Star Wars, The Matrix & The Hero’s Journey For VFX Artists
How to Grow as a VFX Artist by Studying the Power of The Hero’s Journey
“Movies, Myth & The Hero with a Thousand Faces” is a discussion between Mike Hill, a film designer (Blade Runner 2049), and Robert Breedlove about the power of film and storytelling. They explore the concept of the Hero’s Journey, a narrative structure that was popularized by Joseph Campbell, a mythologist and writer, in his book “The Hero with a Thousand Faces”. The Hero’s Journey is a universal pattern that can be found in many myths, legends, and stories across different cultures and times. It describes the stages of transformation that a hero undergoes as they embark on an adventure, face challenges, overcome obstacles, and return with a boon for themselves and their society.
The video uses two iconic film franchises, “The Matrix” and “Star Wars”, as examples of how the Hero’s Journey is applied in modern cinema. The video analyzes the characters, themes, symbols, and messages of these films and how they resonate with the audience. The video also explores the relationship between human action and value, and how stories can inspire people to pursue their own heroic potential.
Why This Matters To You – The VFX Artist
The hero’s journey is a useful concept for VFX artists in their jobs because it can help them to create more effective and engaging visual effects for films. Here are some reasons why:
– The hero’s journey is a universal pattern that can be found in many myths, legends, and stories across different cultures and times. It describes the stages of transformation that a hero undergoes as they embark on an adventure, face challenges, overcome obstacles, and return with a boon for themselves and their society. By understanding the hero’s journey, VFX artists can align their visual effects with the narrative structure and the emotional arc of the story. They can also use visual elements such as symbols, colors, lighting, and sound to enhance the message and create an impact.
– The hero’s journey is also a source of inspiration and creativity for VFX artists. By studying the hero’s journey, VFX artists can explore different genres, themes, and styles of storytelling. They can also learn from the examples of iconic films that follow the hero’s journey, such as “The Matrix” and “Star Wars”, and how they use visual effects to create immersive and realistic worlds for their stories.
– The hero’s journey is also a way of connecting with the audience and the filmmakers. By creating visual effects that match the hero’s journey, VFX artists can help the audience to relate to the heroes and their struggles and learn from their experiences. They can also help the filmmakers to achieve their vision and express their ideas through visual storytelling. Instead of just making VFX eye candy, VFX artists can collaborate with the filmmakers and the audience to create visual effects that are truly more meaningful and memorable.
