Grandpa Ivan is an
elderly, retired hermit who lives in the deep swampy bayous of the South, far
away from any type of civilization. Back when he was much younger he took an
interest in guns and weapons, and because of this he decided to join the army.
However, he was kicked out of boot camp for constantly disobeying orders. To
him, fighting in war was like a game and never took anything seriously. He was
sent back to his mother's home, who shortly died thereafter from an ailment she
was suffering from. After her death, Ivan felt bitter and tried to find some
way to support himself. He then decided to take his love for using guns
elsewhere, such as in hunting! He would kill animals for fun or
After his exile, he
decided to become a recluse in the deepest parts of the swamp. He built his own
house and created a moat around it to
keep away intruders. The only two friends he has now is his pet alligator named
Margie that he tamed while building his house and his M16 assault rifle that he
used in the army, but now uses it as a weapon to protect his home. These two
are always seen by his side. Since then, no one has ever ventured near his home
in fears that they might get shot at. Of course his landscaping disturbed some
of the residents of the swamp, especially one swamp deer in particular.
Grandpa Ivan's
Attributes:
- Insane
- Aggressive
- Fearless
- Impatient
- Rebellious
- Unpredictable
- Proud
- Old
- Territorial
- Short
- Stuck in the past
- Mean
- Ruthless
- Paranoid
- Protective
- Resourceful
- Antisocial
- Kooky
Toll Booth Scenario:
Grandpa Ivan was driving his old, clunky minivan down the road with Boomer in the backseat when he came across a tollbooth. He checked his back pocket for his wallet and discovered that he left his wallet at home! Since he was old, he always had trouble remembering small things. He went out of his car to see if there was anyone around that he could possibly borrow money from, even though he hated dealing with the townsfolk, but in this case he didn't really have a choice. However, he didn't see anyone. He was getting very impatient and worried, his house was being unattended! Those pesky kids could be messing up his lawn this very minute! He knew he couldn't wait any longer so he just took the chance to drive around the toll booth and into the woods without any precautions. The car had a few scratches and twigs stuck in it after he drove out, but Ivan didn't really care since his car was kind of falling apart anyways.
I really like your thought process about figuring out the characteristics of your character, then applying them in the scenario. It was very short, precise, comedic in a way, and simple. I thought your scenario fit the characteristics you listed perfectly. I'm very interested in what direction you're going to further develop your character for the animated short. Kudos! It was a great read! =]
ReplyDeleteWhoops, I forgot to comment on your backstory. I find it dark, but not in a bad way. I like it. I kinda find it very interesting about how his enemies are kids invading his front lawn. I feel like that incentive will deliver your character in a strong way if you're still sticking with the idea for your animated short (at least, when you told the class that idea when you presented). Regardless, I'm interested to see where you're going to go with this character.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I was thinking of probably going with a darker mood with this than I originally planned. Maybe kind of a war movie feel to it haha.
DeleteI found myself really in tune with your character and how he came about. With his backstory it was ver clear as to why he's a bitter, protective, lonely old man. I am really glad you decided to chose this as your film, the concept art was great and I immediately wanted to know more of what the character was about. Looking forward to more development of him and the story!
ReplyDeleteThe fact that he drove right around the tollbooth without any hesitation or second thought was pretty accurate to his attributes. I thought that was pretty funny, and I like that his attitude almost reminds me of Carl from UP :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! Yeah he does have quite a lot of similar traits to Carl now that I think about it. I'm gonna try to design him so he doesn't resemble him too much :'D
DeleteBackstory: Not sure his ‘code’ is consistent with how a sniper operates. They tend to shoot first. War has a profound effect upon soldiers – I think you could develop this more. Why did he not get along with his fellow soldiers (a difficult position to be in). Why would he disobey orders? This would likely get him in to serious trouble and have impacted his life. I am unsure of the idea that he could support himself hunting. Unless he lived in Africa or somewhere similar and organized Big Game hunting trips or something along those lines, gut I am not getting that here. You need to get more detailed, research more, and make this character believable. I do not relate to the idea of loss as he seems to have always alienated himself from others.
ReplyDeleteAttributes: Reads like a stereotype. Make him an individual.
Toll Booth: Don’t believe it. Get into your character’s head. I can’t imagine he would exit his car to see if he could borrow change from a neighbor. Remember, it is not about solving the problem ,it is about showing you know your character and getting us to know who he is.