EXCLUSIVE | 'Echo Boomers' director Seth Savoy decodes millennial lifestyle, says they 'do change the world'
In his directorial debut, 'Echo Boomers', Seth Savoy attempts to show a mirror to the society. Being a millennial himself, the young Cajun American filmmaker tells the story of a group of five college graduates who take matters into their own hands as life doesn't turn out the way they were told it would. Starring Patrick Schwarzenegger, Michael Shannon, Alex Pettyfer, Hayley Law and Gilles Geary, 'Echo Boomers' follows the group as they break into the homes of the rich to loot their belongings. If you think they're playing the modern-day Robin Hoods, you're mistaken. This is a bunch of people that is taking what they think is rightfully theirs.
Seth Savoy, who worked on the film just after graduating from film school in 2013, recalls how the story, in a way, came from his own experiences. "I had just graduated and I left film school with a whole bunch of debt and I realized that once I got to the finish line, there was no shortage of filmmakers. That time, I serendipitously enough, came across these headlines in Chicago, newspapers about a group of college kids breaking into these really wealthy homes. And weirdly enough, I understood their frustration on a personal level," he recalls in an exclusive chat with MEAWW. And from there, he just went with it.
With 'Echo Boomers', Seth aimed to offer a new insight into the way that millennials everywhere are perceived. This idea that the generation is entitled and demanding is not entirely correct. "Millennials have had an unbelievable effect on almost everything they've touched - whether that's the economy or whether it is equal pay for women - they really do change the world," he said. "At the end of the day, these, these echo boomers, they really did accomplish what they wanted to, which I think says something about the generation."
For a debut project, Savoy landed a great deal working with Schwarzenegger, Pettyfer and Shannon. Calling Patrick, who plays Lance, a "kind actor," he says, "I felt like Patrick hadn't been given a chance to really shine." He had worked in a romance 'Midnight Sun' and 'Daniel Isn't Real', a horror movie. Seth thinks the actor really got to outshine himself with 'Echo Boomers'. "He didn't really have this chance yet to act with these real intent actors. The way in which Patrick digests information, really makes him a one of a kind actor."
Working with Academy Award-winning actor Shannon was more than just an experience - it taught Savoy more tricks of his trade. "Shannon is someone who takes his craft very seriously. The few days that he was on set, I feel like I learned so much as a creative. He was very supportive and always there for me as someone who's growing in their art form."
'Echo Boomers' released digitally on November 13, although Savoy would have loved a theatrical release. "We ended up doing like a hundred theatres in the United States, but it is just the kind of the times we live in. We didn't get to do a film festival this year either," he said. Things, however, worked out for the good though. "So I mean, it is one of those things where it's a little disappointing, but when you look at kind of the films that we would have been up against - ' Wonder Woman' and 'James Bond' and 'The French dispatch' and 'Dune' - and the monster filmmakers. So [digital release[ has kind of given us a chance to kind of shine a little bit," he says, adding, "I think we've made the best".
What's next for the young director? He can't divulge much but promises that there is a lot to come. "I've taken quarantine to kind of take a step back and begin writing again. I can't say too much, but I think the next one that I'm working on is going to be like a completely original franchise. And I think the studio system is gonna eat it up!"
