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Sven Johansson (36)
Project: Family movie (“The Journey”)
Known as: No nicknames
Real name: Sven Johansson
Group affiliation: Grant’s startup
Physical description: Sven is in his mid-20ies, is short with blond hair and blue eyes. He’s short and often tries to dress the same way Grant does.
Personality: Sven is eager to please and hero worships Grant. He is smart and good at his job.
History: Sven will only be in one scene – so how about we have some fun?
EXT. – GRANT’S OFFICE, AN OPEN OFFICE FLOOR PLAN WITH ROWS OF TABLES AND WHITEBOARDS WHERE SEVERAL PEOPLE ARE WORKING AT THEIR COMPUTERS
GRANT is walking across the office when Sven jogs up to him.
SVEN
Boss!
GRANT
(feigns matching Sven’s excitement)
Sven!
SVEN
I was just on with the customer – we need to add a feature – stat!
GRANT
Did you just say “stat”? I’m not sure development has a stat.
SVEN
Sorry! I mean we have a critsit! Ummm…we need to crash the sprint?
GRANT
I take it back. I think I liked “stat” better.
SVEN
The customer wants a push alerts feature added.
GRANT
(Repeating something he has said many times)
What’s the job, Sven?
SVEN
(Hesitantly)
Um – we need to add push alerts?
GRANT
Remember your Levitt.
SVEN
(Reciting)
People don’t want to buy a quarter-inch drill…
GRANT
…they want a quarter-inch hole. You are being asked for a drill.
SVEN
And I need to find the hole?
GRANT
Eloquently put. Push alerts is not the job. Find the real job.
SVEN
So, I need to go back and see why they want the push alerts. Thanks boss!
GRANT
Sven, are you making me repeat lessons just so you can talk to me?
SVEN
Ummmm…no?
GRANT
(smiling)
How about we grab a pizza after work and talk about your future?
SVEN
YES! I mean, yeah, sure…if you need me to work late, I’m there.
GRANT
I can always count on you, Sven. How about we…whoops!
GRANT had just peeked around a corner and seen his daughters in the reception area. He steps back before they see him and puts his back against a wall. SVEN looks around the corner before GRANT pulls him back.
SVEN
Did you just see your kids, say “whoops,” and hide?
GRANT
(sighs)
Where are those keen observational skills when you are working with customers?
SVEN
(thinking)
Is this a lesson? Something about drills and holes? Are your kids the drills?
GRANT
No, I just forgot I promised to run some errands with them today. Pizza is off.
SVEN
…still not getting the lesson, boss.
GRANT
Imagine teenage girls as the toughest, most inscrutable customers ever.
SVEN
(glancing around corner)
They look like they are pretty nice.
GRANT
They are great. But intimidating. It has been years since they have said anything overtly nice to me. They are like customers who you know have already decided to take their business elsewhere.
SVEN
Um, they are going to a new father vendor?
GRANT
(thinks for a moment)
OK – more like customers trapped in a contract with you when they want to take their business elsewhere.
SVEN
Really?
GRANT
No, not really. It’s just, I don’t know. They just don’t seem all that impressed with me, and I don’t know what to say. So I just need a minute to put on my game face.
SVEN
To hang out with your kids?
GRANT
Sven, work on understanding why somebody wants push alerts. You aren’t ready to explore the mysteries of fatherhood.
SVEN
OK, boss. Well, good luck figuring out what the job is, I guess.
SVEN walks away. GRANT sighs, puts on his “father face,” and strides forward.
Role in the narrative: Sven is here to show that Grant is a good, competent dude at work, but that Grant is intimidated by his own kids.
Abilities: Sven is good at pulling exposition from other characters J.
Inspirations: Sven is pretty much a device at this point and not really a full out character. He deserves more thought to move beyond the eager to please cliched character. I’ll also have to reread and ponder the above scene – hard to figure out how to show Grant feels distant from his kids without him seeming too jerky.
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