Scene Analysis: Getting to the Airport
Consider the following scene. Note how each scene component is presented in order and how it depends on the previous component.
Gordon overslept, his alarm clock having failed to rouse him from an unusually deep sleep. It was already past ten am, which was still plenty of time to pack and get ready for his 2 pm flight to Dallas. Dallas promised warm temperatures and no snow, unlike the freezing vista outside his bedroom window. Not only was the weather great in Dallas, that’s where his dream job was located. And after tomorrow morning’s meet-and-greet with his prospective employer, he had two hours of interviews lined up.
Analysis
Goal
Gordon’s scene goal is to get to the airport in time for his flight. There is a larger goal (possibly the story goal) of getting the job in Dallas and starting a new life there, however for this scene, the goal. Note also that the stakes are high: getting to the airport is one (of many steps) to land his dream job.
He had set aside the morning to pack. For some reason, his passport wasn’t where it was supposed to be and he began frantically searching for it.
Minutes ticked by with no sign of the elusive passport. Just as Gordon was about to upend his entire room in desperation, there was a knock at the door. It was his upstairs neighbor, Mrs. Jenkins, a sweet elderly lady who often needed a bit of help with household tasks. Today, she had a problem with a clogged sink.
Gordon’s first instinct was to decline – he was in no state to play handyman – but Mrs. Jenkins looked genuinely distressed. With a sigh, he grabbed his toolbox and headed upstairs. It took a good twenty minutes to unclog the sink, all the while his mind was racing with the urgency of his own predicament.
Finally, back in his apartment, Gordon resumed the search for his passport. He cursed himself for not organizing and packing his items the night before. After what felt like an eternity, he found it wedged between the bed frame and the wall. With a sigh of relief, he grabbed it and packed his clothes, already arranged in his closet.
As soon as he got outside, he noticed a thick blanket of snow covering his car, courtesy of a relentless overnight snowstorm. Shoveling out the car was a grueling task, leaving him exhausted and his back aching. By the time he was done, it was already pushing 11 o’clock.
Gordon sped off towards the airport, but the universe seemed determined to thwart him at every turn. The snowstorm had caused a massive traffic jam, and the usually quick drive was turning into an agonizing crawl. As he inched forward in the bumper-to-bumper traffic, he kept glancing at the clock, anxiety gnawing at his insides.
Conflict
Gordon encounters several obstacles to his goal of getting to the airport on time:
- he can’t find his passport
- he helps Mrs. Jenkins with her sink
- he needs to shovel out his car
- there’s a traffic jam
When he finally arrived at the airport, it was almost one o’clock. He sprinted to the check-in counter, only to be greeted with the worst possible news: all flights had been canceled due to the storm.
Disaster
Did Gordon achieve his goal? No, and he’s worse off than before. With the airport shutting down, he can’t go anywhere.
The announcement hit him like a punch to the gut. His shoulders sagged, and he let his suitcase fall to the floor as he sank to his knees, overwhelmed by the sheer unfairness of it all.
Gordon’s mind raced. He needed this job. It was his ticket out of a dead-end job he despised, a chance to start anew in a city full of opportunities. Desperation clawed at him as he looked around the bustling terminal, trying to figure out his next move.
Reaction
Gordon’s body language reveals his feelings about the airport closure. Repeating the stakes increases his desperation.
Angry at himself, he vowed from now on, he’d always prepare in advance whenever he traveled. Surely, he could have rebooked his flight, had he looked at the storm forecast.
Gordon sought out a ticket agent, and she managed to find him a seat on a flight early the next morning. Leaving in the morning would result in him missing the meet-and-greet. But there was no guarantee the airport would reopen in time, meaning he would miss his interview.
Gordon thanked her and found a quiet corner to sit and think. Checking nearby airports on his phone, he discovered a flight to Dallas from a different airport later that night. The only problem was that the airport was a two-hour drive away, and he would have to brave the blizzard to get there.
He weighed his options. Staying put and hoping for the best felt too risky. Driving through the storm wasn’t ideal, but it seemed like his best shot at making the interview on time.
Dilemma
Gordon seeks help and collects information for his options. He can take a chance staying in the city and hoping to catch tomorrow’s flight or he can risk driving through the blizzard to catch a flight from a different airport later tonight.
It’s important that both options carry risk so it’s not obvious which choice is best.
There’s also a moment of reflection about what he’d do differently in the future.
Steeling himself for the challenge ahead, he raced back to his car and set off for a long, snowy drive.
Decision
Note how Gordon’s decision sets up a new goal for the next scene (driving to the other airport). In this example, the Decision component may not need to be explicitly stated, if the next scene begins with Gordon driving down the highway. The next scene’s goal will make it clear what his decision was.
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