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Alien Video Essay: Screenplay Opening Analysis

A screenwriting-focused breakdown of Alien's opening scenes, showing how they establish crew dynamics and stakes before the creature ever appears.

The Storylosopher: Write to Direct · 7 min · Intermediate · SCR · Screenwriting · 2018

What you take away

Learn how much narrative groundwork a script can lay before its inciting incident.

Watch it

Filed under

Oscar winners for screenplay

Books on screenwriting

Your Screenplay Sucks! — William M. Akers
The Screenwriter’s Workbook — Syd Field
Story — Robert McKee
Writing Screenplays That Sell — Michael Hauge
Wired for Story — Lisa Cron
Inside Story — Dara Marks

More Screenwriting

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Screenwriting Plot Structure Masterclass - Michael Hauge [FULL INTERVIEW] — Film Courage · 68m · Intermediate
Anatomy Of Story - John Truby [FULL INTERVIEW] — Film Courage · 60m · Intermediate
THR Writer Roundtable: Chloe Domont, Andrew Haigh, Cord Jefferson, Tony McNamara, Eric Roth & More — The Hollywood Reporter · 40m · Advanced
12 Stages Of The Hero's Journey (Narrated By Christopher Vogler) — Film Courage · 23m · Beginner
Pedro Almodóvar | BAFTA Screenwriters’ Lecture Series — BAFTA Guru · 60m · Advanced
Céline Sciamma | BAFTA Screenwriters’ Lecture Series — BAFTA Guru · 55m · Advanced
Essential Skill Sets Screenwriters Need To Write Professionally - Corey Mandell [FULL INTERVIEW] — Film Courage · 75m · Intermediate
How to write amazing endings for your film. — Standard Story Company · 11m · Intermediate
Mike Leigh | BAFTA Screenwriters' Lecture Series — BAFTA · 62m · Advanced
Writing Subtext — The Secret to Writing What's Under the Surface — StudioBinder · 22m · Intermediate
Anatomy Of Story - Television Edition: The Complete Film Courage Interview with John Truby — Film Courage · 55m · Intermediate

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