Planning Props!

Hi Cambridge! Today I planned out what props I need for my opening and went to find any I didn't have.

Here's my list of props:

- Phone

- Makeup

- Makeup wipes

- Garbage

- Pregnancy test

- Posters

- School things

- Backpack

- Swimming medals

- Speaker

- Clothes/laundry

- Hanger

- Piggy bank/cash

- chochkes (trinkets)

- Bike

- Silver jewelry

Here's a picture of one of the two piggy banks I'm debating on using. They are a bit childish but if feel like it fits the tone and conventions of Coming-of-Age. Originally, in my storyboard I planned to use the emoji one, but my sister also lent me this actual pig one.

So, the only thing I needed to buy was a pregnancy test since the rest I could either print out or already had. During school I was researching fake positive pregnancy tests, but those ones were more expensive than the regular ones, so my mom recommended I DIY it with a real one. Here's the fake one I was originally looking at on amazon:

Amazon. (n.d.). Uenvision fake pregnancy test positive. https://www.amazon.com/Uenvision-Fake-Pregnancy-Test-Positive/dp/B07N2HF33N

After school, we headed to Walmart and found a lot of different options. I just went with the cheapest one since we don't need any accurate results.

We bought the Equate one and here's a picture of my make-shift positive pregnancy test:

I added the lines with a sharpie and cleaned up the edges with some nail polish remover.

Walmart. (n.d.). Equate pregnancy test. https://www.walmart.com/

I also found out my mom recently donated our bikes, so I'm planning on borrowing one of my neighbor's bikes on filming day. She already said yes so it should work out. But if not, as a backup plan I can have 'Jess' drive away in a car or literally run away. 

Meet Jess!

Hi Cambridge! As you've seen, I'm not that great at making decisions but surprisingly, choosing a name was a really easy decision for me. 

I started by thinking of stereotypical rebellious names like Jess, Tess, and Zara. These were my top three because they were exactly what I was imagining when coming up with the plot. I ended up going with "Jess" or Jessica because I wanted a name that could be elegant but also changed to a more teenage nickname. It kind of shows how she's gone down a bad path in the past few years and her identity has changed. As I learned in AP Psych this year, she's in her Moratorium stage and still discovering herself. For example, the name Ava is very bubbly sounding and it's too short to have a "baddie" nickname, so I didn't want anything like that. All of these developmental psychology terms are helping me a lot when it comes to brainstorming.

The Mummy Bubble. (2023). Nicknames for Jessica [Image]. The Mummy Bubble. https://themummybubble.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/nicknames-jessica.jpg

Another thing I did to figure out her character was creating a mini-mood board for her aesthetic. I included lots of different methods to listen to music since that's one of her main hobbies. As well as her clothing style and a shirt alluding to her boyfriend. All of these little things make up her determined and rebellious personality.

Fernandes, A. (2026). *Jess's mood board* [Digital collage].

Who is Jess?

Jess is a typical teen in 2002 who's trying to find out who she is. She loves Avril Lavigne and other punk artists. Her parents are divorced so she switches houses every weekend and it makes her life very difficult and has led to attachment issues. She has a boyfriend she's been dating for 10 months and has grown very close to him, very fast. Her friends have all drifted from her because of her reckless decisions and clinginess to her boyfriend. She has her permit but can't drive as a Junior in high school. She used to be a straight A student, but her grades have been dropping ever since the divorce. Recently, she found out she was pregnant and told her boyfriend. He got very angry, started playing the blame game, and told her to abort it. This is when my opening takes place and shows how that was her last straw her rage/disappointment. 

YourLastName, A. (2026). *PicCollage creation* [Digital collage]. PicCollage.

YourLastName, A. (2026). *PicCollage creation* [Digital collage]. PicCollage.

Screenplay!

Hi Cambridge! In my last post, I discussed my plot and now I'm going to share my script and storyboard with you! So, to get more information, I used one of my most helpful websites throughout this project, Studio Binder.

Lannom, S. C. (2025, March 5). How to write a movie script like professional screenwriters. StudioBinder. https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/how-to-write-a-screenplay/

Provost, R. (2025, April 25). How to make a storyboard: Step‑by‑step guide. StudioBinder. https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/how-to-make-storyboard/

Basically, a screenplay is the fully written script and plan for a film. It includes things like dialogue, actions, camera work, and more. They are super important because it keeps everything organized and helps people know what's going to happen in the story. Whereas a storyboard is the visual plan for a film. It helps filmmakers imagine and know exactly what they need to shoot. Throughout this year, I've had experience making and using a storyboard, so I know exactly how helpful it is!

Since this will be my first time making an actual script, I decided to use Lady Bird's as an example since it's my inspiration for this project. This script helped me make sure I was writing it correctly and learn new abbreviations in script writing. For example, INT. (place written) means the scene takes place in that location. 

