project zero
An experiment in making horror that sells - using a process that begins where most end.
This is a true story
Fewer than 1 in 10 films are directed by first-timers and truly standout scripts are becoming vanishingly rare. One in a thousand is promising, and only a fraction ever get bought.
1 : 1000
Scripts get optioned
→
1 : 100,000
get optioned and greenlit
→
1 : 500,000
get made and released
The odds for filmmakers are horrifying, so we're trying something new.
We started Altt because we believe great horror shouldn't depend on a single lucky break. Our mission is to build a model where filmmakers can make the work they care about, repeatedly, with real backing behind them. Studios know low-budget horror delivers, but high overhead makes it almost impossible to keep producing it themselves. That's the gap we aim to fill.
We're creating a system to handle the operational structure, validate ideas through early audience testing, and make a studio buyer's decision to greenlight as easy as possible. We're proving the model with our own first feature as a company, working title Project Zero.
What's Project Zero about?
We don't know.
Who wrote the script?
No one yet.
Characters? Plot?
No idea.
We believe the question "Will anyone actually pay for this?" should be the first thing asked, not one of the last. Instead of going all in on a story that our team loves, we’re using real data science from the very first step.
By starting from premise, we can measure which ideas pull hard enough with real audiences to earn their place in the process. Instead of asking audiences notoriously inaccurate questions like what they would watch, we’re running tests that allow them to demonstrate preferences through real behaviour. We’re putting competing synopses in front of real horror audiences and measuring what they actually click, share, and come back to. These methods are rooted in the real data science that tech startups use. We’re looking for consistent signals, not just one flattering number.
The same approach will run alongside every stage of development from story structure, script writing, previsualisation, market positioning, operational pre-planning, and commercial viability. Each phase has its own validation methods, and all of that evidence gets packaged with the complete script, storyboards, and previsualisation sequences in our custom interactive software, Movie Stacks, which lets buyers experience the atmosphere and tone of the film before it exists.
What’s the catch?
We’ve raised enough to pay production expenses, which means Project Zero currently offers no upfront compensation for anyone, including the people running the project. We work on the same terms as everyone else. The company is a work in progress, and none of us are full-time employees.
That being said, we’re putting in the work to make sure there are real guarantees and protections for everyone involved. Part of that means trying to set a new standard for transparency and fairness in independent film, backed by detailed legal agreements guaranteeing:
Deferred pay is tracked. The work you do is invoiced and kept in a ledger you can check anytime.
Your pay comes before profit. Everything owed to cast and crew is repaid in full before any profit distribution, including financiers.
Generous profit points. Everyone earns Points, paid from pools set at a fixed share of project or studio profit.
What you earn lasts. Points stay valid for the life of the project. Additional Studio Points, for work done across multiple projects or at the company level, last five years from your last credited work.
Credit guarantees. Your credit is agreed in writing against recognised industry standards, with independent arbitration if there's ever a dispute.
Freedom to work as you choose. You stay your own boss, free to take other clients and set your own hours, with no exclusivity at all.
First call on future roles. If a past role or a step up becomes available, existing collaborators already on the team get first right of consideration — and if it doesn't work out, options like consulting credit or added points are on the table.
A fair way out. If it's not working, either side can give reasonable notice with pay and points prorated fairly based on your contributions.
Clear ownership. Your ideas and work done outside Altt is clearly protected in writing and stay fully yours.
Your work treated ethically. We've worked hard to ensure that our agreements offer same kind of mutual protections and assurances that much bigger studios offer, and most of the time on significantly better terms.
Good faith built in at every turn. If a term rests on a mistake, things change, or we all learn something new, either side can raise it and we will do everything we can to make it right.
We appreciate that this opportunity isn’t right for everyone. If you’re curious about what we’re doing but aren’t in a position to participate, or you think there’s a better way, please get in touch. We always want to hear from people who get what we’re doing and believe in the mission.
How to get involved
Premise submissions for Project Zero
We're looking for contained, elevated horror with a real emotional core underneath the scares. All submissions are welcome and, if your premise pulls an audience at our one-liner stage and can be made within budget, it's a candidate. We also have some existing premises with no attached writer, so we will be looking for staff writers if any of those move to the forefront.
Writer for Dual Media FMV Video Game + Feature Film
We've secured a tentative distribution partnership with award-winning games company Wales Interactive, for a project that spans both a playable interactive release and a linear cut. The premise is already in development and will be shared on request. We're looking for a writer who can work within an established beat structure and antagonist/inciting-incident framework, and who's comfortable writing for branching, player-driven narrative as well as traditional screen story. We expect this role to include pay during pre-production and production, with specifics to be confirmed.
If you want to get involved another way: We’re not looking for cast or crew yet, but get in touch with us at info@alttproductions.com anyway and we’ll make sure you get updates along the way. We’re also always looking for people who have been there, done that, and can help us become aware of our unknown unknowns.
If you want to follow the project: We'll be sharing updates on the validation process, what the data shows, and how Project Zero develops as it moves through each stage. Sign up with your email below!
Industry contacts, investor enquiries, and everything else:info@alttproductions.com