If you have seen Star Wars then you know Joseph Campbell's work. If you ever have seen The Lion King then you have seen one of Campbell's best student's, Chris Vogler, work.


Chris Vogler wrote the game changing book  The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. I read this book over 20 years ago and it changed the way I look at story. Chris studied the work and principles of the late master Joseph Campbell. His book The Hero with a Thousand Faces was the bases for Star Wars as well as almost every other Hollywood feature film in the past 60 years. 
What Chris Vogler did so well is that he translated Campbell's work and applied it to movies. The Writer's Journey explores the powerful relationship between mythology and storytelling in a clear, concise style that's made it required reading for movie executives, screenwriters, playwrights, scholars, and fans of pop culture all over the world. He has influenced the screenplays of movies from THE LION KING to FIGHT CLUB to BLACK SWAN to NOAH.

"I teach sometimes, and always say that Chris Vogler is the first book that everyone's got to read." 

-- Darren Aronofsky , Oscar-nominated Screenwriter/Director, Noah, Black Swan, The Wrestle

Pretty high praised from one of the best filmmakers working today. In this episode I ask Chris to breakdown a bunch of concepts of the Hero's Journey, why it resinates with people around the world and what makes an amazing hero and villain. 
Enjoy my conversation with Chris Vogler.

Screenwriting & Story Blueprint: The Hero's Two Journeys
The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, 3rd Edition
Myth & the Movies: Discovering the Myth Structure of 50 Unforgettable Films
The Hero with a Thousand Faces (The Collected Works of Joseph Campbell)
Memo from the Story Department: Secrets of Structure and Character
The Million Dollar Screenplay