Learn Screenwriting from Steven Spielberg
From our deconstruction of hundreds of Hollywood blockbusters and an overview of Steven Spielberg’s material - from Schindler’s List to Jurassic Park, this man sticks to the Hero’s Journey Template….
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…
Below is one of Spielberg’s stories; our deconstruction of this and his other works shows that he uses the structure rigidly.
The Color Purple (1985); basic deconstruction
FADE IN: Loop: the two sisters playing in the field of purple flowers.
Meeting the Hero in her Ordinary World: Celie and Nettie playing together.
Antagonism in the Ordinary World: father makes Celie pregnant.
Elixir: having a baby.
Developing Antagonism: ain’t you done yet; father takes the baby away.
Developing the Hero: Dear God…mama dies; two kids by her father etc.
Need to escape the Ordinary World: Father’s attention turns to little sister.
Foreshadow of Antagonism [2]: Albert’s eyes on the girls.
Call to Adventure: I got to marry your daughter.
Refusal: I can’t let you have her; you can have the ugly one.
Journey to the First Threshold: following Albert on the horse.
Obstacle / Not Welcome: she ain’t my new mami.
Developing the Antagonism: Albert having sex with Celie.
Foreshadow of the Transformation: the picture of Shug.
Fish out of Water: Celie entering and cleaning the kitchen.
Rules of this World: Albert hits Celie.
Foreshadow of the Elixir: Celie sees her daughter; in the store; she holds her.
Meeting the Mentor: Nettie arrives.
Threshold Guardian: please can Nettie stay?
Guided by the Mentor: Celie being pushed around; you got to fight back Celie.
Foreshadow of the Belly of the Whale: Albert looks at Nettie with bedroom eyes; Albert harassing Nettie.
Foreshadow of the Physical Separation: You are going to have to leave here soon.
Guided by the Mentor: Nettie teaches Celie to spell.
Antagonism: ain’t you got nothing better to do.
Developing Characters and Relationships: Nettie and Celie on the swing.
Foreshadow of the Physical Separation: Me and my sister will never part; playing games; Albert eyeing up Nettie.
Belly of the Whale: Albert pursues Nettie on the horse; she fights him off.
Resisting the Physical Separation: Albert throws Nettie out.
Physical Separation: why? Nothing can keep me from you.
World of the Transformation: Celie shaves Albert; you cut me and I’ll kill you.
Foreshadow of the Atonement: mailman arrives; Albert rushes to see the post; nothing for Celie.
Block to the Atonement: Albert will fix that mailbox so I can see if it’s been messed with.
Marker: Celie reads in the shadow; Celie grows up into Whoopi Goldberg; Albert old; Harpo is grown up.
Road of Trials and Transformation:
New World / No Longer a Fish out of Water: Albert gets dressed; Celie knows exactly what Albert wants; Albert dresses in the suit; Celie makes sure he’s perfect.
Foreshadow of the Transformation: the picture of Shug Avery.
Time Pressure: Albert leaves in a rush.
Elixir: Celie remembers Nettie; she say she’ll write, but she never write; maybe she dead.
Trial and Transformation 1:
Harpo is in love with a big girl - Sofia.
Harpo introduces Sofia to Albert.
Albert insults Sofia; Sofia gives as good as she gets; Sofia takes control.
Sofia and Harpo get married.
Sofia wears the trousers in Harpo’s house.
Harpo seeks advice from Albert; he advises he hit her.
Celie advises Harpo beat her.
Sofia confronts Celie; can’t live with someone that beats me; girl you ought to bash his head open and think about heaven later.
Harpo and Sofia keep beating each other and in between the children keep coming; Sofia leaves.
Mailman arrives; nothing in the post again.
Trial and Transformation 2:
The storm; something is coming.
Albert brings home Shug Avery.
Celie opens the door for Shug; you sure is ugly.
Albert tries to take care of Shug; I need me a man you hear, a man; Shug orders Albert around.
