Echoes of You
An original short screenplay exploring grief, memory, love and the emotional connection between music and memory, through characterisation and storytelling.
- University of Manchester
- 2026
- Writer
- Watch
Overview
An original short screenplay completly ideated, redrafted and developed taking into account genre, form and structure.
The story follows Amelia, a young pianist struggling to perform a piece she created with Adam before his death. As memories of their relationship resurface, she is forced to confront the fear that playing their music without him will make the loss feel even more real. The central premise is that grief does not disappear, but instead it can slowly become something we learn to carry. Music becomes the emotional language of the story, connecting Amelia to Adam while also helping her rediscover a part of herself she thought she had lost.
Creative approach
I wanted the screenplay to move between the present and Amelia’s memories in a way that reflects how grief can interrupt everyday life. Flashbacks are triggered through music, objects and locations, including Amelia’s necklace, lilies and places, all reminding her of the past. The recurring “love theme” becomes a symbol of Amelia’s grief, eventually transforming into something she can reclaim for herself through the final performance. Through redevelopment and refinement in the drafting process, the screenplay had closely been marked against dialogue, editing and screenwriting industry functions.
Process
- Development of premises, characterisations, loglines and key themes & motifs planned.
- Pitched the main concepts to a group of 15 people - creating a pitch deck consisting of character profiles, settings, full story outline, logline and premise
- Multiple drafting stages: the penultimate drafting stage had guided feedback from peers and mentors, with a full table read and notes. Dialogue passes focused on subtext and rhythm.
- Redrafting, formatting and editing stage taking into account coverage notes before the final submission.
Stills
