One of my students in the online screenwriting class I’m currently teaching — “Character Archetypes” — posted that the wonderful 6-part PBS series The Power of Myth, featuring Bill Moyers interviewing Joseph Campbell, is no longer available to buy. To which I can only say:
“%#&@^%&$!!!”
That series, originally broadcast in 1988, is the source of some of the best knowledge I’ve acquired about storytelling, characters, myth, even life. I’ve documented just a dollop of those insights here and here. I mean Hel-lo! “Follow your bliss” anyone?! And PBS does not have it in their catalog anymore?!?!
Thankfully, there’s this wonderful little thing known as YouTube. I’ll start posting The Power of Myth excerpts today, then again tomorrow, and so on to see how deep into the series the collective cyber-community has gone in posting Joseph Campbell’s work on the Internet.
This is Segment 1 of Part 1, “The Hero’s Adventure” from The Power of Myth. Truly an awesome series.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq4QEWak4EY]
I know the LA Public Library
has a couple copies of the full interview on “The Power of Myth”(DVD)
The Library is one great source of info that people tend to forget about.
Scott posted about the library in screenwriting on:
Saturday, June 7, 2008
How I write a script – Part 3
For me it’s one of the first places I go for research if I get stuck and it’s a great place to get new ideas
Love the library, Shea. UCLA has an excellent set of libraries as well. Even the Beverly Hills library is a good one. I found segments 1-6 of “The Hero’s Adventure” which I’ll post with embedded video every day this week. That’s actually the most relevant part of the series per screenwriting, although all of it is amazing.
Thanks for sharing. You’ve shared several lectures with this material – but he is even more dynamic in person.
Thanks!
Julie
Hey Scott — Just a heads up, Netflix has The Power of Myth. It is a two disc collection and I’m assuming it covers everything from the PBS series. I have it queued up so I will eventually get around to renting it.
Netflix has it streaming.