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The Action Heroines Journey, Monomyth Remixed 2016
The Action Heroines Journey, Monomyth Remixed 2016
Heroines Journey
RIPLEY & KATNISS VS LUKE & BEOWULF
WARPING, DISTILLING AND JUST PLAIN
EXPLODING MONOMYTH TO FIT HER STORY
FOR WRITERS
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Illustrations by Satine Phoenix @satinephoenix
Edited by Vanessa Ricci-Thode @VRicciThode
Copyright 2016 by Yuan Kun Publishing Ltd. (UK) on all original text
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The Action Heroines Journey/1st ed.
Authors: Satine Phoenix & RK Syrus
EBOOK ISBN 978-1-910890-04-2
PAPER BOOK ISBN 978-1-910890-03-5
The Action Heroines Journey/Satine Phoenix & RK Syrus.
bibliographical references.
Includes
Contents
Introduction ...................................................................... xi
In the beginning, there was Campbell ...................... xv
And then there was Christopher Vogler ................. xviii
DEFNISH()N Z ....................................................... xx
Executive Summary .......................................................... 1
PRELOGUE - Ode to the Power of Daydreaming.......... 3
Archetypes - Bringing characters to life. ........................ 4
Tragic Virtue as Character Fulcrum ............................... 6
Prefab Personifications .................................................. 8
Her Committed World (M R .
V S
T H E
ORDINARY
W O R L D ) ........................................................................ 17
Relation of Flaw in Step 1 Committed World ( T O S T E P
2 AWAKENING
TO
H ER A D V E N T U R E ) ....................... 25
OF THE
C A L L ) ............................................................................ 35
M E N T O R ) .............................................................. 43
THE
F I R S T T H R E S H O L D ) ..................................................... 49
She Re-Examines Her Hierarchy of Needs (M R . V S
T E S T S , A L L I E S
AND
E N E M I E S ) ................................. 53
THE
SWORD,
E T C .)
............................. 87
E L I X I R ) ................................................................ 104
THE
E N D .) ...... 125
EPILOGUE.................................................................... 129
PRE-CREDITS SCENES ..................................... 130
ERUDITE CITATIONS .................................................. 135
Actual Post Credit Scenes (Y O U T H O U G H T W E W E R E
D O N E ? N O T E V E N C L O S E .) ....................................... 147
Galactic Sized Outrage over BSG Casting ................ 148
Rogue Regained ........................................................ 148
Alien WTF happened? .............................................. 148
The Cougar and the Canadian Conspiracy: A Syrus
Rant. .......................................................................... 151
SHH SIGOURNEYS SAYING SOMETHING 153
Archer Hits the Mark! ................................................. 155
MISSISSIPPI FILMIN................................................. 158
Appendix (F R A N C H I S E B O D Y B U I L D E R ) ...................... 161
Story-Fu Secrets from the Shao Lin Temple .............. 170
List of Oscar Winning and Nominated Women
Screenwriters ............................................................. 173
A SMALL LIST OF FEMALE HERO MOVIES & their
Main Characters ........................................................ 183
iii
iv
vi
vii
viii
ix
Introduction
xiii
xiv
Action heroines are dominating TV. She even has her own subgenre at boxofficemojo.com1.
A female action hero, Rey, has the most screen time in the biggest
US box office hit ever, Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Maybe its time to awaken to the extra amazing possibilities of
your Action Heroines Journey.
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/genres/chart/?id=actionheroine.htm
xv
know the one abolishing slavery 148 years late thanks to the
movie Lincoln (according to cbsnews.com).
Sy: Wow. Makes you think doesnt it.
Those were way different times the monomyth scholar grew up in.
But that was then.
Satinator: Campbell was a great mind of his age and culture and
we do not fault him for overlooking the voice and gaze of an entire
gender. All over Earth. About 51% of the planets population. It was
just part of the society brain at the time. We do not fault him. Much.
Sy: I still dont get it. Joseph Campbell was obviously well
educated; he couldnt find any Feminine super heroic mythologies?
Not even in ancient Greece? Some of the goddesses were pretty
badass tough and adventurous. Even the United States Military
Academy at West Point acknowledges this. That AINT Aress sword
and helm on their official coat of arms:
Christopher Vogler said: In the long run, the most influential book
of the 20th Century may turn out to be Joseph Campbells THE HERO
WITH A THOUSAND FACES. Given the exalted status of his work,
we find Campbells lack of faith in female mythology disturbing.
xvii
minute of screen time) to tell your story. And that includes stupendous
Boss Fight set pieces! As a writer for film, TV or stage you have to
make every scene count.
Since 1985 people have been employing Voglers 12 Steps of the
Heros Journey with fantastic results. Here we try to add to your tool
box to encompass the special aspects of the Action Heroine.
To keep things focused and also because we pretend to know way
more than we actually do, well try to stick to four well-known
examples to help explain Wutt we mean (Satine: see the set up I just
did there?)
Satinator: Oh god, not your ridiculous Ws.
Sy: Each section will feature The Three Wutts: Wuttisit? Wuttup?
Wutt2do?
Satinator: You know THOSE ARENT CATCHY.
Sy: Yes they are.
Satinator: Oh good grief. Fine, you can keep the Ws, but Im not
saying them! Happy now?
Sy: Totally.
Satinator: See why Im glad cats dont talk? But yeah, well look at
each of the 12 elements of monomyth (following Vogler, 1985) and
see how each heroines / heros arc fits:
ELLEN RIPLEY2: Alien (1979)/Aliens (1986)
DEFNISH()N Z
Sy: The stories of Ripley, Katniss, Luke and Beowulf are often
classified as science fiction or fantasy genre. Ridley Scotts Alien is a
haunted house plot set in space. Action genre has been variously
defined:
Action genres turn on public values such as freedom/slavery or
justice/injustice, Robert McKee, Story.
Shawn Coyne says action genre is a story in which:
a heroic protagonist overcomes arch Villains and/or nature and
ultimately sacrifices himself in order to save another human being
or even the entire planet from annihilation. (The Story Grid)
Some people have even asserted Hunger Games is, strictly
speaking, a war story (in which genre the controlling theme is always
whether the ends justify the means Coyne).
All of these views have their own merit.
1990. Moving pictures had been around for quite a while, but action heroines,
not so much. (Cited in Joss Whedon: Geek King of the Universe).
3
c. 700 CE, so freaken olde! But certainly the poem was the blockbuster
adventure story of its day. And it has had huge cultural impact. As recently as
2007 it was reimagined as a major 3D motion capture film. As well, the crusty
Geat has made a comeback on ITV Britain, returning to the shieldlands in
2016.
xx
Sy: Holy Cabin in the Woods! Now I have to watch Alien again to
make sure Ripley gets away and saves Jones the cat.
Satinator: But that film is also science fiction genre. It is set in
space, on a spaceship and the antagonist is a very plausible
xenomorph species.
Then in the sequel, James Cameron expanded Ripleys story into
the genre of the war film, with shades of the Alamo. Yet the second
Ripley movie managed to keep the claustrophobic Sci-Fi vibe through
excellent set and creature designs.
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, in which rebels grab the plans for
the original Death Star, has been described as having both heist and
war genre elements.
Sy: But I bet its full of action and adventure.
Satinator: And probably more than a few dead Bothans. Here, in
The Action Heroines Journey we use action to embrace all stories
where the heroines conflicts and desires are framed and ultimately
resolved through physical, often violent, means.
Sy: In other words, Satine, youve set up a Heroine vs Hero Boss
Fight. Let the games begin!
Satinator: Ok no more digressions or distractions. Lets do this!
Sy: We will. But first
Satinator: (groan) (Ever feel youre in a triathlon relay with
someone whos got his shoes on the wrong feet?)
Sy: an Executive Summary:
xxii
Executive Summary
APPROVED
THEMSELVES
IN
OGLERS
http://www.livingspirit.typepad.com/files/chris-vogler-memo-1.pdf
Step
Vogler 1985
A Practical Guide to THE
HERO WITH A THOUSAND
FACES
HER COMMITTED
WORLD
CALL TO ADVENTURE
HERO IS RELUCTANT AT
FIRST
HERO IS ENCOURAGED BY
THE WISE OLD MAN OR
WOMAN
SHE RE-EXAMINES
HER HIERARCHY OF
NEEDS
AWAKENING TO HER
ADVENTURE
NEGATION OF THE
AWAKENING
7.2
8
10
11
RESURRECTION
12
Sy: Then we apply our remix of the Action Heroines Journey to the
2003 film Underworld and the 2015 film Sicario.
Satinator: This is gonna take some fleshing out, but youve got the
basics all there, Syrus. Anything else for our executive summary?
Sy: Oh, and industry leaders should #hirethesewomen. Thats it for
now.
and tragic flaw, because they are different words with different
meanings. Its very plain. This technique of character development is
also clearly used in the plays Hamlet and Romeo & Juliet.
Sy: Darn, you dont think were making it too easy. Like how every
six-year-old can do the Rubiks cube blindfolded and now everyones
into 3D Sudoku?
Satinator: You cheat at checkers. Just read what I wrote you on
the Instant Messages. Especially about the part where George Martin
was a TV writer and the 10 years he spent in Hollywood had a huge
impact on how he conceived and executed his mega-saga.
Sy: Tragic Virtue as Character Fulcrum is in evidence in the
presentation and development of GoT characters in the novels and
the HBO TV series. Martin and show creators David Benioff and D. B.
Weiss (Primetime Emmy winners) made sure each major player has
one big externality and one tragic virtue.
Of course the real Asshai magic comes when you take nearly any
two such characters and chuck them into a scene. And remember in
the novels GRRM uses a tight 3rd person POV so you have the added
possibility of unreliable information/internal narration.
Take Brienne of Tarth and a certain Kingslayer (the ultimate
Oathkeeper vs the biggest Oathbreaker ever); and
Take Arya Stark and a certain Hound (notice the mutual reliance
that forms between them with, naturally, homicidal undertones); and
Cersei Lannister vs Ned Stark (You just knew someone would end
up never again in need of a hat); and
Arya Stark and Jaqen H'ghar; or
Arya Stark and Tywin Lannister (Those scenes were not in the
novels. And that shows you how you can riff off great sequences
effortlessly when you have really well defined characters, ones with
Tragic Virtues and large daggers.); or
7
Prefab Personifications
These have been around for a long time and theyre still useful to
writers.
Sy: Just like duct tape, right? Its been used for hundreds of years
and Mark Watney still employed it to save his ass on Mars.
Satinator: Ive thought of a great use for duct tape just now.
Archetype lists are good for figuring out if your story needs another
character and how that character might interact with your heroine as
you take her on her journey.
Anything we could do in this short section would pale in
comparison to the amazing work down by UCLA film grad Victoria
Lynn Schmidt in her book 45 Master Characters: Mythic Models for
Creating Original Characters. If youre serious about crafting
characters, female, male and otherwise, you should get her book. And
read it, dont just flip through the pages looking for Medusa pictures
like Syrus. However, since we madly love listing things, we will have a
8
Satinator: Syrus, the last time you were beset by anything it was
bad sushi. Youre just too lazy to work out character sheets. Every
person has a history; has a Story. A set of experiences that drive them
to make the decisions (good or bad) that they are compelled to make.
