ALIEN: Nightmare Aboard the Anne Arundel

Started by solace97, Aug 19, 2024, 12:44:06 PM

Author
ALIEN: Nightmare Aboard the Anne Arundel (Read 1,177 times)

solace97

solace97

I wanted to write a short story, that turned into a short film idea, that has now turned into some other big project I got myself lost in. Anyways, give it a read if you want, this is a very rough rough draft. I typed all of this in the last few days but was having too much fun. And now want to make two more stories once I finish this one following the main character - but we'll see

I guess I should put a quick synopsis here:
The date is OCT 05 2199. A four man crew aboard a USCG (United States Colonial Guards - clever i know ;) ) outpost - the Black Forge - are getting ready to part ways as the station they work on is being de-commissioned in just over a week. This particular morning a ship adrift in their sector appears. They discover the ship is two months overdue but no one has reported it missing. They dock with the ship to investigate further. It's there they discover an un-invited guest has turned the vessel into a ghost ship. After the ALIEN quickly dispatches the crew, a lone survivor MAC (the only female - short for Mackenzie) must fight for her life to get off the ship and return to the outpost. Hopefully, she doesn't take any visitors with her.

My plan is to have her escape the ship, this Alien is going to be a tough bastard to kill. So, at the moment I'm keen on it coming back to the station. The station will crash onto the planet below that it's orbiting.

That's where I want part two to have the local colonists become some sort of ALIEN cultists. I have some pretty fun imagery in mind of a jungle planet and an overgrown atmospheric processor. The colonists trying to channel their inner farmers. A badly burnt Alien that survived the crash becoming their new deity.

EDIT: 8/20/24 Just finished the first complete rough draft. If anyone wants download and read it I like collaborating with ideas, so feel free to bring some constructive criticism. 

TC

Cool. I like a bit of fan-fic when done properly.

I just downloaded it and haven't read it yet but I see it's an actual screenplay. Even more cool.

So without having read it (just going by your synopsis) I thought that maybe you should connect parts 1 and 2 by having someone in the cult be related to Mac somehow; like a partner, sibling, parent, child, etc. Part of Mac's challenge would be to find a way of deprogramming the partner (or whatever) from the cult, in addition to battling the surviving Alien. Just an idea FWIW.

TC

solace97

solace97

#2
Oh that's actually a cool idea I might incorporate that! I'm trying to finish it up right now (about 70 pages) and then I'm going to go back and proof read maybe add/delete some things

Just added the most current PDF

solace97

Quote from: TC on Aug 20, 2024, 11:11:11 AMCool. I like a bit of fan-fic when done properly.

I just downloaded it and haven't read it yet but I see it's an actual screenplay. Even more cool.

So without having read it (just going by your synopsis) I thought that maybe you should connect parts 1 and 2 by having someone in the cult be related to Mac somehow; like a partner, sibling, parent, child, etc. Part of Mac's challenge would be to find a way of deprogramming the partner (or whatever) from the cult, in addition to battling the surviving Alien. Just an idea FWIW.

TC
I like the parent idea, I've been thinking about that. Maybe she grew up on the planet and it was her dream to get off. Maybe she's torn because she wants to leave entirely but knows her parents (or maybe single mother - father died at a young age?) are in too deep or brainwashed to get away. So instead of running away and never looking back, she signed up for the USCG and requested to be stationed at the Black Forge so she could regularly visit her parents on the surface below. From her childhood experience she already knows the colony is full of radical religious fanatics, and it will intensify when the alien arrives.

Hmmmm lots of ideas now  :)

TC

Quote from: solace97 on Aug 22, 2024, 01:16:04 AM
Quote from: TC on Aug 20, 2024, 11:11:11 AMCool. I like a bit of fan-fic when done properly.

I just downloaded it and haven't read it yet but I see it's an actual screenplay. Even more cool.

So without having read it (just going by your synopsis) I thought that maybe you should connect parts 1 and 2 by having someone in the cult be related to Mac somehow; like a partner, sibling, parent, child, etc. Part of Mac's challenge would be to find a way of deprogramming the partner (or whatever) from the cult, in addition to battling the surviving Alien. Just an idea FWIW.

TC
I like the parent idea, I've been thinking about that. Maybe she grew up on the planet and it was her dream to get off. Maybe she's torn because she wants to leave entirely but knows her parents (or maybe single mother - father died at a young age?) are in too deep or brainwashed to get away. So instead of running away and never looking back, she signed up for the USCG and requested to be stationed at the Black Forge so she could regularly visit her parents on the surface below. From her childhood experience she already knows the colony is full of radical religious fanatics, and it will intensify when the alien arrives.

