BTS of filming so far

Tuesday February 17, 2026

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Last week we filmed the opening and closing scenes. These were shot in Somas bedroom; I wanted to utilize a space like this because it already felt so personalized and unique to her and her character. For the first day of filming it went pretty well, I got all of the shots that I needed from my story board and some additional ones, just in case. I made it a point to overshoot, in the slim chance that I need one more frame or the clip that I got was blurry.

The setup was simple, we had a tripod that we moved around to get specific angles and used it to capture every shot without it being too shaky. For one of the shots, I had to place the tripod on top of my actor to get an exact overhead shot of her laying down. I really love how the scene turned out and I think it really sets the mood for the rest of the piece. 

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In addition to setting the mood, my sister, who plays Violet, really wanted to act out and portray her character in a sad light. So she used water droplets to make it look like real tears in the closing scenes. While we were filming it, I could see the essence of her character come to life, and I think she did a great job in helping that happen. 

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While I only filmed one of my actors on day one, my other actor, Aiden who plays Lee, was helping me set up the tripod to get each scene/ frame perfect. Now Aiden is in CBTV so he has had previous experience with cameras and the ins and outs of the filming process. It was really nice to have an extra set of hands to help me film, whereas I have never shot and directed a short film at all. 

Now for Lees scenes, I am planning on filming those late this week/ into the weekend. I am pretty confident that I can get the rest of filming done in a day, maybe two. I have had a bit of interference with my premade schedule due to some of my other classes. I am running sound for one of our upcoming musicals, so I will have to balance that with the rest of my filming. It will be tough but I am certain that I can do it!

For the remaining scenes that I need to film, I will be going to two separate parks, to kinda create two different memories; the good and the bad. Like i've mentioned in my previous posts, it is going to be a sort of "dream sequence", mixing flashbacks of memories with Violet still feeling the same feelings she did when and before Lee died. I will dive deeper into it when I wrap up filming, but for now I will keep you posted!

Links to BTS videos + photos: Day 1 BTS

Taking a closer look into Mise-en-scene #2 (costuming)

Friday February 13, 2026

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Flashback Scenes

For the costumes I want to keep it fairly simple, especially for the flashback/ cutaway scenes. I want Violet's costumes to be primarily white and flowy. to convey an angelic and pure connotation to the audience. I want Lee to sort of see her as an angel to symbolize what he will become. In having her look beautiful and angelic, it's a way to show how Lee sees her. I also want to have her in all white or a light color against the green/ nature background to portray rebirth and growth; it in return hints at Lee, without directly saying anything. With him being portrayed through Violet reveals just how important that he was to her.

The main goal is to convey her in the way that Lee saw her before his death, he didn't want to hurt her, but he wanted to die with the memory of her being beautiful and not hurt by his own actions. I just want these overall scenes to be extremely dreamlike and hazy, to show that the memories are fading, but she is still holding onto it.

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Now for Lee's costume in the flashback/ cutaway scene, I want to have his colors get increasingly darker the farther the scenes progress. This symbolism represents the decline of his mental state, and in having this be shown through the colors that surround him, it makes it clear that he is hinting at his death without explicitly saying it with dialogue. In having his costume being black/ dark colors, it makes the atmosphere around him feel unnatural or seemingly decaying. This symbolism quite literally represents his character and the way that Violet viewed him right before his death. She never really knew how deep it ent, however, the decline in his colors and mood made her a bit worried, but by the time she figured it out, it was already too late. 

To add on, when those kind of dark colors are paired with the green background, it represents a seemingly "disease" like feeling. With that "disease" being his depression and how it is consuming his entire being. Like I mentioned before, Lee wanted to see Violet in a angelic way before he died, but in doing this he forgot about himself. It becomes increasingly obvious that his hair gets messier, his eyes lose their life, and his feelings turn numb.  I want to really show that symbolism through his looks, to create an impacyful story through visuals.

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Opening and Ending Scenes

 Now for Violets scenes alone, she somewhat takes the place of Lee. In having her colors take such a dramatic shift from pure and angelic, to dark and depressed, it represents that she if falling into that same numbness that Lee had. This brings a sense of moral ambiguity, showing that she is trapped between the memories of her lover and the present without him. She hasn't excepted the fact that he is gone, so she surround herself in dark colors to still feel like there is a sense of him there. She will also be wearing one of his sweaters to add onto that. 

