The student-made short film How to Dump Your Boyfriend is a comedic, character-driven piece on how teenage girls use humor and performance to cope with the messiness of young relationships. It follows two best friends, Mia and Rebecca, who rehearse increasingly theatrical and ridiculous “breakup skits” in preparation for Rebecca to finally end things with her boyfriend, Liam. While the film isn’t designed to be emotionally deep or serious, it’s a lighthearted, fun story that celebrates the chaotic energy of female friendships. The tone is playful and exaggerated, inspired by my own friendship with my best friend, where comedy becomes a way of processing life’s awkward or difficult moments.
In contrast to the media stereotypes that frequently paint the picture that young girls are just over-emotional or boy-obsessed, this film presents them as intelligent and humorous, taking a fun approach to help get over the nerves of a breakup. Mia and Rebecca’s friendship is the heart of the story; their willingness to stage elaborate, over-the-top skits to support Rebecca during her breakup process demonstrates their loyalty to one another and their shared creativity.
The branding of my project came through in the overall visual style and the social media presence. I used a bright, saturated color palette throughout the marketing, including yellows, pinks, greens, blues, and some orange to reflect the playfulness and energetic tone of the story. These colors were consistent throughout the social media, helping the film develop a cohesive and recognizable visual identity.
On Instagram, my chosen platform for marketing, I used story Q&As to interact with audiences and build engagement around the project. Prompts like “Ask the director about the project!” or “What’s the worst way to get dumped?” allowed for playful audience participation while teasing the film’s plot. These interactions weren’t extensive, but they added a personal and conversational element to the branding, which fit the tone of the project well.
The film connects with its audience primarily through humor and relatability. The exaggerated breakup rehearsals are rooted in real emotional experiences, and the way the characters use drama to avoid direct confrontation will likely resonate with many teens and young adults navigating their (first) relationships. The comedy is intentionally awkward at times, which keeps viewers entertained while also reflecting truths about facing reality in unique ways.
I used close-up shots and expressive performances to emphasize the girls' connection while still leaning into the exaggerated acting required for comedic moments. The comedic plot within the friendship also allowed for a more casual viewing experience, making the story feel like a dramatized slice of life, like a look in on the mischief Rebecca and Mia must usually be up to.
My research drew from several comedy films, including Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Crazy Stupid Love, Booksmart, and Derry Girls. These films and series offered samples on character dynamics, tone, and how to balance awkwardness with sincerity. Booksmart, in particular, had a strong influence on how I framed female friendship, a key part of the project. The film portrays it as loud, messy, and deeply loving without making it overly sappy, which manifested in Mia and Rebecca's interactions.
From Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Crazy Stupid Love, I learned how breakups could be funny and painful all at once. In my film, I leaned into that energy by having Rebecca prepare for a breakup in increasingly elaborate ways, avoiding the real conversation until she was finally forced to face it in her final interaction with Liam.
So, rather than challenging genre conventions, I chose to embrace them and exaggerate them for comedic effect. This allowed the film to poke fun at the over-dramatized way teenagers often deal with relationships and how they sometimes see an issue as larger than it is, which, of course, I too am guilty of.
This project came with many challenges. Balancing the production process with my very demanding wrestling schedule and other academic responsibilities made time management difficult and overwhelming at times. I also faced technical setbacks, including losing audio in a key scene. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to reshoot, so I had to cut that track scene entirely. While disappointing, it taught me to adapt quickly and make editing decisions under pressure. Other editing aspects, like sound leveling or getting proper cuts, were more difficult than I expected and didn't result as cleanly as I would have wished.
I’m especially grateful for the people who helped me bring the project to life. Gio, who played Mia, threw herself into the role, especially when she pretended to be 'Liam'. Mateo served as the technical lead, handling camera and audio equipment very well. He was a big support when I was lost in this area. Alex stepped in to play Liam and brought just the right balance of charm and awkwardness to the role. He delivered his ~4 lines just great and was a good sport about having to pick his nose over and over until we got the right shots.
Though the final product isn’t exactly what I envisioned, I’m proud of what it taught me about filmmaking and resilience. I learned how to lead a project from start to finish, work collaboratively, and adjust when plans fall through, all of which are skills I’ll carry into future endeavors.
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