ADRIAN, MICH., – Adrian College students are taking their filmmaking skills to the next level with their new short film “Followed”, a thriller written and directed by student Sylas Montgomery and produced through the college’s Film Club, Cerberus Studios. The short film is among the club’s first student-led productions, utilizing professional-grade equipment, experienced actors, and a budget. “In film studies, it’s about what you can do. There is no test,” said Professor Michael Neal, co-founder and faculty adviser of Cerberus Studios. “You have to have a portfolio that impresses production companies.” To achieve that, you have to be involved in the filmmaking process, and that’s exactly what Cerberus Studios is giving students the chance to do. “Followed” is a thriller that tells the story of a bartender who is followed home by a serial stalker, leading to a tense fight for survival. “The main emotion I want them to feel is dread,” says Sylas Montgomery when asked how he hopes to affect the audience. “I don’t want you to just be scared with the characters, I want you to be scared for the characters.”

Sylas said the concept grew from a desire to write a horror story while working on short films with his brother back in 2021. However, he didn’t want to do another slasher. He wanted to come up with something that would scare him. Inspired by films like Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho”, John Carpenter’s “Halloween”, and Wes Craven’s “Scream”, he wanted to capture fear from a woman’s perspective. He credits Adrian College’s support for making the production possible. “I don’t have all the stuff the school has generously given me,” he said. “This is the first film I’m really working on that has a budget.”