Jil's AICE Blog

In my last post, I'd mentioned wanting to film a good portion of my movie opening at school. It was supposed to show my two protagonists bumping into eachother in the hallway. However, I've decided to scrap this idea. This is because my co-star Lihi and I don't have any classes together, inclduing study hall. This prohibits us from meeting up and filming in school. Passing period is also way too hectic to film during! Therefore, for practicality reasons, I'm not going to film at school. I initially viewed this as a bummer because a lot of coming-of-age films take place in school, especially highschool. But, I realized my film opening is still centered around highschool characters, making this not much of a loss. Also, my movie opening doesn't have to be filmed in school to be engaging. Filming during school can be chaotic, so it might actually be better to stick to the places I have, which are my house and Lihi's house. Because of this change in plans, I'll ...

It's time to get writing. I have a strong idea for how I want to begin my film, but... I haven't even begun the script yet! It's been exactly a week since I made the document, and not a single word has been written. (Yikes!) So, I'll finally be planning the script today. This is just gonna be a rough draft. It doesn't have to be perfect, and Lihi and I can just do improv for our characters when it feels right. This script is mainly just so I have an outline of how I want the plot to go. We don't have to follow our lines word-for-word, and there's always room for changes on the day of the shoot. Let's get into it! 1. Beginning I have a firm grasp of how I want my film to begin. I've mentioned in my shot list blog post that I want it to start with a montage of both characters getting ready to polar-opposite songs. I'll do this to enunciate their conflicting personalities. I think montages are a culturally-significant aspect of coming-of-age films. ...

In one of my most recent posts, I discussed using a room in my house to film Lily's scenes for my movie opening. But, I've decided to scrap this plan. I'm going to shoot her scenes in her room instead. I did this because it would be more convenient for the both of us. Also, the vibe of her room matches the vibe of the character she's playing! Here's a quick photo of it. The room I designed in my last post is pretty similar to this one. They both have bright lighting, are neatly decorated with cute trinkets, have a lot of plushies, and the same pink color-scheme! This makes filming in her room not much of a "loss." Instead, it's a decision that's more convenient and practical for the both of us.  This minor shift-in-plans transported me into the shoes of a filmmaker. Change can be frequent. So, the best thing you can do is keep an open mind and embrace it!

Hello everyone. I'm blogging to let you guys know I made... character sheets! I made them to help you guys learn more about my characters. I know I discussed their personalities and aesthetics briefly in my past blog posts, but today, I wanted to go more in-depth. I hope these sheets will help you understand and connect to my characters more, and also better comprehend their relationships! Without further delay, I present to you... Jillian & Lily! I've also finally decided their names. I decided to keep them similar to Lihi and I's name, hence the names Lily from Lihi and Jillian from just Jil. But, I didn't want to change them completely because I wanted to maintain our attachment to these characters. I really like how these character sheets turned out! It took me back to when I made mood boards for these characters without fully knowing where they would take me, and how their personalities would end up being presented in my film. However, now I have a stronger ide...

In my last post, I designed the set for Lihi's room in my film. Now, it's time to decorate my character's room! This character has a completely different vibe. While Lihi's room followed a light color scheme and had a "cutesy" vibe, I want this room to look more moody and alternative. Like I did in my last post, I also searched for inspiration on Pinterest for how I wanted to design it. Here are the photos: These rooms look so cozy. I really like the dark, ambient lighting, and how a lot of blankets and pillows are layered on the bed to make it look extra snuggly. Something seen throughout all of these photos are fairy lights. I actually have those, but they're on my curtains instead of on top of my bed. However, I do have LED lights! Alongside turning on my fairy lights, I'll probably set my LEDs on to a color like red or purple to get a dark, atmospheric look.   My current room looks nothing like this! Right now, it has the cute and "girly"...

Hello everyone! As said in the title, today I will be... designing my film's first set! Woop woop!  It's actually not much of a set. I'll be using my own bedroom to shoot the very start of the film. But, it is in desperate need of decorating. This room will be Lihi's room, who is the "girly" character that's polar-opposites to the one I play. I've searched for some inspiration pictures online on Pinterest.  These rooms are so cute! I like the pink and white color scheme. It feels very feminine and soft. It definitely gives off the vibe of a teenage girls bedroom. So, I'm going to try to recreate this for the set of Lihi's room with things I have around the house! Here's our canvas: Um... yeah. It's looking a little rough. However, I think with some good lighting, pink bedding, and throw blankets, I can bring this room to life! I'm going to turn on the lamps and add some decorations on the nightstand, like a candle or claw clip. I al...

My last post focused on the songs I'll be using in my film opening to represent my two protagonists. One of the songs I'm using happens to have a music video, which was recorded on the same phone that I have: an iPhone 14 Pro! I'll be using this exact phone to eventually shoot and produce my film. I thought this would be a great oppurtunity to analyze the filming strategies and elements of cinematography the music video uses it make it look so professional. I have it linked  here: The 2023 music video begins with a note reading "Shot on iPhone 14 Pro," which is shortly followed by a screen of an incoming FaceTime call. The video is about the NewJeans members finding out their friend's boyfriend is cheater, using the smartphone to record him flirting with another girl as evidence. Overall, the MV blends a traditional filming style with a found-footage production technique, making it both visually unique and fun to watch! I can apply the specific iPhone features...

In yesterday's post, I discussed the scenes I wanted to record in the beginning of my film opening, and the shots I would use for them. The main premise of these scenes is to introduce my two main characters and highlight the difference between them. One way I can do this is through meticulous song choice! Today, I'll be sharing the songs I chose to include within my film--particularly why I chose them and how they will represent my characters. Without further ado, let's dive right in! 1. ETA by NewJeans  "ETA" was releasted by the girl group NewJeans in 2023. It's a K-pop song, but also blends elements from the genres dance-pop, and favela funk. The song is recognized for its high-energy beat and fast-tempo. In other words, it's super fun and catchy! It's one of my favorite songs from this band & makes me want to get up and dance. I'm going to play this song when my film's first protagonist--the "girly-girl" character, whom I hav...

With the character designs, personalities, and casting all wrapped up, it’s time to get this film in motion! Today, I’ll be planning the camera shots I’m going to use—heavily referring back to other coming-of-age movies and chick-flicks for inspiration. 1. The Close-Up This type of shot is used extensively within this film genre to create dramatic and emotional impact. It is especially used to zoom into characters’ faces to highlight tender reactions. I actually want to use this shot to begin my film. I want the beginning sequence to start with Lihi's character—the girly girl—waking up for school to an upbeat pop song. The first scene will be her opening her eyes, and I can use an extreme close-up to effectively capture this moment. 2. Wide Shot After this, I plan for a wide shot to be used to show Lihi sitting upright in her bed. I want to use this shot & a deep depth of field to fully showcase her room. I plan to use my own bedroom for the set—which is all pink and cutely dec...