India's Platoon One Films has announced a three-month online lab for 15 horror writers, according to Variety. The independent company wants to encourage original genre scripts that move beyond familiar ghost stories and horror-comedy formulas.
How the development programme works
Each participant will bring an original screenplay. Weekend sessions will combine group mentoring, craft discussions and individual script work, with experienced writers and directors from India and elsewhere providing feedback as drafts develop.
The mentors and faculty are due to be named in the following weeks. At the end, participants will have an opportunity to pitch to producers and other industry figures through Platoon One's network. Financing and filming are possible outcomes, rather than guaranteed results of taking part.
The creative aim behind the lab
Founder Shiladitya Bora sees horror as a way of approaching psychological, philosophical and social questions that can be difficult to address directly. The company argues that mainstream Indian horror too often repeats supernatural devices and predictable patterns. That is its assessment and motivation for the programme.
Platoon One wants writers to draw on the country's myths, folk tales and local beliefs while strengthening suspense and atmosphere. Its ambition is for stories rooted in specific Indian places to engage audiences in other markets.
The company also works in production, distribution, international sales and creative development. The next announced step is naming the mentors and faculty in the following weeks. The developed screenplays will later reach the programme’s pitching opportunity through the company’s producer and industry network.