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...
[simply go to http://www.screenplay-structure.com/ or http://www.story-structure.org/ or http://www.heros-journey.info/ or http://www.monomyth.info/ for full details]
HERO'S JOURNEY TIP OF THE DAY: THE METAPHOR OF THE "NEW WORLD"
The Hero must cross from an Ordinary World into a New World to transform from an Ordinary Self to a New Self. But the "New World" can be literal (a New Physical Place) or metaphoric (a New Physical, Psychological State).
In The Thing (1982), MacReady et al remain in the same physical place but the arrival of The Thing causes them to enter a New State.
In Kramer versus Kramer (1979), Ted and Billy remain in the same house but the departure of Joanne causes them to enter into a New State.
In Annie Hall (1979), Annie and Alvie's meeting causes them to both enter into a New State.
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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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