Vogler's Hero's Day model
Posted: Tue Feb 18, 2025 8:14 am
Christopher Vogler, a Hollywood film producer and writer, was greatly influenced by Joseph Campbell's book Hero Journey.
“The Hero with a Thousand Faces” has also influenced literature, music, film and video games.
Perhaps most famously, George Lucas credited Campbell with influencing the structure of the Star Wars films.
In the late 1990s, Christopher Vogler, a Hollywood film producer and writer, created a seven-page memo titled " A Practical Guide to the Hero with a Thousand Faces ," intended to help Hollywood writers understand the structure of Campbell's monomyth.
The memo later became a screenwriting reference book, The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers (1992).
The 12 stages of the Hero 1 - The hero enters his ordinary world
Most of the stories take place in a special world, a new and alien world to the hero. In Witness, you see both the Amish boy and the policeman in their ordinary worlds before they are thrown into alien worlds: the farmer in the city and the policeman in an unfamiliar countryside.
In Star Wars, you see Luke Skywalker bored to death as a farmer before taking on the universe.
2 - The call to adventure
The hero is presented with a problem, challenge or adventure. In Star Wars again, Princess Leia's holographic message to Obi Wan Kenobi asks Luke to join the quest.
In detective stories, the hero takes on a new case. In romantic comedies, it might be the first time seeing that special, but annoying, person whom the hero or heroine will pursue/train for the rest of the story.
3 - The hero is reluctant at first
Often, at this point, the hero balks at the threshold of adventure. After all, he or she is faced with the greatest of all fears: the fear of the unknown .
At this point, Luke rejects Obi Wan's call to adventure and returns to his uncles' farm, only to discover that they have been killed by the Emperor's shock troops.
Suddenly, Luke is no longer reluctant and is eager to set out on the adventure. He is motivated.
4 - The hero is encouraged by the wise old man or woman
By then, many stories will have featured a Merlin-like character who is the hero's mentor.
In Jaws, it's Robert Shaw's crusty character who knows all about sharks. The mentor gives advice and sometimes magic weapons. This is Obi Wan Kenobi giving Luke Skywalker his father's lightsaber. The mentor can only go so far with the hero.
Ultimately, the hero must face the unknown on his own. Sometimes, it takes the wise old man to give the hero a push to keep the adventure going.
5 - The hero crosses the first threshold
Enter the special world of your story for the first time. This is the moment when the story takes off and the adventure begins.
The hero is now committed to his journey and there is no turning back.
6 - The hero finds allies, evidence and helpers
The Hero is forced to make allies and armenia phone number list enemies in the special world and overcome certain tests and challenges that are part of his training.
In Star Wars, the cantina is the setting for forging an important alliance with Han Solo and the beginning of a major feud with Jabba the Hutt.
In many Westerns, it is the living room where these relationships are established. The phase of trials and challenges is represented in Star Wars by the scene of Obi Wan teaching Luke about the Force, as Luke learns by fighting blindfolded.
The first laser battles with the Imperial Fighters are another test that Luke successfully passes.
“The Hero with a Thousand Faces” has also influenced literature, music, film and video games.
Perhaps most famously, George Lucas credited Campbell with influencing the structure of the Star Wars films.
In the late 1990s, Christopher Vogler, a Hollywood film producer and writer, created a seven-page memo titled " A Practical Guide to the Hero with a Thousand Faces ," intended to help Hollywood writers understand the structure of Campbell's monomyth.
The memo later became a screenwriting reference book, The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers (1992).
The 12 stages of the Hero 1 - The hero enters his ordinary world
Most of the stories take place in a special world, a new and alien world to the hero. In Witness, you see both the Amish boy and the policeman in their ordinary worlds before they are thrown into alien worlds: the farmer in the city and the policeman in an unfamiliar countryside.
In Star Wars, you see Luke Skywalker bored to death as a farmer before taking on the universe.
2 - The call to adventure
The hero is presented with a problem, challenge or adventure. In Star Wars again, Princess Leia's holographic message to Obi Wan Kenobi asks Luke to join the quest.
In detective stories, the hero takes on a new case. In romantic comedies, it might be the first time seeing that special, but annoying, person whom the hero or heroine will pursue/train for the rest of the story.
3 - The hero is reluctant at first
Often, at this point, the hero balks at the threshold of adventure. After all, he or she is faced with the greatest of all fears: the fear of the unknown .
At this point, Luke rejects Obi Wan's call to adventure and returns to his uncles' farm, only to discover that they have been killed by the Emperor's shock troops.
Suddenly, Luke is no longer reluctant and is eager to set out on the adventure. He is motivated.
4 - The hero is encouraged by the wise old man or woman
By then, many stories will have featured a Merlin-like character who is the hero's mentor.
In Jaws, it's Robert Shaw's crusty character who knows all about sharks. The mentor gives advice and sometimes magic weapons. This is Obi Wan Kenobi giving Luke Skywalker his father's lightsaber. The mentor can only go so far with the hero.
Ultimately, the hero must face the unknown on his own. Sometimes, it takes the wise old man to give the hero a push to keep the adventure going.
5 - The hero crosses the first threshold
Enter the special world of your story for the first time. This is the moment when the story takes off and the adventure begins.
The hero is now committed to his journey and there is no turning back.
6 - The hero finds allies, evidence and helpers
The Hero is forced to make allies and armenia phone number list enemies in the special world and overcome certain tests and challenges that are part of his training.
In Star Wars, the cantina is the setting for forging an important alliance with Han Solo and the beginning of a major feud with Jabba the Hutt.
In many Westerns, it is the living room where these relationships are established. The phase of trials and challenges is represented in Star Wars by the scene of Obi Wan teaching Luke about the Force, as Luke learns by fighting blindfolded.
The first laser battles with the Imperial Fighters are another test that Luke successfully passes.