can I learn this” perspective is a great idea and is a lot more interesting than a basic analysis or a fan theory. I am so glad that this channel is doing well!
Almost the whole nation felt like Rocky in 1976; the energy crisis - gasoline was being rationed, high inflation, high unemployment. Rocky may be a timeless story, but it truly was a product of its time. It spoke to people where they were living at the time.
Thank you for this inspirational video. I'm an actor who couldn't cry at one time in my career, but I learned to cry from the film Rocky. It has more heart than most other films combined. Stallone is a genius.
I think that there is another lesson here, running just under the surface, that you touched on briefly, but I would love to see expanded on a bit: make sure your climax fits the theme. I mean, really, make sure everything fits the theme, but the climax should ideally be where you can look back and say, "All of that we just saw? That was all just to get here, to this moment." A lot of films do this well, but I think that Rocky is amazing for it.
You said it best in your own video - The first huge chunk of the movie is basically us following Rocky around, watching him get beat down, but keep going. It definitely makes it easier for the audience to connect with him, and really *care* about him and his relationships, but it also sets us up beautifully for the match against Creed. Because that's ultimately what Rocky is about, and nothing encapsulates that better than the fight at the end - Rocky probably won't win, but he's tough, and he's gonna stick it out, far past the point everyone thought he would and past the point that a lot of others could have. Maybe even past the point where he thought he could have.
A lot of films fail to pull that off, and the truncated version of Rocky you described at the end would have failed to pull that off as well. Which is why hard-and-fast rules ultimately don't hold up - every story is going to be about something different. And if you want to fully explore that, you need to give yourself the room to explore what your story is really about.
Reminds me of Pet Semetary by Stephen King. Though spooky stuff happens before- namely the first visit to the titular cemetery and what may or may not be a bout of night terrors- nothing supernatural truly happens until well over 100 pages in the book and the truly horrible stuff doesn't happen until the last 50 or so pages. The rest of the book is just us getting to know the characters- the nice neighbors, the alienated parents-in-law, the family of the main character, etc. This makes the point where everything really goes down late into the book that much more horrific.
I'm currently in the pre-production process of an animated short film. As it stands this is a one-man-band situation. I've created characters, done visual concept work, scripted and have begun storyboarding. This is what occupies my weekends, when I have the energy and motivation to do so. Thank you for being a source of inspiration, and sharing yourself with us. Keep up the good work brother.
What makes the movie greater is knowing it was as much a do or die project for Stallone. Rocky is like his alter ego. Also knowing Stallone went to the eventual producers for an acting job was turned down then they remember sly walking out & stopping playing w/ the door handle & saying " u know I do a little writing too " so they were like ok bring it by & they did not like one of his scripts so he said " I got another one " & it was Rocky. They read the story & were blown out how good it was. Also they went to director john avildsen & he said " I don't like sports films " but he read it & saw on page 3 this guy talking to his turtles & was charmed by it. Also knowing it was made on a 900k budget & a 28 day shooting schedule created art through adversity. So many wonderful moments were created bc they simply did not have the money or time. Like the ice skating scene is so lovely & I'm glad they were alone at the rink , makes sense it was Thanksgiving & the guy was closed & instead of paying all these extras to works so much better. The steady cam which was a revolutionary achievement b/c they couldnt afford to lay the dolly tracks. Think of the time that saves too. They also couldnt afford to pay the teamsters to film in philly so having such a small crew they got away w/ it & they also shot him starting his workouts at dawn to also avoid paying. The cast used their own wardrobe did their own hair & makeup so it has such an authentic real look to it. Also bc of the low budget they went to a young hungry composer in bill conti who took 25k for the entire budget ! Thats incredible even in 75. That's for the orchestra , the studio time & Bill's labor. That score is perfection & I think anyone would put it up there w/ a john William's score. Plus the idea is just brilliant. The heavyweight champ cant find any est. Boxer to fight him w/ only 5 weeks to train so apollo ( the best antagonist ever who is so likeable smart & not a villain) comes up w/ an idea to make the match a novelty. It's the bi centennial & philly is a historic place so the idea to give a local underdog a chance of a lifetime is brilliant. Also I love that rocky did not win yet it was still a victory bc he went the " distance " 15 rounds was shocking for a club fighter vs the champ. The love story is one of the best & I love all the moments at the end like paulie pushing the rope down so his sister can get in the ring or rocky not even caring to listen to who won all he Wants is adrian. I tear up everytime. Esp when apollo Knicks rocky down in the 14th & mickey says " down stay down " bc as much as mickey would love to win a title he cares about rocky more & just when apollo is raising his arms in victory he sees rocky up & he puts his head down like " are u kidding me " I also love dukes line " he doesn't know this is a damn show he thinks it's a fight now finish this bum & let's go home !"