I say break down a timeline of the major events in a characters life.
Too many good experiences can dull a character and too many bad
can make them stone stiff. Ask your Characters questions. With
9
proper execution of their history, youll find their answers will be more
honest and interesting. Their reactions, based on their experiences,
will bring them to life.
And Ill go back to flaws, just one more time. Characters with flaws
will hands down make them seem more realistic. All humans have
flaws, some do not make theirs very public. Perhaps their flaws are
triggered by certain events or stressful situations or comments. Have
the flaw, you dont even need to show it. Having it will guide your
character to either go out of their way to avoid it, or stir the pot in
important situations.
Sy: Still, just starting a story and letting characters crash into one
another before you work out details of their past is a legitimate
technique. As Paul Haggis, owner of two Oscar statuettes, said: I
dont think writers should write about answers, I think we should write
about questions. (The Dialogue with Mike De Luca).
DE LUCA
Did [your process] involve writing character bios? Did you know
the history of your characters before the movie starts?
HAGGIS
No. I let them tell me. I let the characters talk.
Conceiving his film Crash (2004), Haggis started with fictionalized
portrayals of himself and his wife but then introduced characters who
were complete strangers and built interactions around them with little
or no idea of who they were except as they appeared to the given
point of view character in each scene/sequence.
Im calling the technique Paul and I use: Synergistic Smash
Satinator: Please dont.
Sy: Just to prove I know exactly what Im talking about, Ill give you
another well known example from the world of comics. The Kabuki
10
saga is the story of an action heroine assassin who struggles with her
identity in near-future Japan. Created, written & illustrated by David
Mack, Kabuki first appeared in comic and book stores in 1994 and its
been the celebrated artist/writers successful personal passion project
to this day. My research indicates he never ever uses character
outlines when writing.
Satinator: I dont know about that.
Sy: Oh, really? Well, it just so happens I teach a class for the Lairs
Online Community College called "David Macks Kabuki in Media and
Culture." So I think my insights into Kabuki have a great deal of
validity!
Satinator: Oh, do ya? Well, that's funny, because I happen to
have David Mack right here, so, yeah, just let me...
(SFX: Secret Lair Secret passageway opening)
... tell him!
David Mack: I heard what you were saying Syrus. I did some
designs of characters in advance with notes in them. But I think most
of the characters I figured out just by writing scenes with them. Which
included many scenes that never made it into the final cut.
(Exit David Mack)
(SFX: Secret Lair Secret passageway closing)
Satinator: Now that weve settled that, on to a character technique
without a cute nickname:
Peripheral Character Study
Normally youre trying to present your characters in the middle of
things.
Sy: Or In media res, as we like to say.
11
12
Sy: Hey!
Satinator: Just relax. And think about doing as Anne Lamott
suggests, taking it bird by bird. Your protagonist heroine and her
people and her world are all out there, lets go and discover them!
14
Archetype List
There are many types of characters that show up in stories.
Voglers book, The Writers Journey, goes deep into these archetypes.
Here is a brief list of basic Archetypes.
Hero
Mentor
Threshold
Guardian
Herald
Shapeshifter
Shadow
Trickster
15
16
STEP 1
"The mildest of men and the gentlest, kindest to his people, and
most eager for fame" (Beowulf, lines 3181-82).
Sy: Those are the final lines of the whole adventure poem. What it
actually says in the original is: (Ahem)
manna mildust
leodum liost
ond monwrust,
ond lofgeornost.
Satinator: Wow, Syrus was reading off his iPad but that was
actually pretty impressive.
Sy: I know. I just had an idea, how about we write a stage play all
in Old English.
Satinator: Whyyyy dont we just pin that for a bit. Right now lets
finish up here and give people their moneys worth.
While Beowulfs being eager for fame may not sound like heroic
altruism, consider the North Germanic society in which the poem was
first performed and later written down. Most scholars agree it was
based on actual historical figures, places and events which date back
to the 5th or 6th century CE. Some are even convinced the actual
location of the great mead hall Heorot has been found at Lejre
Denmark. In that society the only way to achieve fame was to exhibit
extreme selfless bravery in service to the community. The highest
glory was reserved for those who bled the most and risked everything
for their fellow tribespeople.
On to our Ladies of Action. An action heroines pre-Adventure
world is often different from that of the modern action heros.
Ripley: Shes taking a hypersleep nap in hyperspace on the
USCSS Nostromo shes on a freaken spaceship. She is later
revealed to have a daughter back on Earth. Her ordinary world is
quite challenging already being a single mom with a Masters degree
in Engineering in space!
18
WUTTISIT?
Satinator: (Grr)
Step 1: Her Committed World presents your Action Heroine preAdventure in Her Committed World. Its your only first chance to make
an impression on the audience. And build empathy bridges.
Sy: Right you are, Satine. And my personal 2c (now worth about
0.3c in USD) is dont be tempted by Dialogue Diarrhea. The first
opening minutes of the films Alien and Hunger Games set the world
and tone perfectly using powerful visuals. Then the first dialogue uses
exposition as ammunition (thank you Robert McKee) and sets the
protagonists precisely in those worlds. Know when to let the visuals
tell the story.
Satinator: Based on these four examples you might generalize
that girl heroes have it tougher than boys. But that would be
19
WUTTUP?
Satinator: Just to let everyone know, Syrus was all set to jumble
Sarah Connors Step 1 arc through The Terminator and Terminator 2:
Judgment Day. My favorite action heroine played by the incomparable
Linda Hamilton deserves better than that.
I stopped Syrus, cold.
Sy: She did. Shes relentless, shes the Satinator.
20
WUTT2DO?
Sy: Her Committed World will always be part of your overall worldbuilding strategy. So if its full of sometimes electrified fences or
smiling happy people calling themselves Amity (yeah, right), just be
aware of how your heroines place in Her Committed World can be
used to build a bridge between protagonist and audience.
Satinator: This can be downright tricky for protagonists who are
not THE ONE. With Ripley and Katniss (novel) we as an audience are
not sure we like them right away.
Sy: Ripley at the start of Alien is just a member of the crew. She
does not even get to go out and poke around in the weird ship they
found; only Captain Dallas speaks to Mother. Until her defining
moments, Ripley is not necessarily the heroine of the story.
And as for Katniss, well, she seems to go out of her way to be
prickly. She does not save the cat, in the novel she actually advocates
drowning said cat (sorry, Buttercup). And Katniss does kill and skin a
cute little lynx who follows her around in the forest. Until she saves the
girl who saved the cat, we are totally not sure we like Katniss.
With the heroine often not presented as THE ONE (Luke) or a
proven powerful warrior lord (Beowulf), the presentation of the action
22
23
24
STEP 1.5
Relation of Flaw in
Step 1 Committed World
( T O S T E P 2 A W AK E N I N G
TO
HER ADVENTURE)
25
27
Satinator: Next
Sy: Shhh! I hear something.
Satinator: ???
Sy: I know!
I hear the CALL TO ADVENTURE :D
Satinator: (Facepalm)
28
STEP 2
Awakening to Her
Adventure
( M R . V S C A L L T O A D V E N T U R E )
Y: OH TH IS ON E is easy.
Star Wars: It does not get more literal than a holographic
droid mail. you must see this droid safely delivered to him on
Alderaan. This is our most desperate hour. Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi.
You're my only hope. Yeah, Alderaan, worst real estate investment in
the galaxy.
Beowulf: The hero hears about Heorots monster infestation. He
rolls up in his bangin longship and Beowulf explains to the guards that
he is the son of Ecgtheow and owes his loyalty to Hygelac. To which
they reply Doh! Come on in!
The classic male hero is called because he is THE ONE. Who else
you gonna call? He may not know it, but trust us, hes all dat! See
totally easy, for a guy.
Satinator: Well sometimes, like with the Ordinary World, girls just
have to work harder for the 70% equivalent wage
29
This is a huge distinction between Hero and Heroine, but not the
only one.
Sy: Tell me more, Satine, Im not convinced.
Satinator: Really?
Sy: Well, uh, you just texted me and told me to say that I am not
quite convinced.
Satinator: Well since Syrus is not quite convinced, here are two
more examples from the second installments in each series then:
In Aliens Ripley receives a more traditional call to action. Burke
bugs her to join the military mission as an advisor. But shes still not in
charge, again! And this is intentional. As one James Cameron said:
It was really critical to the story that she emerge under pressure
as the person who really takes control. They discredit her at the
beginning; Interview at io9.com5
So, is the call to action comprised by the initial dialogue beats
between Ripley and Burke OR does it occur when she is inside the
Colonial Marine Armored Personnel Carrier parked outside the
xenomorph hive and:
TIGHT ON RIPLEY as she struggles with a decision. She's
terrified of what she knows she's about to do. Ripley jumps
into the driver's seat of the APC. Takes a deep breath. Starts
slapping switches. - (Aliens by James Cameron)
Yeah baby! Ripley in the drivers seat, literally.
Again, the heroine defies expectations and conventions Ripley
is not even a member of the Colonial Marines. She risks disapproval
and personal danger to do what she, and pretty much only she, knows
is right and is willing and in a position to do.
Need another one?
5
http://io9.com/Syd-meads-original-concept-art-for-aliens-power-loade1554947249
31
Sy: Sure!
Satinator: In the second book/film Catching Fire, Katniss
immediately finds herself in the middle of conflicting personal and
societal wants and demands. (How much more sacrifice can they juice
out of this girl!?! amirite!?) Some are obvious while others even
President Snow is not aware of:
Living in Victors Village with or without Peeta.
Running away with Gale.
Being identified as the Mockingjay by the anti-Capitol resistance.
Being forced to be a caged tame Mockingjay. (yeah right!)
All of these conflicting pressures lead to the Quarter Quell arena
(and a free trip to O'ahu!)
At no time does Katniss say Hwt! I am the Mockingjay, you may
bow before me.
In fact the story artifact of the Mockingjay itself is a focal point of
manipulation, attempted suppression and mercurial social meaning.
The Quarter Quell Games are specifically designed to crush the
Mockingjay or so Snow thinks!
Want me to go further?
Sy: Go further Satine, just do it.
Satinator: I will go further. And say that the Call to Action in
Catching Fire is a negative call that backfires. Snow creates the
Mockingjay and demands the Girl on Fire burn dimly before sputtering
out or else! Her Awakening is her acknowledgment of the power
she wields, if only to be used to free her and Peeta from the games.
WUTTISIT?
Sy: Step 2, thats the Action Heroine Awakening To Her
Adventure.
32
WUTTUP?
Satinator: For the Heroine, the Inciting Incident can often be a
realization that, however ill prepared, fearful or un-empowered, SHE
MUST ACT. Therefore, by reacting to Circumstances and Societal
pressures beyond her control or knowledge, the Heroines character
often chooses to act against societal expectations, risking derision
and harm. The External Call is one for her to be passive. In rejecting it
the Heroine wills herself to Adventure!
