Echo

 

Echo

    Echo is a short film directed by Lewis Arnold which follows 17 year old Caroline who attempts to steal money off of strangers by taking a phone call that her dad has died.  However, her dad may have actually died in a motorbike crash, but this is kept unconfirmed. 

    The film does not follow a conventional 3 act structure with a setup, confrontation and resolution. Instead it is kept more disjointed and ambiguous with different part of the film being able to come in different orders and the film still making sense. 

    For example, the film could follow the shown structure that it is presented in. The initial call where Caroline steals the money and leaves the taxi early and then argues with her mum at home, then the scene where Caroline unsuccessfully attempts to steal money from the man but is interrupted by her brother, and finally the call where she is dressed in casual clothing.

    However, the film could also work in reverse order and I personally believe this makes more sense. The final call where she is dressed in casual clothing is actually the original call she receives where she first hears the news of her dad's death. The scene where she attempts to steal the money is the first time that she tries to steal money and as a result she is unsuccessful. It is also the first time her brother catches her trying to do this and he then questions her about it later. The first scene we see where she receives the call and manages to steal money from the man is actually the last scene chronologically and is her successfully stealing money after improving her method.

    The most prominent example of meaning being created through the micro elements is when the car passes in from of Caroline's brother as he rides away on his bike.

This may hold some symbolism to the way that the dad died in a motorbike accident and may even foreshadow an accident that happens to the brother as his wheel was flat before he rode off. This shot is also a slow motion shot which makes it more dramatic and may also emphasise it and add importance to the shot as it is drawn out.

    Visual motifs also appear throughout the film. The most prominent one is the lighter. This appears before the final call and in the scene following the initial call. It may show how her dad was a smoker and the scene where she smokes may also emphasise this.