Frank/Designing the character

The character of Frank is a complex character. Chris wanted him to be quite realistic but stylized in some areas. Frank is roughly in his late 40's and is caught in a downward spiral of crime and murder. He is indebted to the mafia because of information he knows that he could use against them. Rather than dispose of the witness they employ him. Fearing for his own life Frank reluctantly agrees to work for them as a contract killer. In order for the character to work we need to show the emotional struggle Frank faces and the way in which the work he does slowly devours him as a person. Will he decide to break free from the shackles of crime and corruption or will he be consumed by his vices. His moral compass will surely be tested and this will be key when we finally animate frank. We have to show the audience the impossible situation that Frank finds himself in and the way in which he deals with that situation.

Franks physical features will immediately paint him as a brute, a physical person who is now slightly out of shape due to drink and his age. Chris had already designed the character prior to the pitching stage. However, there were some concerns that he looked to like Marve from sin city. I set about designing a character based on his designs as well as some character references from various films like the incredibles, the big lebousky, sin city as well as some stylized characters like wolverine.

Looking at the reference and observing the characteristics and build of the characters I started to block in a basic character silhouette. The character of Frank was once a boxer so I had to consider this when designing the character. His shoulder region needed to be pronounced but I also had to take into account his age and lifestyle. The character had to have al little access weight which suggests that he is drinking and that he spends most of the time waiting for a new contract. Everything about the character needed to tell you something about him. His facial expression should tell you something about his state of mind, his despondency and his posture should suggest how he slumps himself over a table. All this makes for a more believable character. The last thing I wanted to do was to portray Frank as a cold hearted killer. This was not the intent in the script. His state of mind is utter desperation, he has to go through with the contracts in order to survive but is in emotional disarray.

Here are some of the character references I used for the character. I used these images in order to obtain an understanding of character appeal. I was also looking at certain features that could be applied to the character such as exaggerated jaw line, big arms thick neck. All these aspects will enforce the character and will make him more believable.