Story
In an empty parking lot under a fading sky, two teenagers face their final moments together. Laughter, tears, and song fill the air as they revisit cherished memories and flip through old photos. When the boy signals that it’s time, the girl steps out of the vehicle, watching as the boy drives away. With a heart full of unspoken words, she whispers to the disappearing taillights, "I was gonna be your wife."
Narrative Origins
Final Departure is based on a writer’s personal story about a breakup, centered on a final moment shared between two people in a car. The couple spends their last time together laughing, teasing, and reflecting on their relationship before the reality of separation sets in. The emotional climax occurs as she watches him drive away, only for him to stop and return for one final hug...the moment this film seeks to capture.
Credits
The film stars Paige C. and Jayden R., and was directed by Ethan Choi. Cinematography was handled by Michael Liang, with editing and sound design completed by Ethan Choi, ensuring a cohesive visual and auditory narrative throughout the project.
Narrative
The Short-Film narrative story is based off Rylee Oxford. You can find her Instagram @chaptersofroo. "Ethan Choi decided to use my Season 3 Boy breakup as inspiration for a short film. I love this! However, In real life, I was in a puddle of tears when S3 scooped me up from the floor. #heartbreakclub" - Rylee Oxford
Pre-production Storyboarding
Storyboarding is an important step in the pre-production process to be able to visually understand the composition of your shots. I took heavy inspiration from shots from Everything, Except Nothing, 10 Things I Hate About You, and The Summer I turned Pretty.
Final Departure Performance
We uploaded Final Departure on Instagram and recieved postiive reviews.
14.6K
Viewers
335+
likes
"Well done @imethanchoi and team! I never knew my real life heart break would inspire such a beautiful cinematic short ❤️"