Gerwig, G. (2017). Lady Bird: Final shooting script [PDF]. Daily Script. https://www.dailyscript.com/scripts/LADY_BIRD_shooting_script.pdf

Pinterest. (n.d.). Lady Bird final shooting script [Image].

The links below will show you my plans. I hope you find them interesting!

Here's the link to my script/screenplay:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rWAZe39WdbuDi89l5uhiNkk3xVBcKBo_Hcin_UH9ibE/edit?usp=sharing

Here's the link to my storyboard:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1sC_ajFPfP9NHY7B-lbhUZd5-ULZd8Cm8/view?usp=sharing

Plot Planned Out

Hey Cambridge! Now that I've decided all of the aspects for my genre, Coming-of-Age, I can start finalizing the plot of my opening. So, as you know I'm making my story about a rebellious girl who runs away but I still had to figure out a lot of things. I also got some constructive criticism from my teacher, and she told me I needed to figure out where and why is she running away? So, without further ado, here's my final draft of the plot...

My title is going to be "Over It."

The story is going to focus on a 16–17-year-old teenage girl who reaches her emotional 'breaking point' after finding out she's pregnant and decides she’s so "over it.” The plot is going to focus on a character‑vs‑self conflict. I'm going to use the setting around her to help show the audience she's struggling. I'll use mise-en-scene like her messy room, open & dirty makeup, clothes everywhere, and the frantic packing to be visual cues of how overwhelmed she feels.

Her bedroom, the posters, and desk will be something like this:

 

Pinterest. (n.d.). Unorganized desk [Photograph]. https://i.pinimg.com/originals/0b/07/8c/0b078c3a70b94673c8b5fee92e802c56.jpg

Freepik. (n.d.). Punk halftone collage in edgy modern style [Photograph]. https://img.freepik.com/premium-photo/punk-halftone-collage-edgy-modern-style-merging-rebellious-punk-aesthetics-with-dynamic-halftone-patterns-fusion-grit-sophistication-contemporary-visual-artistry_771426-52509.jpg

Dreamstime. (n.d.). Messy teenager bedroom during the day [Photograph]. https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/b/messy-teenager-bedroom-day-301319176.jpg

I'm also going to include small details like her phone dinging with stressful notifications from her boyfriend (I haven't chosen any names yet, but I'll definitely include heart emojis around his name) and even a voicemail of him saying "We need to talk. I'm so sorry just please call me back and let me explain! I overreacted just please talk to me." This is going to portray the "why is she running away" aspect and let the audience infer the boyfriend did something that's making her act out.

Another thing I will include is to have her on screen setting up a map's location on her phone, put it in her pocket, and then start biking away. It will show her on the phone on maps and focus in on the location. I will also have a diegetic sound of the phone saying, "Starting route to pharmacy." With all these little details, the audience can infer that she's pregnant and her boyfriend didn't take it well. It shows that she's already troubled with the conflict between her and her boyfriend and it alludes to something more that's going to happen.

Pinterest. (n.d.). Apple Maps navigation screenshot [Image].

My biggest inspiration for this project is Lady Bird. It has a lot of realistic emotional scenes, and it also uses everyday spaces to create the character's personality. I also like how chaotic they portrayed her typical teenage frustration. This movie is an amazing guide for me and creating my opening.

Pinterest. (n.d.). Lady Bird movie poster [Image].

Stay tuned for my script!

Media Theory I want to use:

    Hi Cambridge! So today, I did more in-depth research on media theories and found one that I definitely want to use in my opening... It's the representation theory by Stuart Hall. 

Hall, S. (1997). Representation: Cultural representations and signifying practices. Sage Publications.

In class, we had already discussed this theory and it's part of the list my teacher gave us, so I'm already familiar with it. It's also a commonly used theory in the Coming-of-Age genre so it's perfect for me! Here's a video I watched for more info. It explains how media doesn't just reflect reality, but it also creates it with signs and symbols. This theory stuck with me because Coming-of-Age relies a lot on visual cues to portray the character's personality/identity.

Mrs. Fisher. (2019). Media Studies – Stuart Hall’s Representation Theory – Simple Guide for Students & Teachers [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/HxK5CXfKSCI

The representation theory works perfectly for my idea for the opening. It's going to be called "So Over It," and it follows a rebellious teenage girl who's been pushed past her breaking point and decides to run away. So, instead of being dialogue heavy, I want the audience to understand her emotions through mise-en-scene. I'd show her messy room, posters on the wall, her makeup, her music, and how frantic she is when she's packing. All of these elements are 'signs' that represent her emotions of being overwhelmed. 

Here's a picture of the handout of theories my teacher gave my class.

Group Meeting #1

    Hey Cambridge! Today in class, my teacher assigned us to groups with six other students, and we shared our ideas/plans and helped each other brainstorm anything we were missing. We had to discuss our story ideas, give feedback, and learn from each other's obstacles/problems. My group included my classmates Macie, Caeser, Gaby, Sofie, Kai, and Nicole. 