Rocky is without a doubt one of the most heartfelt movies in history. I can't watch this movie and not come out motivated both mentally and physically (the movie never fails to get me pumped for the gym). Honestly, that's my biggest complaint about the Creed series. Michael B Jordan has done amazing work but the movie just doesn't have the 'oomph' behind it (and I think this is in part because of the music).
I always looked at save the cat as a map of audience expectations. following it as a story formula can handicap you, but understanding that things need to happen (even quiet things) helps you for spinning your wheels or stalling out completely. And knowing what people, on average, are expecting at say page 15 is helpful, but not required. This was a great reminder of staying true to your story! thanks for sharing!
This was excellent. I'm glad you touched on the importance of emotional truth in storytelling, without it stories tend to have little to no resonance and are generic. It's also what helps you to find the right structure for each story. Congrats on reaching that many subscribers. Keep it up.
The best example of exceptional writing in Rocky didn't include a single line of dialog. It was scene you showed, but didn't talk about. It was scene when Rocky returns to his horrible apartment after the opening fight of the film, and picks up the picture of him as a young boy. Back and forth he looks...from the picture to the man in the mirror. Back and forth...with just a profound sense of regret and actual sadness on his face, before turning away. In that one 20 second scene, without speaking a word, we get an insight into the essence of who Rocky is. He's a man who regrets how his life turned out. He's a man who knows he has become something that his 8 year old self wouldn't have recognized. It just shows the talent of Stallone. A less skilled writer would have written a shoehorned scene of Rocky actually verbalizing (probably to Paulie) about how he hates how his life turned out, how he feels life has passed him by, and how it actually depresses him. Stallone did it in 20 wordless seconds. And, that realization of what he's feeling in that scene is really what created the iconic timeless character....because far too many people can relate to that feeling. The feeling of, when looking back at childhood pictures, it was all still in front of us...we could have done anything. And now, as we look at ourselves, we realize we just haven't lived the lives we though we would. To me, that's one of the greatest scenes ever written. It really does set up a Campbell hero's journey of redemption. We meet him as a nobody. He gets an opportunity to go on a journey (fight the champ), that he initially rebels against (in the film he starts out by saying that, no, he doesn't want to fight Creed). He embarks reluctantly, and on the way finds redemption as he ends up becoming the man his eight year old self would be happy to have become. You miss the point of the redundancy. It's not to show that Rocky is an outcast that is alone and nobody likes. It's to show that he's a genuinely good guy. And, a nice guy. A guy worth cheering for...that we want to see succeed. We see him help the passed out wino into the bar and out of the cold. We see him try to dish out life advice to Marie, only to have her insult him (and we see his genuine hurt over this). We see him backing down and no breaking the person's thumbs. We see him resisting knocking the hell out of Paulie, because he realizes that Paulie is just as broken as he is. And, in another superbly written throw away scene, we see him stopping while he leaves Adrien's, after watching them make fun of him at the press conference, and saying, "you know when I said it didn't bother me what those guys said?" "It did." Rocky is the type of person we would say, "he's a good guy...he deserves a break." That's what we're thinking in the first hour of character's development. And, the scene in the manager's office does a masterful job of further creating the image of a good guy. There is no Ali showmanship or confidence in him at all. He doesn't say, "hell yeah I want to fight the champ...where do I sign!!' He looks off, remembering who he is, and meekly says, "no." At this point he is a good guy, who the audience feels deserves a break, and who is hugely sympathetic because it's obvious life has beat out all the self belief in him.
