From our deconstruction of hundreds of Hollywood blockbusters....

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: Thelma and Louise (1991)

FADE IN: Context: Road; Middle America;

Meeting the Mentor in her Ordinary World: Louise in the cafe.

Symbol of the Transformation: smoking lessens your sex drive.

Transformed Mentor / Romantic Challenge: Louise smokes like a pro.

Meeting the Hero: Thelma in her Ordinary World: Thelma at home cooking.

Hero's Inner Challenge: I have to ask Daryl for permission.

Meeting the Interdictor: Darryl.

Developing the Interdictor: Darryl in regional manager; having an affair; asshole.

Foreshadow of the Journey: hey Thelma, when are you going to run away with me? She's running away with me.

Breaking the Interdiction: what time are you picking me up.

Time Pressure: 2 o'clock.

Hero seeks guidance from the Mentor: what kind of stuff shall I bring?

Mentor's Magic Carpet: Louise gets into her car.

Preparing fro the Journey: Thelma and Louise packing.

Developing Characters: the way both Thelma and Louise pack.

Mentor's Romantic Challenge: Jimmy's not home.

Mentor's Guidance: Thelma wants to bring the lantern etc; you don't need to bring al that.

Loop: Pre Transformation State: the joint photo.

Magic Gift / Foreshadow of the Physical Separation: the gun.

Developing the Interdiction and Interdictor: he's gonna kill you.

Leaving the Old World: in the car, leaving town.

Fish out of Water: New Self: Thelma smoking clumsily.

Threshold Marker: stopping at the intersection.

Hero pushing to the First Threshold: can't we stop for a minute.

Mentor resisting the First Threshold: no, it'll be dark soon.

Mentor pushed to the First Threshold: OK, but it's gonna be a quick stop.

Border of the First Threshold: driving to the bar.

New Creatures in the New World: people in the bar.

Mentor's Road Travelled: It's been years since I was in a place like this.

Threshold Guardian: the waitress.

Pushing to the Outer Cave: Thelma ordering some wild drinks; I've had it up to here with sedate.

Mentor Accompanies Hero: I've changed my mind, I'll have a Margarita etc.

Pushed to the Middle Cave: Harlan hits on Thelma.

Resisting the Middle Cave: Louise tells Harlan to take a hike.

Pushing to the Middle Cave: Thelma insists on having a good time.

Remembering the Old World: Thelma references Darryl and Thelma references Jimmy.

Pushed to the Middle Cave: more drinks arrive.

Pushing to the Middle Cave: lets have some fun.

Middle Cave: Thelma dances with Harlan; gets intimate and drunk with Harlan.

Resisting the Inner Cave: Louise sits down; I'm going to the girls room and then we're out of here.

Pushed to the Inner Cave: Harlan takes Thelma outside for some fresh air.

Inner Cave: Harlan tries to rape Thelma.

Resisting the [Death] Trial: Louise pulls a gun; walks away.

Pushed to the [Death] Trial: Harlan calls Louise a bitch.

[Death] Trial: Louise shoots Harlan.

Foreboding: oh my God.

Transformation Proceeds: Thelma takes the driving seat.

Forced out of the First Threshold: Thelma and Louise rush from the scene of the crime.

Obstacle to the Escape: the truck; fucking asshole.

No Way Back: who's going to believe us if we go to the police.

Foreboding: Louise sick; Thelma crying.

Border of the World of the Transformation: arriving at the café.

Resisting the Transformation / Developing Characters and Relationships / Conflict: so this is all my fault is it?

Wishing For / Pulled Back to the Old World: Thelma rings home; Darryl out.

Meeting the Antagonism: Hal inspects Harlan's body and questions the waitress.

Antagonism dissuaded from the Journey: neither of those two was the murdering type Hal.

Mentor's Romantic Challenge: Jimmy still not in.

Physical Change: Louise notices a mark on her face.

Pushing to the Transformation: come on, Louise, where are we going?

On the Road to / Pulled to the World of the Transformation: driving on the freeway.

Fish out of Water: Thelma loses some money; shit, $41.

Resisting the World of the Transformation: arguing in the hotel room.

Pushing toward the Trials: Louise calls Jimmy and asks him to wire $6700.

Forced to the World of the Transformation: Thelma! Get in the car!

Developing the Antagonism: an APB on Thelma and Louise; letting the Bureau in on this.

Transformation Progressing: Thelma realises that she should be mad at Darryl.

Foreshadow of the Conscious Decision: Louise is going to Mexico; are you with me Thelma?

Learning of Trial 1: Jimmy tells Louise where to go to collect the money.

Transformation Progressing: Thelma buys some drinks.

Creatures of the World of the Transformation: what are you looking at?

Pushed back to the Old World: Louise tells Thelma to call home.

Refusing the Old World: Thelma tells Darryl to fuck himself.

Meeting the Shape Shifter: Thelma bumps into JD.

Resisting the Shape Shifter: Louise doesn't want JD to come along.

Conscious Decision: How long before we're in Mexico?

Developing the Antagonism: Hal doing a search in his office.

Shape Shifter's Necessity: did you see his butt?

Resisting the Shape Shifter: Louise is not in the mood for company.

World of the Transformation: I need you to find all the secondary roads to Mexico.

Mentor's Backstory: I don't want to have to go through Texas.

Developing the Antagonism: Hal searches in Louise's apartment.

Marker of the Road of Trials: crossing the train track.

