Screenplay Structure: Hero's Journey
More than 100 deconstructed Hollywood Blockbusters from our main page. Hero's JourneyThe 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:
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Sample Movie Deconstructed: Shawshank Redemption (1994)FADE IN: opening music indicates era the story is set in. Introduce Hero (Andy Dusfresne) and the Romantic Challenge [his wife is having an affair]. Development of Hero's character and the Romantic Challenge [the court hearing; details of his wife's murder; did he kill her?] Call to Adventure. Hero forced out of his Ordinary World by Herald [the judge sentences Andy to two life sentences]. Meeting the Supernatural Aid (Mentor) and his challenge (Morgan Freeman playing "Red.") [Red faces the parole board and is rejected]. Mentor's status [other inmates rush after and walk behind Red]. Mentor is comfortable in this World [Red walks comfortably and stands tall in this World]. Mentor's capabilities [narration tells us that Red can "get anything;" he's a regular Sears and Roebuck]. Hero enters the First Threshold – Red's World [the bus brings in Andy]. Overview of the New World Hero in entering [overview of the prison]. Hero's status in his Ordinary World [Red narrates that Andy was a VP of a bank – good work for a man his age]. Strange creatures in the New World [from Andy's POV, the prisoners are strange and unfamiliar]. Meeting the Antagonist's Lieutenant / Shape Shifter (Captain Hadley) and is nature [he's a vicious bully]. Hero's status in the New World is low [they're "maggot shit" and "new fish"]. Meeting the Threshold Guardian (Heywood). Hero uncomfortable in this New World [Andy walking outside the bus]. Mentor notices and evaluates the Hero [Red notices Andy]. Hero enters the Threshold of the Inner Cave [Andy et al line up inside]. An authority figure dictates the rules of this place; meeting the antagonist [Norton tells them the way it is]. Antagonists demonstrate their nature [Hadley truncheon's a prisoner in the stomach]. Transformation begins; Hero begins to lose his Old Self [Andy showered and powdered]. Warnings of the danger of the Journey, the Inner Cave and the First Threshold ["somebody always breaks down the first night."]. Hero enters the Inner Cave [Andy enters his cell]. Confronting the shadows, demons and ghosts of the Inner Cave [the voices of the inmates]. Near Death experience [Hadley kills the fat inmate, but Red his money on Andy getting beaten]. Hero survives the Near Death experience. The Mentor learns not to underestimate him ["on his first night, Andy cost me ten cigarettes – he never made a sound."]. Hero investigates his New World [Andy looks around the following morning]. Foreshadow of the Road of Trials [Bogs notices Andy]. Hero meets allies [Brooks asks for the maggot for Jake, the crow]. Tangible symbol of this phase of the Journey (Jake, the crow). Symbolic of the transformation ["I'm gonna look after him until he's big enough to fly"]. Conflict with a Shape Shifter (Heydon) ["what the fuck do you care New Fish!"]. Foreshadow of the Road of Trials [Bogs hits on Andy]. Physical Separation form the Old World [Andy keeps himself to himself for a month and then talks to Red]. Mentor warns hero of the coming Trials [Red warns Andy about Bogs and the Sisters]. Mentor agrees to provide the Hero with a Magical Aid. Mentor / Hero relationship established [Red agrees to get Andy a rock hammer]. Mentor reflects on the Hero [Red comments on Andy's manner and narrates that he likes him]. Mentor secures the Magical Aid [Red secures the rock hammer]. Allies assist in the delivery of the Magical Aid [Brooks helps deliver the rock hammer]. Transformation. Trial 1. Resistance [Andy fights off Bog et al]. Trial1 . Andy gets gang raped. Time Stretch ["things went on like that for a while…the sisters kept at him"]. Time Stretch. Preparing for Trial 2 [red arranges for the allies to repair the roof]. Trial 2. Andy arranges to take care of Capt. Hadley's taxes. Celebrating the passing of Trial 2. The boys drink beer on the