I'm trying to become an animator, but need a story to animate. I have made this Old Man in his living room with his dog on the wall. What's the story? (Short is good)

Elderly man gets home from a drs office after finding out he has ASD. He’s contemplating how his life could’ve been different had he gotten this diagnosis 40 years ago. He sits quietly and enjoys his alone time, listening to his favorite music and reading his favorite book. He wishes he could hold his pupper one last time to help him through this confusing time. Regardless, he shrugs and thinks back to all the happy times they had instead.

Idk something about him just says “quirky old man”. Im autistic so maybe I’m just projecting

This is a scene before a flashback showing the whole man's life story (from the time he received his puppy until present time) the message is the idea that life isn't meant to be shared alone...and that anyone can find friends in the most unlikely of characters or vice versa

The dod died, but his soul stayed in his teapot. Now with a barking and moving teapot he tries to continue his life as usual, while it attracts more and more attention and the man must make sure the teapot does not break, hindering it from running around happy.

Finally he realizes that it must run around freely and break somewhen as life isn't what it is if you limit yourself.

Old man stands up and goes towards the urn, has some flashbacks from their happy time, becomes sad, then meets a new, untypical pet (a fly, a mouse?) and is annoyed by it at first, but then learns to love them. Cut to flashback from dog in heaven after his death, asking god if he could reincarnate.

He hears something in the chimney. A burglar breaks in. Burglar sees picture of dog on wall and recognizes as his puppy that ran away. Man shares photos and stories with burglar who is happy the dog had a good life. Burglar is ashamed and calls police on himself. Old man hangs up and gives burglar the dogs old collar. Burglar and old man become friends and visits the old man every Sunday for coffee and stories.

I look up from the book. A passage reminding me of Trigger.

The phonograph was playing 'that' song. I swear it was his favourite song. Used to howl everytime I played it.

I remember that first time we had heard it.

image starts to blur

The edibles are starting to take....

Old Man was a dog trainer but he can't educate his own properly. Do a little series of trials he suppose will teach the dog to behave. This way you can do multiple short episodes you can fill with flashbacks to his young age to communicate OldMan feelings and compare poses between "well mannered dogs" and OldMan's one, a lot of different "settings", and every "Dog Training Session" can start from a different daily routine "issue". Each episode will need a lot of details to express both characters and you will train your ability to be consistent in character animation design.

Edit: you can open the story from him looking at a long list of photos taken while training, and close it giving the illusion the dog is gone, just to find out it's waiting his old friend, with the leash in his mouth, well behaved, old but still full of energy. Sad start, flashbacks that get you emotionally involved by fun and personification, drop another bucket of sad atmosphere and then a happy ending. Classic formula.

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He reminisces about good times with his dog before having a heart attack.

After his wife had past the old man found a new companion and married a dog

Dog ran away and old man goes on an adventure to find it

Decides to spread spots ashes in his favourite walking spot?

The dog has moved out to doggy college and the old man can’t believe how the time has passed while looking at pictures of his dog growing up with increasingly silly human like milestones. May make it seem like the dog has passed away at first, and the closing scene is the dog in his dorm with a picture of the man on his doggy desk.

He tried to animate dogs as best as he could but he failed and someone on the internet told him to give up because he sucks.

But then he realized he didn't need to listen to people on the internet and animated as best as he could and everyone liked it because he was an amazing person with great inspiration!

Here is one that is a little less sad. The man spends all day looking bored looking at pictures of his dog and moving around the house alone painting the picture that this man is a alone, but as the end of the day roles around the dog is brought home. It turns out he was at the groomers getting a hair cut, the man then becomes very happy that his best friend is home.

Really nice ideas in here. Go for any of them. Once you got something, if you want to add some music, I would love to collaborate composing something for it. Just contact me if you want me to do it.

Old man lost his wife and found the dog years after. Since his wife died young and the dog was a puppy, he decided to live life with the dog. Those are his tales. Playing catch, taming, rescuing, etc.

Plot twist that’s optional: he keeps cloning the dog to keep forever and ever, but he can no longer afford to do it, and now he has to let his friend go.

Another idea: he’s realized his age and given the dog to someone who can take care of him after his death so his buddy wouldn’t suffer and he’s mourning.

How about just getting the dog a bowl of food, the dog comes in, starts to eat and gets some head pats from the old man.

The Story shows a man that loves his dog, but is terrible to the neighbour kids, his neighbours etc. He is a racist, that only treats his dog with respect. And as it progresses, you see the similarities to Hitler (quite nasty, I know but I can’t overlook the similarities )