ECHOES

A short film by Alex Pacc.

You are delusional…

A dazed man tries to uncover what happened after waking up in an unknown house, however, he misidentifies the truth in the memories he regains.
Logline

Synopsis

Set in rural Australia during the interwar period, Echoes is a short mystery about the deception of memory, the extent of human willpower, and the effects of isolation. Derrick, a World War I veteran, awakens without recollection of his past and must piece it together using what remains in a rural house. Determined to find answers, he discovers objects that act as a catalyst to reveal his past; however, in these fragmented memories, he focuses on irrelevant details. Instead of discovering the truth, he goes on a fruitless quest to find and help his wife, who seemingly was taken away after a natural disaster. With every new discovery, the mystery deepens, and the truth becomes further and further away.

director’s statement

Since I was aware of the Media Arts Capstone project, I have been interested in creating a short film based concept of a person waking up in the aftermath of a disaster with no memory of the disaster. From there, they would use objects in and out of a house to piece together the mystery. Echoes began as this idea, and then developed over the long course of screenwriting into the disaster being the protagonist himself, who has fractured memories due to delusion and isolation.

I’ve always been fond on the mystery, thriller, and historical fiction genres, although I cannot deny my number-one will always be science-fiction. Nolan is my greatest influence of all and it’s probably quite noticeable that I’ve taken inspiration from his complex storylines and disregard of linear time. I also was profoundly inspired by Thornton’s Sweet Country, which presented a uniquely Australian take on the Western. I aimed to embed the Australian identity into my project through distinctively Australian sounds and landscapes. My story alludes to the effects of isolation on individuals who have traumatic pasts and live rurally, which was inspired by the life of my grandparents.

I gained innumerable amounts of experience from working on my first short film. I finally got to be a part of a proper production that I was directing! But I also learnt many lessons as well. The production of Echoes had many, many hurdles in its way and I am very grateful for my team who was able to bring it all together despite many of them being volunteers. Finding a lead actor was the greatest hurdle, with multiple cancellations leading to myself jumping onboard the day before our second shooting day. Despite all the work and stress this project has put me through, my passion for filmmaking is as strong as ever and I still hope one day to be the Aussie Christopher Nolan of the world, although for now I am content with creating music and directing videos for them.

– Alex Pacc

meet the team

DIRECTOR / LEAD ACTOR

ALEX PACC

A creative tinkerer, Alex finds himself working on projects across the creative spectrum; from music to film to graphic design. Alex is a current third year UTS Media Arts and Production student and set to complete his last year of the Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation in 2023. Proud of the completion of his directional debut, Alex aims to continue to release music with his own music videos until (or if) he makes a feature film break.

Alex began writing the screenplay for Echoes in April of 2022, with the final draft completed in August. During pre-production, Alex set his vision for the cinematography, art direction and production design for Max and Dan to build upon. On set, Alex took on the role of lead actor, a first in his life. During post, Alex laid the foundations for the edit for Simon, and also did the colour grade, visual effects, and soundtrack.

PRODUCER

JAVIERA ZORRILLA

Javiera is a UTS Alumni graduated from the Bachelor of Media Arts and Production, and the Diploma of Social Media Marketing. Javiera has experience in radio and podcast producing, social media marketing, videography, post production, and 2nd AD on a feature film. During this year, Javiera has found a profound interest in fashion and has dedicated herself to styling. In the future, she is aiming to get into costume design and assistant directing for future projects.

In pre-production Javiera organised cast, filled out safety forms, and prepared call sheets, among other tasks to assist Alex. On set, Javiera took on the role of 1st AD where she organised crew and temporarily took on a directorial role when Alex was acting.

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

MAX ENRIGHT

Working in stage productions, Max has formidable experience in planning and executing camera and lighting setups. With an eye for visual storytelling and the technical knowledge and ability to realise it, Max was a strong fit for cinematography. Max is currently completing his Bachelor of Media Arts and Production.

In pre-production, Max built upon the basis of Alex’s idea for the cinematography and developed it into a workable on-set plan. During production, Max spearheaded the camera and lighting setup plus assisted or operated the camera when needed.

PRODUCTION DESIGNER

DANIEL PERRY

Daniel is a graphic designer, photographer, and videographer who recently graduated with a Bachelor of Design in Visual Communications in 2021. He plans to use his broad range of creative skills to create marketing content and visual styling for brands and businesses. Coming from a background with passion and experience in aesthetic styles, Daniel was the set designer and lead organiser for on-set props and narrative props.

In pre-production, he organised and obtained many of the necessary props. During shooting, after styling the set, Daniel took charge of continuity and aspired to uphold it to every detail. He also wrote production notes for the editor.

EDITOR

SIMON NGO

Simon is a soon-to-be graduate of Media Arts and Production who enjoys all roles across the film departments and working artistically. Being engrossed in multimedia from a young age, he advocates for the importance of story-driven narratives and substance.

On set, Simon was very flexible for many tasks. He acted as both the COVID Safety Officer and BTS photographer, plus a runner when needed. In post-production, Simon was the lead editor and assisted with the recording of the voiceovers. Simon was always there to support the production and always brought a positive vibe.

SOUND

JEREMY WOODS

Jeremy is nearing his completion of the Bachelor of Film and Media at SAE Institute. From this, he has experience in sound recording, assistant directing, and camerawork. His plan for the future is to turn his passion for filmmaking into a dream come true, creating a variety of productions, from wacky comedy to serious action.

On set, Jeremy operated the sound recorder and boom mic, recording character movement and location sound. On the last shooting day, Jeremy stepped up as 1st AD.

SUPPORT ACTRESS

KIRRILY ANNALISE

A Sydney-based actress with training at the National Institute of Dramatic Art, Kirrily has experience in theatre productions, short films, and commercials. She has a passion for singing, dancing, volleyball, among many other talents.

Kirrily performed the part of Derrick’s Wife, unofficially named Mary by the Production Designer. Kirrily was always punctual on set and dedicated to the character whilst also provided her own tenor to the role. She also performed additional voiceover lines and an improvised monologue.

Kirrily is currently rehearsing for an upcoming theatre production of Great Expectations, playing the part of Biddy as an adult.