Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.
[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].
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 catharses, of which there are usually four).
d) Gives you a universal structural template upon which you can superimpose your situational story. This is why stories such as Alien (1979), Gladiator (2000), Midnight Cowboy (1969), American Beauty (1999), The Graduate (1967) and many others (all deconstructed at the URL below) appear to be different but are all constructed, almost sequence by sequence, in the same way.
and more...
HERO'S JOURNEY TIP OF THE DAY: SYMBOLISM
Screenplays consist of much more structure and symbolism than is commonly assumed.
Take the role of water. The role of water is ancient and works on the audience subconsciously: it signifies baptism / dirt to cleanliness / washing away the Old and emergence of the Newer Self. For example, at the stage of the Near Death Experience, heroes are often submerged or become wet (50 First Dates, 2004; Green Mile, 1999; War of the Worlds, 2005; Jaws, 1977).
Or take mirrors. The hero often looks at himself (or herself) in a mirror whilst in the Ordinary World (Bonnie and Clyde, 1967; An Officer and a Gentleman, 1983; Thelma and Louise, 1991). Mirrors most often signify dissatisfaction with the Ordinary Self and dissatisfaction with the Period of Obscurity. This is one of the Forward Pushing Forces.
Or take tunnels. The movement through tunnels symbolizes movement from one state to another.
Or bridges, gates, rivers and railroads - all of which mark boundaries between states and thresholds.
Or the colour red - signifying blood, damage to the Physical Self and Transmogrification to the New Self.
Symbolism is just another way of communicating the physical and psychological stages of the Journey, Transformation, Detachment etc... . There are quite a few of these tools, and you should use them. Coppola and Scorsese et al do. Even Shakespeare did.
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Go to http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html for more info on the 510+ stage Hero's Journey....
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