Premise: Initial Character and environment Influence Maps

The idea around my animated short is to highlight a real-world issue of domestic violence and illustrate it from the perspective of a child-like character. I want to shape the visual style around children's toys to make the environment and characters more in line with a child's nightmare. The child will be very small in comparison to the other two characters and dwarfed entirely by the imposing environment in which they all dwell.

The basic plan for the animation is at the bottom of the post.

  Child-like Character influence map:

The environment will be a version of a home were at least four rooms consist, a hallway which links a front door, a kitchen, the monsters lair (parents bedroom) and the child characters bedroom. The environment needs to be made of fibrous materials in order to keep with a theme of children's toys, and to complement the characters design. The environment is oppressive and imposing to the main character and is difficult to travel through due to a harsh difference in size. The environment is clearly that of the monsters and it reflects the empty, uncaring and aggressive nature of its occupents.

Environment and texture influence map:

The monsters themselves are nightmare creations capable of extreme neglect and aggression towards the main character, they are the interpretations of how he sees his parents and how they react towards each other around him. The child has a huge fear of the monsters but has become climatised to the violence they convey.

The animation isn't about showing violence however it is about the mood and environment it leaves behind and how that can impact a child. 

Monsters Influence map:

Basic Plan:

wakes up.

looks around for monsters but can't find them.

Leaves the safety of his room to find food

makes its way to the kitchen finds food in a cupboard after a while of searching

can hear monsters fighting, hides in shelving to avoid getting caught up in it.

child waits in shelving for fighting to pass, eats a cracker

fighting finishes and leaves smaller monster unconscious on the kitchen floor.

child creeps past body and into hallway,

when passing monsters lair child hears growling, monster chases child back to bedroom and into safe place under bed.

the monster cannot reach far enough into the safe place to get the child and eventually gives up.

child falls asleep.

Wakes up in safe place, its night time, monsters are in their lair sleeping, child makes it to the door but it is too big to open, then tries the windows but it is locked.

Turns around and sees a telephone in the monsters lair at the back of the room.

Monster makes a noise and scares child back into bedroom, looks around at dismal situation, takes a moment of contemplation

monsters start fighting again, runs back to safe place under bed, after a while smaller monster is knocked unconcious, sounds of dragging coax child out from under bed,

looking down hall child can see monsters legs getting dragged away from monsters lair,

child takes a desperate opportunity to get the telephone.

enters monsters lair, dark and dangerous, gets to phone by climbing on bed, takes it and runs back to room, sits on floor and begins to dial.

monster creeps into the room, child doesn't realise until its too late.