WUTT2DO?
There is absolutely nothing wrong with Help me, Princess Leia
Organa. You're my only hope. But doesnt it test, validate and
empower your heroine and surprise your audience more when she
awakes to her Adventures so unexpectedly? It sure did in Alien and
Hunger Games.
33
34
STEP 3
Negation of the
Awakening
( M R . V S R E F U S A L
OF THE
C A L L )
35
36
Sy: Aw, I still dont know, Satine, seems awful complicated. I like
the Guys style better. Its simple, yknow, like scratchin yer butt.
Someone up and says, Hey, guy, I want you to do this here
adventure. Hero up and says, Well, thanks but nah, not right now.
Then later after some serious cheroot chewing, he figures, Ok, might
as well adventure. See, guy simple.
Satinator: Sy (sigh) that argument is about as lively as a
taxidermied mongoose. Sure, thats how it was in Blade Runner. But
can it really be a Call to Adventure if the Hero/Heroine does not know
what the heck the Adventure is?
For example, in Star Wars the scene most often classified as the
Call is the sequence starting with the holograph of Leia and ending
with scenes between him and Obi-Wan at the Jawa crawler wreck.
Unlike Deckard, Luke does not really know the scope and scale of the
Adventure he initially refuses in order to help with the vaporator
mushroom harvest. Talk about being left in the dark!
In the well worn male Heros Journey, complex plots often demand
the protagonist face a SEQUENCE of Calls. Each is more complex
and dangerous than the one before it as the story builds to The
Supreme Ordeal.
Sy: I bet you have a spiffy example of that.
Satinator: I have a spiffy example: After Obi-Wan Kenobi goes to
root out Vader on the Death Star, he leaves Luke and the others in a
control room. OBW tells them to stay put. Yeah, like thats happening.
This is not a coffee klatch, its an Adventure darnit! Luke learns Leia is
in a jail cell and scheduled to be flambed. At this point he calls
another dude to Adventure, namely one Han Solo. After Han initially
refuses the call to stop Leia being executed: Better her than me,
Luke slyly overcomes Hans resistance, forms a dangerous plan and
they are off.
38
WUTTISIT?
Sy: (Satine, it wouldnt cause you physical pain to say the Three
Wutts, just once?)
Satinator: (I cringe just hearing you say them. So just as I
graciously declined the adventure when I was at Vedana Lagoon
resort in Vietnam and was offered a dish of Soft-Boiled Fetal Duck: I
say Khng, cm n bn, Th c ri.)
Sy: By all means, Satine, fit your own bill. As with Soft-Boiled Fetal
Duck you dont know the thrill youre missing.
Step 3: NEGATION OF THE AWAKENING may serve to make
your heroine more three dimensional. You can use this phase of your
action heroines journey to foreshadow fresh new unpredictable
decisions in Acts 2 and 3.
Many people think Act or Step analyses restrict creativity. We say
not so fast grasshopper.
Satinator: Did you just call our readers grasshoppers?
Sy: Well, not Oscar winner Philippa Boyens or Primetime
Emmy winner Damon Lindelof, but between us we gotta know
something worthwhile for our readers and listeners who are just
starting out. I mean we wrote an entire monograph.
39
Satinator: Ever hear the one about the monkey tapping away on a
typewriter for infinity?
Sy: Cant say I have. Did anyone ever buy his script?
WUTTUP?
Sy: In the Heroines Journey the Step 2 Awakening to Adventure
often arises from within the heroine herself. In Step 3 its
negation/refusal therefore is put in the form of an internal proposition
to passivity. In fact, these moments may be the source of an amazing
period of dramatic irony where only the audience and the heroine
know and hope and believe the ultimate goal can be reached.
Everyone on the Rebel side knows and hopes and wants Luke to
use the Force and put those proton torpedoes where the sun dont
shine in the Death Star.
Everyone in Hrothgars kingdom is pulling for Beowulf in his
battles.
By contrast, everyone flips out on Ripley when shes the only one
doing the sensible thing.
By contrast, Katniss often goes out on a limb (literally) and its only
the audience and her who believe that her skillset, innovation, her
alliances and her good judgment can pull out the big W.
Help me Obi-wan. or Oh strong Viking man with rippling abs,
help us slay this foul beast who flingeth dung about our fancy mead
hall becomes instead:
Know your place.
Comply.
Obey the rules of your society / social unit.
Therefore, the refusal of the call is a negation of the negation
(thanks Robert McKee & Bass Wakil!).
In Step 3, the heroine herself considers reverting to her preadventure status. Though its probably not as much fun as what
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Deckard would have done if Bryant had let him off the hook in Blade
Runner #BourbonRocks.
As with the male Heros refusal of the positive Call, this particular
brand of the Heroines Negation of the Awakening is internally
generated and often conflated with other dramatic elements.
WUTT2DO?
Sy: Depends on your story. But if something isnt working in your
heroines story, or the start seems too facile, tropey or downright
smarmy, then consider who is the antagonist at that point in her story.
If her Awakening to Adventure is self-generated, consider the
dramatic tension and character depth you can inject by her Negating
her own Awakening in a moment of doubt and terror.
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42
STEP 4
THE
MENTOR)
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Ripley must learn on the job. She has no time. Theres freaken
aliens loose!
Katniss is already an expert shot with a bow. Katniss hunts with
her fathers bow. If she can be said to have a mentor it is Mr.
Everdeen. From him, Katniss has internalized the most valuable
skillsets that will serve her in the arena. In her case, the society of
Panem, District 12 and her place in it has been the largest influence
on who she is and what abilities she brings to the Adventure. The
socially derived skillset, which is applied to her Adventure in surprising
ways, is a hallmark of many action heroines.
Katsa in Cashores Graceling: shes getting her grace on right from
the start. Of course, the use and perception of her abilities changes
over the story. The secret Council are kind of like a mystical talent
agency, not mentors. And her boss King Randa is kind of a dork,
totally not a supportive mentor. Katsa the graceling has to find the
mentor within.
Sarah Connor in Terminator 2: Judgment Day has a complicated
role. She is both student of a succession of mentors and mentor to
John. Let young John lay it out:
JOHN:
We spent a lot of time in Nicaragua... places like that. For a
while she was with this crazy ex-Green Beret guy, running guns.
Then there were some other guys. She'd shack up with anybody
she could learn from. So then she could teach me how to be this
great military leader.
In the Harry Potter series, Hermione Grangers relationship with
Professor Minerva McGonagall is so totally not like Harrys with
Professor Dumbledore.
One nice gender flip comes in Rita Vrataskis mentorship of Cage
in Doug Limans often under-appreciated Edge of Tomorrow (2014).
Seriously, how many times does Emily Blunt have to kill Tom Cruise
before he gets it?
In Avatar Jake Sully may need some remedial lessons in
identifying dangerous wildlife on Pandora, but hes got a great mentor
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WUTTISIT?
Sy: The Meeting the Mentor stage of the male heros journey has
long been a great place to test and temper the protagonist. In The
Action Heroines Journey Step 4: Finding the Mentor Within, like in
real life, most often the Heroine is on her own. Even if there are
characters who impart tactical and strategic knowledge to her, those
Mentors often have a conflicted agenda. The idea of the Mentor is the
Womans ability to hunt for ways to develop the skills she needs to
succeed in the adventure. Those she learns from help her nourish the
Mentor within. A womans very specific drive to survive and adapt
pulls the strength out from within.
WUTTUP?
Sy: Screen and literary heroines often find their most important
Mentor Within. Her own history, her own experience, her own
character is what really carries the day.
In Alien, Ripley comes onto the Nostromo with the sense to not let
a dang xenomorph skip through quarantine.
In Aliens she already has the skills to operate that crucial piece of
equipment the Power Loader. Why? Because (as Cameron so
perfectly foreshadowed):
BURKE
I heard you were working in the cargo docks.
RIPLEY
(defensive) That's right.
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BURKE
Running loaders, forklifts, that sort of thing?
RIPLEY (shrugging)
It's all I could get.
A subsequent scene which sets up the fact Ripley knows how to
operate the specific Power Loader in the cargo hold of the Sulaco
provides for a great beat between Ripley, Apone and Hicks. Thats
using your exposition as ammunition.
A deep set of socially derived skills is one of the hallmarks of the
action heroine.
WUTT2DO?
Sy: Theres huge open ground for developing mentor-mentee
stories in the backdrop of female action plots. Luc Besson is pretty
darn good at writing and directing female action heroines. Two great
examples are Nikitas relationship with Amande (La Femme Nikita,
1990) and Lon and Mathildas arc in Lon The Professional, (1994).
Of course, in Lucy, the protagonist again is on her own; luckily for
Scarlett Johansson, shes evolving into a super psionic supreme being
and dont need no stinkin mentor.
Satinator: The narrative story energy of the female action
heroines place in society and her previous struggles often does more
than replace the mentor. It gives her something many action heroines
lack: a relatable empathy-generating past. It worked for Ripley and
Katniss, see if it fits your heroine to Find the Mentor Within.
Sy: For a mentor whose wide impact and learned emanations
transcend time, space and story there is no finer example than Robert
McKee. His presence in cinematic scholarship is so powerful it burst
over into actual film. McKee became a character in the 2002 film
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48
STEP 5
THE
FIRST
Sy: But
Satinator: But, in some cases you will find your heroine is part of a
group and the adventure (if you can call Ripleys eyeless
endoparasitoid extraterrestrial that) comes to them.
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with the strength of 30 men in just one arm cruising around fiords
looking to give a monster a beatdown. If Ripley and Katniss were not
the main character, a different narrative could pose these same
characters as cannon fodder.
Sy: Or xenomorph chowder. I get that part. Whats this Blooming
all about?
Satinator: Simply put the heroine Blooms when she takes some
positive, often risky action and becomes recognized by her society or
group as a potential heroine.
In Ripleys case, the audience certainly realizes she is special
when she denies Dallas entry past quarantine. The rest of the crew
are slow on the uptake, they continue to follow the chain of command
and are ignorant of Ashs manipulations and end up dead. Big
mistake, crew. By the time Ripleys remaining companions on the
Nostromo realize who has the best ideas and who is the most capable
leader, its just about too late. Well, at least Ripley saves Jones the
cat.
One way to get noticed is to ride in a chariot and set yourself on
fake fire. At that point Katniss is kind of going along with things,
perhaps in a negation of the Awakening to the Heroines Adventure.
But its certainly a breakout moment, as Claudius Templesmith says to
Caesar Flickerman, People are sure going to be paying attention to
them right now.
And in case the garish S***wads of the Capitol missed it, the
second Blooming as Heroine moment comes at the tribute
evaluations. Shooting the apple from the mouth of the roast pig is a
deliberate and quite risky act. It distinguishes Katniss among the inner
circle as well as the general public with her personal evaluation rating
of 11 out of 12. Katniss is no longer invisible, neither is she just going
along with her handlers ideas. She has broken out. And Bloomed.
Sy: Hey I just thought of something, isnt katniss a flower
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WUTTISIT?
