The Hero’s Journey (Week 1)

Case Study: Here Comes the Boom (2012)

Why do we tell the same stories over and over? From ancient Greek myths to modern Marvel movies, most stories follow a specific blueprint called The Hero’s Journey. This term, we are going to deconstruct this blueprint and see how a biology teacher ends up in a UFC cage to save a music program.

Period 1: The Blueprint of Greatness

Objective: To understand the stages of the Hero’s Journey and identify "The Ordinary World."

What is the Hero’s Journey? Developed by Joseph Campbell, this is a narrative structure that describes the transformation of a protagonist. In its complete form, there are 12 steps that a hero takes:

1. Ordinary World | 2. Call to Adventure | 3. Refusal | 4. Meeting the Mentor | 5. Crossing the Threshold | 6. Tests, Allies, Enemies | 7. Approach to the Inmost Cave | 8. The Ordeal | 9. Reward | 10. The Road Back | 11. Resurrection | 12. Return with the Elixir.

We will focus on the "Essential 7" stages:

• The Ordinary World (Scott’s life at the start)

• The Call to Adventure (The school budget crisis)

• Meeting the Mentor (Niko and Marty)

• Crossing the Threshold (The first real fight)

• Tests, Allies, and Enemies (Training and setbacks)

• The Supreme Ordeal (The final UFC fight)

• The Return with the Elixir (The school is saved; Scott is changed)

The Concept of "The Ordinary World": Before a hero can be "Super," they must be "Standard." Filmmakers use SWAT Codes to show us that the hero’s life is unfulfilled and ordinary in the opening expository scenes.

• Watch: The opening 20 minutes of Here Comes the Boom.

• Task: In small groups, discuss the "Ordinary World Analysis" and prepare answers for the following:

  1. Symbolic: Describe Scott's classroom. What does the clutter/vibe say about his teaching?

  2. Acting: Describe Scott’s "Call to Adventure." What is the specific moment (The Catalyst) that forces him to make a choice?

  3. Prediction: Every hero needs a Mentor. Based on the characters introduced so far, who do you think will guide Scott on his journey?

Period 2: Crossing the Threshold

Objective: To identify the "Special World" and the "Tests, Allies, and Enemies" stage.

The Theory: Once the hero accepts the call, they leave their "Ordinary World" (the school) and enter the "Special World" (the world of MMA). The rules here are different, the stakes are higher, and the hero is often "out of their depth."

• Watch: The middle section of the film (20:00 – 60:00).

• Task: In small groups, discuss "The Special World" and prepare to answer the following questions:

  • Allies: Who is helping Scott? What "gift" or skill do they provide? (e.g., Marty provides the 'Why', Niko provides the 'How').

  • Enemies: Who is trying to stop him? (Think about the school principal vs. the professional fighters).

  • Tests: List two moments where Scott fails or gets hurt. Why is it important for the Hero to fail before they succeed?

Period 3: The Supreme Ordeal & Resolution

Objective: To analyze the climax of the narrative and the "Return with the Elixir."

The Theory: The Supreme Ordeal is the final battle where the hero must apply everything they have learned. The Elixir isn't always a magic potion; it’s the lesson or the "change" the hero brings back to their community.

• Watch: The final 30 minutes of the film.

• Independent Task: Answer the following in preparation for your assessment:

  1. Technical Focus: During the final fight, how does the filmmaker use Audio (Sound Effects) and Camera Angles to make the opponent look like a "Monster" and Scott look like an "Underdog"?

  2. The Elixir: At the end of the film, the school is saved. But how has Scott changed as a teacher? Contrast his behavior in the final scene with the very first scene of the movie.

Period 4: ASSESSMENT – The Hero’s Journey Visual Map (Canva Poster)

Objective:
To demonstrate your understanding of narrative structure and how media codes and conventions are used to construct meaning, character development and audience response.

Task Overview

You are to create a Canva poster that visually maps Scott Voss’s Hero’s Journey in Here Comes the Boom.

Your poster must aesthetically match the film (colour, tone, genre, mood) and clearly explain how media codes and conventions support each major stage of Scott’s journey.

This is not just a timeline — it is a visual analysis of story + filmmaking choices.

MANDATORY CONTENT: The Hero’s Journey Stages

Your poster must include ALL of the following stages, clearly labelled.
You may include additional stages if you wish, but these are compulsory.

The Essential Hero’s Journey Stages

1. The Ordinary World

2. The Call to Adventure

3. Refusal of the Call (even if brief or implied)

4. Meeting the Mentor(s)

5. Crossing the Threshold

6. Tests, Allies and Enemies

7. Approach to the Inmost Cave

8. The Supreme Ordeal

9. Reward (What is gained?)

10. The Road Back

11. Resurrection (Final transformation)

12. Return with the Elixir
    
    

ANALYSIS REQUIREMENTS (This is the key upgrade)

For EACH stage of the Hero’s Journey, you must include:

1️⃣ Narrative Moment

• What happens in the story at this stage?

• What challenge, decision, victory or setback occurs?
  
  

2️⃣ Supporting Characters

• Who is involved at this stage?

