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Pick a fictional book and identify one villain from the book.

Read your chosen story thoroughly and understand the key events, characters and settings.

You can use the following guide to help with your villain’s backstory.

• What could the villain’s childhood and behaviour have been like? 
• What events or situations could have led the villain to act the way they did?
• What was the villain’s true intention?
• How do you think the story would have ended if the villain was a good guy?
• How do the decisions we make in difficult situations affect the outcome?

Examples:

1. The Big Bad Wolf: Little Red Riding Hood
   • Original: The wolf eats Little Red Riding Hood’s grandmother in order to get close to Little Red Riding Hood
   • Backstory: Ashen was a wolf who didn’t want to be a wolf. He wanted to be a human. From the edge of the forest, he watched people carefully. He practiced standing on two legs, followed their voices, and copied their actions. One day, to test his skills, Ashen walked to a nearby cottage. Inside, an old woman and her granddaughter were sharing tea and laughing. He gently knocked on the door, stepped inside, and smiled his biggest smile to show them he wanted to connect. But the moment they saw him, they screamed in terror, startling a woodcutter nearby. The Grandma threw hot tea at his face, and the Woodcutter ran in with an axe, chasing him back into the forest.
     Ashen runs home, bleeding and heartbroken. He realises that no matter how good his heart is, humans will only ever see him as a monster. His hurt turns into pure hatred. He decides: “If they want a monster, I will show them a monster.
     
2. Fagin: Oliver Twist
   • Original: Leads a criminal gang of children pickpockets
   • Backstory: Fagin is the son of a tailor. His father Charles travelled around the city to stitch coats. His father always taught him to be honest and always told him “Honesty would always keep us safe” One night, their landlord threw them out due to unpaid rent. His parents died weeks later of hunger and illness. To survive, Fagins started stealing scraps of food. At first he felt guilty but this feeling slowly turned into pride at leading a criminal gang.

Disclaimer: These examples are to help you understand the task and should not be copied. Please come up with your own villain backstory.

• Write a script that explains your story choice,and tells the new version of the story.
• Plan your video recording (How will your video stand out? Who will film you and where? How will you attract your viewers?)
• Use the following steps as a guide

• 1. Introduce yourself: Share your name and the name of your school.
  2. Name of the story: Mention the book title and author.
  3. Give a short summary of the book: Tell us what the book is about in 1-2 sentences.Example: Oliver is a poor orphan who has a very hard life. After escaping that difficult life, Oliver must choose between a gang of thieves and being a good person. 
  4. Identify the villain: Tell us who the villain from the book is and why you identified them as the villain.Example: The villain I’ve identified in this book is Fagin. He traps young boys like Oliver into a life of crime and teaches them to steal just so he can stay rich and safe.
  5. Tell us the villain’s backstory (keep it short and sweet!) 
  6. Reflect on your journey by answering this question:
     “How do you deal with challenges or unfair situations in your life?”

• Add digital visuals
  • Your video must include simple visuals related to the book. This can be:
    • The book cover
    • A quote or keyword from the story
    • A drawing, photo, or slide showing an idea or scene from the book or something that you did after reading it.
  • You can show these visuals:
    • In the background
    • Side-by-side with you

💡 You can use simple apps like CapCut, InShot, iMovie, Canva Video, PowerPoint, or Google Slides (with screen recording) to add visuals.

💡 Tip: If you’re not sure how to use a digital tool, ask your teacher or parent for help!

• Record Your Video

• • Make sure you are clearly visible in the video (no voiceovers)
  • Your recording area should be well-lit
  • Speak clearly and confidently in English
  • Keep your video under 2 minutes
  • Save your video using this format: Your Name_Category_SchoolName
    Example: Farah Khadijah_Category B_SK FINCO

• The finalists will present their ‘Villain Origin Story’ to the judges through a storytelling presentation as well as answer some of their questions.
• The judges will review all presentations and select the winners based on the judging criteria.

• The finalists’ submissions will also be featured on FINCO’s social media platforms for the Popular ‘Villain Origin Story’ Award. Parents must agree to this in the entry form. 
• The Popular ‘Villain Origin Story’ Award will be selected through a voting process through social media platforms where the members of the public can vote for their favourite video. The submission with the highest number of online votes will be the winner of the award.