Sy: Step 5 The Heroine Blooms. More important for an Action
Heroines Journey than crossing a threshold from the Ordinary World
to the Special World of the Adventure may be transitioning from
background to foreground in the world of the story. Thats when an
Action Heroine Blooms.
WUTTUP?
Sy: Whether she is a mid-ranking member of a vessels crew or
one of 23 presumed future arena corpses, by virtue of her place in
society she is nearly invisible. When she Blooms other characters
notice.
WUTT2DO?
Sy: If your heroine starts from a socially disadvantaged position
and has no one to tell them they are THE ONE, the struggles, risks
and positive choices she makes may add hugely to her story. Who
knows, it might even help you through that mushy second act lag.
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STEP 6
AND
E N E M I E S )
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Sy: Wait a sec, some wankers are going to say that this Reexamination is just the second act climax or the peak of your Middle
Build, as Coyne calls it in The Story Grid. Those people are going to
ambush tweet us and say this isnt really a Step in your action
heroines Journey at all. And if they have room in their tweet they will
urge us to move into or out of our grannies basement, demand to
know if Satan is your tattoo artist and attach pictures of baby
hedgehogs doing rude things. What do you say to them?
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Satinator: Yo! Internet Crazies: why dont you take a cold hard
&%(^%$* and *&&$%%^.
Sy: Wow. No wonder they keep banning you from Facebook.
Satinator: Moving along then if they question our Step 6s
rectitude theyll be as wrong as a saddle on a hog. Without question,
this part of The Action Heroines Journey exists. Call it a plot point or
what you will. What makes it distinct is the results of the ReExamination are lasting and crucial beyond the Tests, Allies and
Enemies stages.
When Ripley learns Ashs true nature, when she learns their secret
mission, her whole relationship to the next level of society changes.
The reasons why she is on the Nostromo, her relationship to
Weyland-Yutani Corporation are all changed.
Katnisss arc through Hunger Games and Catching Fire and
Mockingjay is even more illustrative. At each juncture the necessity
identified will almost certainly require her to sacrifice herself to
achieve.
First is Katnisss reaction to Prims selection in the Reaping.
Then her insistence Peeta be the one who survives the Quarter
Quell she can do arithmetic and theres not going to be two winners
again in the 75th games.
Next Katniss gives up a huge part of her free will to the people who
just totally manipulated her in the Quarter Quell.
Finally she risks life and sanity to prevent someone at least as bad
as Snow from seizing power.
WUTTISIT?
Sy: Step 6, when the Heroine Re-examines her Hierarchy of
Needs, underpins Tests, Allies and Enemies. The complex action
heroine is intimately and irrevocably connected to her family and
society. The Hierarchy determines what Tests are relevant, and who
55
the real Allies and Enemies are. When the action heroine re-examines
her needs she reacts to threats and challenges to her core value
structures.
WUTTUP?
Sy: Sometimes, the hierarchical ground shifting underneath the
action heroines feet merely adds stress to the overarching survival
life/death dilemma she faces.
When Ripley reads Special Order 937 ie: Crew Expendable the
revelation has little impact on her Alien fight except for the reliability of
anything a certain science officer has said or done. However in Aliens
the discovery of Newt and the addition of the orphan girl to Ripleys
social group has a progressive impact on Tests, Allies and Enemies
as the social group gets smaller and Ripley gains leadership.
Ultimately, Newt has an outsized impact on the xenomorph thumping
and smashing Boss Fight.
As Sigourney Weaver said between Alien and its sequel, Ripley
goes from the girl who keeps her wits about her and is courageous
and survives to this very complex character. (LA Times Hero
Complex Film Festival, August 2014, Weaver was their first female
guest of honor.)
WUTT2DO?
Sy: Examine and re-examine your action heroines socially defined
Hierarchy of Needs. It may be one of her tasks to remember who the
real enemy is.
Next up, the tricky part! Uh, Satine, would you mind explaining it.
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STEP 7
57
and the first may make stronger the bridge between your heroine and
the audience.
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60
STEP 7.1
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made
by
artisan
possible peril that the Norns will possess Thor permanently or Selvig
will slip into the pool, this scene is nearly 100% exposition.
Are there any other examples of men getting their Cave of
Wonders on?
Sy: Now that you mention it, these counterpoint quiet but intense
scenes in action-adventure superhero films often show up in the more
ambitious and complex films.
And none have been more successfully complexified and
ambitious than X-Men: Days of Future Past. As Oscar nominated
writer-producer Simon Kinberg said,
The Old Charles / Young Charles scene in which Professor X
encounters his older self in the future was so important the
makers restructured a lot of the middle of the movie to include
that scene. (Interview: The Q&A by the hardest working man in
podcasting Mr. Jeff Goldsmith6)
check out his Backstory: The Art and Business of Storytelling iPad
magazine.
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facehuggers in jars. Inside the inner sanctum are Ripley and Newt. Its
just a single gentle beat. Yet it is significant. It is Her Cave of
Wonders.
In Hunger Games, once Katniss is reunited with a wounded Peeta,
they find a cave in the forest setting of the arena. This is where
Katniss comprehends Peeta was on her side all along and their for
show, real, but not quite outward romance begins. In that cave,
Katniss finds the connection between her and Peeta that causes her
to risk everything in the next sequence: looting the Cornucopia like a
Boss Heroine! Before she loots the cornucopia, Katniss Everdeen
ransacks Her Cave of Wonders.
In the 4x Oscar nominated film Winters Bone, in one of the
deleted scenes, Ree (played by Jennifer Lawrence) enters one of the
incredible caves in Missouri where that film was shot. As filmed after
the scene in the novel, protagonist-heroine Ree is alone and Super 8
style films represent her memories. As with Luke, she only has what
she brings with her.
Interestingly, these images are quite nice dreams of happy times
and loving family members and a yummy skinned rodent or two. No
Faces of Meth imagery. At the end, Ree lights up and inhales. Positive
value charge indeed, in that cave.
WUTTISIT?
Sy: Step 7.1: Her Cave of Wonders is a quiet and positive value
charged scene and is a distinct step in the Action Heroines Journey. It
is a chance to strengthen the audience empathy bridge with your
heroine.
WUTTUP?
Sometimes you have to trust the power of visual imagery (actually,
its most of the time) but especially for delicate scenes like this can be.
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WUTT2DO?
When structuring your action heroines second act, submit for your
own consideration Her Cave of Wonders.
Oh yeah. My favorite coming up. Like when you get to the middle
of a wasabi hotdog and the hot goodness just hits you and you realize
Hey man, Ive barely eaten half of it!
Satinator: Just what we were all thinking, now shush.
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66
STEP 7.2
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his skinny ass in the arena. The career tributes, specifically Cato, are
the Presidents proxies. And theyre in for an ass whuppin!
The preliminary whuppin of ass, we argue, makes up Her Warm
Up Boss Fight. It occurs when Katniss has been chased up a tree and
is in an overwhelmingly disadvantaged position. Or so it seems. Yes,
the careers rue the day they underestimated her and her allies.
Satinator: (groan) Hey dont be insensitive! Rue was only 12, way
too young to be in the arena. You cold hearted Syrus you.
Sy: Relax please, Rue was played by the brilliant young actor
Amandla Stenberg. She wasnt really hurt in any way. Though on-set
rumor has it she suffered from allergies from all those flowers they
kept putting around her.
Satinator: Your callous flippancy towards brave fallen female
action heroes notwithstanding, you bring up an important point:
Women of Color as action heroines. Ms. Stenberg was also in
Colombiana in which the redoubtable Zoe Saldana (Guardians of the
Galaxy, Avatar, Star Trek) played an intense action heroine. Asian
cinema has many many examples including 2015s multi award
winning The Assassin starring Chinese action star Shu Qi.
Sy: Asian films also seem to have the lead in letting action heroine
stars have long careers. Michelle Yeoh starred in Crouching Tiger,
Hidden Dragon in 2000. And then, 16 years later she reprised her
same sword wielding character in the sequel though she is now over
50 years of age and still kicking it.
Satinator: Hopefully with rising stars like these as well as Zo
Kravitz (Divergent, X-Men First Class, Mad Max: Fury Road); Nathalie
Emmanuel (Game of Thrones, Furious 7, Maze Runner: The Scorch
Trials); Naomie Harris (Bond films, 28 Days Later); Michelle Rodriguez
(Avatar, Fast & Furious, Resident Evil, Machete) who is almost a
71
genre obligatory in her own right; and Paula Patton (Warcraft, Mission
Impossible 5); and of course Halle Berry (who will always be X-Mens
Storm in our hearts, which totally makes us forget Cat%&$#*&n 2004)
we can see many more Women of Color in these fantastic empowered
roles in the biggest grossing films in history.
Sy: Back to Hunger Games and Katnisss Warm Up Boss Fight.
While our District 12 action heroine is missing what it will take to finally
triumph, she does have enough to get out of her perilous situation and
turn the odds in her favor. She has a tracker jacker nest and shes an
action heroine whos not afraid to kick it right in the careers faces.
Missing elements: a spiffy bow and Peeta.
This interim conflict, our Step 7.2: Her Warmup Boss Fight, has
significant dramatic value. Whatever you call it and however you use
it, be aware of its function to build a bridge between your heroine and
the audience. Have you ever had one that got away? In memory isnt
it the biggest/ juiciest/ best one ever? Exactly. Three more examples
should make our argument about the role of Her Warm Up Boss Fight
pretty clear.
Someones favorite example: In Labyrinth (1986) Sarah Williams
(Jennifer Connelly) is a 15-year-old heroine who braves dangers
untold and hardships unnumbered one of which is an inconclusive
struggle with Jareth the Goblin King. Jareth (Chef David Bowie)
serves the protagonist another slice of misery cake at the top of the
second Act. She escapes the cleaner trap and dives deeper into the
maze of her Adventure.
If only she had remembered something
Satinator: Squee!!! (Sparkle eyes)
Sy: Captain America 2: Winter Soldier During the freeway
viaduct fight (in fact the whole sequence from when Fury is shot by
the Winter Soldier) Cap engages with the direct antagonist controlled
by Hydra.
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Missing Element: Cap does not know the Winter Soldier is his
friend Bucky.
X-Men: Days of Future Past This film is very complex. It spans
two timelines and has two Xaviers and two Magnetos, all very deftly
handled by Singer & Kinberg et al.
We can (and we do) argue that the spine of the narrative is driven
by Raven/Mystique. While Charles is the Protagonist-Mentor, we
submit Raven is the Protagonist-Heroine of the story. It is her actions
in days past which set the future on its course. It is Ravens choices
Logan goes back in time to change. It is the antithesis of Raven which
is the future Antagonist: the evil Sentinels are based on her DNA. It is
Ravens agency (and a well-aimed bullet) which decides which vision
of the future will prevail at the third Act climax. Charles maintains his
Protagonist-Mentor status but ultimately the agency of action which
the whole film builds to from the opening belongs to the ProtagonistHeroine Raven.
If one views Fassbinders Magneto as the antagonist (instead of
Dinklages scene stealing Trask) then its clear there are two Warm
Up Boss Fights. One where Magneto tries to shoot Raven and
another when they have a polite chat in the phone booth at the French
train station.
