STILL ECHOES
A surrealist psychological thriller short film
A Journey Through the Mind
Still Echoes is a short, surrealist psychological thriller with a strong dramatic centre.
Set in an anatopic and anachronistic world inspired by classic and modern indie masterpieces, we are taken on an unpredictable journey through the oneiric vistas of a fractured mind.
The disorientation of Leonard as he tries to piece his life together in Memento… the heartache and loss Joel feels in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind… the blurring of dreams and reality in Inception… the eerie dread and mood of It Follows… the tension and intrigue of Jacob’s Ladder…
Intensely emotional, thought provoking, and dripping with a unique sense of atmosphere, Still Echoes fuses the surreal and the cerebral in ways that are both thrilling and touching.
The Story
Opening in a calling station from within a grimy hospital psych ward, a patient – Aislin – participates in a novel memory recall exercise.
With little warning, she finds herself trapped within the intricate tapestry of her fragmented psyche. But she is not alone… an ominous figure stalks her through the surreal corridors of her consciousness.
Navigating the blurred boundaries between reality and illusion, Aislin’s journey unravels the ephemeral nature of time, identity, and the haunting echoes of guilt, love and loss.
Atmosphere, Style, and Substance
Visuals will have saturated colours, bold design choices, and a heightened sense of reality. Framing, blocking, and staging will creatively utilize the interplay between these elements to keep the viewer immersed – coverage will be anything but standard. Pacing will be brisk and deliberate.
Still Echoes is purposefully without a particular time or place. Rotary phones, modern cars, typewriters, flat screen TV’s… all subtle details that add to the strange and uneasy world of the film.
The score will be abstract and ambient, but with concrete motifs peppered throughout. Drawing inspiration from the works of Hans Zimmer and Tom Holkenborg, the music will combine classic synth sounds (like the legendary CS-80) with classical strings and brass. Spacious. Moody. Haunting. Powerful.
The Characters
AISLIN, in her late thirties, is quirky and outgoing. She has a generally pleasant demeanour with a bit of punk rock edge. A tragic event triggers a mental health crisis and launches her into the dark corners of her mind which she has unwittingly obscured from herself. Her surreal sojourn is an opportunity for her to confront her guilt and heartache, reclaim her life, and maybe even find closure and begin to heal.
ALEX, late thirties, is sweet, and incredibly welcoming and compassionate, if a bit mysterious. She and Aislin have an important connection – a significant shared history that Aislin will soon discover.
DOCTOR PARSON, mid-fifties, is both warm and stoic. A brilliant psychiatrist, he is a sort of enigmatic mentor to Aislin.
DARK FIGURE is a shadowy presence that haunts Aislin. Emblematic of Aislin’s guilt and fear, the Dark Figure serves as a physical manifestation of the very things Aislin has been running from.
The Future
Though Still Echoes was intentionally written as a short film, there is sufficient backstory and material for expansion into a feature film.
In this hypothetical expansion, existing scenes could be fleshed out with more details to build upon the story’s mystery and add intensity.
Previous scenes cut from the story due to length constraints could be written back in to support and develop the narrative…
… An uneasy exchange between Aislin and Alex in an ethereal restaurant.
… A pulse pounding game of hide-and-seek as the Dark Figure hunts Aislin through a labyrinthian, back-rooms-esque liminal space.
… A time-bending, heartrending, and anxiety inducing moment between Aislin and Alex during a slow-motion car crash.
… A “B” story centred on Doctor Parsons’ and Aislin’s relationship.
These are just some examples of what could be seen in a feature length version of Still Echoes.
MOORE FILM AND SOUND in association with LOW BAR PRODUCTIONS and EFFIGY ENTERTAINMENT
present a DUSTIN MOORE film “STILL ECHOES”
produced by DUSTIN MOORE, ROB BERTRAND, RICHARD BARLOW, and BRANDON BURKLEY