Man, just yesterday I started a Rocky marathon. I've seen 1, 2 and Creed, so my friend borrowed me the other 4 movies. Rocky III is cool and fun, and Rocky IV is pretty stupid, but also fun. I really love the 1st one and Creed, and I think I'll really like the 6th one.
And about the writing, I recently started writing a psychological horror story with the theme of depression, since horror is about something that should let someone afraid, and depression to me is the biggest fear. My best friend, my sister, and some other friends of mine struggle with it, and I'm afraid to maybe lose them to it, so all my emotions go into the script. In a screenplay, for making a great story you really have to feel what the characters feel, but not only in the moment, you must have felt that before, and therefore, the movie is about your own struggle, and in my case, my struggle to watch other people struggle and not being able to do anything about it, except being there for them.
Great video.
That's a really poignant theme to touch on, and I think it's a good sign that you've figured out what your core emotional idea for the story is first. All best crafting your screenplay!
What makes Rocky so effective is, well, the movie is like its hero. It really is the Little Movie that Could. None of the studios believed this movie had a chance. The reason the sets and whatnot look so authentically gritty isn't because they had an amazing set designer; it's because they were operating on what was considered a shoestring budget even by the standards of the time. In fact, when Adrian and Rocky go to the ice rink on their date, they had originally intended for there to be other ice skaters on the rink as Rocky and Adrian get to know each other, but they couldn't afford to pay for Extras, so Rocky and Adrian hung out alone.
Haven't seen any of the subsequent Rocky films; I'm not sure I want to. The first one was just such a damn good little film and I don't really want to spoil it, especially since subsequent films turn Adrian into such a nag. I thought the blossoming relationship was one of the sweeter aspects of Rocky. Adrian is all mousy and down-trodden, so used to be being used and abused by everyone in her life, that she doesn't know how to handle it when a guy is genuinely interested in her and genuinely cares for her.
Love the description of it as "The Little Movie That Could."
Also, I'd definitely check out the rest of the series! Rocky II, Rocky Balboa, and Creed are just as good as the original, or so close to it the difference is negligible. III, and IV get a little silly, but I still love them. Even Rocky V has some good ideas in the first half before it completely falls apart in the second. If you can get over that hump though, the series holds together remarkably well.
@@JustWrite you lost literally all respect you may have had saying creed is as good as the original
100% straight on. The story dictates what it needs. Each story brings its own formula, and no one formula is going to work for every single story.
I was always told that the indicting incident needed to be on page 10 and the plot had to be in full swing by page 30... I'm so glad you told me that was stupid because now I have time to develop the characters and settin... I believe you... I BELIEVE ROCKY!
Greatest story ever told. Not only entertained but has inspired millions of lives. Whenever I'm down I replay the last round in my mind. Thanks Rocky.
Your videos make me cry half the time man... Now I understand why I Rocky is one of the best movies I've ever seen. I'm gonna watch the movie again now...
Thoroughly enjoyed this video! It's so refreshing to hear somebody actually go against the formula but by tracing a very good example of a film that does it and does it successfully. And like you, Rocky is my favorite film. There's no close second.
Never tought I'd see a video with this title
Why not? Rocky is one of the best written films of all time.
Robin Espersen I haven't seen it, so I only knew it was a boxing movie with Stallone in it (also I knew how it came to be, but not the plot)
Check it out. It's a masterpiece.
To be honest the Rocky saga is not about boxing and in this video you can glimpse why
That's why you should not asume things a priori
"So read it but be skeptical of it at the same time"- that's probably the best advice ever!!thanks a lot for this video.
For an opposite example, Blade Runner's catalyst is literally the first time we see Deckard
Yup! There's a ton of movies that work with super early catalysts as well.
@@JustWrite For example, in _The Matrix_, the first time we see Neo he is being told to follow the White Rabbit.
I've never been comfortable with just following the 3-act structure, for the reasons you're highlighting here. I can remember reading about the style followed by Carl Barks (created Scrooge McDuck for Disney's comics), where he started by figuring out the key scenes that made the story impactful, and growing everything else from there, then I finally found the description to my aproach that I was already doing naturally. One of the bits here that makes Stallone's performance brilliant is seeing his trying to coax Adrian into a date, while she was hiding behind a door, then when she finally agrees and starts walking with Rocky tailing her, you see him looking in Paulie's ddirection with the perfect facial expression like, "OK, it worked, maybe this will go good tonight."