Satinator: But Syrus, Raven has a bead on Trask in the finale in
DC and before that at the midpoint she tries to kill Trask in Paris. Isnt
that a Warm Up Boss fight?
Sy: I agree Dinklages character is an antagonist. Maybe if he
hadnt left his axe on the Game of Thrones set, things might have
been different. As it is, Fassbinders Magneto is the most active,
dangerous and energetic antagonist in the story.
Very telling is X-Men screenwriter Kinbergs statement that putting
the Magneto decides to kill Raven scene at the end of the Second
Act buggered things up8. At that point the ubiquitous screenwriter said
8
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WUTTISIT?
Sy: Step 7.2 Her Warm Up Boss Fight we anticipate will be derided
by pickers who may say Yup, but all thats kind of vague. These
confrontations you are labelling Her Warm Up Boss Fight can take
place in many places in linear Arch plot.
Satinator: Totally true. There is no paint by numbers writing guide
(Coyne, McKee, Viki King will all tell ya). This isnt trying to be one. Its
simply a tool to use to weigh and measure your outline or draft.
Callie Khouri even went so far as to say: Once I have to start
following a set of rigid rules, Im really really spectacularly
uninterested.
Sy: That said, action-adventure stories where the heroine does not
confront the villain at least a few times, they whats the word Im
looking for?
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WUTTUP?
Sy: Consider how and why and when your heroine has her Warm
Up Boss Fight(s). The reasons you discover may be more interesting
to you and therefore your audience than you may have at first thought.
WUTT2DO?
As everyone has flaws and has made mistakes (though few
peoples mistakes risk ending the world as we know it as often as
some mutants lapses do). When the heroine confronts her own flaw
at the same time she confronts the main antagonist there is a very
good chance of strengthening the bridge between the heroine and the
audience.
And now what weve all waited two popcorn refills and a hasty trip
to the washroom during some expository dialogue for...
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STEP 8
https://www.alienseries.wordpress.com/2014/01/09/powerloader/
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WUTTISIT?
Sy: Everyone knows Step 8! In thematic terms it is that final
choice that completes the quest; the Climax Scene, or last action
beyond which the reader cannot imagine another. (Thank you Robert
McKee in Story). In practical terms our heroine be bringin the
supreme pain!
WUTTUP?
Sy: There are as many ways to accomplish this Step 8: Her Boss
Fight as there are heroines. Secret lairs can blow up or as in Hunger
Games the first arc ends with the nightlock berry scene which is a
brilliantly executed counterpoint to the I volunteer scene. Again quiet
10
WUTT2DO?
Satinator: Go supremely crazy. But keep it supremely real in Her
Boss Fight. This doesnt have to be an actual fight, can be an intense
confrontation. Choose wisely. As the final Boss Fight confrontations
80
show in Mockingjay Part 2 and in Brad Pitts World War Z and Tom
Cruises Mission Impossible 5, they dont have to feature ever bigger
explosions. A clever confrontation will leave the audience with a
similar feeling as a traditional physical fight. A poorly written
confrontation will leave the audience bored to death wanting
something more.
Sy: OOH! Oh! Oh!
Satine, we have a problem. Remember when Campbell applied
Jungian-Bastian archetypes and collective unconsciousness theory to
myths and storytelling?
Satinator: I wasnt present in Yonkers NY in 1949, but go ahead.
Sy: And you recall when Vogler refined the 17 categories to twelve
in 1985?
Satinator: I was 5
Sy: Well, the upshot is, weve got too many steps of the journey
left. In action genre after the Boss Fight, there are usually only
Reward and Epilogue beats.
Satinator: And shawarma.
Sy: And shawarma.
(That was funny, even our editor laughed!)
Satinator: Hey Vanessa!
(Sy: I think we just broke the 5th wall. How many walls are there?)
(Satinator: In this book or the next, we will seek them all out. And
BREAK them.)
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Satinator: Yeah, Syrus I see what you mean about beats after the
Boss Fight. When the Death Star gets blowed up real good in Star
Wars IV, there are less than three minutes of run time left. Time
enough to get medals and exchange meaningful looks, but probably
not four distinct Journey stages. Most times, Voglers step number 8 in
action genre IS the Act 3 final sequence of the film.
Many people who have written on the topic usually time jump or
pull something from a sequel to illustrate these last four Vogler points.
And it may be in action genre the Reward and the Road Back mile
markers have the most relevance.
But were mulling going Full Action Heroine.
Sy: Lets go Full Action Heroine.
Satinator: Right then. Well try out all of our variations on all of
Voglers four remaining Steps and see how and where they can work
chronologically as Vogler ordered them.
Sy: OK! OK! But well take it slowly, so this is
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NOT STEP 9
But Rather a
Strategically Placed
Lead in to Step 9
W I T H T H E D R A G O N T H A T
CAVE SLAIN OR VANQUISHED,
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Sy: There are not that many female action heroines. They are
almost as scarce as female directors of feature films. Whether
Campbell is to blame it is not for us to say.
Satinator: But were not ruling out pre-emptive vengeance either.
Sy: Also, the list of female action heroines who truly are the center
of their worlds and carry the largest burden of agency through their
narratives, yup, its pretty darn thin. Although think what might have
happened had Leia been able to deliver her message in person to
Obi-Wan. In the original Star Wars trilogy, Leia seizes a great deal of
agency and is theoretically Lukes equal what if BOTH of them had
confronted their dark Vader in the next films?
TV and especially YA books are chock full of women in leading
action roles. Not surprising because pretty good evidence shows
Women buy two-thirds of the books sold in Britain - Daily Mail.
But despite their absence in many areas of culture, certain patterns
are evident in the stories of female action leads:
Buffy the series ends with:
Dawn:
"What are we going to do now?:
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86
THE
WUTTISIT?
Sy: Step 9: Her Secret Hearthfire. Your action heroine can have a
parade, medals galore, she deserves it after all shes gone through.
Not to worry. However, lets say you get through the Boss Fight and
youre stuck as to what Epilogue beats are true to her character and
will really put a button on her journey.
Guys can join too. After their manly energies are spent in the
testosterone charged Supreme Ordeal, men are welcome to bask in
the hearthfire as well.
And they have:
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At the end of Star Wars IV Luke has treasured secrets not known
to the rest of the galaxy. At the end of Star Wars VI the hero knows he
has reconciled with his natural father and lived up to the expectations
of the Jedi who trained him.
A mortally wounded (and did we mention pretty darn senior to be
fighting dragons) Beowulf knows that his kingdom will be vulnerable to
enemies if he has no heir. Without witnesses or fanfare, he gives
Wiglaf, the only one of his men who did not run away, a gold neck
chain symbolizing the passage of leadership. An Old English term for
king or leader was folces hyrde: the peoples guardian or shepherd.
WUTTUP?
Sy: Consider a scene that is calm quiet and reflective. Ripley and
Katniss have enduring secrets to hold.
Ripleys version of events are not believed by the Company:
RIPLEY
Look, I told you
VAN LEUWEN
It [Nostromo shuttles the flight recorder] did not, however,
contain any entries concerning the hostile life form you allegedly
picked up.
(Ripley senses the noose tightening.)
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Ive been unable to escape since the Hunger Games began, but
this feels different, much more personal. This feels like Ive been
imprisoned for a crime and Im awaiting sentencing. (Hunger
Games)
What? Not the Reward you were expecting? Get used to it! Youre
not a Damsel in Distress youre an Action Heroine. You bring the
Distress!
WUTT2DO?
Sy: Delve deeply into who your heroine is, where she comes from
what shes been through. Re-evaluate her whole arc in the light of
where she ends up. Help her find her Secret Hearthfire.
Satinator: Hunger Games has been criticized for its ending. Some
men say the secret hearthfire isnt relatable to men. What say you to
this, Sy? Does it break apart from the traditional blockbuster formula
too much? How can we express something so personal from our
action heroine and make it relatable to both men and women?
Sy: Great point! This is going to take some delving and
background, but finding out how the hugely influential and beloved
action heroine Katnisss story ended up the way it did is worth the
effort.
In terms of story structure this topic breaks down into two prongs:
1. Can what happens AFTER the Act 3 Climax/ Her Boss
Fight/ the Supreme Ordeal ever by itself control the tone of
the whole story following Step 8? The brief answer
according to the examples and learned texts is: No.
2. Can a film be relatable to both men and women in a huge
way which is a heroic tragedy where the priceless
McGuffin is lost and practically all of the characters,
including the male lead, die various ghastly deaths? The
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brief answer is: Titanic. (Its not strictly action BUT its
James Cameron and we can always learn from his work.)
Back to the ending of the Mockingjay duology which completes the
four Hunger Games films. There are literally thousands of articles and
reviews on the installments of the series. But were story structuralists,
not film critics dammit!
First, some set-ups to show how post-Climax scenes (which we
are placing after Step 8) MAY influence the value charges of an entire
story.
Classic Greek plays are like math and architecture, Im glad they
exist and even more glad I dont have to study them. Greek stories are
big on major downer endings. Suzanne Collins has often said she
based a lot of her plot outline on the story of Theseus and the
Minotaur.
The similarities are pretty plain. Every few years an equal number
of Athenian boys and girls were taken away as tributes to appease a
victorious king in the capital of Crete. Theseus takes the place of one
of these chosen youths and in the third act slays the psycho serial
killer with the bull head and rescues the hot princess and her younger
sister.
Satinator: Sounds pretty upbeat so far.
Sy: Thats what the Greeks thought, so they fixed it. In most
versions Athena forces Theseus to leave the smokin babes on the
beach and go back home. The hero is so bummed he uses the wrong
sail on his ship causing Theseuss own father to kill himself.
Satinator: Holy Hamartia!
Sy: Still, Ovid and Plutarch (the original one) gave it two thumbs
up. And notice how the suicide of Theseuss father is set up earlier by
Mr. Absentminded Hero promising to raise the white sails if he
survived the Labyrinth.
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STEP 10
H E R O E S F A C E A C H O I C E : W H E T H E R T O R E M A I N I N
THE SPECIAL WORLD OR BEGIN THE JOURNEY HOME TO
T H E O R D I N A R Y W O R L D , - I N V O G L E R S S T E P 1 0 : T H E
ROAD BACK.
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The plotline they chose for Ripley in Alien went a different way. It
went ALL IS LOST.
And after the all is lost moment, unless youre Greek, a
redemption beat follows. Alien: Resurrection followed, pretty much
nailing Voglers step in the continuous arc. (Oscar nominee Joss
Whedon received sole writing credit for the fourth film featuring Ellen
Ripley, though he later sprayed acid blood on the final cut.)
Grumpy Sy: My point exactly, there literally is no Road Back for
Ripley. She does not return to anything familiar when they land on
Earth in Alien: Resurrection the final dialogue of the film is:
CALL:
What should we do now?
RIPLEY:
I don't know. [She looks out in the distance]
RIPLEY:
I'm a stranger here myself.
And as for Katniss, even if they rebuilt District 12, the Hob would
be empty, filled with ghosts.
