From the offset, the idea for my narrative centred around a miserable man coming in from the rain (and an implied long day at work) in search of a cup of coffee to cheer him up. I then considered how a secondary character - which became the snobby woman - could enter the story and influence his change in mood.
This is the synopsis I wrote before constructing an animatic:
It's raining heavily outside, but the cafe interior is warm and inviting; there is a hum of chatter and a clinking of mugs.
A man enters sluggishly, sodden and defeated - reluctant to even be there. He goes to the counter, where he is faced with indecision and a long wait to get his coffee.
The door chimes, signalling a woman entering, and the man turns to look out of curiosity. It's immediately clear that, unlike the man, she is dry as a bone - thanks to the umbrella she leans on nonchalantly. And, is rather smug.
This only serves to lower the man's mood further. Distracted by the woman, the man had failed to notice his coffee on the counter and is alerted by an impatient 'ahem' from the barista. He hurriedly picks up his coffee and sits at a table.
From here, he watches the woman being served, envious of her contentment, and looks into his coffee cup morosely.
The woman sits across the room in a comfy armchair and reads a book, balancing her coffee on her lap while the man watches on.
She brings the coffee to her lips, blowing to cool it and closing her eyes in anticpation.
She takes a long sip, then suddenly - her eyes bulge in shock and disgust. The cup and its contents go flying and clatter to the floor. She storms from the room angrily, slamming the door behind her.
The man is puzzled, then bemused as he takes in the scene. He notices that, by her seat, the woman has left her umbrella, he smiles in amusement at this. He picks up his cup of coffee and drinks it enthusiastically. He leaves the coffee shop feeling satisfied, with an umbrella in hand.
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