If you’re a fan of science fiction, you are also a fan of Ridley Scott’s Alien franchise. You just are. There’s no way around it. The series is now heading towards sequel number five and has even crossed into other mediums, proving the longevity and versatility of the film’s universe. But specifically, there’s no disputing the fact that the original film, Alien, is a bonafide masterpiece of not only the genre, but of film as a whole. It took note from niche genre films and used those lessons to create something transcendent of genre. The production design, the score, the editing, everything about the film is note-for-note perfect and works towards establishing a tremendous story with a wonderful sense of suspense and tone.
It’s the kind of movie one never really tires of exploring, especially in regards to its production, which is almost as legendary as the film itself at this point. Recently an interesting piece of production material made its way onto the internet for fans to enjoy: Ridley Scott’s original hand-drawn storyboards and notes for the film. They’re quite the curiosity for die-hard fans of the franchise. For one thing, director-drawn storyboards are the closest you can get to seeing a director’s vision for a film in its purest form.
Given this, it’s interesting to look over these storyboards and notice just how prominently Scott used the color green in planning the film. It’s a decision that obviously carried over into the finished product and it’s very cool to see its origins. It’s also pretty interesting to see that Scott is a pretty solid artist. That said, there are some pretty funny quirks to the storyboards, from the one that just reads, “Acid!” to Scott’s note that says, “Uttering a birthing cry”, which is a pretty wonderful combination of words.
It’s pretty awesome to see these storyboards and hopefully the piqued interest will lead to some sort of official release in book or pamphlet form. Until then, enjoy them via the internet and take a minute to appreciate the origins of one of the great movies of all time.
Source: Imgur
