The Hero's Journey is the template upon which the cast majority of successful screenplays are built upon.

But it is also a holistic study of the conventions of genre.

Before screenwriters can decide whether to follow or rebel against the conventions, it is wise that they understand the purpose and value of them.

The number of successful movies that incorporate the Hero's Journey are so great and diverse that this template cannot be ignored.

For example, Gladiator (2000), Raging Bull (1980), Million Dollar Baby (2005), Matrix (1999) all are framed around the Hero's Journey template.

There are two types of genre breakdown: the macro and the micro.

Macro conventions essentially follow the Hero's Journey. For example, there will be a hero (or heroine) who will have a call to adventure, meet a supernatural aid etc.

Micro conventions are very specific. For example, in horror flicks, it is normal to isolate the victims, induce surprise attacks, despatch sexually active females and so on.

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