Satinator: I dont normally like to encourage Syruss feline
grumpiness, but Voglers text sometimes puts Step 10 out of
chronological order, at a point which marks the passage from Act
Two to Act Three. He also mentions Chase Scenes, Retaliation and
Villain Escape (TWJ). These are different story elements to the
normally very brief epilogues which occur after McKees final action
beyond which the audience cannot imagine another.
Grumpy Sy: Exactly. In Voglers Step 10 hes imagining stuff all
over the place!
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[Satinator pics up mic, brushes off the dust and stands alone under
a bright spot light.]
Satinator: So, the road back, is the road ahead. The literal world is
the same as it was before the story began. What was once seen
through a limited perspective now is larger than the life once lived.
Thats good! Ill buy that. Lets Shirt it!
WUTTISIT?
Affable Sy: We argue Step 10: The Road Ahead of Her is a
component of post-climax Resolution or Epilogue structure. Robert
McKee and others have said that this part of story has three possible
uses:
Subplot closure;
Showing the spread of climactic effects (action heroine press
tour!);
An emotional pause before people got to the parking lot and see
someones dinged their ride.
WUTTUP?
Satinator: Just because the Boss Fight has been won and your
heroine has gazed into Her Secret Hearthfire, or had a parade, dont
stop building bridges with the audience. Step 10 is another chance to
contextualize her journey and keep the empathy train on track.
WUTT2DO?
Affable Sy: Depends on the number of subplots still unresolved in
your story after Steps 8 and 9. Many franchise sequels loom for your
Action Heroine on The Road Ahead of Her.
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100
STEP 11
101
102
WUTTISIT?
Sy: Step 11: Her Reconciled Self. A chance to hang up sword,
shield and helm in order to travel The Road Ahead of Her.
WUTTUP?
Sy: At the end of the first two Alien franchise films Ripley ends up
as she started: in hypersleep. But each time her social relationships
have been profoundly altered, her life forever changed. How does this
Ripley reconcile herself with her past self?
WUTT2DO?
Sy: There may not be much time, 1-3 pages of your screenplay. A
look, a gesture and word, or a glimmer of one not spoken, a motif
repeated can have immense impact here as the audience absorbs the
visual and sonic impact of Her Boss Fight.
Male characters can do it too: notice the last living thing Mark
Watney touches during the epilogue of The Martian is a cute wee little
plant. Thats a deliberate choice by director Ridley Scott and
screenwriter Drew Goddard.
See if something can build a bridge during the closing moments of
your Action Heroines. Give us a glimpse of Her Reconciled Self.
Sy: Whew! Nearly done.
Satinator: Says you. An Action Heroines work is never done.
Hwt! There! In the roiling distance!
Foes without number advance. They seek to destroy all she has
forsworn to defend!
Sy: Save it for the Boss Fight.
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STEP 12
THE
E L I X I R )
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105
It may not seem like much to many people, but for our Apex Action
Heroine Ellen Ripley its enough for her to build shelter in the
xenomorph storm and brave The Road Ahead of Her.
Katniss has it better than our 22nd century alien nemesis, and also
worse.
The defense of family, the sacrifice of herself to protect Prim, who
is the only person in the world Im certain I love has failed.
Ultimately Katnisss feline friendly sibling was caught up and mangled
and killed by the appalling machinery of power in the Capitol. It wasnt
in a formal arena, but Prim is just as dead as if no one had stood up
for her on Reaping Day (who knows, Prim and Rue would have made
a mighty duo in the first arena)
Katniss has lost more true friends than remain.
Her final sacrifice, a terminal attempt to give the people of Panem
a brighter future, is scorned. The deranged act of a madwoman driven
insane by the horrors of the arena. Shes not even able to kill herself!
Katniss and Peeta have children. But they play on a graveyard.
Against a backdrop like that, the audience will seek out any
glimmering sign Katniss has been able to Build a Sheltering Love. And
if it is there, however small, they will be dazzled by it.
WUTTISIT?
Sy: In Step 12: She Builds a Sheltering Love there may be a hold
fast where the audience can cross a draw bridge along with the Action
Heroine and have a sense of completion at journeys end.
WUTTUP?
Sy: This last step is based on every significant story event the
heroine has experienced. Your Action Heroines end to end journey
may be made up of multiple films, a trilogy of books or even a world
two million words strong and counting (Daenerys Stormborn of the
House Targaryen we are looking at you!!). Therefore, the tone and
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WUTT2DO?
Sy: Hit it wrong and thy shame shall echo through the Ancient
Theatre of Epidaurus. Hit it right and Beowulf will toast thee with a
great horn of the Mead of Poetry (skldskapar mjaar) in the hallowed
halls of Story!
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Step
Vogler 1985
A Practical Guide to THE
HERO WITH A THOUSAND
FACES
CALL TO ADVENTURE
HERO IS RELUCTANT AT
FIRST
HERO IS ENCOURAGED BY
THE WISE OLD MAN OR
WOMAN
HERO PASSES THE FIRST
THRESHOLD
SHE RE-EXAMINES
HER HIERARCHY OF
NEEDS
3
4
7.2
8
10
11
RESURRECTION
12
108
Sy: Well Satine, they are more similar than you might think, except
for their start point, how they end up, and most everything in between.
Satinator:
Sy: The great thing is both characters Kate and Selene have a
strong through line. THEIR imperatives drive the action. Their lapses
or (since you've been asking me to speak more Latin) lacuna drive the
action. And while they fulfill militaristic enforcement roles in their
respective societies, the way Kate ends up in Sicario is quite opposite
to where Selene finds herself at the end of Underworld. Let's dive into
the worlds of these two fascinating action heroines and mark the
Steps of their adventures.
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111
Action Heroine
Curriculum Vitae
UND ERWORLD
Selene
Position applied for: Death Dealer
Race: Vampire
Age: Legally I dont have to give this information, but after my
600th birthday I stopped giving a demon &^*(~
Hair: Dark Brown
Eye color: Brown / UV blue in vamp-rage
Height: Quite tall indeed when my combat platform heels are on
your chest.
Career Goal: Rid the world of Lycan trash, seek out the remnants
of good in my tattered
comprehensive dental.
Fangs: Natural
humanity,
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obtain
employment
with
Action
Heroines
Journey
1
HER
COMMITTED
WORLD
AWAKENING TO
HER
ADVENTURE
NEGATION OF
THE
AWAKENING
FINDING THE
MENTOR
WITHIN
THE HEROINE
BLOOMS
7.1
HER CAVE OF
WONDERS
7.2
HER WARM UP
BOSS FIGHT
charge.
Selenes WUBFs occur in very precise
measures:
The initial subway fight with Raze
(Kevin Grevious, who has a story
credit for the film and has challenged
Vin Diesel to a Gravelly Voice Off).
The brief dustup with Lucian (Michael
Sheen, who makes us wish
Shakespeare had written just one play
about werewolves).
The fight which results in the capture
of the (really unhygienic) lycan
scientist (Erwin Leder). His
torturesposition clarifies Corvins
significance and Kravens betrayal.
HER BOSS
FIGHT
HER SECRET
HEARTHFIRE
10
THE ROAD
AHEAD OF HER
11
HER
RECONCILED
SELF
12
SHE BUILDS A
SHELTERING
LOVE
11
SICAR IO
Kate
Action
Heroines
Journey
1
HER
COMMITTED
WORLD
118
2
AWAKENING TO
HER
ADVENTURE
3
NEGATION OF
THE
AWAKENING
4
FINDING THE
MENTOR
WITHIN
5
THE HEROINE
BLOOMS
7.1
HER CAVE OF
WONDERS
7.2
HER WARM UP
BOSS FIGHT
HER BOSS
FIGHT
10
11
12
HER SECRET
HEARTHFIRE
THE ROAD
AHEAD OF HER
Implicit.
HER
RECONCILED
SELF
Unknown.
SHE BUILDS A
SHELTERING
LOVE
124
WHEW!
Conclusions
(H O W E V E R , N O T Q U I T E
THE
E N D .)
125
128
EPILOGUE
129
PRE-CREDITS SCENES
(Also called Tags, Stingers, Credit Cookies, or Coda)
This SECTION is rated Arrrrrrrrrr for deliciously foul language and
general heresy.
Sy: Our first citation is Save The Cat! The Last Book on
Screenwriting You'll Ever Need by Blake Snyder.
Satinator: He was half right. You need this book too!
Sy: And our audiobook, which may be the first talking book to win
an Oscar.
We realize citing the late Mr. Snyder is controversial among some
industry intellectuals. But since he claimed the inspiration for his book
came from the movie Alien, where Sigourney Weaver's character
Ripley saves a cat named Jones, were totally down with him.
Some have heaped excoriating ridicule on Snyders fundamental
postulation that there be a scene in your film in which the hero does
something like saving a cat that defines who he is and makes
us, the audience, like him.
In fact the note most overwhelmingly often delivered by TV
executives to writers on pilot episodes is Yo, scriptmeister, WHY do
WE LIKE the [Main Character]?
Now, before you start dialing up Hollywood Paws or another
animal talent agency, lets move up one level of abstraction and get to
our point.
130
Satinator: You better have one, the credits below are getting tired
of waiting. Theyre like lions and tigers in cages under trap doors of
the Coliseum.
Sy: After mulling it, we suggest the most effective way of looking at
this essential segment of character presentation is to make the
character worthy of the audiences benevolent emulation. In other
words: would audience members like to have this character as a
friend and/or emulate some or all of their core characteristics?
Satinator: Mmmnn benevolent emulation sounds catchy. You
sure you dont want to trademark that?
Sy: I wont be greedy, but please you go ahead (he said
benevolently).
Satinator: Thanks, RK Syrus. You are a good guy, one worthy of
positive emulation.
Sy: Satine, this whole Action Heroines Journey was fun! And if
theres one thing we have learned from the business, a good first
installment should be followed Fast and Furiously by a Sequel to THE
ACTION HEROINES JOURNEY by us!
Satinator: Whoa there, shouldnt we make sure people like this
book first?
Sy: Think positive. You did a great job here. We havent even
scratched the surface.
As Don Kaufman said when someone suggested there are too
many female protagonist stories being developed:
What utter nonsense, Don said, his voice, normally gravelly,
dipping half an octave. I refute that entirely, sir. If the next 2000 years
131
133
134
ERUDITE CITATIONS
(CR ED IT S)
Aristotle, Poetics
In his Poetics, Aristotle put forth the idea that "A whole is what has
a beginning and middle and end." This generalized view of threepart plot structure (in some texts referred to as protasis, epitasis,
and catastrophe) many scholar believe prevailed until the Roman
drama critic Horace advocated a 5-act structure in his Ars Poetica:
"Neue minor neu sit quinto productior actu fabula" (lines 189-190)
"A play should not be shorter or longer than five acts." (wikia)
Seger, Linda.