I would like to take this moment and thank Sylvester Stallone fr writting one of the most influential and inspiring story of all time and inspiring many people like me who seek positivity and inspiration in this cruel world,this movie will keep inspiring generation after generation.And thank u fr making this video fr spreading ur knowledge u guyzz are amazing keep up the good work 👍
That was excellent. It was insightful and interesting, but what set your analysis apart from others was the level of love you clearly feel for the film. Your heart shows through your words, and that's what resonates. ...which is exactly what you say about why Rocky resonates wit people. It's all about heart.
I think it's important to know the "Save the Cat" structure and why it's effective. However it shouldn't be used as a template. Great video.
This is like the only Rocky movie I can watch over and over and over and never get bored of it.
I'm a novelist trying to get published. Rocky is one of the best examples of how I try to structure characters.
It's not all about the fighting, its about the man. It's about Rocky.
This makes me want to watch Rocky!
I always assumed Save the Cat was a jumping off point. It gets a lot of criticism for making script writing formulaic but for someone just starting out, it was an eye-opening revelation for me. It was like learning you can draw a series of circles and connect them to become an owl when you are first learning how to draw. Perhaps it gets so much criticism because STC isn't presented as a jumping off point, but I found it very helpful. It never felt like the only way to do a thing....just a way for my brain to comprehend how a thing might be approached....and maybe after trying it a few times you can get in deeper and branch out, or abandon it entirely in favor of a new method.
For someone like me who never wrote much and was incredibly intimidated by the process, having a paint-by-numbers guide to writing was incredibly helpful.
This video was surprisingly moving.
By the time you talk about what the movie meant to you personally, and what Stallone gave up for it, a viewer could almost get a little choked up!
6:02 "squeezing a story into preordained boxes will only guarantee you'll make ok at best films" this part is so spot on, and brilliant. I wish hollywood could learn this lesson.
The whole Rocky series ( even Creed ) is always going to have a special place in my heart. while i am not old enough to catch them at the big screen ( just RB and creed ) , i did grow up with this movies, and now as an adult i notice a lot more details in them that make me love Rocky even more. Awesome video !
I've been writing for a while now. The inciting incident does not have to happen on page 12. It can happen on page 1, page 12 or page 50 depending on what the story is and what the total page count is. What's important is to keep the story and character development moving at a steady pace and to hold the audiences attention.
Please, don't lower the quality of the content of your videos in order to meet the new schedule. A lot of science and book-related channels have done that and in the process burned down their creativity.
Quality is key for me, and I find it physically impossible to post a video if I think it's subpar. But two weeks is about as long as the videos have been taking me to complete, so I'd like to maintain that schedule. Of course, they may be a few days late if I need that extra time :)
Just Write I very much thank and celebrate your effort. From a book-enthusiast and an amateur writer.
This franchise means so much to me, it is one of the few movies that I feel still connects me to my father, even after he's gone.
First rule of writing: Use recipes, not formulas.
Think of a pot of chicken soup, what does it usually have? Some traditional ingredients, like chicken (obviously), onions, carrots, celery, maybe potatoes, right? These ingredients are things like an inciting incident, a save the kitty/pet the dog beat, a status quo, a darkest hour, etc. But that doesn't mean these classic ingredients need to be introduced to the pot (the story) all at once, in strict succession or, sometimes, even at all.
For instance, and I've discussed this with colleagues, you don't necessarily need to give a villainous protagonist a "save the kitty" beat, or a "pet the dog" beat. You can substitute both with something I like to call "kick the jackass". A good example is when, in 'Breaking Bad', Walter blows up a self-absorbed yuppie's new sports car--- for cutting Walter off (nearly killing him), for taking his spot at the gas pump, and for being a frog-mouthed narcissist yacking away on his ear piece, practically snapping his fingers under the nose of the clerk making change for the yuppie's gas. We don't agree with Walter, but we enjoy the schadenfreude, the catharsis sweetening his descent as a drug dealer.
