From our deconstruction of hundreds of Hollywood blockbusters at at www.managing-creativity.com

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...

Transamerica (2005) deconstructed

FADE IN: the voice range; this is the voice I want to use.

Meeting the Hero: Bree getting dressed.

Hero in her Ordinary World: walking out of the house; waiting for the bus.

Developing the Hero: the doctor asks questions about her.

Motivation / the Elixir: you can sign that consent form.

Refusing the Elixir: the doctor is resistant.

Hero's Backstory / Foreshadow of the Transformation: my family is dead.

Developing the Hero / Elixir: Bree pushes her penis back.

Devolved State: Bree is a busboy in the restaurant.

Hero's Capabilities / Ordinary World: Bree telemarketing.

Call to Adventure: Toby calls.

Refusal: Bree tries to ignore the call.

Meeting the Mentor: the therapist, Margaret.

Pushed toward the First Threshold: Margaret won't give her permission.

Resisting: he's probably a scam artist.

Time Pressure: I can't delay my operation, the waiting list is a year long.

Preparing for the Journey to the First Threshold: thinking about it in her room.

First Threshold from Afar: outside the police station.

Threshold Guardian: the officer.

Backstory of Hero 2: Toby is into drugs and a prostitute.

Meeting Hero 2: Toby brought out.

Outer Cave: at the restaurant.

Middle Cave: inside Toby's room.

Foreshadow of the Transformation: maybe I'll be a blonde.

Resisting the Inner Cave: Bree calls and lies to Margaret.

Inner Cave: Bree agrees to take Toby home.

Consciously agreeing to the Transformation: Toby refuses the drugs.

Physical Separation: on the road.

Journey to the Belly of the Whale: in the car.

Resisting the Belly of the Whale: Toby doesn't want to go home.

Developing Characters and Relationships: Filling up at the gas station; Toby hides his money.

Developing Characters and Relationships: arriving at a hotel; Toby lying naked.

Resisting the Belly of the Whale: Toby repeats he doesn't want to go home.

Developing Characters and Relationships: waking up in the morning.

Developing Characters and Relationships: driving in the car; talking Lord of the Rings.

Push to the Belly of the Whale: Turning off to Calcun.

Resisting the Belly of the Whale: Toby runs away.

Forced to the Belly of the Whale: Grandma gives Toby a hug.

Developing Characters and Relationships: grandma plucks out Bree's nasal hair.

Pushed to the Belly of the Whale: Bree fetches Toby's step dad.

Belly of the Whale:

Toby and his Dad have a fight; Dad's been abusing him.

Polarization: Bree apologises.

Polarization: Toby camps outside.

Push to the Physical Separation: Grandma tells Bree that Toby's Ma killed herself.

Physical Separation: Toby hitchhiking; Toby getting in the car.

Polarization: in the car; Toby won't talk to Bree; Toby insists on the drugs.

Polarization: in the caf