Albert tries to cook; in the kitchen.
Shug throws Albert’s efforts out the door.
Celie cooks for Shug, gives her the food and hides; Shug eats Celie’s food.
Transformantion Mentor’s Challenge:
Celie with Shug; what you staring at; never seen a naked woman before; Shug in the bath
Mentors Inner Challenge; my pa loves me.
Antagonist’s Challenge:
Albert’s pa arrives; Celie spits in the glass of water; pa puts down Shug Avery.
Trial and Transformation 3:
Harpo et al building a Juke Joint.
Shug Avery sings in Harpo’s Juke Joint.
Celie sitting meekly in the bar; looks like Albert brought his maid.
Shug’s father is a preacher and is against Shug and the new bar.
Shug sings and gives Celie some attention.
Sofia arrives with a new man; everyone calls him “buster;” Harpo dances with Sofia.
Harpo’s new woman and Sofia fight; the fight in the bar.
Shug drags Celie away.
Celie dresses in Shug’s outfit; Celie smiles; Celie tells Shug he beats her “for not being you.”
Celie don’t like sleeping with Albert; climb on top of me and do his business; it feels like he going to the toilet; that mean you still a virgin.
Shug says “I think you beautiful”; they kiss; inferred sex.
Seizing the Sword:
Journey to the Sword: Celie starts to follow Shug.
Mentor’s Inner Challenge: Shug visits her Daddy; spurned.
Outer Chamber: Celie wants to go to Memphis with Shug; this my only chance to break from jail.
Guardian of the Sword: Albert blocks Celie.
Inner Chamber: Celie follows Shug and Albert as she leaves.
Seizingt hw Sword: Celie doesn’t speak up; Shug leaves; Celie falls over.
Near Death Experience:
Sofia says “hell no” to the white lady; punches the white man; Sofia knocked out; goes to prison; comes out of prison.
Sofia becomes a maid for the white lady; teaching her to drive.
Sofia in the store; Celie there and does the shopping for her.
Reward: Sofia gets to go home and see her children.
The white lady can’t put the car into reverse; Sofia has to drive her home.
New Self : Celie and Albert sleeping together.
Atonement with the Father : Shug arrives; she is married.
Shug’s father still ignores her; I’m married now.
Apotheosis:
Shug picks up the mail and finds a letter for Celie.
Shug takes Celie upstairs.
Celie opens the letter from Nettie and reads; Albert has been hiding the letters.
Olivia and Adam are alive and being taken care of.
Ultimate Boon: Celie finds all the old letters under the floor board; Celie reads the letters.
Denial / New Self: Shug runs to prevent Celie from cutting Albert with the razor; the tribal marks of the African boy.
Rebirth:
Around the dinner table; Celie stands up for herself around the dinner table.
Sofia laughs again; everyone is going away with Shug.
Magic Flight:
Celie goes away; stops Albert from hitting her; Albert pursues her.
Saying goodbye to the Old Self Behind / Celie on the train.
Antagonist’s Challenge Conquered: Albert sends his father away; happy that Harpo and Sofia together again.
Hero’s Outer Challenge Conquered: Pa is dead but he is not Celie’s pa.
Reward: Celie gets the house.
New Self: Celie becomes a seamstress.
Crossing the Return Threshold: Albert waves to Celie.
Mentor’s Challenge Conquered:
Celie and Shug walking through the purple flower fields.
Shug’s singing competes with the church gospel singers.
Shug et al walk into church.
Challenge conquered: Shug confronts her father.
Master of Two Worlds: Albert arranges for Celie’s kids to immigrate.
Elixir: Nettie arrives back with Celie’s children.
Freedom to Live: Albert watches as the kids arrive.
Loop: the two sisters playing in the field of purple flowers.
Learn more…
The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.managing-creativity.com/
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Kal Bishop, MBA
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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 http://managing-creativity.com/
