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

Learn more…

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and FREE 17 stage sample and other story structure templates can be found at http://managing-creativity.com/

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Kal Bishop, MBA

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You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author's name and site URL are retained.

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 http://managing-creativity.com/

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