"Distant Echoes" (1999)

"Distant Echoes" is a short film directed by Clarke M. Smith and produced by he and Leilani L Smith. It starred Gregorio de la Pagiano, with brief appearances by Peter Beam, Clarke M. Smith, John Frattarolli, and Peter Beam Sr. It was completed in June of 1999 via a single SVHS camera, and was Smith’s third Connecticut film post-graduation from the University of Arizona.

In 1998, Smith had completed “Contamination 2”, which was a massive production at the time. Smith, and C2’s producer Eric Smith had since begun to work on corporate videos, and to invest for the first time, in computer editing with a never before used software - AdobePremier, in its infancy. Sluggish and low resolution at the time, Smith committed to editing the film for the first time on the computer (as opposed to the traditional tape-to-tape editing done up to this point). It was also his first time trying his hand at special visual effects, which also used Photoshop.

Realizing the Script
Eric Smith had the computer and software at his house, and agreed to let Clarke utilize it for his post production needs. With numerous tests performed, Clarke set out to make a ‘last man on earth’ sci-fi story, and to boldly attempt to shoot scenes on busy streets, and digitally remove people and cars, creating the illusion that Gregorio was all alone; no easy task in busy mini-metropolis Stamford, CT.

The script was fairly simple. A man hates humanity, and wishes it all away. He gets his wish, and wakes up the next day with just that - not one human to be found. He walks around all day trying to find someone, getting more and more distraught - and regretful of his wish.

Smith also devised a scene with the main character playing cards with himself, when his old imaginary pals show up to play - who are transparent. In the end, the man, now appearing homeless and an alcoholic and having learned his lesson, says he would “do anything” to get the world back. And the nightmare ends.

Once the script was complete, Smith inquired with “Contamination 2” cast members Eric Smith, Mark Steiner, and Ralph Reda about playing the lead. None were available or could commit to the time, and were likely burned out from the last film’s long schedule. Having really enjoyed working with Gregorio de la Pagiano in supporting roles in his past 2 films, the two were at a bar one night, when Smith offered him the role. The two signed a contract handwritten on a napkin, which promised that Smith would hire him if he fully committed to the film until complete.

Shooting Details
Still years before higher quality digital, non-linear editing, Smith plowed ahead with his ambitious short film. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to do the effects in the footage he was shooting, but was hopeful. The first scene shot was the empty, overgrown softball field. Learning from past experiences, Smith started off with a very simple scene (and requiring no effects). This field had been something he had seen by chance near his apartment, and thought it would be a great spot to show the passage of time. The end of the scene was meant to echo the end of “Planet of the Apes”, with the dramatic zoom out showing the Statue of Liberty head. Shooting Gregorio walking around busy streets was challenging. He had to act rather bewildered and lost, even though it was a busy city. If a person or moving car went in front or in back of him, the shot was unusable. One of the most innovative shoots, was the card playing scene. Having done some ‘ghost’ tests, Smith shot the card game from multiple angles, and was careful to make sure no one crossed into Gregorio. It happened a few times. When the cast saw the finished effect later on, they were pretty amazed.

One of the oddest scenes to shoot was Gregorio on the freeway overpass. By pure luck, it was an overpass under construction (or closed for some other reason), over I95 - a very busy freeway. Smith and Gregorio feared that people on the freeway would see this man in a blanket, holding a bottle of booze, and figure it was a suicide attempt about to happen. They got their shots quick, and thankfully nothing happened. All the sound had to be replaced for most of the film, due to loud freeway and city sounds. Shooting wrapped in June of 1999. Many of the shoots were only Smith and Gregorio and no crew. Now the hope, as post production went on, was that the visual effects could be pulled off.

Film Analysis
This is Smith’s first and only true sci-fi film with a fantasy element. The idea of wishing the world gone and having it come true, was fantasy more than sci-fi. This is further evidenced by the ending, where a pair of hands (Smith’s) reach in and find Gregorio’s note. Its a parable that warns of being careful of what you wish for, and to appreciate what you do have. Once the main character ‘learns his lesson’, we assume the world is coming back, as per his newfound wish. But it wasn’t meant to be a literal story in terms of re-populating the world, or a few new stragglers finding his note. It was more about symbology. Gregorio’s monologue at the end at the beach really says it all, about the point of the film. Ande Felix, featured in many of Smith's college films (and his step father), felt strongly that the hands at the end should be a female's, signifying an Adam and Eve vibe, and repopulate the world. Smith would have shot an alternative shot with Leilani's hands, but she was not present at the beach shoot. The hands are Clarke M. Smith's.

Most of the visual effects worked out well. Smith took still frames from the raw footage, and took them into Photoshop to erase whatever people or cars were there. Then carefully matted in the still frame into the moving frame (usually a simple split screen). At the time, it fully required a locked down camera. Any camera movement seen in the effects shots were done in post production, and within the letterbox space. “Distant Echoes” was Smith’s first widescreen film. There was no widescreen available at the time. Smith letterboxed the original 4:3 video image in post in an attempt to create the look of a widescreen 16:9 aspect ratio, and to emulate film. He became rather obsessed with widescreen, and feels he was years ahead of his time with films being released letterboxed with nothing cut out via pan and scan, not to mention the current world of now fully integrated widescreen TVs. Though still shot in a low quality 720x480 frame, the quality was well above previous films edited in a tape-to-tape method. All of Smith’s pre-computer based films from The Lurking to “Contamination 2” were later digitally re-captured and re-edited from scratch, which among other improvements, eliminated the tape generation loss.

Aftermath
Smith felt that his film was a huge turning point in his filmmaking. It was the first film he was able to edit non-linearly (i.e., not in order), which enabled editing to happen while shooting went on. Previously, if editing came to a scene not yet shot, editing came to a halt till it was filmed. In addition, it would be the last time he would ever shoot on SVHS, and next graduated to miniDV.

“Distant Echoes” had a premier party at Gregorio’s parents home in Old Greenwich, CT (the house used in the scenes where he stumbles into someone’s home and falls asleep with his radio). Most of the cast of “Contamination 2” attended. Gregorio was very nervous, with so many peers watching essentially his one man show. Another first, was that the film was accepted and screened at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival in June 2000. It was expensive to submit a film (upwards of $300) but Smith paid it and got in. The festival has since come under much scrutiny and lawsuits, due to the high cost and high pressure put on naïve filmmakers. Nevertheless, the experience itself was exhilarating and was on a big screen with a good sound system. Clarke, Leilani L. Smith, and Gregorio travelled to New York City to see the screening. However, only about 20 people were in the audience.

The success of the technology and visual effects used in “Distant “Echoes” directly led to Smith’s feature film which came next, “The Ethereal Plane”. That film required more split screen work, and instead of a still frame on one side, it would be one side with video in reverse.

Video and Web Links
Trailer

"Distant Echoes" (1999) (Full Movie)

"Distant Echoes - 2013 Retrospective"

1999 Visual Audio Commentary (to come)

"Distant Echoes" (1999) Bloopers

"Distant Echoes" (1999) Premier Party