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.
Sample Movie Deconstructed: Get Shorty (1995)
FADE IN: Meeting the Hero and Loyal Ally: Chili looking out of the window.
Outer Challenge: to get into the movie business; "…maybe Momo can buy it and let me run it…"
Meeting Antagonist 1: Ray 'Bones' Barboni says hello.
Hero's Capabilities: Chili gets his coat back from Bones; shoots Bones as we walks through the door.
Foreshadow of the Call to Adventure: nothing happens to Chili until Momo ain't around.
Inciting Incident: Momo dies.
Call to Adventure: Bones forces Chili to pay up or else.
Pushed into the Journey: Fay tells Chili that Leo is in Vegas.
Border of the First Threshold: in Vegas; go to LA. While you're there, go and see Harry Zimm.
Threshold Guardian / Symbol of Transformation: Chili has to take the Cadillac of minivans.
Meeting the Mentor and Romantic Challenge: Karen and Harry in bed.
Resisting the Outer Cave: Harry doesn't want to go downstairs.
Outer Cave: Chili confronts Harry; they become friends.
Polarization of Hero and Romantic Challenge: Karen meets Chili.
Elixir: Chile relates his story idea.
Pushed to the Physical Separation: get to the point Harry, you want me to do something for you?
Meeting Antagonist 2 and Shape Shifter: Bo and Bear at the airport.
Sword: the locker at the airport.
Developing the Shape Shifter: Bear at the airport with his daughter.
Pushed to the Physical Separation: Harry tells Chili about the Limo guys.
Middle Cave: Chili confronts Bo and Ron in Harry's office.
Time Pressure to the Physical Separation: "…by Friday…"
Foreshadow of the Physical Separation and Final Conflict: Chili calls Tommy, "…I'm thinking of getting into the movie business.." Time Pressure: Bones is looking for him.
Proximity of Romantic Challenge: Chili and Karen get slightly closer.
Resisting the Physical Separation: "…we can check out the movie another time…"
Time Pressure: Bones roughs up Fay.
Physical Separation: Chili visits Leo in Vegas and borrows the money.
Transformation / Trial 1: Bo confronts Chili in Harry's office.
Consciously accepting the Transformation / Developing the Romantic Challenge: Karen finds Chili at the movies.
Foreshadow of the Sword: watching the locker at the airport.
Developing the Antagonist: Bo kills Yayo.
Foreshadow of the Final Conflict: "…that's the reason why Harry is gonna produce this movie with me and not Chili Palmer…"
Transformation / Trial 2: Chili and Karen try to persuade Martin Weir to do the movie.
Meeting the Oracle: Bo gives Harry the keys to the locker.
Transformation / Trial 3: Chili deals throws Bear off the stairs.
Agreeing to Seize the Sword: Chili will try and get the money out of the locker.
Mentor's Romantic Challenge: Doris turns up.
Foreshadow of the Near Death Experience: Harry calls Bones in Miami and tells him to come to LA.
Seizing the Sword: Chili goes to the airport and gets past the DEA.
Time Pressure / Foreshadow of the Final Conflict: Bones and Escobar arrive.
Developing Antagonist 1: Bones in the Limo.
Shape Shifter Turning: Chili gets Bear on his side on the parking lot.
Foreshadow of the Near Death Experience: Bones arrives in Harry's office.
Time Pressure: Escobar confronts Bo in the limo – looking for his money and oh, yes, Yayo.
Near Death Experience: Bones kills Ron in Harry's office and wants his money.
Reward: Chili and Karen go to bed.
Shape Shifter's Antagonism: Bo threatens Bears daughter.
Reward: Weir agrees to do the movie.
Atonement with the Father: Bo confronts Chili in Karen's house.
Pull to the Final Conflict: Bo kidnaps Karen.
Shape Shifter's Antagonism: Bo threatens Bear again.
Ultimate Boon: Chili has the money.
Refusal: Chili is prepared to give Bo his money and turn his back.
Magic Flight: come on Karen.
Rescue from Without: you broke into my house and I have a witness to it.
Apotheosis: Bear kills Bo.
Crossing the Return Threshold: Chili goes back to his hotel.
Master of Two Worlds: Bones confronts Chili and finds the locker key; Bones gets arrested at the airport.
Freedom to Live: Chili is in the movie business.
Learn more…
The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at
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Kal Bishop
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Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at
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