PAGE ONEACCELERATOR
8 weeks. One cohort. One genre.
Take a horror or thriller idea all the way to a finished, pitchable project using AI-native tools.
Los Angeles • Led by Fred Grinstein
The tools for making stories, shows, and visual worlds have changed faster in the last two years than in the previous decade. Small teams can now produce work that used to require full studios. But most creators are still experimenting in weekend sprints and one-off jams. Nobody is giving them the time, structure, or support to actually finish something.
That is the gap Page One fills. It is a cohort-based accelerator where a small group of creators spend eight weeks turning an idea into a complete, presentable body of work. Not a sketch. Not a proof-of-vibes. A real project with a pitch package, a visual identity, and enough material to take it to the next stage, whether that means pitching a platform, raising money, or building an audience.
Cohort 01 ran in San Francisco and finished nine for nine: nine creators, nine finished projects, screened for distributors, studios, and funders. Cohort 02 moves to Los Angeles, and it points all of that energy at one thing.
Horror and thriller.
This is where new formats break out. Genre travels, it moves fast, and it rewards a strong idea over a big budget, which makes it the perfect proving ground for AI-native production. For eight weeks, a small group of creators will build the scariest, tensest, most watchable work of their careers, together, in a room in LA.
Cohort 02 is led by Fred Grinstein, co-founder of Machine Cinema, who is running the program on the ground in Los Angeles.
If you have been to a Machine Cinema GenJam before, think of Page One as the extended cut. Same collaborative energy, same bias toward making things, stretched over eight weeks so you can go deeper and actually ship.
Built on two years of
real experience.
We have spent two years running the largest global community of AI filmmakers. Over 200 GenJam events across more than 30 countries. Partnerships with Google, ByteDance, OpenAI, Luma AI, and others. A community of 20,000+ creators and a newsletter that reaches thousands more every week.
We know what works and what does not when creators sit down with these tools. We have seen the patterns: what gets people stuck, what unlocks a project, and what it takes to move from experiment to finished work. Cohort 01 was the proof. Sixty-plus applied, twenty-three were selected, and nine walked out with a finished, distributable project.
Page One is us packaging that experience into a program. We also bring access. Tool partnerships, distribution relationships, and production expertise that most individual creators cannot get on their own.
An expanded roster
for Cohort 02.
Distribution Partners
Our distribution partners return for Cohort 02, which means the work you finish has real places to go. Demo Night is not the end of the road. It is the introduction.
Credit and Tool Partners
Cohort 02 comes with expanded tool access and credits from partners we will name in the coming weeks, so you can build without hitting a paywall every time you have an idea worth trying.
Finish with a pitch package,
plus one of these.
Over eight weeks, you move through a structured creative arc with in-person sessions, guided work time, and regular feedback from mentors and your cohort. Everything is pointed at genre.
Proof-of-Concept Series
A short horror or thriller series with characters, a hook, and an escalating arc. Enough to pitch as a proof-of-concept for a longer run, whether that is a microdrama, a social-first series, or an episodic show.
Concept Film or Visual Narrative
A horror short, a storyboard, or a visual bible that nails tone, world, and dread. Think of it as the thing you hand someone to make them feel the film before it exists.
Interactive Prototype
A game-adjacent or interactive horror experience built with vibe-coding tools or world models. Something that shows a new format, not just a demo.
The point is to make something tangible and complete. Work you can show to someone who was not in the room with you and have it land on its own.
Genre creators who
want to go deeper.
Filmmakers
Writers
Artists
Designers
Creative Technologists
Small Teams
Individuals or small teams who already have a horror or thriller idea they want to develop. You are looking for structure and community, not a tutorial. You see AI as a creative tool, not a magic button. You are willing to commit eight weeks of real effort. You want to be around other people who are doing the same thing.
You do not need to be an expert. You do not need a finished script or a polished deck. You need a good idea, a love of the genre, and the willingness to show up. If you do not have a team yet, note that in your application. You can find collaborators on the first day.
Eight weeks.
Four modes.
Format
Cohort-based, eight weeks, intentionally small
In Person
Weekly workshops and working sessions in Los Angeles. Food and drinks provided.
Online
Critiques, work sessions, and pitch practice between in-person meetups
Demo Night
Final presentations to an invited audience of industry people, potential partners, and folks who can actually help your project get to the next stage
Format
Cohort-based, eight weeks, intentionally small
In Person
Weekly workshops and working sessions in Los Angeles. Food and drinks provided.
Online
Critiques, work sessions, and pitch practice between in-person meetups
Demo Night
Final presentations to an invited audience of industry people, potential partners, and folks who can actually help your project get to the next stage
More than a workshop.
A launchpad.
Expert Feedback
Structured feedback from experienced creators and industry professionals, not just your friends saying it looks cool
AI Production Tools
Access to the latest AI production tools, workflows, and partner credits
Global Network
Connection to Machine Cinema's network of creators and industry partners worldwide
Pitch-Ready Project
A polished pitch package and a demo-ready project
Demo Night Audience
An audience that includes people in distribution, production, and funding, including genre buyers looking for exactly this kind of work
Alumni Network
Alumni network and ongoing community access after the program ends
Los Angeles
Cohort 02 is based in Los Angeles, with Echobend as our home base for workshops, working sessions, and the kind of unstructured time that actually makes creative work happen.
More details on the venue and logistics will be shared with accepted participants.
Ready to build
something that scares people?
Cohort 01 proved the model. Cohort 02 takes it to LA, and it goes dark.
The cohort is small on purpose. We are looking for people who will commit to the full eight weeks and bring something real to the table. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.