F162.
Screenwriting with the Hero's Journey and Beyond
Friday, February 9, 2024
12:10 pm to 1:25 pm
In Story (1997), Robert McKee proposed the Hero's Journey serves as a universal outline for many stories and encouraged its use for screenplays. In this panel, we will explore if this is still true. What are the steps in the HJ? How have screenwriters borrowed from its structure? What films deviate from the HJ norm and how? What other "journeys" can screenwriters use when crafting their stories? The panelists will include films which focus on diverse represenation to discuss these questions.
Participants
Dennis Etzel, Jr. (he/they) is a neuroqueer writer who lives in Topeka, Kansas and teaches at Washburn University. His poetry books include The Sum of Two Mothers, My Secret Wars of 1984, and This Removed Utopia. They have won awards for diversity and inclusion, and lead Kansas writing workshops.
Kevin Rabas leads the poetry and scriptwriting tracks at Emporia State. His short films have shown across Kansas, Missouri, and beyond, including Strawberry Hill Fight Club, a selection for the IFC KC film festival, KIFF, and No Coast Film Festival. Rabas served as Poet Laureate of Kansas, 2017–19.
Matthew Nyquist is an associate professor in film and video in Washburn University's Mass Media Department. Nyquist earned an MFA in film and TV Production from USC's SCA. Nyquist worked for Academy Award Winner Fred Roos in the story department, reading and selecting scripts for production.
