How To Put Yourself in the Room: Sundance Breakout Them That Follow

Published: Feb. 11, 2019, 8 a.m.

\u201cIn the rugged wilderness of Appalachia, the members of an isolated community of Pentecostal snake handlers led by Pastor Lemuel risk their lives to attest themselves before God.\u201d This is a much different type of log-line than the others entries you\u2019d find scrolling down the list of Dramatic Competition entries in Sundance\u2019s program. \n\nIt is the plot of Them That Follow, the feature film debut for writer/directors Britt Poulton and Dan Madison Savage and boy, is it a doozy. Though they didn\u2019t have any directing credits prior to the film\u2019s premiere, the duo had more than enough experience between them to pull off the gripping narrative. Through years of working for other studios and other directors they found themselves with the opportunity to "get in the room.\u201d What is the room? Well and not to use a cliche lightly here, but, \u201cthe answer may surprise you.\u201d\n\nWe also talk through writing a story about a secretive community with limited access, filling in the blanks with your own personal experiences and working with an incredible cast that included Olivia Coleman, Walton Goggins, Jim Gaffigan and more.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices