Tommy McLean, like most fathers, just can't seem to keep a close enough eye on his daughter. Adventurous to a fault, Georgia is forever wandering through the idyllic orchards and wildlands near their dusty California farm. Running a large farm by himself is a difficult job, and Tommy frequently relies on a neighbors disabled daughter, Cassandra, to keep an eye on Georgia. Having lost his wife only a few years earlier, Tommy is trapped between his desire to allow his daughter the freedom she cherishes and his concerns for her safety. A reserved man, Tommy loses himself in his daily farm work, subduing his emotions with sweat and labor.

One day, however, Georgia is not at school when Tommy goes to pick her up - and surmises that she has gone alone to her illicit hideout , a picturesque, reed-filled frog pond. The hold on his fears loosened, imagination and memory sweep Tommy up in a chiaroscuro of images and sounds. Overwhelmed by unrepressed feelings, Tommy begins the search for his daughter that leads to revelations far more difficult than he ever expected.

Echo was produced under the auspices of the University of Southern California's School of Cinema and Television during the spring of 2001. The project is a collaboration between a director and writer that springs from a very competitive interview process. The producers are then chosen to bring the team and funding together, and by January of 2001 the preproduction was completed. The entire film was shot, edited, and finished in only 15 weeks - an amazing rate, considering the students carried a full classload. The entire process was supervised by a team of USC's best teachers, including Mary Jansen, Chris Chomyn, Tom Abrams, Lou Kleinman and Matt Kregor. The film was premiered at USC's Norris Theatre on September 8, 2001. Other screenings can be found by clicking here.