Short Scene

Int. Milo's Bedroom-Day

Milo wakes up groggy, rubbing his eyes as he stumbles to grab his glasses off the night stand. He puts on a red smoking jacket over top of his navy blue monogrammed pajamas. His room is extremely neat and tidy with framed pictures of classic horror films covering the walls. He opens his closet, his cloths arranged according to a grey scale there is no colour simply different shades of black and grey. He lays out an outfit of grey dress pants and a grey argyle sweater. With his clothes set out he makes his way out of his room.
  
Int Kitchen-Day

Milo sluggishly enters the kitchen. You can see coffee brewing in pot on the counter that is just out of Milo's reach. As though half asleep Milo drags a chair across the kitchen to the counter where the coffee is. He gets up on the chair and reaches into the cupboard just past the coffee maker, where he pulls out a white mug with a picture of a zombie on it. Milo then fills the mug with black coffee and take a drink. Instantly Milo perks up he sets his coffee on a pile of mail, he jumps of the chair and proceeds to put the chair back. Milo goes to grab his coffee and when he does he accidentally grabs a piece of mail the is attached to the bottom of his mug. He inspects the letter and a look of disbelief and excitement comes across his face. The letter is addressed to his mother and is from the in vitro fertilization clinic. Milo rips open the letter in hope that perhaps it holds the key to his biological father. Milo begins to read the letter and his excitement fades to confusion and then almost sadness. The letter says the Milo's mother has been approved for in vitro fertilization for a second time. Heartbroken Milo rips up the letter and throws it into the trash.

Int Milo's Bedroom-Day 

He runs up stairs and begins to frantically pack a small bag which only has a sweater, some kick-knacks, and an autographed picture of Vincent Price.  Wiping away tears from his face he takes his bag and exits.

Int Front Door-Day

Milo takes one last long look around his house and takes a deep breath. He exits the front door.




Milo is unable to deal with the idea of his mother having another child. His rationalization of the situation is that he feels that he isn't good enough. Milo's take of though is "Why would his mother want to have another child? Is he not good enough? What did he do wrong? Maybe if he was normal his mother wouldn't want another child?" These are obviously not the real reasons his mother wants to have another child but this is the way Milo thinks. He over analyzes everything and is quick to blame himself. In a moment of what he thought would be great discovery turns out to be one of tragedy Milo's only way to cope is to run away rather than trying to process his feelings.

 

       

Psychological Profile

This psychological profile exerciser I found to be extremely helpful in understanding motivations behind Milo's actions. I am a visual thinker so I can see how Milo acts in the way of his mannerisms, things he likes and the way he looks. However the psychological profile allowed me deeper access into why he might feel or do these things as well as give me a social guide line to the write Milo in. For example it provides good reference if I want to question one of his actions I could go back to the profile and check aspects like. Would this be out of character for Milo? and If it is what are the justifications for going outside of his natural character? 

Here are a few questions in the test that Milo would feel about strongly

From past entries in this blog it is evident that Milo doesn't have the strongest communication skills especially with children his own age. 

 Milo is a very analytical person and goes over many and many scenarios and outcomes in his head on a day to day biases. This is evident in his search of his father. 

   This one can also be seen as true for Milo because of his ideas of who his father is. He gains more joy in the searching processes by fantasizing about his ideals as his father. And if he ever does find out who is real father is, it might lead to a rather traumatic outcome. 

   This is a big one for Milo, he constantly lives in his own head and thinks about anything and everything. However the key point to the answer of this question is that he THINKS about it however does not act on it. It goes along with the idea that Milo what to understand the world but also wants the world to understand him. 



So the out come of the  Psychological Profile was: 

Which I wasn't surprised with at all. 

Introverted iNtuition

Being an introvert is actually one of the key elements behind Milo. Most children are extroverted and it is only though growing up that we become introverted (in most cases.) Milo being and introvert plays a huge role in acting as an obstacle against his want which is he "wants what he enjoys to be normal. He doesn't want to give up what he loves but he also doesn't want to be alone." Also I believe that this description from the profile shows Milo's perspective perfectly especially when it comes to the idea of who his father might be. 

"Others may see what is and wonder why; INTJs see what might be and say "Why not?!" Paradoxes, antinomies, and other contradictory phenomena aptly express these intuitors' amusement at those whom they feel may be taking a particular view of reality too seriously. INTJs enjoy developing unique solutions to complex problems." 