Making A Good Script Great
Creating Unforgettable Characters
Advanced Screenwriting: Raising your Script to the Academy
Award Level
McKee, Robert.
o
o
o
135
Vogler, Christopher.
o A Practical Guide to The Hero With A Thousand Faces By
Joseph Campbell (originally compiled in 1985 as a Disney
studio memo).
o The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers
Backstory: The Art and Business of Storytelling iPad magazine
and The Q&A by the hardest working man in podcasting Jeff
Goldsmith. Jeff is a great industry writer but a better podcast
interviewer, there is none.- King Leonidas.
King, Viki. How to Write a Movie in 21 Days: The Inner Movie
Method
Coyne, Shawn. The Story Grid: What Good Editors Know (also
check out his free podcast with Masterclass level advice on craft
and the worst Don Corleone impressions currently on the internet
https://storygrid.simplecast.fm/.)
Egri, Lajos. The Art of Dramatic Writing
Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life
Pressfield, Steven; Shawn Coyne (Editor).
The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner
Creative Battles
Pascale, Amy. Joss Whedon: Geek King of the Universe - A
Biography (The biographer spent so much time with the writer,
director, producer and composer that she can legitimately call
herself a Jossite Knight. Ser Amy also has NEARLY the same
name as Amy Pascal the former powerhouse Chairperson of Sony
Pictures what are the chances, eh?)
Campbell, Joseph.
o The Hero with a Thousand Faces
o Pathways to Bliss
o Goddesses: Mysteries of the Feminine Divine
Wholeness
Frankel, Valerie Estelle.
Within
Woodman, Marion. Leaving My Father's House: A Journey to
Conscious Femininity
Jung, Carl G.
137
Odyssey: where and when she wrote, who she was, the use she
made of the Iliad, and how the poem grew under her hands.
[1897]
(I did not know
that!)
Gaiman, Neil How Stories Last explores the way stories, myths
and tales survive over great lengths of time and why creating for
the future means making works that will endure within the oral
tradition.
Once upon a time, Gaiman said, is code for Im lying to
you. We experience stories as lies and truth at the same time.
We learn to empathize with real people via made-up people. The
most important thing that fiction does is it lets us look out through
other eyes, and that teaches us empathythat behind every pair
of eyes is somebody like us.
- longnow.org/seminars/02015/jun/09/how-stories-last/
English Dictionary states that originally "actor" was used for both
sexes. The English word actress does not derive from the Latin
actrix, probably not even by way of French actrice; according to
Oxford, actress was "probably formed independently" in English.
As actress is a specifically feminine word, some groups assert
that the word is sexist. Gender-neutral usage of actor has reemerged in modern English, especially when referring to male and
female performers collectively, but actress remains the common
term used in major acting awards given to female recipients and is
common in general usage. Oxford English Dictionary (3 ed.). The New York Times. 18 October 1885
143
144
Fun Fact: Annie Lennox won an Oscar for the song "Into the
West." Best Music, Original Song. From the film The Lord of the
Rings: ROTK (2003) Shared with: Fran Walsh and Howard Shore.
145
146
JUICY BITS
!!!
147
Rogue Regained
The X-Men: Days of Future Past Rogue Cut Blu-ray retains the
lengthy sequence where the mutant Rogue and [SPOILER] go to
rescue [SPOILER].
Every movie has scenes that are cut out, but not every movie
has scenes cut out with such a beloved character, - Simon
Kinberg
This special edition Blu-ray features an action heroine definitely in
need of her own film played by Anna Paquin who won an Oscar at
the age of 11 for her turn in The Piano. Ms. Paquin has always
claimed no mutant powers were involved in her performance.
148
Sy: Even so, I will venture the issues besetting Alien were NOT
related to direction. David Fincher has been resoundingly successful
from Se7en in 1995 to Gone Girl in 2014. The pictures of the Alien
sets which filled the, at the time, largest sound stage in Britain are
breathtaking. The effects team was Oscar nominated for Best
Effects, Visual Effects. The issues identified by Cameron and Foster
were fundamentally tied to story, structure and character.
A Fox executive involved in the production said We did not have a
script going into the movie only a release date.
Satinator: By the time Fincher agreed to direct, about $13 million
(back when that was real money) had already been spent on the
production (Cinescope). Including a reported $500,000 on a script
doctor and after that doctor was shown the production infirmary door,
another $600,000 for an emergency cardiac rewrite. And no script,
huh?
Sy: While were on that topic, we are compelled by our good taste,
a desire to serve the Arts and our passion to benefit all humankind to
mention:
149
Sy: It is a fact that studio execs like the ones who worked hard on
Alien often take a bad rap. They have a difficult job and there is high
turnover and burnout. Execs are often smart, dedicated and have
many more letters after their names than both me and Satine
combined.
But
Satinator: I saw that but a mile off.
Sy: But, for an IP which was said to be crucial to the studio, and
for a film budgeted at $55 million (back in 1991 when that was real
money compare Tim Burtons Batman at $35 million a few years
earlier, and the $18 million for Aliens) the admission that We did not
have a script going into the movie its like, all meh.
Satinator: Thats your scholarly assessment? Meh.
Sy: Indubitably.
On the other hand, the movie did provide Ryan Reynolds
Deadpool with one of his more heartwarming exchanges with a
wayward mutant youth:
movement to ban our book from libraries. The Amish will burn it, with
wooden matches of course.
Satinator: Dont be such a worrier. According to the Classification
and Rating Rules published by the Motion Picture Association of
America (MPAA) and the National Association of Theatre Owners
(NATO).
Sy: NATO? They seriously call themselves that? They dont have
nuclear warheads or anything do they?
Satinator: Only the Negasonic variety. Anyhow, according to
MPAA, NATO, and their Classification and Rating Appeals Board
(CARA no relation to Kara Zor-El), they have pretty wide discretion
in awarding the coveted rated R: Restricted cougar.
The Hip Hop Project, has seventeen uses of the f word, Gunner
Palace has 42. And Mark Watney uses the ultimate curse of mass
destruction twice in The Martian. All are PG-13.
Sy: Oh thank frak for that.
Satinator: There is the link. Warning: absolutely no nude or gross
pictures. http://filmratings.com/downloads/rating_rules.pdf
151
14
http://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca
152
153
I think anyone whos seen Aliens knows that the bitch is this
creature, she says. She sighs. Anyway, there was nothing I
could do about it15.
Sigourney Weaver talked to Roger Ebert about being a top moneymaking action heroine actor: Sigourney Weaver: A woman of action
and drama and comedy January 5, 1995, rogerebert.com
"It [the Variety article] went on and on, Weaver was recalling,
about Arnold and the other top box-office men, and what that
meant about their careers. But it didn't even say, Isn't it
interesting that there's a woman in the top three? They sort of
went, like, it was a fluke.
Sigourney Weaver has said Ellen Ripley is larger than herself as
the actor who portrayed her. Asked to elaborate she said:
I feel like Im a little human soul and when I tap into Ripley I feel
like, because of the writers [woot! woot!] whove created her its
just theres so much story to tell and she holds the story to me.
Shes a very compelling character. I was sort of the vessel so Im
not really the expert, but I can feel people have a connection with
her because of her moral compass and because somehow shes
so consistent. She cant help wanting to preserve humanity. - (LA
Times Hero Complex; woot! woot! added.)
http://www.ew.com/article/1992/05/29/sigourney-weaver-talks-about-
alien3
154
TV we Love
Felicity (TV)
Alias (TV)
Lost (TV)
Fringe (TV)
All outstandingly successful series with hugely influential female
characters created by The Force Awakens writer/director J.J. Abrams.
Seems like someone knows what side the female protagonist bagel is
buttered on.
The Archer Film Festival is a high school film festival that strives to
empower female filmmakers. Bad Robot (Abramss production
company) is a sponsor of the festival and is taking action in ensure job
submissions be proportional to the United States population.
Abrams gave the keynote speech and talked about diversity,
stating that theres a benefit to voices not just of women, but people
of color and people that are typically not as well-represented.
Abrams also highlighted how important action is, and encouraged
aspiring female filmmakers to take action after sharing an anecdote
about how director Mike Nichols pushed him to do the same when
Abrams was in his early twenties. Implicit there is also a very valuable
lesson about the importance of mentorship. Nichols and Abrams
worked on Regarding Henry together, with Nichols as director and 24year-old Abrams as writer. Its advice that someone in any field can
really use.
He taught me that my voice was as important as anyones. Not
to say that I know any better. Its critical that you dont walk
around thinking that, but to know that your voice matters. That, to
me, is a really important thing to keep with youBut wherever
the inspiration comes from, when the inspiration comes, I think
the most important thing is action. And figuring out a way to trust
yourself enough and know that your voice is important enough
and that you should express it. - http://www.themarysue.com/jjabrams-archer/
Sy: People cant see this but Satine just did the call me thing with
her hand.
Satinator: Did not! Yknow I think its time we talked about
separate secret lairs.
WUTTUP AT AFI
Sy: American Film Institute (afi.com):
156
MISSISSIPPI FILMIN
Sy: In fact the more they increase their cash incentives for film
production in that state (filmmississippi.org), the more we are
positively warming up to The Hospitality State, despite what pickers
may tweet at us.
Notable writers, performers, and galactic nemeses originally from
Mississippi include:
Darth Vader (born James Earl Jones, O Nom), Oprah Winfrey
O Nom, Lacey Chabert, Morgan Freeman O Winner, Jim Henson
O Nom, Gerald McRaney, Parker Posey, Jamie Lynn Spears, Sela
Ward, Elvis (last week spotted near the town of Alligator pop. 208 + 1
King), John Grisham, Charlaine Harris, Thomas Harris, Kathryn
Stockett, Jesmyn Ward, Eudora Welty, Tennessee Williams O Nom,
and of course: William Faulkner who was a pretty handy screenwriter The Big Sleep (1946) - and gave the best acceptance speech ever
receiving his 1949 Nobel Prize, while he was TOTALLY WASTED!!!
#Respect.
Satinator: We are only really down on those few members of the
state bureaucracy who are, to this very day, pissed off at the
outcomes of:
the struggle for gay marriage (LGBT persons in Mississippi face
legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. State law
158
159
160
MORE WORDS!
Appendix
(FRANCHISE BODYBUILDER)
The first thing I did was give Ripley a past, a life back on
Earth, - James Cameron describes his process when he set about
conceiving Aliens.
161
The
Future
of
Franchising:
The
Shared
Universe
flickeringmyth.com
Ripley: She has no special weapon or suit of flying armor. The core
of her character as it was revealed during the spaceship of horrors
stress of Alien and then expanded upon in the next film is determined
innovation to overcome a physically disadvantaged situation. She
cannot kick the crap out of the alien with her own strength she must
find a way to win for herself and those she has to protect. She uses
tools: notably a grappling hook and a Power Loader.
Disadvantage: Being tied to fighting one semi-sentient type of
monster. Even Ms. Weaver said by the third film: "I felt that Ripley was
going to become a burden to the story ... There are only so many
aspects to that character you can do." (Cinescape, cited on
michaelbiehn.co.uk). To be fair, by Alien the studio was planning to
kill all the friends she made in Aliens, convinced her to shave her
head and worst of all cut out from the script swaths of Ellen Ripleys
backstory which could have depthified and energized future iterations
(Last in Space ew.com).
