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.
and more…
Sample Movie Deconstructed: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
FADE IN: Foreshadow of the Antagonism: Harry Potter’s dream.
Meeting the Hero: Harry wakes up.
Meeting Loyal Ally 1: Hermione.
Meeting Loyal Ally 2: Ron.
Pushed into the Journey: come on, breakfast is ready.
Meeting the Mentor: Arthur.
Pushed into the Journey: where are we going? No idea.
Introduced to Allies: Amos, Cedrick etc…
Magical Gift: Port Key.
New World: the Quidditch World Cup.
New, Magical Creatures and Sights: the tents etc.
Pulled into the Outer Cave: home sweet home; inside the huge tent.
Foreshadow of the Trials / Antagonists: the Malfoys.
Middle Cave / Meeting Allies: Viktor et al; the World Cup match.
Developing Characters and Relationships: playing in the tent.
Pushed to the Inner Cave: the explosions; the burnt camp; Barty Crouch Junior wandering about; Voldemort’s skull; Ron and Hermione find Harry.
Foreshadow of the Antagonist: there was a man; who? I didn’t see his face.
Journey to the World of the Transformation: on the train.
Meeting the Romantic Challenge: Cho Chang.
Warning: your head is hurting again; Sirius will want to hear about this.
New World of the Transformation: the flying horses and carriages; the flying boat etc.
Meeting the Mentor and Allies and Learning of the Trials: Dumbledore introduces the TriWizard contest; the other schools; Hagrid, Maxime; Goblet of Fire etc.
Interdiction: no student under 17 should be allowed to put forward their name.
Time Pressure: you must put forward your name by Thursday night.
Red Herring: the Russian leader enters the room of the Goblet.
Meeting the Mentor / Shape Shifter: Alastor ‘MadEye’ Moody.
Mentor’s Capabilities: MadEye can apparently see from the back of his head.
Magical Gifts: the three unforgivable curses.
Hero’s Capabilities: only one person has been known to survive the unforgivable curse.
World of the Transformation: infinite stairs.
Red Herring: Longbottom looks out of the window.
Developing the Interdiction: the twins try to trick the Goblet.
Developing Characters and Relationships: Viktor looks at Hermione.
Pushed to the Trials: the names pop out of the Goblet.
Warning: Dumbledore et al want to know how Harry’s name popped out of the Goblet.
No Going Back: the binding magical contract means that Harry has no choice.
Warnings: the teachers debate whether to let Potter continue onto the dangerous trials.
Developing Characters and Relationships: Ron falls out with Harry.
Developing Characters and Relationships: meeting Rita Skeeter; Rita takes Potter aside.
Warning: Sirius appears in the fire; people die in this tournament.
Developing Characters and Relationships: Ron still annoyed with Harry.
Developing Ally Capabilities: Longbottom is into herbs.
Developing Characters and Relationships: Hermione relays Ron’s message.
Developing Characters and Relationships: Hagrid meets Maxime.
Foreshadow of Trial 1: Harry sees the dragons;. Warning: the horntail is a nasty piece of work.
Developing Characters and Relationships: Harry tells Fred that the first task is dragons.
Developing Characters and Relationships: Harry tells Ron to stay away from him.
Developing Characters and Relationships: Harry tells Draco he’s full of crap; MadEye changes Draco into a ferret.
Foreshadow of the Resolution: the trunk in MadEye’s room.
Mentor’s Guidance: MadEye tells Harry to use his strengths; use his wand.
Encouragement: Hermione encourages Harry in the tent.
Developing Characters and Relationships: Rita appears and is told to leave.
Danger: Harry gets the Hungarian Horntail Dragon.
Trial 1: Harry battles the Hungarian Horntail Dragon.
Celebration: at passing Trial 1.
Foreshadow of Trial 3: the open egg makes a strange noise.
Developing Characters and Relationships: Ron and Harry make up.
Foreshadow of Trial 2: Harry looking at Cho.
Developing Characters and Relationships: Ron gets the dress.
Trial 2: Minerva informs all of the Ball; they must get a date.
Journey to Trial 2: getting a date for the Ball is harder than slaying a dragon.
Developing Characters and Relationships: Journey to Trial 2: discussing who’s dating who in class.
Trial 2: Harry asks Cho to go to the Ball.
Developing Characters and Relationships: at the ball.
Developing the Antagonism: Harry dreams the dream again.
Pushed to Trial 3: Harry and Hermione on the bridge; he needs to figure out the egg.
Developing Characters and Relationships: Fred tells Harry to have a bath with his egg.
Trial 3: Murtle appears; Harry puts the egg in the water and gets the message.
Mentor’s Guidance: MadEye tells Longbottom to help Harry.
Magical Gift: Gilliweed will help Harry breathe underwater for an hour.
Meeting the Oracle and Learning of the Sword: Dumbledore tells that they must rescue their friends from underwater.
Tension: you seem a little tense Harry.
Time Pressure: only an hour.
Journey to the Sword: underwater.
Guardians of the Sword: the underwater people.
Time Pressure: clock ticking.
Seizing the Sword: Harry rescues both Ron and the girl.
Near Death Experience: Harry is dragged down.
Reward: Harry given second place.
Red Herring: Crouch talks with Potter.
Atonement with the Father: Harry falls into the Goblet; Igor is interrogated; Crouch Junior was part of it.
Apotheosis: Dumbledore is looking for a small detail he’s missed; Harry relates his dream; Harry should cast the dreams away.
Foreshadow of the Resolution / Magic Gift: Snape tells Harry of the truth serum.
Ultimate Boon: the last trial; the maze.
Refusal: Harry raises his wand to end the contest; stops Fred from zapping Viktor; returns to save Fred instead of take the cup.
Magic Flight: both Harry and Fred run from the pursuing maze.
Rescue from Without: the cup is a Port Key.
Master of Two Worlds: Wormtail kills Fred; Harry is captured; Voldemort returns; Harry and Voldemorte battle with the help of Lily.
Crossing the Return Threshold: Harry returns with Fred’s body.
Shape Shifter Reveals Himself / setup next movie: MadEye is really Barty Crouch Junior; you know what this means?
Freedom to Live: challenges conquered; everyone says goodbye and returns home.
Learn more…
The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.managing-creativity.com/
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Kal Bishop
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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 http://managing-creativity.com/
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