nstructed 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: Loyal Ally*****

The detective hero has a loyal secretary, who is secretly attracted to him. She is attractive, but not overly so. Perhaps they have had an affair in the past. He t

The 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 (see URL below) are based on this 188+ 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: Loyal Ally*****

The detective hero has a loyal secretary, who is secretly attracted to him. She is attractive, but not overly so. Perhaps they have had an affair in the past. He ta

e 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: Loyal Ally*****

The detective hero has a loyal secretary, who is secretly attracted to him. She is attractive, but not overly so. Perhaps they have had an affair in the past. He t

p>

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: Loyal Ally*****

The detective hero has a loyal secretary, who is secretly attracted to him. She is attractive, but not overly so. Perhaps they have had an affair in the past. He t

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: Loyal Ally*****

The detective hero has a loyal secretary, who is secretly attracted to him. She is attractive, but not overly so. Perhaps they have had an affair in the past. He t

nstructed 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: Loyal Ally*****

The detective hero has a loyal secretary, who is secretly attracted to him. She is attractive, but not overly so. Perhaps they have had an affair in the past. He takes her for granted. She is a metaphor for hope – he is repulsed by the deviousness of nearly every other woman he meets. In The Maltese Falcon (1939), Spade has Precious.

*****No Mans Land and New Self*****

It is in No Mans Land that the Hero's New Self becomes apparent. In Brokeback Mountain (2005), Jack tells Pop, the ignorant son of a bitch, to sit down. Ennis finds out that Alma knows he is gay.

*****Reward*****

Post every Rebirth there is a Reward, and there are a few Rebirths post Near Death Experiences in the Hero's Journey and Transformation. In Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Bonnie kisses Clyde in the car.

*****Push to the Middle Cave*****

Pushes and Pulls are underestimated. Often a Push or Pull takes the Hero from the Outer Cave to the Middle Cave. In Brokeback Mountain (2005), the bear growls and the horses run. This pushes Jack and Ennis to start hunting.

*****Unbearable Antagonism*****

The Hero will suffer an Unbearable Antagonism that will force his hand (and push him past the stage of Lack of Commitment). In Star Wars (1977), storm troopers kill uncle Owen and aunt Beru. In The Incredibles (2004), Mr Incredible sees a person on the street being mugged. This causes him to snap.