rooftop. Character development; Mentor's backstory [Andy and Red talk chess; Red is the "only guilty man in Shawshank."] Foreshadow of the Final Conflict [Andy carves chess pieces with the rock hammer; Andy starts scratching the wall; Andy sources a poster of Rita Hayworth from Red]. Resisting Trial 3 [Andy resists Bogs et al again]. Trial 3 {Bogs et al rape Andy again and put him in the infirmary]. Hero's capabilities demonstrated [Andy prevents having to give the blowjobs]. Hero's Transformation demonstrated [Andy stands up to Bogs]. Separating from the World of the Trials [Capt. Hadley (playing a Shape Shifter) takes care of Bogs]. Celebrating the Passing of the Trials [Red et al secure some rocks for Andy and Rita Hayworth]. Meeting with the Oracle [Norton sizes Andy up for the Journey to the Sword]. Oracle guides Hero toward the Sword [Norton assigns Andy a job in the library]. Tangible symbol of growth [We meet a grown up Jake]. Mentor guides Hero around the World of the Sword [Brooks shows Andy around]. Foreshadow of the journey to the Sword [Andy does accounts for a prison guard]. Developing the Ideal [Andy wants to develop the library for altruistic purposes]. Journey to the Sword with allies [Andy becomes the prison accountant; red becomes a staff member]. Time Stretch: Resistance to the Return to the Old World; Foreshadow of the Freedom to Live [Brooks upset at getting parole]. Reasons to fear the Return to the Ordinary World [Brooks is institutionalised]. Journey back to the Ordinary World [Brooks lets Jake go]. Danger of the Ordinary World [Brooks returns and eventually commits suicide]. Seizing the Sword [Andy gets the funds for the library]. Celebrating the Seizing of the Sword; pursued by the Antagonist; separating from the World of the Sword [Andy plays the Mozart record]. Rebirth through Death [Andy survives two weeks in the hole; when he returns he takes centre seat at the table; "easiest time I ever did."] Warnings about the Atonement and Apotheosis "hope is a dangerous thing." Reminder of the Mentor's challenge [Red refused parole again]. Time Stretch ["I wonder where 10 years went…"] Resistance to the Warnings [Andy gives Red a harmonica – hope is a good thing]. Time Stretch [Marilyn Monroe poster; Red thinks about the harmonica]. Transformation complete [The State awards Andy full funding for a library]; change of clothing and new glasses. Build up to the Final Conflict; expanding the character of the antagonist [Norton puts the prisoners to work on "community projects."] Foreshadow of the Atonement [Andy doing Warden Norton's books]. Foreshadow of the Master of Two Worlds [Andy tells Red about the forged identities]. Arrival of the Joker – build up to the Atonement [Tommy arrives]. Joker's backstory [Tommy's done time]. Time Stretch: Hero mentors the Joker [Andy teaches Tommy; Raquel Welch poster]. Setting up the Atonement with the Father [Tommy tells Red et al that Andy is really innocent]. Atonement with the Father [Andy confronts Norton; "how can you be so obtuse…"; solitary for a month; Norton shoots Tommy; Norton threatens to put Andy in with the sodomites and burn the library]. Apotheosis: "you either get bust living or you get busy dying." Ultimate Boon: Synergy [Red et al are concerned about Andy and will keep an eye on him]. Ultimate Boon: Reward [Andy gets the warden's accounts], replaces the Father [puts on Norton's shoes] and escapes. Refusal of the Return [Norton et al can't believe Andy has escaped]. Magic Flight [Andy's escape developed with flashbacks]. Master of the Two Worlds [Andy cleans out Norton's bank accounts and sends in the incriminating evidence]. Norton and Capt. Hadley pursued by police]. Foreshadow of the Freedom to Live [the postcard]. Rescue from Without / Mentor's Challenge [Red gets released]. Crossing the Return Threshold [Red out in the Ordinary World]. Freedom to Live [Red finds the directions to Mexico and joins Red]. Buy the Complete Hero's Journey...more than 188 stages of the journey you need to know about... Download Complete Hero's Journey SAMPLE (zipped Adobe PDF file) |