Also Here are some Famous Fictional and Non Fictional People who are also INTJ that I believe share similar characteristics with Milo 

C. S. Lewis 

Clarice Starling

Gandalf the Grey

Hannibal Lecter

Also here are some that weren't listed on the website but from what I gather could also be seen as INTJ's and share similar traits with Milo 

Alfred Hitchcock

  

Jim Henson

Woody Allen 

Spock 

 

Three Events

When talking about influencing events of a 7 year old they don't necessarily have to these giant goals or huge achievements. There were major influencing moments in my life when I was younger that were the result of my stupid actions or being extremely afraid of something that has still influenced me to this day. For example when I five years old I had gotten separated from my mom in a small grocery store. When I went to the front of the cash I couldn't seem to find my mother so I asked the cashier if he has seen my mom. He told me that she had left without me. At this point I was devastated and starting uncontrollably sobbing at that point my mom had come to the cash and was asking me what was wrong and I told her what I believe had happened and she comforted me. I also got an apology from the guy who had made me believe that I was never going to see my mother again. The point of this story however  is how small seemingly insignificant events in our lives can make a huge impact on our lives especially at such a young age. I don't remember much from before I was 12 but i remember that situation and extremely vividly. I believe it affected me in a way in which I feel like I would be unable to cope without my mother being around because of this I'm a big suck when it comes to my mom and make a point to call her everyday. Whether or not my over attachment to my mother is based on an event that happened to me when I was 5 is debatable I believe that there is a connection.

This influential life event is what I want to happen to Milo. I wouldn't want to depict it in the film, however I would very much like to reference it because it would really build the relationship with the mother and show how much he really does care for his mother despite other actions. 

Because of the age of my character there are really only so many major events he can have and a lot of them are typical among most youngsters however it is the perspective or reasoning at the time that makes these seemingly generic events so important. This leads me to Milo's second life changing event which is running away from home. Now I know that this kind of goes against the last point I made about how much he loves his mother and what not but most if not all children have been there. No matter how much we lover our parents we always have a phase when were younger of wanting to run away from home. I would like the event of Milo running away to be apart of the film because i believe that it could be a great event that would propel action as well as narrative forward. Now the reason why Milo is running away is because he feel like he doesn't belong where he is and wants to know who is dad is. Like I've mentioned in posts before Milo actually doesn't really have a father. So I picture Milo "Running away" for just an afternoon or an evening and he would do is sneak out of his house and see an old print of "Vertigo" Or "Nosferatu" and just imagining who his dad could be. The sad part about it is that he is gone for such a short period of time that no one really notices that he was ever gone at all. As well as Milo is to afraid to leave longer because by the time his movie is over he forgets what he was even mad about and just wants to be home. I picture that the event in the film would revolve around a time which he went to see a film while being upset and something happens to Milo. That or have an event that really pushes him over the edge which might be the case if i stick to my third main event. 

What is the most traumatizing event that can happen to a new kid in a new town with no friends? Have a birthday party and nobody comes. I see the event going as such: Milo is hosting a Stanley Kubrick Themed 8th birthday party. He is all dressed up. 

And no one come to his party. He is to smart for kids his own age but two immature for anyone older. He is the classic outcast. 

Much Like: 

MAX FISCHER 

DONNIE DARKO

Milo just wants what he enjoys to be normal. He doesn't want to give up what he loves but he also doesn't want to be alone. These 3 events I believe all show a very important element to the life a young boy growing up under extremely unique circumstances. 

Blog Post 3 Influences

            Milo is at such as young age that he is influenced by so many people and things because he doesn’t have a lot of experience. I talked a bit about Milo’s mother in my last blog entry and how she plays a huge role in his life. Although his mother is always busy and frantic she still always makes time for Milo. However she is a single parent and Milo is an only child so they are not always together. I have his idea that Milo has a nanny that is an elderly woman that just sleeps most of the time and allows Milo to get away with anything. This would play a big influence in his life because it would allow him to have so much freedom, which would lead to conflict in the story. 

 Another big influence in Milo’s life would be his Dad (or lack there of.) I explained in my last blog how that he doesn’t know his biological dad so he would make up different people that it could be. The fact that Milo’s dad isn’t in the film has a big impact on his life as well as actions. He wouldn’t have the playful quirk of being obsessed with horror and sci-fi icons. The aspect of not knowing who his dad is also allows him to be very inquisitive and curious about life.

