Jil's AICE Blog

In one of my most recent posts, I had watched trailers for coming-of-age and teen drama films. This included Mean Girls, The Princess Diaries, and 13 Going on 30.  By viewing these trailers, I had gotten lots of inspiration for my own film! They'd taught me the codes and conventions of the genre, leaving it up to me to brainstorm the ways I can weave them in into my own story. After some thinking, I've developed some plots I may pursue in my movie introduction. Here they are! A bubbly highschooler makes it her mission to get the school's notoriously gloomy loner to crack a smile. After 4 years of nonstop persistence, though, she accepts her fate: the loner doesn't value her company or her efforts. It was never worth trying in the first place. However, just when she's about to give up, the loner opens the door to her heart. I like this plotline because I really want my protagonist to be one whose spirited and lively, similar to Jenna from 13 Going on 30. It carries t...

Foley sound is when everyday objects are used to make certain audios. An example is breaking celery to mimic the sounds of bones breaking. In cartoons, these sounds are often exaggerated for a larger impact, making them feel more real and enthuastic. Today, I'll be making my own foley sounds for one of the most famous cartoons: Tom and Jerry! So, let's get started! The Plan The clip I will be referencing today in specific is the Tom and Jerry pool episode. I'm going to be watching it without sounds, then discovering what audios to add to correspond with each scene. Here is the video: As you can see, there is a lot of action going on in this clip. Tom sends billiard balls flying at Jerry, and Jerry tries to remain unharmed by deflecting the balls or jumping on top of them. Some of the key sounds in this clip I'll try to record are the noises of the ball being hit, landing on the bed, rolling through the tunnel, and smashing together at the end. To make these sounds, I...

Happy New Year everyone! With 2026 having officially begun, it’s time for me to set some resolutions. My resolutions are to engage in things that make me happy and stay focused on my schoolwork. What better way to kill two birds in one stone than watching trailers for movies—something I enjoy a lot—to get inspiration my end-of-year assignment: a coming-of age, teen drama film?! So, in today’s blog post, I’ll be watching trailers from Mean Girls, The Princess Diaries, and 13 Going On 30. I’ll be analyzing the elements that connect them—such as plot, sound design, cinematography, mis-en-scene, and stereotypes—but also the aspects that make them unique. This way, I have an idea of what I can include in my own film! Without further delay, let’s begin. 1. Mean Girls (2004) Mean Girls is a staple film of this genre! The movie follows 16-year-old Cady Heron, who enters a new highschool after being homeschooled and living in Africa all her life. Damien and Janis, the school “outcasts,” take he...