I started thinking about this project several years ago. I went to the Rocky Statue, the line, and the Art Museum steps almost every week for the last two years. I watched every Rocky sequel and all the documentaries on the subject. Poured over every meme and parody. I read everything written by Sylvester Stallone, public art scholars, and just people who live their lives for all of this, the movies, the statue, and all the hype around them.
When the team at WHYY Digital Studios – Tom Grahsler, Mike Olcott, and Michaela Winberg – began working on the project, it really brought the process and the idea to life. They brought such creativity, important perspectives, and angles to the narrative. We workshopped each episode, worked with some great sound designers and musicians at Rowhome Productions and Moqita, and then we tinkered with each episode to bring them to life.
Can’t overstate how important the team was to making this a reality.