            Like I mentioned in my last point I thought it would be really interesting to have a child that was also sensitive to spirits. Now I know that this has been done a lot in films. However my take on it would be that he doesn’t really want them around and rather than being afraid of them or want to help them, he simply brushes them off like nothing. Even though he experiences seeing ghosts he has such a devotion to science and logic that he brushes them off as though they didn’t exists.  These influence Milo life and cause conflict because he wants to be logical. This is also a funny juxtaposition because of his illogically ideas of who his father could be.

            So all in all the most influential people in Milo’s life is his mother who we do see in the film. Milo’s nanny who we would also see in the film however her lack in discipline is what would give Milo the freedoms that children his age may not get. Also Milo’s dad who wouldn’t be in the film is also influential because it is what causes an inner conflict for Milo. Also these spirits that he encounters also play a role in his life because the shape his perception of life.

Blog Podt 2- The 5W

Milo's background may not be long but I definitely unique and detailed. He was raised by his mother and and never knew who his father was. This is because Milo's mother had him through in vitro fertilization. Milo's mother is a workaholic upper class business lady who had a child late in her life. (around early 40's) She felt as though she needed to have a kid but didn't feel she needed a man to do so.

I'm sorry if this is starting to sound like the RomCom with JLo but trust me it's not. 

 

The mother I see as a strong female who does have a good relationship with her son despite her busy schedule. I get the inspiration for the mother from the mother in the book/film "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close"

She is very nurturing despite her absences to sum it up.





Parents play a huge role in a child's life that is why there is so much detail that I feel needs to be shared about the mother.



Milo understands how he was brought into this world and does not have any qualms with the idea of not having a dad. This is because of the strong relationship with his mother. Nevertheless kids will be kids and Milo fantasizes about who his dad might be. He envisions possibilities of his father as some of his heroes. No matter how obviously impossible it would be.  

 People like:

Alfred Hitchcock

Vincent Price

H.P. Lovecraft

 

Boris Karloff 

Humphrey Bogart

Since Milo's mom has a high income he lives in a house with as much personality as he does. An old Victorian home in New York state. When I say the house has personality a mean that it could tell as story in it's self based on elements like secret passages, old items left in the home by previous owners and odd history surrounding the house. 

Inspiration comes from: 

The Amityville Horror House:

 

 The house from American Horror Story:

     

This is a very important time in Milo's life because of his perception of life. Also I want there to be a supernatural element to the story. Something in which Milo interacts with people who have passed away yet not be afraid of them and more think of them as an inconvenience or a normal occurrence. The age of Milo is crucial because kids are seen as more sensitive to "paranormal phenomena."
This is also the age in which Milo is fully able to grasp the idea of not really having a dad.

 He relates to classical horror icons because they are consumed by the supernatural. Milo's mom is an atheist and doesn't believe at all in the supernatural. So whenever Milo tells his mother about these occurrences she simply brushes them off as nothing. Since he is unable to confide in his mom he find relief in the fact that maybe this whole supernatural things is attributed to his non-extant father.

The perspective of Milo at this time in his life is one in which all these elements can occur with there being innocents and the struggle to understand.      

Character Blog 1

The character I want to develop is a child around the age of seven whose name is Milo. I see this character as inquisitive, highly emotional and very in tune with his surroundings.  Milo is extremely young however acts much older than he appears and this is illustrated though his interests. He enjoys vintage science fiction and horror movies as well as collecting any small antiques knick-knacks. He is soft spoken and can easily pick up on others emotions. 


This character came from a combination of places one of them being my own personal life. One of them is Trent he is seven years old and a fantastic kid. I’ve known Trent since he was three years old and spent about 4 years picking him up from school and baby sitting him when his parents wanted a night out. Being the youngest child in my family and not having any younger relatives around me it was my first experience working with a kid. I found him fascinating the way in which he perceives the world and the way in which he expresses himself. I am very close with him and his family still and get a chance to see them semi regularly. Trent is also a very emotional, sensitive child. One instance that stands out in my mind was when he was 5 and there was this giant spider on the wall and when I saw it I freaked out because I HATE spiders, so I got a shoe and went to hit when Trent asked me what I was doing.  I said that I was going to kill the spider and that was when he got really upset and started telling me not to killing and the reasons why. All his reasoning was correct and the facts that he wasn’t scared made me feel a little dumb.  Watching him grow as a person is what made me want to do a younger character because I believe they have such a unique perspective on the world.   
 This is Trent:

 Other inspirations for this character come from children in movies that I believe showcase the truly unique perspective that children can have.


 Kids like: 
  

Danny from The Shinning  

Cole from The Sixth Sense 

Norman from ParaNorman

Theses are also the kind of things I see the character of Milo collecting

 
 And the kind of movies he would watch