This is the kind of contest that literally has the 12 year old in me squealing with joy! To celebrate Next year’s 40th Anniversary of one of the greatest sci-fi/horror films ever, Ridley Scott’s Alien, 20th Century Fox has turned to the fans to help bring the next installment of the series to life.
Direct from the tongal website:
“That’s right, Tongalers, we’re giving you the chance to create your own original story set in the biggest horror franchise of all time: Alien! Go ahead. Run outside and scream with excitement if you want to (just don’t do it in space). But then hurry back here and pay close attention to this Brief because we’ve got a lot to cover.
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the original Alien, 20th Century Fox is tapping six visionary filmmakers in the Tongal Community to produce their own original short videos set in the aftermath of the original film.
Fox wants a wholly original story with completely new characters but your Pitch should draw on all the things that made the original Alien so groundbreaking. Think about all the unique qualities of the movie before crafting your story:
- Slow, atmospheric buildups that isolated the viewer in the emptiness of space, anxiously waiting for something to jump from the darkness. In the school of Hitchcockian suspense, what isn’t seen is even scarier than what is!
- The first true badass female protagonist in science fiction and horror. In defiance of orders, this powerful woman summoned immense strength and grit to face down the most primal of fears.
- “Space truckers” – everyday working men and women waiting to talk about their bonus situations and tying the film to its realism and relatability.
We are looking first and foremost for great original short narrative stories told through your own unique creative lens. The winning Shorts will be released online to an intensely loyal and devoted Alien fan base.
Please read the remainder of this Brief for all of the important details and check out these additional links for further inspiration:
- Alien Anthology YouTube Channel: Alien MovieTrailers
- Alien Universe Website
- Alien Movie Viewing Options
The Promotion is open to United States residents and is subject to the terms and conditions contained in the “Official Rules” located within the Assets tab of this Project. The Official Rules supersede and replace the “Official Rules” found on the Tongal website.
The goal of this Project is to produce a unique five to nine-minute Short within the universe of the original 1979 Alien film. The contents of your story and Pitch is up to you, but must adhere to the following criteria.
Your STORY must:
- Be themed with the science fiction and/or horror genre;
- Be tonally in line with the original film – suspenseful, visceral, claustrophobic and intense;
- Keep a narrative vantage point centered around the original story;
- Introduce original character(s) based in the archetype of the underdog – the everyday working men and women that grounded the film in realism and relatability;
- Include Alien in some form of its lifecycle (i.e. ovomorph to face hugger, chestburster +/or Xenomorph);
- Be for a short video ideally five to nine minutes in length; and
- TARGET THE FANS OF THE ALIEN FRANCHISE AGES 17+.
Your PITCH must not:
- Use the name/likeness of any actors appearing in the Alien films;
- Use the characters from the Alien films; or
- Use actual Alien film footage, music or any third party controlled material.
Even though your Pitch must not use characters from the Alien films, your Pitch may reference these characters in dialogue (e.g., “Ash wouldn’t have done that…”).
Your PITCH AND FINAL VIDEO must be wholly original.
While you are strongly encouraged to invent your own original Alien story, 20th Century Fox has also provided a list of story starters to get those creative juices flowing.
Example Alien Story Starters
- Synthetic and Biologist partner together to survive an infestation
- Scientists bring Xenomorph back to lab for dissection without knowing horrors ahead
- Space crew discovers the body of a Facehugged victim outside their ship
- Space miners transport cargo with Xenomorph hidden in the hull
- Synthetic receives instructions from Weyland-Yutani to stir division in space crew
- A small family unwittingly stumbles into a cave with dormant Xenomorph eggs
- A female pilot is selected to join crew that stumbles on Xenomorph
- A small child is stalked by a Facehugger searching for a host
- A small crew carries out risky plan to eject a stowaway Xenomorph from their ship
- Survivor of Xenomorph infestation accidentally brings Xenomorph onto rescue ship
This Project will begin with a Pitch Qualification Phase. 18 filmmakers will be selected by Tongal as the Pitch Qualification Phase winners and will enter into the Pitch Phase. From this pool, 6 filmmakers will then be chosen as Pitch Phase winners.”
Read the full rules and contest details here: https://tongal.com/alien#/tab-brief