Frankly, Ripley is too smart for her opponent. In William
(Neuromancer) Gibsons draft of Alien the android Bishop (exquisitely
played by Lance Henriksen) suggests they track the aliens back to
their home world and kill them (a la Heinleins Starship Troopers).
This is a Darwinian universe, Hicks. Will the alien be the ultimate
survivor, or will man? If the sapient humanoids admonition is to have
weight, the notional intelligence of the xenomorph would have had to
be upped at some point. As Hudson said in the second film Theyre
animals. Just before he got outflanked and eaten.
Satinator: However, lack of advanced language and calculus skills
has not stopped the alien from going on to make films by itself
(wonder if it has an agent and manager?). Alien vs. Predator and
Aliens vs. Predator: Requiem were both smaller scale films but quite
successful.
The good news is thanks to Ridley Scott, Jon Spaihts and Damon
Lindelof, the Alien world has been depthified by a return to LV-223 in
the chronological prequel Prometheus. According to some sources the
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Its got a lot of sinew in it. It will certainly stand up to the others
and probably break a lot of new ground as well.
Just like careful maintenance of cropland, filmmakers can harvest
the same franchise fields successfully season after season, but only if
they have the wisdom to put character development first and foremost
as they did with Ripley in the first two Alien films.
Sy: Now onto an action heroine whos been in four huge smash
hits and has all the cool toys: Katniss Everdeen!
Shes got bows and arrows, the Mockingjay pin, the three finger
salute, the theme song whistle. And beyond just being distinctive,
each one of these story artifacts holds special resonance for the
personal history of the action heroine. Her best bow was made by her
father, she hides it in the hollow of a tree just beyond the District 12
perimeter fence. The mockingjay pin was given to her by a kindly
character (film: Hob Vendor; book: Madge Undersee the mayors
daughter). The three finger salute is a regional gesture, understood by
all her neighbors. The theme notes evoke Rue from District 11,
Katnisss junior ally in the arena.
The important thing is all of these story artifacts exist before the
Inciting Incident and then are given clear meaning and sharp
iconographic energy as they seem, effortlessly, to surface during the
narrative.
Satinator: That kind of effortlessness, it takes a lot of effort.
Symbols alone do not build character or win Panem revolutions.
But notice how powerful it can be to associate images, sounds,
objects and implements with all that is best in your action heroine.
This is more about symbolism as it relates to the story, not symbols
just for merchandizing. Your audience will see right through that.
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Sarah finds herself in a straight jacket and only has a paperclip, pretty
much you know shes going to find a believable way to get free.
A commitment to try to alter a really bad future for her son John, or
prepare him for the worst if she cannot.
A guarded acceptance of former foes as allies. For example in T-2
the reprogrammed T-800 and Dr. Miles Dyson, and in TVs Sarah
Connor Chronicles Cameron (!) the Terminator (Summer Glau) and
Derek Reese. Had that series gone on she may even have tried to coopt the boss Terminator the T-1001.
Satinator: Speaking of television, thats where you absolutely
NEED to have a backstory arising out of your heroines Committed
World that keeps on giving. And giving. And giving enough for 23
forty-two minute episodes per year plus a Holiday Special.
Sy: The showrunners of the action-adventure drama television
series Supergirl on CBS were faced with that problem. In fact things
looked very grim for our girl in blue and red. Superman is present in
her world, albeit in a different city. Smallville (Clark Kent as a young
man) ran for 10 years and 218 episodes. What possibly could the
writers do with Kara Zor-El that was not going to be a warmed over
rehash of her much more famous cousins legend? The odds were
stacked mightily against Kara before she ever unfurled her cape!
Satinator: And then?
Sy: After a brilliant bit of luck casting Melissa Benoist as the title
character, the shows bible has clearly built a backbone on the
superheroines Committed World. Firstly, shes older when she leaves
Krypton. Shes 12. In human years just let me think, uh
Satinator: Thats still 12.
Sy: Thanks. Also Kara Zor-El was sent with a specific mission: to
help her cousin on this weird planet. Along with the burden of
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expectation she also has a lot that Kent does not. Kara has first-hand
memories of Krypton, its people, rituals, foods, music. The
depthification Her Committed World provides to the story is the spark
that set off a serialized success: 97% approval rating on Rotten
Tomatoes and an average of 10 million total viewers per episode so
far!
Yes Satine, Kara Zor-El packed her Kryptonian baggage and is on
a trip to Successville.
Satinator: (makes sharp inhalation, as though in pain)
As a reality check (and, working with Syrus, you bet I have a
perma-stickie on my monitor screen to do just that at regular intervals)
lets contrast some indisputable male action franchise champs:
James Bond: 26 films and counting
Batman: 11 theatrical films (including the 1940s serials)
The major advantage the guys seem to have is a deeply seated,
well defined backstory that dates chronologically from before their first
adventure. In the case of Batman, Christopher Nolan and David Goyer
successfully mined Bruces origin for the trilogy igniter Batman Begins.
What the enduring hero does always comes from who he is and
that is shaped by an established past event, history or the legacy he
receives. This is, in our opinion far more important than having a
multiplicity of different enemies to fight or varying settings in which
those fights take place.
The legacies of these heroes which has normally been internalized
by the audience gives instant, deep and resonating meaning to the
otherwise superficial objects associated with the characters:
The Walther pistol is like the sword Excalibur and in 007s hands it
invokes the same protector of the Realm signification.
The Batmobile instantly invokes the Batcave, the darkness and the
creatures there and the driving shadow within Bruce Wayne.
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Sy: These types of character traits are known as canon. You can
redesign and modernize, but at the core of the most enduring action
heroes are backstory and rules you just dont mess with.
For example, people totally noticed when Christopher Nolan
changed the movie Zorro to the operetta Die Fledermaus on the night
Bruce Waynes parents are murdered. But since Die Fledermaus
means The Bat most ardent fans have come to accept this swerve
from accepted tradition (rambles.net).
Of course if you really want to feel the Wrath of the Canon Zealot,
just try gender flipping a space pilot action hero/heroine. Katee
Sackhoff definitely braved the heat of a hundred Viper thrusters after it
was announced she would play Lieutenant Starbuck. In the original
1978 series the character was male. In the universally acclaimed
SyFy reboot of Battlestar Galactica, she was, ah, a she!
"I was booed, Sackhoff said after the 2004 San Diego Comic Con.
It was lovely (Sackhoff sarcasm). At that point, I'd seen the miniseries
and I knew I'd done a good job. I had my confidence back. I didn't
care anymore." (ew.com, Sackhoff sarcasm added.)
Satinator: Go Katee, woot!
Besides the three we have looked at in depth, other successful
action heroine franchises are:
Selene (Kate Beckinsale) the vampire in the Underworld
series
Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) from the Tomb Raider duology
Alice (Milla Jovovich) from Resident Evil
And the upcoming franchise jump-starters:
Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) (2017)
Captain Marvel (???) (2019)
Black Widow (????)
See if you can identify their iconography and the tenets of their
character canon and how those arise out of each protagonists
Committed World.
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HAAYYYAHHH!!!
Story-Fu Secrets
from the Shao Lin
Temple
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Satinator: Goon, its not like that other group youre always
bugging me to join, Story Fight Club.
Sy: Ok. The trick is freeze frame visualize the worst possible
thing that can happen to your protagonist which also sets the plot in
motion. Then reverse engineer back to the Ordinary World to show
how they come to be in that spot. At once youve got a clip for the
trailer which gives nothing away and teases the lead up to the Act 1
break.
Satinator: Thats pretty sneaky.
Sy: No one ever said writing was fair.
And heres some very exclusive writers resource references that are
worth the cost of this book. Each.
Writers on Genre, 2008, produced by the Writers Guild
Foundation.
And
The Dialogue - Learning From the Masters Dozens of
interviews with some of Hollywoods Hottest Screenwriters. High
powered producer Mike (Rush Hour 2, Fifty Shades of Grey) De Luca
somehow found time between being nominated for Oscars to
compile this brilliant set of one-on-ones.
And
Anatomy of a Script with Susannah Grant, Nancy Meyers,
Callie Khouri and many others, this series is also produced by the
Writers Guild Foundation which has 93 views, half of them ours.
Really great Masterclass level stuff with the greatest screenwriters
ever. Known to few people. Now known to you.
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Youre welcome!
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Dont give up. Youre going to get kicked in the teeth. A lot.
Learn to take a hit, then pick yourself up off the floor. Resilience
is the true key to success.
Melissa Rosenberg (Twilight, Dexter)
Fun Fact: the second Academy Awards were held in 1930. The
event and the presentation ceremony lasted about thirty minutes.
There was some confusion about who was nominated, the host
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William C. DeMille had a list, which was in his pocket, then he had a
drink and well, everyone recalls Bess and Josephine did a swell job
on these here fine films and deserved to be on the final list which was
compiled when everyone sobered up. #F**kProhibition
Bess Meredyth
A Woman of Affairs (1928) Nominated
Wonder of Women (1929) Nominated
Josephine Lovett
Our Dancing Daughters (1928) Nominated
Frances Marion
The Big House (1930) WINNER!
The Champ (1931) WINNER!
The Prizefighter and the Lady (1933) Nominated
Sarah Y. Mason
Little Women (1933) WINNER!
Sonya Levien
State Fair (1933) Nominated
Interrupted Melody (1955) WINNER!
Lenore J. Coffee
Four Daughters (1938) Nominated
Elizabeth Hill
The Citadel (1938) Nominated
Dorothy Parker
A Star Is Born (1937) Nominated
Smash-Up: The Story of a Woman (1947) Nominated
Sy: Just that title deserves SOME kind of award: Smash-Up: The Story of
a Woman.
Joan Harrison
Foreign Correspondent (1940) Nominated
Rebecca (1940) Nominated
Lillian Hellman
The Little Foxes (1941) Nominated
The North Star (1943) Nominated
Claudine West
Goodbye Mr. Chips (1939) Nominated
Mrs. Miniver (1942) WINNER!
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Well, I knew damn well we werent going to win, She said later. When
asked how she could know that she replied, Well, I did. And I was right.
Irvings more brave than I am, so he went alone. But Im smart. I went to
Paris instead! - (Michigan Quarterly Review)
Elaine May
Heaven Can Wait (1978) Nominated
Primary Colors (1998) Nominated
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awards_and_nominations_received_by_Kristen_Wii
g.
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It seems that the greatest difficulty is to find the end. Dont try
to find it, its there already.
Sophia Coppola (Lost in Translation, The Virgin Suicides)
Dont lose faith in what you are trying to do, even though you
will get pummeled emotionally left and right. There are a lot of
NOs to any YES. And thats OK.
Jennifer Lee (Frozen, Wreckit Ralph)
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Satinator: One day, Sy, Ill find whoever taught you Photoshop,
and there will be blood!
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You can read Satine Phoenix & RK Syruss sci-fi Graphic Novel
Series New Praetorians by going to NewPraetorians.com or catch
Satine at one of the Southern California Comic Book Conventions.
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