Screenwriting; Hero's Journey: Romantic Comedies
The Hero’s Journey is the template upon which the cast majority of successful screenplays are built upon. Films as diverse as Gladiator (2000), Million Dollar Baby (2004), Raging Bull (1980) and Scarface (1983) were all constructed around the Hero’s Journey Template.
The Hero’s Journey is often seen as a Quest - and as such some analysts find it hard to slot into genres like the romantic comedy.
But romantic comedies all follow a similar pattern and that pattern fits with the Hero’s Journey.
For example, in both Annie Hall (1977) and When Harry Met Sally (1989), Boy Meets Girl, Boy Loses Girl, Boy Wins Girl Back (or not).
Briefly, using When Harry Met Sally (1989):
Call to Adventure: can they remain friends without having sex.
Refusal: Sally doesn’t want to know.
Physical Separation: They go on a date. But not a date date.
Transformation: They become friends.
Seizing the Sword: They sleep together.
Refusal: Sally doesn’t answer Harry’s calls.
etc…
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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