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Kal Bashir's 510+ stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth)

The 510+ stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (all available at http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html) are based on this 510+ stage template.

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: HERO AND ANTAGONISM AFFINITY

The Hero and Antagonism are shadows of each other (the Superego is a mirror of the Id) thus, subconsciously, the Hero is battling his (or her) own Self. It is this quality that is respsonsible for the large degree of mirroring that is found in successful stories and in the significant final stages of the Hero's Journey, such as True Nature and Mask Removed.

In Basic Instinct (1992), Nick knows that Catherine won't hide behind a lawyer. And she knows all about him.

In Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), Harmonica and Frank intuitively recognise each other.

In Se7en (1995), John Doe is obsessed with Mills.

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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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