So what’s a sequence, exactly? Definition: a self-contained portion of the entire story, usually about 10 to 15 minutes (pages) in length. Every sequence has its own tension, not necessarily the main tension, but is related in some way. It usually “belongs” to one particular character, not always the protagonist, and aspects of the overall story are kept alive, even in sequences where the overall tension is about something else entirely. Here’s the gist: we get additional information that advances the story while, at the same time, we have a new short-term tension to…

Screenplay Genre: Action / Sci-Fi Movie Time: 119 minutes 1. INCITING INCIDENT In a distant utopian future there is a world where the authority figures are called “Sandmen.” They chase and kill “runners” who are evading the rule of submitting to the system at the age of 30 and undergo the “Carousel” ritual, in which bodies are evaporated in hope of being reborn. Sandman Logan 5 (Michael York) hunts down and kills a runner. While searching his belongings, he finds an ankh. (00:13:20)