With having the opening scene showing her in full dark gray, surrounded by her white sheets, symbolizes the fact that that angelic feeling is still in there. The way that Lee saw her is still with her, even if she doesn't know it. It's pulling focus onto Violet and showing the same mental decline that she experienced with Lee, adding a bit of isolation mixed in between. Like I said before, it's like she is still bonded to the memories, revealing the trauma that she is still holding onto and refuses to let go.

Taking a closer look into Mise-en-scene #1 (lighting)

Thursday February 12, 2026

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 Through the lighting, I want to portray the sheer juxtaposition between their happy scenes together and Violet's alone scenes. From the very beginning I want to establish a very dark and somber tone, and I want to achieve this by having low-key lighting. The room will be mostly dark, except for the light that penetrates through the curtains and that would be considered a key light. But, depending on each shot, it will change from a key light to a fill light, as it will be shined on her face from an angle as opposed to being head on.

I want the lighting to convey those same depressed and unmotivated feelings that Violet is feeling to the audience. With the curtains closed and a small amount of light peaking through, it almost represents her character at that moment. Cutting everyone and everything off to live in her own sadness, but that light will shine through again. That light represents Lee, and it comes back full circle with the juxtaposition between the dark and warm lighting of each scene. 

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With the scenes of Lee and Violet together, I want there to be a warm and happy tone to the lighting. To achieve this as accurately as possible, i'm going to shoot most of these scenes outside or with a generous amount of natural light from the windows if need be. 

Each scene is going to be communicated through these warm tones, and I want the audience to feel the sheer love and warmth just from the visuals. I am going to definitely take advantage of golden hour at both of the outside locations i'm going to film at. Within Lee's mood board in my previous post, he is shown as being very light and full of life. I want to symbolize this through the light of the sun and golden hour because it's something that reminds Violet of him. And in having their happiest scenes being in these warm environments, it adds to her pain of not being able to feel that warmth again internally. 

My plans for audio

Tuesday February 10, 2026

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When it came down to the audio elements of my film, I knew right away that I wanted to get permission to use a song from one of my favorite artists. Now in doing this, I wanted to have options; so I ended up messaging/ emailing 3 separate artists. And I got conformation from all three that I could use their songs; for me this was huge. I wanted to reach out to as many people as I could so I would have a better shot in having one of them respond with a yes, I was not expecting to get clearance from every artists that I asked. With this in mind, I made sure that I specifically messaged artists that have either produced the music themselves or owns the record company under their music. I found that it would be easier to get permission if it's an independent artist, so I wouldn't have to go through the long process of applying for a license and messaging with representatives from a major record company just to not get permission.

I reached out to the artists Elliott Fullam, Your Arms Are My Cocoon, and Ebril. They are all niche artists, and that made it a whole lot easier go reach out and get a response almost overnight, as opposed to waiting several days or even weeks. Each song that I picked all match the overall mood of my piece. They are extremely hard hitting and emotional songs that I personally connect with. I wanted to chose a song that I loved so it could add that much for meaning to my film, I think that the song is a major part of my film and I want it to compliment what is being shown visually. 

The process that it took to reach out to each of them was fairly simple. I messaged them through their instagram and their business/ inquiries email (I got more responses through emailing). I explained in my message that I wanted to use their song in my self-made student film for my Aice Media class. All of them responded with a yes and wished me good luck on my project! The attached photos within the link bellow are my emails/ dms and the responses that I received.

Link! - Artist conformation file

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Now with weighing my options and taking everything into consideration, I think that I will go with the song "Metamorphosis" by Your Arms Are My Cocoon. This song is one of my favorites of all time and it perfectly captured the essence of sadness mixed with hope. As I listened to the song to really solidify that it was the one that I wanted, I came up with an idea. In the film, Lee will be associated with butterflies, and Violet will be associated with cocoons. In having this, she will essentially go through a metamorphosis of sorts to come back to her sense of self. With utilizing this symbolism mixed with the overall context and vibe of the song, it will make the opening that much for impactful.

Aside from music, I want there to be very limited dialogue. I have mentioned this aspect before in some of my previous blogs, but I really want the visuals and music to speak for itself without the use of talking being the main focus. I will most likely use dialogue in the flashback scenes. I want the opening to convey a warm and nostalgic feeling in those said flashback scenes.

