In February, filmmaker Christian Kennedy released his highly anticipated Alien fan film No Man’s Land, a thirty-minute short that imagines how humanity might fare in a confrontation with the Xenomorph during the first World War. The film is excellent, far exceeding expectations for a fan production; it features quality practical effects and lighting, accompanied by moving dialogue. Long time fans of the franchise will enjoy this fresh take on science-fiction’s most terrifying creature.
I had a chance to chat with Kennedy about his film; he shared insights regarding the writing and production process, along with stories about his own passion for the Alien franchise. Beyond making great films, Kennedy is a thoughtful person, whose kindness and approachable demeanor made for a great interview.
Inspiration for No Man’s Land
Lasby: The notion of time-period specific standalone films for particular franchises has been a fan favorite idea for some time; Predator Dark Ages is a celebrated Predator fan film featuring a confrontation between the Yautja and the Templar Knights. Dan Trachtenburg’s 2022 film Prey also featured this type of storytelling.
What inspired you to tell this kind of story for Alien and why did you pick the first World War?
Kennedy: “I was originally going to make a Colonial Marines fan film in a future setting and in the process of brainstorming and searching for locations, I discovered a video of the World War I re-enactment trench and the idea came to me… what if I mixed these two worlds? It could be pretty cool.
“Aliens running through trenches at night being fought off with bolt-action rifles and bayonets would make for interesting visuals. I went to scout the location which was a few hours away, and after taking a few test videos, I was very confident it would work. My two favorite film genres are science-fiction and historical epics, so it made perfect sense.”
Lasby: Personally, I loved the reimagining of trench warfare and the claustrophobic feel that parallels the tight quarters of spaceships. I know not everyone will love the idea of “breaking canon,” but I don’t see why we can’t have standalone stories alongside the official narrative canon. There are already separate universes with Alien, Alien Versus Predator, and Predator. I think there’s plenty of room for creative storytelling.
Why the Xenomorph? What inspired you to create a fan film rather than designing your own creature that would shift No Man’s Land into an original franchise?
Kennedy: “I’m a huge fan of Aliens and the practical FX seen in The Making of Alien documentary… I watched it many times. I really loved how James Cameron shot the Aliens and how he had them painted and lit them; I really wanted to have a go of this myself with the Alien warrior suits. I also previously searched for other Alien fan films and discovered the really cool Batman: Dead End fan film… I really liked how they went with the practical suits–by this stage I was hooked and it was the only option to pursue.”
Insight into the Production Process
Lasby: How long did it take you to finish No Man’s Land? What was your budget for the project?
Kennedy: “The actual shooting time was around eleven days, but the post-production process was very long, a couple of years due to myself being very busy with commercial projects and working around the schedules of the post production crew. The budget was approx. $30k (AUD) but [that does] not include my time in post production–which was a lot.”
Lasby: The film quality is excellent, especially considering the budget and time constraints you were working with. You clearly knew what you were doing, and it shows with your work.
What is your favorite part of your film?
Kennedy: “My favorite part of the film is the beginning scene when the soldiers go over the top of the trench parapet. The sunlight was just on point that day; we hazed up the set with smoke machines, and the way the sunlight beams pierced through the dust and smoke at the perfect moment–it looked very cinematic.”
Lasby: Your use of lighting really set the mood and atmosphere of No Man’s Land. Did you have a particular inspiration for those effects?
“For the interior spaceship shots, I went with blue- and red-colored lights as seen in Aliens in the final standoff scene. I really like the 80s sci-fi/horror film lighting style–using hard backlights and lots of smoke/haze.
“For night trench shots, I wanted a tungsten/fire candlelight look to be somewhat realistic of what you’d find in the time period. Some inspiration for this was from The Revenant.
The flares we used added a really cool look; they were boat emergency flares that put out heaps of light. It would light up the whole trench, and the shadows and flickering it created were unique. I had the inspiration for this from The Thing, another favorite film.”
Future Alien and Predator Films
Lasby: Many of your viewers, myself included, would love to see your idea scaled up to a full length film. With the aforementioned success of Trachtenburg’s Prey, it seems like Disney and 20th Century Studios might be more open to it.
Would you be interested in such a project if given the opportunity to adapt your short into a longer film for Disney / 20th Century Studios?
Kennedy: “100% yes! I have quite a few ideas to make this into a feature length film. Production wise I know how to do it; all I need is the producer and studio financial support to make it happen. I’m a die-hard Aliens and Predator fan myself, so I would know how to approach it to stay true to the originals. If given the opportunity, I would work tirelessly to deliver an entertaining product that fans would enjoy and respect.”
Lasby: With over 2.5 million views at the time of writing this, did you achieve the level of success you hoped for? Has anyone from Twentieth Century Studios or others connected to the Alien universe reached out to you?
Kennedy: “I didn’t expect it to get so many views so quickly; I was surprised for sure. I’m super happy it has received this much attention, and very appreciative of people taking the time to watch it, like, and comment.
“No one from the studios has reached out to me, but it would be awesome if they did.”
Lasby: Any future projects in the works? Any possibility of more Alien fan films? Would you be open to other franchise fan films such as Predator?
Kennedy: “I have many other different film projects I want to pursue. I was considering doing a crowdfunding to make another film. In my first script for No Man’s Land, I originally planned on including a Predator appearing at the end–so definitely interested in that.
“It’s a possibility for sure.”
Lasby: Finally, I can’t part ways without asking, Which is your favorite official Alien film?
Kennedy: “Definitely Aliens (1986) from James Cameron. It’s the best film of all time!”
Lasby: Christian, thank you so much for doing this interview with Boss Rush Network. We’re big fans of the Alien franchise and loved your film. We’ll certainly be following your career and the projects you do next.
To view the full film of No Man’s Land, click here.
David Lasby is the Editor-in-Chief for Boss Rush Network. His favorite video games are The Legend of Zelda, Metroid, and the Aliens franchise. You can find him on Twitter to talk all things Nintendo, sci-fi / fantasy, and creative writing.
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