Celebrating the Crossing into the Road of Trials: Thelma and Louise singing in the car.

Developing the Antagonism: Hal arrives at Louise's work - the café.

Shape Shifter joins the Journey: Thelma begs.

Developing Characters and Relationships: Hal questions Darryl.

Hero's Romantic Challenge: Thelma talks to JD in the car; she has not slept with anyone but Darryl.

Foreshadow of the Resolution: Louis

e avoids the cops; JD realises that the girls are avoiding the police.

Developing the Antagonism: Hal phones in to his boss; relates what they've known so far.

Resisting Trial 1: you two better say your goodbyes.

Pushed toward the Trial: Jimmy turns up at the hotel in Oklahoma.

Resisting Trial 1: Jimmy forces JD to leave.

Pushed toward the Trial: the girls get a room

Trial 1: [the hotel sequence]

Louise counts the money and gives it to Thelma.

Thelma talks about her relationship with Jimmy:

Louise tells Thelma to guard the money.

Thelma won't tell Jimmy what's going on.

Jimmy gives Louise a ring.

JD knocks on Thelma's door.

Transforming: Louise tells Jimmy to let go.

JD gets tactile.

JD relates how he robs liquor stores and kisses her.

Louise asks Jimmy if he remembers how they met.

Transforming: Thelma sleeps with JD.

Transformed: Louise didn't sleep with Jimmy (she let go).

Transformed: Jimmy says all the right stuff at breakfast.

Louise keeps the ring.

Goodbye to the Old Self: Louise gives Jimmy a kiss goodbye.

Waitress: it's a good thing he left when he did, we thought we were going to have to put out a fire.

Transformed: Thelma walks into the café; you look different…

Oh my God Thelma, where's the money.

JD has taken the money.

Pushed to Trial 2: Louise cries.

Transformed: Thelma tells Louise not to worry about it; takes charge.

Developing the Antagonism: Darryl is going to help entrap Thelma.

Trial 2: [robbing the store]:

Stopping outside the liquor store.

Creatures in the World of Trial 2: the old lady looking out of the window.

Thelma robs the liquor store.

Escaping the World of Trial 2: driving away.

Developing the Antagonism: Hal watches the footage of the robbery.

Resisting Trial 3: hey Louise, slow down a little bit.

Foreshadow of the Atonement: the truck driver gets dirty.

Developing the Antagonism: the police catch Jimmy returning.

Washing off the Old Self: Louise washes herself.

Creatures of this World: The old man.

Losing the Old Self: Louise gives the old man her jewellery.

Resisting going back to the Old World: Louise tells Thelma they won't believe what they say.

Mentor's Backstory: how do you know about this stuff anyway?

Transformed: where did you get this? I stole it.

Threshold Marker: the biker passing; the road.

Shape Shifter Revealed: JD pulled in and interrogated by Hal.

Developing Characters and Relationships / Conflict between Old and New Mentors: JD provokes Darryl.

Trial 3: Thelma calls home; they're tapping the phone; Louise speaks to Hal.

Forced to Transform: Hal knows they're going to Mexico; JD told them; you gotta stop being so open, Thelma.

Developing the Antagonism: Hal et al watching Darryl's TV.

Developing Characters and Relationships: Thelma always wanted to travel; in the car.

Rest Break: just driving in the car.

Rest Break: appreciating the silence and the crickets.

Foreshadow of the Atonement: they meet the truck driver again.

Comedic Catharsis: Thelma thinking of Harlan's face.

Mentor's Backstory: Thelma realises that Louise was raped in Texas.

Meeting the Oracle: State Police officer pulls the girls over.

Seizing the Sword: Thelma pulls a gun on the officer; take the belt and the glasses.

Transformed: Thelma tells Louise to blow up the radio; no the police radio!

Transformed: Thelma takes the driving seat.

Developing the Antagonism: Hal says that their luck will run out.

Reward: Thelma happy that they made the decision they made; having more fun; not sorry.

Near Death Experience:

They're going to have to charge them with murder; Hal et al have got their location.

Hal wants to make sure they don't get shot; he knows what happened to Louise in Texas.

Louise tells Thelma she's not making any deals; Jimmy's not an option; Thelma can't go back.

They've got to figure out if they want to come in dead or alive.

Reward:

New World: it's green out there now.

I feel awake; I don't remember feeling this awake; we could change our names; change our jobs.

Atonement with the Father:

They meet the truck driver; you girls about ready to get serious.

I think so; follow us; going off road.

The truck driver doesn't apologise; Thelma and Louise blow up the truck.

The mountain bike rider finds the state police officer.

Apotheosis:

Hal et al find the truck; Thelma and Louise now classified armed and dangerous; serious threat.

Pushed toward the Resolution: They have to get off the freeway.

Magic Flight: The police pursue.

Ultimate Boon: they lose some of the cops.

Refusal: I know this whole thing was my fault.

Foreboding: silent and dark towards the unknown.

Completely Transformed: Thelma lights a cigarette like an expert.

Foreshadow of the Master of Two Worlds: you're a great friend.

Rescue from Without: the Grand Canyon brings them to a dead halt.

Hal's 'copter confronts them.

The State Police block their way back.

Final Antagonism: the police arm themselves.

Master of the Two Worlds:

Hal begs Max et al to restrain themselves.

Max restrains Hal

Freedom to Live: lets not get caught; lets just keep going.

They jump.

Hal runs after them.

Loop: when they took the photo of themselves.

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, MBA

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