My Boo tells the story of the romantic relationship between Jessica, a human, and Wallace, a ghost through the lens of an interview. It’s obvious that, once upon a time, Jessica and Wallace were deeply in love with each other, but eventually, the pressures of “showing off one’s boo” started to create fissures in this supernatural bond. And one day, Jessica called it quits whilst putting all the blame on Wallace. However, over the course of the interview, Jessica comes to the realization that maybe she is to blame as well. I sat down for a virtual chat with the director of the short film, Stephanie J. Röst, and talked about perfecting her story’s sense of humor, the underlying message about love, and more.
What was the process of coming up with the idea for My Boo and turning it into a short film?
This answer might make a few people angry, but it came to me pretty instantly and effortlessly. I’d just polished a script for another short I was about to direct, and the concept for a comedy about a girl in a relationship with a ghost hit me like a ton of bricks. Essentially in the same breath, I knew I had to write the lead for Jessica Faust. The vision pieced itself together in my head quickly, and the story became that new sparkly thing you can’t wait to dive into. It was one of those perfect scenarios where the script writes itself in a day because the vision and character are so clear.
How did you fine tune the character of Jessica and her dry sense of humor?
I think a lot of the heavy-lifting with her character development was accomplished by having a muse to write for, especially because I’ve known her a long time. I molded Jessica Faust into this fantastical caricature of herself, and what she would be like as a woman dating a ghost. Faust has a tack-sharp sense of humor and weaves in and out of characters in daily life, so it was somewhat natural to build off of this foundation. It was important that Jessica be as serious and deadpan as possible to really play off and highlight the silly comedy of the whole concept, so that’s something we discussed a lot early on.
How did you zero in on the flashbacks that you wanted to use to illustrate Jessica and Wallace’s relationship? Are there any unused ideas you want to share with us?
I made a mental list of all the sort of typical events you experience while dating and the different stages of romance, and considered which of these would pay off the most when you can’t see the other person. I also wanted to include as many occult activities that would be considered casual in Wallace’s world. We did cut a scene during the edit where Jessica receives a floral arrangement and we “see” Wallace scooting out of his chair before they embrace. It was funny, but the pacing wasn’t right with everything else.
For a short film, there are quite a few costume changes, locations, and the seance scene has a lot of items on display. What were the hurdles that you faced while bringing all of that together?
Timing was pretty tough and required a lot of careful planning and musical chairs with our small crew. When we got chased off the cemetery, we had to find a new location and change the entire schedule (thanks to my Producer Grayson Propst and AD Julie Cummings!). My art department – Grace Hinson and Rachel Morales – were MVPs. On top of set changes, they handled the practical effects, which turned out to be one of the greater challenges of the shoot. There was a lot to accomplish, and I don’t think we could’ve done it all without having such a solid, all-hands-on-deck crew with great attitudes.
I’m guessing the commentary on advertising one’s relationship that’s so prevalent nowadays thanks to social media was totally intentional? Or am I reading too much into it?
Wow, I like this read! This was actually unintentional, but I don’t disagree with you that it totally goes hand in hand with the normalization of broadcasting our entire private lives to the world. The other day I stumbled on a lengthy and bizarre Instagram video detailing the breakup of two random people after they moved out of state together. Wallace and Jessica’s story feels a bit like that.
Jessica Faust was amazing. What was the casting process like? What was it like to direct her? Are there any fun behind-the-scenes moments you’d like to share with us?
Since I wrote the part for Jessica, all she had to do was agree, and she was excited to do it. It was a blast directing her, and not just because she’s a longtime friend. She’s primarily a theater actor, and I was so impressed by her natural ability to shape performance for screen and take direction— plus she was so easygoing with all the wardrobe and set changes. We had a lot of fun off camera; one of the best moments was with our friend Jesse Alleva – who traveled with Jessica to the shoot – as he created an elaborate backstory for his two-second role as “Neighborhood Man” who walks by Jessica. We all got really involved in his origin story.
How did Justin Oller fine tune his ghostly performance?
This question made me laugh out loud. Of course, the bedsheet is funny by itself, but Justin didn’t just carry out any arbitrary, goofy motion that came to mind on the day. He really thought about his physical comedy training, and focused on making sure everything was really exaggerated so that it read through that giant, heavy sheet (it was really heavy). The amazing, over-the-top garment made by our super talented costumer Tiffany Puterbaugh put the cherry on top.
Given the chance, would you like to do a feature-length version of My Boo? Do you have any ideas how you’d like to go about it?
I would love to make this into a feature! I think the style and framework of the short would easily translate into a feature-length film. I’d really focus on building out the narrative at the script level, because there’s a lot of potential there that can’t fit into a 7-minute short. I’d love to heighten everything and take the plot to new places. I would deepen the main characters’ backstories, expand their worlds with supporting characters, explore conflict with friends and family members, and really just raise the stakes for Jessica and Wallace.
Are there any films, shows, or books that influenced My Boo in a big way?
Christopher Guest mockumentaries for sure. Also, the FX series What We Do In The Shadows. I hadn’t started watching it until after I put the script together, and I got really excited to use that as a comp when giving the elevator pitch, because it definitely has trappings of that series.
What kind of thoughts & opinions, overall, would you want audiences to walk away with after watching My Boo?
I really just want people to feel lighter coming away from it. There’s so much doom and gloom in the world right now, that I hope this brings joy, if even for a moment. And if the deeper, underlying human themes of individuality and perception resonate with viewers, that’s even better.