• Are they acting as Allies, Mentors, Enemies or Threshold Guardians?
  
  

3️⃣ Codes & Conventions (Minimum ONE per stage)

You must explain how filmmaking choices support the story moment.

You may choose from:

• Technical codes:

  • Camera angles / shot types

  • Lighting

  • Editing

  • Sound effects / music
    
    

• Symbolic codes:

  • Costume

  • Setting

  • Body language

  • Props
    
    

• Narrative conventions:

  • Underdog tropes

  • Training montage

  • Comic relief before tension

  • Final showdown structure
    
    

👉 Use the TEE method for each code:

• Technique – Name the code

• Example – Where it appears in the film

• Effect – How it shapes audience understanding or emotion
  
  

VISUAL & AESTHETIC REQUIREMENTS

Your Canva poster must:

• Use a colour palette that reflects the film (e.g. gritty gym tones vs school scenes)

• Include images, icons or shapes that visually separate stage

• Be clearly structured and easy to follow

🛠️ The Media Student’s Toolbox: SWAT Codes

Reference Guide for Narrative Analysis

In Media Arts, we use codes to communicate meaning. When we analyze the Hero’s Journey in Here Comes the Boom, look for these specific "tools" used by the director.

S – Symbolic Codes

What we see that represents an idea beneath the surface.

• Setting: Where the scene happens. (e.g., A messy, dark apartment vs. a bright, energetic music room).

• Mise-en-scène: Everything in the frame. What objects are around the character? (e.g., The "deteriorating" school equipment).

• Costume: What is the character wearing? (e.g., Scott’s transformation from a baggy shirt to professional wrestling gear).

• Acting: Facial expressions, body language, and delivery of lines. (e.g., Slumped shoulders vs. standing tall in the cage).

• Color: How colors represent mood. (e.g., Cool blues for "boring" life; warm golds/reds for "intensity").

W – Written Codes

Text that appears on screen to give us information.

• Titles & Credits: The font style and size.

• On-screen signage: Signs in the background, text messages, or the scoreboard in the UFC octagon.

• Graphics: Overlays like "Round 1" or the "Tale of the Tape" stats before a fight.

A – Audio Codes

Everything we hear.

• Diegetic Sound: Sound that exists inside the world of the film (e.g., a bell ringing, the crowd cheering, Scott’s heavy breathing).

• Non-Diegetic Sound: Sound only the audience hears (e.g., the musical score, a "pump-up" rock song during a montage).

• Dialogue: What is said, and the tone it is said in.

• Foley: Exaggerated sound effects (e.g., the "crunch" of a punch) added in post-production for impact.

T – Technical Codes

How the equipment is used to tell the story.

• Camera Shots: * Close-up: Shows emotion and intensity.

  • Wide Shot: Shows the environment or how small the hero is compared to the stadium.

• Camera Angles: * Low Angle: Makes a character look powerful or intimidating.

  • High Angle: Makes a character look small, weak, or vulnerable.

• Camera Movement: * Handheld (Shaky Cam): Creates a sense of chaos and realism (common in the MMA fights).

  • Static/Tripod: Creates a sense of calm or boredom (common in the classroom).

• Lighting: * High Key: Bright and even (Comedy feel).

  • Low Key: Dark with shadows (Dramatic/Serious feel).

• Editing: The pace of the cuts. Fast-cutting creates excitement; slow-cutting creates tension or reflection.

Your Screenplay

As a rule of thumb, one page of screenplay equals about one minute of screen time.  So, a five minute screenplay will be about a five minute film.  When you write your screenplay, keep in mind the following:

Write in present tense - never past tense.  For example, we would not write, It was a stinking hot day.  John walked down the road and stubbed his toe on a slightly raised brick paver.  But we might write, It's stinking hot.  As he walks down the road he stubs his toe on a slightly raised brick paver.

Write short paragraphs of action.  Each action paragraph should only contain what the viewer would see in a single shot.  Usually these paragraphs are between 1 & 3 lines, but occasionally go a little over.

Write visually.  That is, show - don't tell.  When you write for the screen, it is important to show things through actions, expressions, clothes people wear etc.  For example, if your character is sad, you wouldn't write, John is sad, but might write, John appears sad.  Better still, John slumped and put his head in his hands.

Write sequentially.  The reader should be able to visualise the story in sequence, so, to use the example above, we would not write, John stubs his toe as he walks down the road on a stinking hot day.  Although this would make sense from a grammatical perspective, it doesn't make visual sequential sense to the reader of a screenplay.  This is because we would let our reader know the setting first - it's stinking hot.  Then we need to visualise John walking.  Then he stubs his toe.

Consider foreshadowing.  In the example script.  The dog is introduced early on so we are familiar with its presence when the father says, Rover, get out of there.  By introducing the dog earlier (foreshadowing) it helps make your film more believable.  When you write actions or events later in your screenplay, have a think about whether or not it would be a good idea to foreshadow these things.

Set up and pay off.  This is connected to the idea of foreshadowing.  A good joke spends time setting things up for a surprise punch line.  Make sure your set up is convincing, and really primes your audience for a big surprise at the end.