Hmmmm lots of ideas now  :)

Sounds good!

I was simply thinking that once a story grows beyond a certain length it's often helpful to raise the stakes, and personalizing the conflict is one way to do it (with the added benefit of giving you scope to deepen character).

Of course there are no rules. You can do whatever you want so long as you keep the audience interested.

I downloaded the later version (17) so i'll give it a read and if I think of anything to add I promise to come back and comment.  :)

TC

solace97

Quote from: TC on Aug 22, 2024, 10:26:59 AM
Quote from: solace97 on Aug 22, 2024, 01:16:04 AM
Quote from: TC on Aug 20, 2024, 11:11:11 AMCool. I like a bit of fan-fic when done properly.

I just downloaded it and haven't read it yet but I see it's an actual screenplay. Even more cool.

So without having read it (just going by your synopsis) I thought that maybe you should connect parts 1 and 2 by having someone in the cult be related to Mac somehow; like a partner, sibling, parent, child, etc. Part of Mac's challenge would be to find a way of deprogramming the partner (or whatever) from the cult, in addition to battling the surviving Alien. Just an idea FWIW.

TC
I like the parent idea, I've been thinking about that. Maybe she grew up on the planet and it was her dream to get off. Maybe she's torn because she wants to leave entirely but knows her parents (or maybe single mother - father died at a young age?) are in too deep or brainwashed to get away. So instead of running away and never looking back, she signed up for the USCG and requested to be stationed at the Black Forge so she could regularly visit her parents on the surface below. From her childhood experience she already knows the colony is full of radical religious fanatics, and it will intensify when the alien arrives.

Hmmmm lots of ideas now  :)

Sounds good!

I was simply thinking that once a story grows beyond a certain length it's often helpful to raise the stakes, and personalizing the conflict is one way to do it (with the added benefit of giving you scope to deepen character).

Of course there are no rules. You can do whatever you want so long as you keep the audience interested.

I downloaded the later version (17) so i'll give it a read and if I think of anything to add I promise to come back and comment.  :)

TC
Well thanks for doing that! Always appreciate feedback and people checking new stuff out. I know some of the fan stories can get pretty repetitive or be hit or miss!

TC

Re version 17:

I can see what you're going for; a kind of medley of greatest hits of best scenes from your favourite Alien stories. Nothing wrong with that - this is the fan fic section of the forum after all. I recognise bits of Alien, Aliens, and Alien isolation in there.

As it stands, this draft is a bit unsure of whether it's a short film or a feature length movie. At 70 pages it's far too long for the former, and far too unstructured for the latter.

Let's say it's intended as a short (as stated on the title page). In this case brevity is key to the plot. The story should start at page 21, with all the Colonial Guards already on their way to the Anne Arundel. A quick mission briefing whilst enroute is all you need to lay expositional groundwork.

The same with the ending. Part 1 should end at page 46. Once the fireworks are over (the Anne Arundel blowing up) do we need scenes of Mac showering and getting into her night-clothes for bed? (Unless you plan on casting Megan Fox, then YES!)

But let's return to the start of the story:

None of that business about the Black Forge being shut down and what Gabe and Jeremy are going to do afterwards is necessary or relevant.

Focus in on Mac as the protagonist and POV character right from the first page.

You'll probably want to hint at something about Mac's parents and her history down on the planet, to foreshadow later events, but keep it brief.

Also, you're missing a description of the Colonial Guards' uniform and equipment, especially weaponry. All Mac seems to have is a sidearm. Is that the same for all the Guards? And yet Gabe thinks it's possible they're facing a hijacking. If so, they seem severely under equipped.

Are they not equipped with personal radios so they can maintain constant comms with each other, like Colonial Marines?

They also seem to be lacking a lot in military training and discipline.

Maintain some consistency with Mac's characterisation. One moment she's whimpering and panic struck, and later on she's taking charge of Gabe's rescue.

And in general, for a short film the entire adventure onboard the Anne Arundel needs to be drastically tightened up. I would suggest you pick the eyes out of what you've got and only keep the absolute best scenes.

The max length for a short is about 30 minutes (that's 30 pages). And most film festivals want them significantly shorter than that: 10 - 15 minutes.

In terms of writing style and screenplay formatting I suggest you read lots and lots of professional scripts. They are easily searchable and available on the internet.

