From our deconstruction of hundreds of Hollywood blockbusters at www.managing-creativity.com/
The Hero’s Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the Hollywood movies we have deconstructed are based on this template.
Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.
The Hero’s Journey:
a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.
b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.
c) Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.
Sample Movie Deconstructed: Bagdad Cafe (1987)
FADE IN: Introduce Hero in her Ordinary World: Jasmin not getting on with her husband.
Symbol of the Transformation: the coffee maker.
Call to Adventure: Jasmin leaves her husband.
Journey to the First Threshold: Jasmin walking along the Mojave desert freeway.
Foreshadow of the Journey: the sky; the barman stops.
Resisting the pull back to the Ordinary World: hubby comes looking for her; Jasmin hides.
New World of the First Threshold: The Bagdad café and the characters within.
Threshold Guardian: Cahuenga and Sal.
Refused entry into the First Threshold: “no beer; no coffee.”
Fish out of water: hubby has snuff.
Introduce Shape Shifter: Brenda.
Develop characters and relationships: Brenda, Sal, Cox et al.
Refusal of the Journey: “take that back! What we need is a real coffee machine, not some toy.”
Shape Shifter’s Romantic Challenge: Sal leaves Brenda.
Introduce Ally: Phyllis.
Develop Shape Shifter’s Romantic Challenge: Brenda’s crying.
Hero arrives at the First Threshold; Threshold Guardian: Jasmin arrives and wipes sweat Brenda wipes tears..
Refusal: “are you sure you don’t want me to call you a cab?”
Meeting the Mentor: “hello stranger…”
Beginning of the Transformation: Jasmin in her room, gets undressed; no normal clothes available.
Characters in this World: Debbie and the trucker.
Inner Cave: inside the café: saved by the Mentor: Cox pours Jasmin coffee.
Symbol of the Transformation: Brenda doesn’t let Jasmin hold the baby.
Guided by the Mentor: Cox: “planning on staying for a while…”
Expectation: Jasmin in her room, looking out the window.
Reminder of the Challenges: “Phyllis! Clean room 7″; “Salomo, take care of your son!”
Refusal of the Physical Separation: Brenda calls Arnie, the local cop.
Shape Shifter’s Romantic Challenge: Sal is watching.
Foreshadow of the Journey: Jasmin starts cleaning.
Developing characters and relationships: Phyllis, Salomo, Cox, Debbie etc.
Pushed to the Physical Separation: Arnie can’t tell Jasmin to leave – she’s there legit; Jasmi wants to pay; “you mean you′re staying?” “Yes.”
Shape Shifter’s Romantic Challenge: Sal is watching Brenda.
Characters and relationships developed: Debbie tattooing, Cahuenga, Jasmin, Phyllis, Brenda. “do you mind if I pitch my tent here?” etc.
Pushing forward: Jasmin gives the baby a toy.
Trial 1: cleaning the office.
Transformation: holding the baby.
Resisting the Transformation: Brenda angry that the office has been changed.
Shape Shifter’s Romantic Challenge: Sal is watching.
Accepting the Transformation: Brenda doesn′t really want Jasmin to put everything back where it was; speaking respectfully to “Mr Cox.”
Proactively changing: Brenda tells Phyllis to clear up her stuff.
The World of the Transformation: the Bagdad Café at night.
Developing characters and relationships: everyone in the café except Jasmin.
Resisting Trial 2: Salomo and Phyllis dislike Jasmin; Brenda begins to treat her more respectfully.
Pulled back to the old World: Jasmin remembers her husband; looks at her things.
Trial 2: Phyllis becomes a friend in Jasmin’s bedroom.
Trial 3: listening to Salomo play.
Foreshadow of the Sword: Cox watches Jasmin.
Symbol of Transformation progressing: Salomo gives the baby to Jasmin.
Meeting the Oracle and being led to the Sword: Cox wants to paint Jasmin.
Journey to the Sword: learning magic.
Journey to the Sword: Jasmin being painted with full clothing.
Resistance to the Sword: Brenda gets angry “get you own children!”
Shape Shifter’s Romantic Challenge: Sal is watching.
Journey to the Sword: “my husband left me a week ago;” the rainbow; Jasmin helps serve the dishes; does magic tricks.
Journey to the Sword: Jasmin being painted with less clothing.
Journey to the Sword: Jasmin doing more magic.
Journey to the Sword: Jasmin being painted with even less clothing.
Journey to the Sword: Jasmin doing more magic; the flowers bloom.
Cont…until
Seizing the Sword: Café full; Jasmin being painted naked. Marker of change: Jasmin gets a tattoo.
Near Death Experience: Jasmin not allowed to work.
Atonement with the Father: neither wants to leave.
Magic Flight: “goodbye Miss Brenda, goodbye Miss Jasmin.”
Apotheosis: the magic’s gone.
Refusal of the Return: the boomerang hits the water tank.
Ultimate Boon: the picture of Jasmin on the wall she’s part of the Bagdad café.
Crossing the Return Threshold: Jasmin comes back; greetings; Brenda and Jasmin together.
Master of the Two Worlds: the show.
Freedom to Live: Cox proposes.
Learn more…
The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at clickok.co.uk/ clickok.co.uk/
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Kal Bishop, MBA
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Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at clickok.co.uk/ clickok.co.uk/