Minor Project: The Childhoods of Serial Killers

The tone and the setting of the story has changed significantly since my original project, and the characters are going to change to reflect this.

The first significant change is the name of the main character, which has gone from Frankie to Franklin. I found the name Frankie to be a little too cutesy, especially now the overall tone has changed. This slight change should help to shift the initial impression of the character.

The most dramatic alteration is the overall perception of the character. The bleak tone of the setting, and my personal desire to create a far more sinister and foreboding build up to the third act, have resulted in the decision to present Franklin as more of a troubled child  than a little terror.

In my tutorial, Phil and I discussed the various visual methods of implying Franklin's desirable upbringing, family photographs where he is absent, mutilated toys, books of unusual interests, among other things. This led me to research into the childhoods of various serial killers, discovering the subtle things in their lives which, in retrospect, revealed things about their unsavoury futures.

Below is a list of the unconventional personality traits and significant life events of particular serial killers throughout their childhoods.

Ed Gein

• Shy
• Strange Mannerisms
• Random Laughter
• A Domineering Mother
• Interest in Animal Carcasses

Jeffery Dahmer

• Interest in Animals
• Animal Carcasses
• Insect Specimens
• Outcasted
• Largely Uncommunicative Yet Polite
• Prior Planning to Commit Certain Acts
• Repressed Homosexual
• Loner
• Simulated Cerebral Palsy and Seizures for Attention

Fred West

• Incestuous Childhood
• Taught About Beastiality at a Young Age by His Father
• Attitude of Father "Do What You Want, Just Don't Get Caught Doing It"
• Childhood Injuries, Seven Day Coma
• Arrested in Teens on Molestation Charges
• Sent Away and Disowned by Family

Dennis Nilson

• Initially Quiet, Yet Adventurous
• Quiet and Reserved After Death of Grandfather
• Seldom Participated in Family Activities
• Actively Repelled Any Affection from Adults
• Resented Siblings

I plan on using the information gathered above to inspire the initial perceived personality of Franklin, through a combination of his mannerisms, belongings and elements of the environment design.