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Song links:

Metamorphosis - Your Arms Are My Cocoon

Going Alone - Elliott Fullam

Stranger In You - Ebril

Developing the Characters

 Monday February 9, 2026

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Now that I have fully figured out what I want to do with my story, it's time to start putting my ideas into action. My piece will focus on only two people. With my sister Soma playing "Violet", and her boyfriend, Aiden, playing "Lee". In having the focus be pulled to such a limited amount of characters, leaves room for the audience to really understand them on a deeper level. Each of them will have a joined understanding of one another, and I really want to portray that on screen. By conveying two people that have been through thick and thin, having the story leave off on a heightened somber tone reveals that she will have to do this alone. Throughout my previous posts, i've mentioned having mental health drive my characters and I want to communicate that effectively to the viewers. In having experience with issues such as depression and anxiety, I want to show how it feels internally, while portraying it externally through the screen. It's all communicated through the face/ body language, without explicitly using dialogue to get the point across.

From the very beginning of this project, I have been accumulating photos and adding them to a Pinterest board to help with my creative process. I love doing this for major film projects so I can clearly see the vision I have in my head be communicated through pictures. With that being said, below are my characters and collages that I created to represent them. 

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"Violet"

Played by Soma

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Her character will have a very soft and sweet vibe, which correlates with her personality. I want to convey her heartbreak not only through her clothes/looks, but through her overall vibe as well. So as you watch her on screen, you can feel all the feelings that she is dealing with.

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"Lee"

Played by Aiden

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I want to portray Lee's character in a very warm light. The juxtaposition between his vibrant and warm external tone and his cold and depressed internal struggle create layers to his character. In having him not let anyone see how he is truly feeling behind the warmth, makes his death that much more impactful.

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Link to mood boards: Mood Boards!

Shots and composition, how it adds to the story

Friday February 6, 2026

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For this week, my class was tasked to have a group meeting with each other and discuss each of our ideas/stories regarding our film openings. Unfortunately I was unable to attend school due to a sickness and missed the meeting. So for this week I was given an alternative research assignment of my choice and I want to look farther into the shots and composition in coming-of-age films.

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I want to really highlight the main characters isolation right off the bat, by utilizing tight close ups. This expresses the feeling of being trapped and confined within ones mind, without saying that explicitly. I want to move the story though the specific shots, having the shot types aid the storytelling, as I won't be using any dialogue. Along with close ups, I want to use zoom/ pull ins to really capture the raw and unfiltered emotion that I want to portray. I would also incorporate the subject not being centered because it adds a sense of being unbalanced, but that is how the character is feeling in the present moment, unbalanced. Seemingly missing her other half. 

I want to show the immense pain that she is in by having a sequence throughout of her crying, and that scene being sliced multiple times by some happy memories and some dark. I want to do this as a way of portraying her remembering these things in real time, as if to see a glimpse into her mind at that moment.

Ex. Perks of Being a Wallflower

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To express the happier scenes, there will be a great use of two shots and wide shots. Really showing how open and loving the environment is around the pair, without having them say anything. I love the idea of having the characters emotions carry the story rather than the dialogue because I feel that a film can have a greater impact if the feeling is expressed to the audience through their emotion and body language. In having the happy scenes show great forms of love through each character, it makes his death that much more impactful even if it isn't exactly shown.

With these scenes in particular, I want to try to have the two of them be in the middle of the shot, creating a sense of balanced that was once lost in the beginning of the film. In having them be balanced, it makes the "flashback" scenes feel much more intimate and warm, as apposed to the cold and isolated feeling after his death.

Ex. Sixteen Candles

Media Theory Research

Thursday February 5, 2026

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After looking over each media theory, I have landed on incorporating the Binary Opposition Theory and Enigma Code; each of these will play a major part in my film opening. 

Like I mentioned in my past blog, using character vs. self will be a thing that I would want to incorporate within my main character. With the self conflict being her tearing herself apart and blaming herself for what happened. Her mind won't let her grieve the immense loss, and is instead attacking her overall being. This in return is what creates that character vs. self conflict within the story. It is such an important factor in representing the different ways that something as heavy as death can impact a character.

EX. In coming-of-age films

The BreakFast Club

- Each character has to push through stereotype to reveal their true selves to one another, each becoming vulnerable.

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This also goes hand in hand with the Enigma Code, as I won't be showing explicitly how he died; leaving it up to the audiences interpretation. There will be hints to it but I want viewers to figure it out as they watch; which further increases the deep and sad nature of my film. I feel like having that tiny sense of mystery surrounding it adds to the sheer impact that the story will have. In leaving that plot point unexplained/ up to interpretation expands the world that I am building, I want to leave the story off with people unfolding it themselves. 

