Set Text: Echo

Echo (2011) by Lewis Arnold






What did I enjoy?

Honestly, not a lot. If I had to pick one thing it would be the long take about a third of the way through where the protagonist gets into the taxi. Over the course of the shot, we see the woman's expression get less and less emotional making us as audience members question what is happening.

What did I find interesting?

The open-endedness of the finale of this short leaves the viewer questioning if that call was yet another fake cop-out or if that was the short showing the viewer the original phone call which the protagonist repeats throughout.

What could I challenge?

There seemed to be no stakes in this film: I didn't know who I was rooting for, if anyone, and I didn't really know what I was meant to be following. It's a short where events occur seemingly unconnected and without affecting anything else. It is a pretty nothing film.

What do I want to use?

The whole premise of the film is centred around this unlikeable character. Forcing the viewer to watch this character go about her day is unsettling and if done right, could be quite effective.

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