journey

[From our deconstruction of hundreds of Hollywood blockbusters and sitcoms (see below for the URL of our Home Page) and our isolation and identification of more than 188 stages of the Hero’s Journey that you need to know about…]

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.

There is only one story.

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) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharsis).

d) Gives you a universal structural template upon which you can superimpose your situational story.

and more…

Why it is dominant

The Hero’s Journey is, in effect, the dominant and most successful pattern for telling effective stories. This pattern is being developed as stories are produced but also, many stories are produced with it as a template. So what’s going on? A number of factors are probably in play, including:

a) Story and screenwriters are consciously aware of the Hero’s Journey and Transformation and model their work around it.

b) Story and screenwriters study other successful work that is most relevant to their own and ask the right questions: why is the hero on the bus then? Why does that person get shot at that point in the story? Why does the scenery change there? Why does the hero have new clothes at that point? Why do the heroes in five distinctly different movies get submerged underwater at that point? And so on. As a result of this process, the Hero’s Journey pattern is mirrored.

c) Certain dynamic and dramatic techniques make more effective stories. These can be found time and again in screenplays, novels, short stories and so on. Again, as a result, the Hero’s Journey pattern is mirrored.

Learn more

WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.clickok.co.uk/

Managing Creativity and Innovation and related techniques and tools can be found at http://www.managing-creativity.com/

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Kal Bishop, MBA

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