Screenwriting 101: Pen Densham

“Joseph Campbell’s studies of myths, legends, and religions suggested that exactly the same story components cropped up in every culture, language, and historical age. Therefore, the human animal seems to like seeing the same stories over and over again, with only slight variations of time, place, or character. (Ergo television). If you turn around the theory (that all cultures tell the same stories), I believe it proves that all stories are basically from exactly the same root… the most primary needs and experience of the human animal. That may be why we say there are only five or six major plots. In a very oversimplified way, I interpret this to mean that all stories come from fundamental issues of human biology.

They are about how to find a mate… Love stories. How to find food and survive… Disaster and treasure-hunting tales. How to avoid being hunted and killed… Murder mysteries and Creature films — from Jaws to Jurassic Park. Male-conflict stories…Where two bull-humans bash at each other and the winner mates happily ever after with the Alpha female. High Noon, Rocky, Face / Off, etc.”

 — Pen Densham (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Moll Flanders, Larger Than Life)