JAWS: Masterclass in creating Blockbuster plot structures

JAWS is a 1975 thriller directed by Steven Spielberg based on Peter Benchley’s book. The movie is about a menacing shark that destroys the peace of a resort island until three men hunt it down. The story explores basic human desires of Tranquillity, Accumulation, Preservation and Curiosity. Mythosis uses 4 mythological tales to extract the plot structure of the movie.

1. Mythological tales reveal the invisible plot structure of any story

1A. 98% of the events are borrowed from 4 mythological tales

Brody’s quest is driven by the desire to be in secure surroundings and mirrors the tale of Odysseus from Greek mythology, Both Odysseus & Brody navigate their way out of inhospitable territory to return home.

Vaughan’s quest is driven by selfishness and mirrors the tale of Valmiki from Hindu mythology. Both Valmiki & Vaughan further their own interests by sacrificing others.

Hooper’s quest is driven by the desire to explore & discover and mirrors the tale of Innana from Sumerian mythology. Both Innana & Hooper get trapped in the “Underworld” and have to be rescued.

Quint's quest is driven by the desire to survive a threat and mirrors the tale of Kans from Hindu mythology. Both Kans & Quint fail to kill their nemesis.

Detailed mirroring of each character to their respective mythological tales is in section “3A. Quests of characters and their mythological counterparts”

1B. 32 mythological tales are the source of all stories, even the untold ones

Human beings are driven by 16 fundamental desires. Every desire, whether encountering fulfilment or unfulfillment, gives rise to two distinct quests. Thus, a spectrum of 32 unique quests mirrors every human desire.

We have discovered mythological tales from across civilizations that uniquely portray each one of these 32 human quests. While each mythological tale stands as a distinct quest, the true magic unfolds when these tales are combined. This synergy is evident in the epics of Odyssey and Ramayan, where various universal quests seamlessly intertwine.

Combining any five tales from the 32, generates a staggering 24 million unique story plots. Take it a step further, by combining six tales the possibilities explode to an astounding 600 million!

JAWS' unique plot structure is #135,294 that emerges from interweaving the tales of Valmiki, Odysseus, Innana, & Kans.

2. Potential of JAWS' plot structure: $202-223MM

2A. Evaluation of JAWS' plot structure

An analysis of Blockbuster, Hit & Flop plots has led to the discovery of Mythosis Code. The Code reveals the story principles shared by all Blockbusters. We use the Code to estimate a story’s potential.

All Blockbusters have at least 3 universal quests. JAWS uses 4 universal quests of Tranquillity, Accumulation, Preservation and Curiosity.
In Blockbusters, each universal quest is mirrored by ONLY ONE character. Brody mirrors the quest of Tranquillity. Hooper mirrors the universal quest of Curiosity & Vaughan mirrors the quest of Accumulation. Quint mirrors the quest of Preservation.
Every Blockbuster character borrows at least 35% of the universal quest. Brody borrows 50% of the quest for Tranquillity. Hooper borrows 63% of the quest for Curiosity. Vaughan borrows 39% of the quest for Accumulation whereas Quint borrows 41% of the quest for Preservation.
Blockbusters interweave different quests to create a tight plot structure. Interweaving occurs when events of 2 quests occur simultaneously in the story. Blockbusters have a quest interweaving threshold of 0.5. JAWS’ quest interweaving score is 0.83 and is above par. An example of interweaving the quests of Quint & Hooper:

2B. Plot structure is the most important but least understood element of storytelling

Any plot structure that borrows events from at least 3 mythological tales has high resonance. In our own lives, each one of us identifies with at least one quest to fulfil a basic human desire. The more quests woven into a story, the wider its appeal.

The nature of mythological tales used, makes the plot structure fresh & unique. Besides, appealing to a larger audience size the interweaving of various human desires creates a unique and original story.

Interweaving mythological tales makes the plot structure cohesive. Stories become seamless when characters are woven with each other through their quests and not merely by relationships.

Characters are consistent when they mirror a single mythological tale. Characters pursuing more than one quest appear confusing due to their divergent desires.

Borrowing 35% or more events from each mythological tale strengthens both the plot structure & character. The plot structure becomes flat when characters borrow less than the threshold. Each mythological tale has multiple twists & turns hence no forced injection is required. Characters become layered & complex when their journey is deep.

2C. Measuring the revenue potential of JAWS' plot structure

We have created an algorithm by assigning weights to the principles of The Mythosis Code. The algorithm calculates the potency of a story’s plot structure and estimates its corresponding audience appeal. Blockbuster plot structures have a score of at least 0.64 and appeal to 20% of the audiences.

The plot structure of JAWS makes it the strongest script in the last 50 years of Hollywood productions. With a script score of 1.55 the movie will appeal to 46.68 – 51.60% of the population. Our estimate of the movie’s revenues from its audience appeal is $202 – 223MM in the domestic market. The actual revenue was $260MM.

3. Deconstructing the plot structure of JAWS

We have identified 32 universal quests that represent every human desire. These quests are the superset of thousands of stories across cultures that reflect our collective subconscious. Each quest has a structured sequence of events divided into 5 major arcs.

We map a character’s quest to the relevant mythological tale (universal quest) which reveals the gaps in their quest, if any. The ideal Plot Structure is constructed by plugging these gaps with the missing events from the tale. These events strengthen both the journey of characters as well as the weaving of quests without altering the story.

3A. Quest of characters and their mythological counterparts

Quest 1: Vaughan mirrors the universal quest for Accumulation

Vaughan’s desire for Accumulation stems from the need to collect & own. The tale of Valmiki from Hindu mythology has a robust expression in Dicken’s character of Scrooge which is the universal quest for Accumulation.

Quest 2: Brody mirrors the universal quest for Tranquillity

Brody’s desire for Tranquillity stems from the need to be in secure surroundings. The tale of Odysseus from Greek mythology is the universal quest for Tranquillity.

Quest 3: Hooper mirrors the universal for Curiosity

Hooper’s desire for Curiosity stems from the need to explore. The tale of Innana from Sumerian mythology is the universal quest for Curiosity.

Quest 4: Quint mirrors the universal quest for Preservation

Quint’s desire for Preservation stems from the need to survive a threat. The tale of Kans from Hindu mythology is the universal quest for Preservation.

Tags: 1975, Accumulation, Box office, Character development, Curiosity, Innana, Kans, Movie Review, Mythology, Odysseus, Preservation, Script, Steven Spielberg, Story plot, Tranquillity, Universal Pictures, Valmiki, Zanuck/Brown Company