A new screenwriting lab in India wants to steer the country’s horror films away from ghost stories and horror-comedy hybrids. Independent outfit Platoon One Films will pick 15 writers for a three-month program built around original genre scripts. The Platoon One Horror Lab will run entirely online, and each of the 15 participants will bring an original horror screenplay to develop.
Sessions will take place on weekends and will be led by seasoned screenwriters and directors from India and other countries. The format mixes group mentoring, discussions on craft and individual sessions on each script, so that writers get ongoing feedback as their drafts evolve. When the lab wraps, participants will get the chance to pitch their projects to producers and other industry figures through Platoon One’s network, which could lead to financing and, eventually, a shoot.
The company will name the program’s mentors and faculty in the next few weeks. Horror allows you to explore things that are difficult to confront directly.” The company said much of India’s mainstream horror keeps returning to the same supernatural staples and predictable beats, even though the country’s myths, folk tales and local beliefs offer far richer material. The lab will push writers to use the genre as a lens on society and the human mind, and to learn how suspense and atmosphere are built.
We have such a rich storytelling culture, and I believe there is so much more we can do with horror.” Platoon One’s wider goal is to help Indian horror travel. The company pictured tales that might start in an Indian hamlet yet still frighten viewers in Seoul or São Paulo. Platoon One Films is an indie production and distribution company that also handles international sales and creative development.
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