Remember, when writing a screenplay, white space is your friend, since is lets the reader get through a page in one minute - about the time is should take to watch the film.  You will have plenty of white space if you follow the tips above.

Major Production – The Hero’s Journey Short Film

Now that you have analysed Here Comes the Boom and mapped the Hero’s Journey, you will apply what you have learned.

You will create a 3–5 minute short film that clearly demonstrates identifiable elements of the Hero’s Journey.

This production will move through four stages:

1. Screenplay (written in Causality)

2. Storyboard or Shot List

3. Filming (Cinematography)

4. Editing (Post-production)

Your final mark will reflect both your narrative structure and your control of cinematic language.

Stage 1 – Your Screenplay (Written in Causality)

As a rule of thumb:

One page of screenplay equals approximately one minute of screen time.

A five-minute film should therefore have roughly five pages of screenplay.

Your screenplay must clearly include identifiable stages of the Hero’s Journey. These do not need to be labelled in the script, but they must be obvious through the story.

Hero's Journey elements include:

• Ordinary World

• Call to Adventure

• Crossing the Threshold

• Tests, Allies and Enemies

• Ordeal

• Transformation

• Return or Resolution
  
  

Screenwriting Expectations

When writing your screenplay, follow these rules carefully.

1. Write in present tense

Always write in present tense — never past tense.

Incorrect:
It was a stinking hot day. John walked down the road and stubbed his toe.

Correct:
It’s stinking hot. John walks down the road. He stubs his toe on a raised brick paver. Film happens now, not in the past.

2. Write short paragraphs of action

Each action paragraph should contain only what the audience would see in a single shot.

Most paragraphs should be between one and three lines. Occasionally they may go slightly longer.

Avoid large blocks of text. White space is important in screenwriting. If you are writing correctly, your script will have plenty of it.

3. Write visually (show, don’t tell)

A screenplay is not a novel. We cannot see thoughts — only actions.

Weak:
John is sad.

Better:
John appears sad.

Stronger:
John slumps into a chair and buries his head in his hands.

Everything in your script must be something the camera can capture.

4. Write sequentially

Screenplays unfold visually in sequence.

Grammatically correct but visually confusing:
John stubs his toe as he walks down the road on a stinking hot day.

Visually sequential:
Heat shimmers above the pavement.
John walks down the road.
He stubs his toe on a raised brick paver.

The reader should be able to visualise the story unfolding shot by shot.

5. Consider foreshadowing

If something important happens later in the film, introduce it earlier. Foreshadowing makes your story believable and intentional.

6. Set up and pay off

Strong storytelling sets up expectations and then pays them off. If you want a powerful ending, prime your audience early and deliver a convincing payoff.

Screenplay Marking Criteria

Your screenplay will be marked on:

• Clear and identifiable Hero’s Journey elements

• Proper formatting and paragraph length

• Present tense writing

• Visual writing (showing, not telling)

• Logical sequencing

• Effective set up and payoff
  
  

Stage 2 – Storyboard or Shot List

You must choose one:

• A detailed storyboard
  or

• A comprehensive shot list

This stage demonstrates your understanding of cinematography and visual storytelling.

What You Will Be Assessed On

Variety of framing

You must include a range of:

• Wide shots

• Medium shots

• Close-ups

• Over-the-shoulder shots

• Establishing shots
  
  

Use of camera angles

You must deliberately use:

• High angles

• Low angles

• Eye-level framing

• Dynamic perspective where appropriate
  
  

Your camera choices must reflect meaning.

For example:

• Low angle can suggest power

• High angle can suggest vulnerability

• Close-up can emphasise emotional intensity

If all your shots are eye-level medium shots, your mark will reflect that.

Stage 3 – Cinematography (Filming)

Your cinematography mark will reflect:

• Shot stability and composition

• Variety of framing

• Appropriate use of camera angle

• Visual clarity

• Intentional storytelling through the lens
  
  

Your visual decisions should demonstrate understanding of Gestalt principles, including:

• Figure and ground (what stands out and what recedes)

• Proximity (what feels connected)

• Similarity (visual patterns and repetition)

• Contrast (visual tension)

• Closure (what the audience mentally completes)
  
  

Effective cinematography guides audience perception. Strong cinematography controls it.

Stage 4 – Editing (Post-Production)

Your editing mark will reflect:

• Logical sequencing

• Continuity

• Effective pacing

• Emotional rhythm

• Sound design

• Use of cuts to reinforce meaning
  
  

Your editing should support the Hero’s Journey structure.

For example:

• Slower pacing in the Ordinary World

• Faster cuts in the Ordeal

• Music shifts during transformation

Editing should feel intentional rather than accidental.

Assessment Overview

You will receive marks for:

• Screenplay (structure and writing quality)

• Identifiable Hero’s Journey elements

• Storyboard or shot list (visual planning)

• Cinematography

• Editing

• Application of visual storytelling principles
  
  

The Goal

This is not simply a short film.

It is a demonstration that you understand:

• Narrative structure

• Visual storytelling

• Cinematic language

• Audience manipulation

• Character transformation
  
  

You are no longer just analysing heroes.

You are constructing one.