La La Land Freeway Musical Explained
La La Land kicks off with one of the most exciting scenes in modern movies. Its called Another Day of Sun. This big musical number happens right on a Los Angeles freeway. Dozens of drivers and dancers turn traffic jams into a joyful dance party. The main stars Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling join in from their cars. They hop out sing and leap across cars and lanes in perfect sync. The whole thing feels like a dream bursting out of everyday LA life.
The scene sets the tone for the movie. It shows people chasing dreams in a busy city. Everyone looks frustrated at first stuck in gridlock. Then the music starts. They break free with flips jumps and group dances. Its full of bright colors and energy. Director Damien Chazelle wanted it to feel real yet magical. He shot it as one long continuous take. That makes it even more impressive.
Where did they film it? The crew picked a spot at the Judge Harry Pregerson Interchange. This connects the I-105 freeway carpool lane to the I-110 express lanes. It leads toward downtown Los Angeles. They used two carpool direct connector ramps. The overpass faces the wrong way on screen. Dancers and crew say its like heading from the airport but pointed north and east instead of south and west. For more details check out this interview with choreographer Mandy Moore at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMFwXMeWKFQ.
Shooting took just two days. They shut down the freeway from midnight Friday to midnight Sunday. That gave them 48 straight hours. On Saturday they prepped for 12 hours. They set up over 100 dancers cars and props. It was a huge effort. Traffic in LA is always crazy so closing a freeway drew lots of attention. People praised the choreography for making it look effortless. Learn the full backstory on the La La Land Wikipedia page at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_La_Land.
Why does this scene matter? It grabs you right away. It mixes hope frustration and fun. LA freeways stand for the grind of chasing fame. The dance flips that into celebration. Gosling and Stone dont dominate. Regular folks shine too. This pulls you into Mia and Sebastians story. They dream big in Hollywood just like the dancers.
Choreographer Mandy Moore planned every move. Dancers practiced on sets first. Then they nailed it live on the ramps. No CGI for the main action. Its all real people and stunts. The song lyrics fit perfect. They talk about auditions rejections and holding onto dreams. By the end horns join in as cops arrive. The party fades back to reality. But the spark stays.
This opener won fans and awards. Critics loved how it blended musical style with LA grit. Read more on its dazzle in this AV Club piece at https://www.avclub.com/the-glorious-la-la-land-anchors-its-daydream-dazzle-to-1798189852.
Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_La_Land
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMFwXMeWKFQ
https://www.avclub.com/the-glorious-la-la-land-anchors-its-daydream-dazzle-to-1798189852