EX. In coming-of-age films

Moonlight

- Chiron navigates his identity and sexuality without letting the audience in. The lack of knowledge the audience has about how he feels internally, in return drives the overall narrative of the story being told.

My Storyboard

Wednesday February 4, 2026

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Storyboards are so extremely important when it comes to deciding the overall look in your film; this includes which scenes will be used, camera work/ angles, and effects. I have accumulated a rough draft of my idea onto the storyboard bellow, I have carefully crafted the scenes to flow into one another and to make the story cohesive. However, there is some possibility that when it comes down to the filming process itself, I will make changes to the scenes that I have set in place. But for now, it is complete and I can't wait to share it!

Storyboard link - My Film Opening Storyboard

My storyboard bellow ↓

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Additional notes ↓

My Ideas

Tuesday February 3, 2026

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 My project will deal with major mental health issues intertwined with the coming-of-age genre. I wanted to do something that could move audiences and that I could execute well. I have had experience with mental health issues through loved ones, so I have seen and know just how much of a toll it can take on a person. 

My film will follow a high school girl consumed by her lovers death. The unfortunate events of his death unfolded before their graduation. Through this already hard time in her life, she finds herself slipping into the memories instead of facing the event head on. She is blaming herself for the tragedy and is reliving it through her dreams and everyday life. That sudden shift from adolescence to adulthood is already a huge thing, but adding the death of her boyfriend adds to the severity of the situation. It is still stuck in her head and she can’t climb out of the despair and grief. Through this, I want it to be something that people can connect to and feel. I will entitle my piece “Is He Breathing?” to subtle hint at the way in which he died. He let his mind take control and ended his life on his own accord, having her find him dead in the forest.

I want to utilize a flashback in time sequence that will provide context as to what happened. The main focus of the film will be on the girl and the toll that her boyfriends death has on her, even if he's not on screen. The flashback scenes will showcase the love that they had for each other up until the tragedy, and in having this sequence seemingly happen in her dreams, it provides the sense that this event is bleeding into the one place where she should have the ability to escape to. It is consuming her entire being and it makes audiences feel that sheer pain that she is still holding onto. The story cuts very deep, but I feel that I have a great understanding of the emotions that I want to portray through the characters.

In a way, along with my film being a coming-of-age story, I want to incorporate some character vs. self into it. As mentioned before, the death of her boyfriend is eating her alive and it is conflicting with her everyday life and within that I feel like there is a bit of self conflict involved. Even with his death being the forefront of the story, there is a bit of a dispute going on within herself. In her blaming herself for what happened, it is really important to show that to the audience because it is a real thing that happened when dealing with a situation as hard and deep as the one I want to portray.

My analysis in finding a deeper meaning - Mise-en-scene in coming of age

Thursday January 29, 2026 

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For this blog I got the opportunity to conduct research of my choice; I chose mise-en-scene. Now mise-en-scene is one of those things that I want to be a focal point in my project. The overall look of the production plays a huge part in effecting the audiences feelings and/ or thoughts. Using a dark color pallet in sad scenes and a light color pallet in the happy scenes creates a great juxtaposition between the characters lowest and highest points. In utilizing these techniques, it further expresses the characters mental state without revealing too much, since it is a film opening and not the whole story. It will leave audiences feeling something and thats what i want. My aim is to make a hard hitting story that people can connect to; showing the real and raw realities of loss and depression throughout it. 

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Color pallet

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One of my favorite examples of this is Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012). I have mentioned this films a plethora of times on this blog, but I just can't help it. It is one of the best examples of emotional and mental distress that I have ever seen. The color pallet fluctuates to demonstrate the different feelings that the characters are feeling; in the image above, the blue, black, gray, and white all work together to show the immense sadness that Charlie is feeling, and that is communicated to the audience as well. I found the use of white through his costume really interesting because white is typically associated with innocence and purity, but it almost works to show the loss of that innocence by the end of the film.

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Costuming 

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In having majority of the costumes be white in The Virgin Suicides (1999) further pushes the "virgin" and innocent nature that the film itself has. I love that white is used, as it seemingly contrasts with the dark and sad themes surrounding the film (suicide). However, white isn't the only color used, there are also light and pastel colors within the color pallet of the costumes, but even those colors still contrast with the dark topics. The lack of individuality within the costumes for each Lisbon sisters expresses the underlying tones of their personal expressions slipping, further adding to their sad and compressed lifestyle up until each of their deaths. 