Another example of a movie that doesn't have a "pet the dog" or "save the kitty" moment? 'From Dusk til Dawn', the main character (Seth Gecko) doesn't save anyone or do anything nice where these beats would normally go. For the entire opening act, instead of being nice, Seth simply doesn't do anything needlessly cruel; because, as a thief he's self-interested, but, unlike his lunatic brother, he's not totally self-destructive. It isn't until page (30-ish?) that he's even cordial to another human being, when he's chatting casually with the preacher; that he's holding hostage along with his son and daughter, the latter of whom is in the back of the RV: under the gun of Seth's brother, a confirmed rapist and serial killer.
You Sir are amazing! I have felt the same way about the "rules" of writing for some time now and I hate how fans and critics usually hate on a film bc it didn't follow a certain formula. Very well made video and I'm glad stuff like this is out there. Hopefully this helps other narrow minded people widen their gaze on what can be done with screenplays.
Glad you enjoyed the video!
The best stories are exciting and dramatic and funny and clever and frightening and heartwarming and heart-wrenching and captivating even before the villain shows up. Rocky is a perfect example of this.
I absolutely love these films. Phenomenal breakdown. I like how that 55 pages of character building actually serve the rest of the franchise going forward, because those are often structured MUCH more traditionally than this one, but we have that baseline of care for Paulie, Adrian, and Rocky himself.
Great point!
A just write video about one of my favorite film franchises ever? Hell yes!
This is the video that made me love this channel. Though I don't believe I could ever write a movie, you have made me love the process and analyzation of movies. Which has made them so much more enjoyable in a way I never could have enjoyed them before. Thank you
Taking the time to make the audience feel attached to the characters and really layer their life experience so it's tangible is underrated, underused in Hollywood today, and why I love the film. I didn't get around to watching Rocky until college despite being a big boxing fan. I felt like I knew the story due to the widespread acknowledgment of the triumphant underdog narrative its famous for. But I was so wrong; those scenes developing Rocky make him feel like an actual person with real struggles and the movie had so much more heart than I anticipated. Not the manufactured kind but a human drama we can all relate to.
Very good point about personal struggles often (read: nearly always) fuelling creativity and resonating with the audience. Look at Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Shelley, Hubert Selby Jr: all had serious emotional and substance issues, but their works are still considered superb even today.
I have been trying to cut so much character from my book just to mimic the save the cat outline. I really needed this video to remind me that it’s ok to be creative and challenge the rules sometimes.
Originally I thought the movie was ok but months later at Friday's I saw a small poster of Rocky. It was Rocky at the end of his jog and it's him with his arms up. I then realised how great the film is. All the problems I had with it were just plain dumb. The movie is inspiring and it has a great message. In order to do great things you have to work hard, and it won't be easy.
"Yo Adrian, I did it" makes me cry literally every time I heard it. So annoying.
I keep rewatching your content men, you really know what makes a film beautiful. I keep finding that more and more partially because of you
I like how you balanced the point about not following a formula with the suggestion of building up your writers tool belt. Congrats on reaching 200 000 subs! You deserve it!
One of my favorite scenes from the movie, strangely enough, is the one where Rocky went running and came back to find Adrian at his door with Butkus the dog. Right then, Rocky greeted Adrian with one of the most innocent tone I've ever heard in films: "Yo.", then he played around with Butkus and invited Adrian in. I don't know why, but it feels...real, heartwarming. That's the one scene that really stays with me over the years, along with the arguments between Rocky, Paulie and Mick.
Great scene! I've watched the movie dozens of times, and only on my most recent rewatch did I notice this joke:
Rocky: (about Butkus) what does he eat?
Adrian: Little turtles.
This movie gets me every time. I love how you nailed the parts that work so well in this movie. Thank you.
Just saying thank you, been watching you about a year now, and my first book is almost done on page 250 of 326 doing my self editing before sending it off.
Don't know why this came up on my recommended channels, but very glad it did. What a video! Really amazing job. Thanks
I asked for Rocky last video and you did it! Nice Job! A few points in addition to these...[SPOILER] Stallone writes that he loses the fight at the end. That breaks every sports movie rule! But its perfect, Rocky doesn't care about winning the fight. He simply wants to go the distance with Creed, and at the end he is still the winner. Which is perfect for Rocky 2, where Creed feels like he lost and Rocky feels like he won!