Just my opinions.

Best of luck.

TC

solace97

solace97

#7
Quote from: TC on Aug 26, 2024, 04:08:23 PMRe version 17:

I can see what you're going for; a kind of medley of greatest hits of best scenes from your favourite Alien stories. Nothing wrong with that - this is the fan fic section of the forum after all. I recognise bits of Alien, Aliens, and Alien isolation in there.

As it stands, this draft is a bit unsure of whether it's a short film or a feature length movie. At 70 pages it's far too long for the former, and far too unstructured for the latter.

Let's say it's intended as a short (as stated on the title page). In this case brevity is key to the plot. The story should start at page 21, with all the Colonial Guards already on their way to the Anne Arundel. A quick mission briefing whilst enroute is all you need to lay expositional groundwork.

The same with the ending. Part 1 should end at page 46. Once the fireworks are over (the Anne Arundel blowing up) do we need scenes of Mac showering and getting into her night-clothes for bed? (Unless you plan on casting Megan Fox, then YES!)

But let's return to the start of the story:

None of that business about the Black Forge being shut down and what Gabe and Jeremy are going to do afterwards is necessary or relevant.

Focus in on Mac as the protagonist and POV character right from the first page.

You'll probably want to hint at something about Mac's parents and her history down on the planet, to foreshadow later events, but keep it brief.

Also, you're missing a description of the Colonial Guards' uniform and equipment, especially weaponry. All Mac seems to have is a sidearm. Is that the same for all the Guards? And yet Gabe thinks it's possible they're facing a hijacking. If so, they seem severely under equipped.

Are they not equipped with personal radios so they can maintain constant comms with each other, like Colonial Marines?

They also seem to be lacking a lot in military training and discipline.

Maintain some consistency with Mac's characterisation. One moment she's whimpering and panic struck, and later on she's taking charge of Gabe's rescue.

And in general, for a short film the entire adventure onboard the Anne Arundel needs to be drastically tightened up. I would suggest you pick the eyes out of what you've got and only keep the absolute best scenes.

The max length for a short is about 30 minutes (that's 30 pages). And most film festivals want them significantly shorter than that: 10 - 15 minutes.

In terms of writing style and screenplay formatting I suggest you read lots and lots of professional scripts. They are easily searchable and available on the internet.

Just my opinions.

Best of luck.

TC
Awesome, all good stuff! Yeah no specific length was intended; but I do like the idea of cutting some of the unnecessary stuff out and just jumping into the action. Just started as free lance writing but I kept wanting to write more details.
Yeah for Mac it is more of the first time she sees the creature she's struck with fear. As the story unfolds she is forced to get braver since she knows she's trapped in the ship with it and has to find a way to fight her way out, I think it's a misconception someone in the military is going to react like a soldier, sometimes in the heat of battle people panick and they're supposed to be similar to the coast guard where they more regulate and don't deal with combat....now there's this giant alien onboard

But once again thanks I know 70 pages is a lot to read through!

TC

I just hope I said something useful.

Also:

I can't believe I didn't say this already, but the format you should be looking at is a limited TV/streaming series. Each episode 40 - 50 minutes long.

I have an Alien fan script in this forum that's gone through the same process; first it was a short film, then I got frustrated by the short length and expanded it to a more suitable length, now I'm reconfiguring it into a 5 part limited series.

TC

solace97

Quote from: TC on Aug 30, 2024, 08:36:35 AMI just hope I said something useful.

Also:

I can't believe I didn't say this already, but the format you should be looking at is a limited TV/streaming series. Each episode 40 - 50 minutes long.

I have an Alien fan script in this forum that's gone through the same process; first it was a short film, then I got frustrated by the short length and expanded it to a more suitable length, now I'm reconfiguring it into a 5 part limited series.

TC
A lot of useful stuff! You mind sharing that in this thread?

TC

Quote from: solace97 on Aug 30, 2024, 07:43:45 PM...You mind sharing that in this thread?

Sure. You can go here:

https://www.avpgalaxy.net/forum/index.php?topic=60463.0

This was written in response to that Tongal Alien 40th Anniversary short film competition in 2018.

The original script is in reply 5 of the above linked thread (or you can download a PDF from reply 9).

The extended, updated, and preferred version (in outline only) is in reply 17. Open the Spoiler tag to view.

The latest story outlines to suit my current plans aren't publicly available yet.

(If you've got any questions come back here and ask them in this thread.)

TC


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