Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/619377
74 P E R S P E C T I V E | J A N UA RY / F E B R UA RY 2 0 1 6 Above: A sketch by Ms. Beachler of the exterior of Mighty Mick's Gym, a legacy location in Philadelphia, drawn on the Wacom Bamboo drawing pad and incorporating the older graphic, but updating Mighty Mick's signage. Inset, right: The location, one of the most recognizable exteriors in the ROCKY franchise, from ROCKY in 1976 to ROCKY BALBOA in 2006. Opposite page, clockwise from top left: A white model of the Goodison Park boxing ring and floor plan by Duncan Smith; building the model with a layout of center stage made it possible to sit down and plan the approach for this scene. The Creed vs. Conlan fight at Goodison Park in Liverpool, England, was shot on Stage 2 at Sun Center Studios in Aston, PA. The Temple Performing Arts Center (the TPAC, an old renovated church on the campus of Temple University) was used as the venue for the Leo "The Lion" Sporino vs. Donnie "Hollywood" Johnson fight, something very new for this location. Ms. Beachler writes: "Front Street Gym in Philadelphia just seemed to me like Rocky in a sense—worn, been around, but still has something to offer the next generation; what we did was minimal and almost all of the training montages of Adonis take place here. The Tijuana Bar which opens the movie was an old empty building on the fringe of downtown Philadelphia, closed for years when we scouted it. The space was cavernous, so a concrete and tile interior wall was built to define the space, and the bar and elevated standing areas were added to mimic, on a smaller scale, the coming fights. "Pretty" Ricky Conlan's gym was shot at Shuler's Gym in Philadelphia; in the story it's in Liverpool (Mersey), England, so the giant Union Jack and all of the Everton and Liverpool soccer team rivalry bits were added to sort of capture the pride of the city. A wide view of the Sporino vs. Johnson fight in the TPAC.