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Setting + Lighting 

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The vibe/ tone of a film is so so important. Thats why I think that the lighting and setting really can make or break a production. It can express intense emotion to the viewer just from the look alone; no need for dialogue. Like the example above from the film "Call Me By Your Name", you can feel the heartbreak and sadness through the screen while it's just a still shot of Elio crying by the fire. The cold tones of the background work to show the sadness that he is feeling even where there is warmth right in front of him, covering him in a warm yellow light. I love the use of the lighting here because you can really feel every ounce of emotion that the character is feeling, and that to me is extremely important when it comes to executing a sad film. 

Credit Sequence Research

 Wednesday January 28, 2026

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The credits that play in the beginning of film can tell a lot about the films over all style and story. A lot of the time these sequences can set the scene for the main characters emotional/mental state, this is translated utilizing symbolic shots and music that make the audience immersed into the story without giving anything away. I feel that it is very important to have the credit sequence mirror the overall vibe of the production; it is quite literally audiences first impressions of your work and you in general. Like you can't have a childlike font when addressing the people who worked behind the scenes when the film is about a heavy and straining topic. All of those little, tiny details are way bigger than most think.

With this in mind, I want to make audiences feel something; through the story that I am telling, the editing techniques, and the overall feel of the production (vibe) that I have created. Below are some of my favorite credit sequences within my chosen genre, coming-of-age.

1. Mid90s (2018), starring Sunny Suljic

Mid90s opening credits

One of the things that I love most about the credit sequence is how it is integrated in between the clips that start the story off. Meaning, while the opening is expressing the beginning of the overall story, it is seamlessly weaving the credits in, shifting the focus from one another. Having the story of Stevie slowly unfold even while the credits are being shown, it creates a sense of realism and authenticity; especially when the scene unfolding is Stevie going through his brothers room, seeking to be just like him even though he hurt him. In addition, having the original song "The Start df Things" By Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross play when the credits begin further reinforces the somewhat nostalgic and sad realities of childhood; making the audience feel connected to the story even when the credits are rolling. That impact alone is sets the tone for the rest of the film.

The credits themselves are just simple; with white text on a black screen going back and forth from the film to the words. This specific credit sequence really encapsulates the feelings of confusion and hurt from Stevie after the previous events that unfolded in the opening scene. The plain credits match the overall vibe and feel of the story, and that is a very important factor when it comes to creating a cohesive opening.

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2. BoyHood (2014), starring Ellar Coltrane

BoyHood opening credits

In having the screen be completely black when the film starts, then fade to the sky with childlike text, sets up the overall feel of the film. As it is a story about growing up and it starting with a playful font, seemingly imitating writing with chalk, brings that story further to life. With the song "Yellow" by ColdPlay being the first things audiences hear before they see anything, reflect the sadness of the song itself in contrast to the youthful and innocent feel of the opening.  It almost is showing what will happen later in the film from the song alone, emphasizing the loss of time and family struggles. This is also mirrored to the opening as immediately after the credits it shows a close-up, zoom out shot of the young boy and later in the film he is all grown up.

With the opening credits being plastered on a sunny blue sky, sets the tone of being happy and cheerful to audiences. It perfectly balances the innocence of childhood, or in this case boyhood, all while representing the credits at the same time.

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3. Napoleon Dynamite (2004), starring Jon Heder

Napoleon Dynamite opening credits

There is a lot to unpack here. I love this opening for many reasons, each credit is unique and true to the character, the use of unconventional items, and so on. Throughout the sequence, every shot uses a still high-angle, having the focal point be on the different colors and items. With this stylistic choice, it really grabs the audiences attention. The fun and lightheartedness in the credit sequence alone, sets up the feel of the film as a whole; through the weird drawings, food items, and color pallet. It's not often that a films opening credit sequence directly reflects the film without showing any characters physically, however, this one does it. With utilizing outside/bird chirping sound elements, then transition into the song "We're Going to Be Friends" by The White Stripes in the very beginning, shows the quirky and carefree essence of the film. 

In using these items, its almost a nod to what is seen later in the film before it even fully starts. A lot of the items seen used in the credits reappear as everyday items within the film. One of my favorite details in the opening sequence was the Preston High School ID card. it was such a unique and creative way of showing the starring actor, Jon Heder, as the character Napoleon Dynamite. Each frame is so intricately styled and thought out, giving each credit its own vibe, which I love.