Also, a comment on the characters. Creed is a black athlete, but he is written as a businessman first! I love this! He promotes his fights better than anyone! Rocky is obviously a strong person, but Adrian is the one who gives him strength throughout the Rocky series. If you ever wonder what quality to look for in a woman, look for an Adrian, she will NOT let Rocky put himself down, and he returns the favor. Polly is easy to hate but then he does something to make you love him again. He's infuriating but underneath he has a good heart and is there for those around him. And Micky, is going to put his boxers first! Always! Even if it means hurting feelings on occasion he is going to say what he needs to get his fighters prepared, the sport and his fighters come first.
I love this movie!
A lot of old movies didn’t age well for a new generation to simply love, but this one did. I watched it my 19 years old son. He simply loved it. He is into multi tasking (Playing online, Twitching, texting at the same time) so when a movie is slow, he quits easily. Not Rocky. Great stuff.
Haha you release vids extra on friday so we can use our most productive time over the weekend
Thank you so much
Rocky 4 is my fav. There are three montages in a row (Easy way out, burning heart, hearts on fire) and then a epic fight with another montage in it. Come on! Doesn’t get much better than that.
I've always been a fan of slower paced films. Rocky is a piece of art.
You know funny thing is this can be applied to music, i play guitar and introducing chords which generate emotion will give a glimpse of a scene or an act or a small information then introduce the Catalyst which could act like a bridge to a solo and then climax....Thank you for igniting the spark on why i picked the instrument in the first place.
I really love the fact that durning the final fight Rocky did not have that slow emotional journey flash back nor power of love second wind moment for Adria. Only after the final bell he became conscious enough to cry out Adria which draw a picture how desperate Rocky hang on to his mind just to survive 15 rounds.
I love this so much. Creating a movie with math and science doesn’t work. Art should be something deeper than understanding and it can’t be put into a box.
Basically character comes first,
Story and pacing later!
But the movie is least about boxing and more about the character.
The actual inciting incident was when Mickey closed Rocky's locker anfd gave it to someone else.
It broke Rocky who now goes into exustential crisis.
The whole movie is about a low self esteem guy who feels he is a loser because everyone says so.
Thats why he loved Adrian because she is the only one who was nice to him.
He picks Apollo's offer only when the manager tells Rocky "that out of all the Boxers, Apollo chose you"
Making Rocky feel that he is actually someone!
Thats the core of the movie!!
Ahhh the moment he wins.....that just brings tears to my eyes.
Congrats on your success. I don't work more on weekends towards my goals I go to bed early (8to9) and then get up early (4to5) and have an extra few hours every morning to work on my music, I find daily work like this is much more helpful then cramming stuff into my weekend.
Absolutely! It's best to work every single day towards your creative goals, but forming that habit is tough. I'm hoping that, for the people who follow that advice of working on the weekends, that it eventually grows into a daily routine for them.
I knew it! I put in character detail so people will care for my characters and give my characters a personality and empathy for the character.
Very thoughtful video. I actually think they followed the formula, but the thing is that the story isn't about Apollo, it's about Rocky and Adrian. We meet her pretty early on. Apollo comes at about the midpoint, which raises the stakes of Rocky becoming a better man...for Adrian.
Thanks for this, I thought my 3 series was doing it wrong but your analysis of rocky ensured I am doing it right
I almost cried watching an essay video... Congrats man!
Fabulous commentary on the greatest movie in cinema history. The script is the greatest script ever.
I'd say the same could be said of Interstellar. One of the first things I noticed on my first viewing was how it took it's time to get you to get to know the characters.
Yeah I've been on a 70's film binge now and the movies are so dark. So I can understand how this movie shook things up again.
Truth. I've written a couple of pilots where a few people told that not enough happens soon enough. But I used the 1st act as one should, setting everything up. It's slow, but that doesn't mean it's bad. I use reddit to get feedback, and while a lot is good, a lot is bad. I get the feeling that many zealously believe in a Schneider-style formula, and whenever somebody diverges from this, they automatically think it's wrong -- just bec/ that's what they read/heard. I think some need to learn that innovation only comes when people do something new.