Macie was the 1st one to share her plot, which was a thriller opening. She was planning on having the main character as a janitor, who finds his frozen self in the freezer. But she had a few details she still needed to figure out still like where to film. She told us her dad said no to filming in their restaurant, so she didn't know what to do. I recommended she could film in the cafeteria, or she might have to adjust the plot a little bit. She also shared that when she was brainstorming, she came up with a brilliant idea of using a mad lib template (similar to the one below) to develop her storyline.

World's Greatest Research Tool. (n.d.). Survey Edition [Mad Libs worksheet]. Retrieved February 2, 2026, from https://www.worldsgreatestresearchtool.com/madlibs-survey-edition (worldsgreatestresearchtool.com in Bing)

Next, Caeser shared that he was doing the thriller genre as well but, he couldn't think of a plot/storyline to portray. He was also missing citations on his blog, so our group recommended things he could get inspiration from and showed him how to correct the citations. I recommended that he should figure out what sub-genre of thriller he wants to do and watch films similar to it.

FilmFrame. (n.d.). Thriller subgenres with movie examples [Infographic]. Retrieved February 2, 2026, from https://www.filmframe.com/thriller-subgenres-chart (filmframe.com in Bing)

After that, Sofie shared that she was doing a drama opening on a boy who runs track. It's going to be about his mental health problems and the struggles of being an athlete. She had mostly everything figured out, even her main character who was going to be her brother. Except for how to show the flashbacks, so I recommended she use color and make it black and white or very vibrant. She was going for an aesthetic of something like the picture below...

Marian Athletics. (2025). High school track meet [Photograph]. Retrieved February 2, 2026, from https://www.marianathletics.org/photos/track-meet-2025 (marianathletics.org in Bing)

Then, Kai shared his thriller idea of three boys seeing something glowing in the parking lot. It's a good idea but he hadn't thought of everything, so I asked him how he was going to make the back glow and etc. He didn't know, so I recommended using a flashlight and colored tissue paper (similar to what's below) to add a tint of color.

County. (n.d.). Green tissue paper packaging [Product image]. Retrieved February 2, 2026, from https://www.countycrafts.com/products/green-tissue-paper (countycrafts.com in Bing)

Afterwards, Nicole started talking about her Coming-of-Age genre (just like me!) and explaining the overall gist of what she wanted to do, sneaking out with friends and substance abuse. She just needed to think more in-depth and make decisions, so we recommended she do the mad lib approach.

The Diamond Luxury Rehab. (n.d.). Drug abuse and treatment overview [Promotional image]. Retrieved February 2, 2026, from https://www.thediamondrehab.com/drug-abuse-info (thediamondrehab.com in Bing)

Lastly, Gaby went and she told us about her thriller opening. She wants to make a family that's grieving and can't see what's truly in front of them, which is an imposter. This is a really interesting idea but will be hard to film, so I asked her up until what point of the film is she going to record until and she realized she needed to discuss it more with her partner.

Innersloth. (2020). Among Us impostor reveal screen [Screenshot]. Retrieved February 2, 2026, from https://www.innersloth.com/game/among-us

Finally, this was really helpful for me because they were able to help me consolidate my ideas for a plot (I'll explain below), come up with a title, and see examples of their blogs/what I need to fix or add.

So now, my idea for my Coming-of-Age opening is going to be called "So over it." It will be about a girl who's been pushed past her breaking point and 'over it.' She's going to be hysterical and packing her things to run away. I'm going to use music, voiceovers, mise-en-scene like posters or make up to show her personality. So, the scene is going to go from her room to the stairs, front door, and finally her biking away. I have a really cheesy line for the end of the opening which will be "And that's how this story begins." This shows continuation and alludes to more that can happen. My classmates recommended that I show where she's running away to or give more information about it, so that will definitely be something I discuss with my teacher. My biggest inspiration for this opening is Lady Bird, especially the emotional aspect and realistic feel it uses which I previously analyzed.

Gerwig, G. (Director). (2017). Lady Bird [Blu-ray cover]. A24. Retrieved February 2, 2026, from https://www.a24films.com/films/lady-bird

Analyzed Coming-of-Age Credit Sequences

Hey Cambridge! Today I'm going to be analyzing Coming-of-Age films credit sequences. So, when I first started, I wasn't really sure what a credit sequence was but now that I've searched it up, I found out it's just the opening title when all the names appear. I also found out that typography is the design of the text like font, color, timing, and etc. Anyways, here's the website I used to get background info...

Heckmann, C. (2020, May 17). Movie opening credits: How to make a great title sequence. StudioBinder. https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/movie-opening-credits/

So now, here are three Coming-of-Age credit sequences I analyzed.

Legally Blonde (2001):

Legally Blonde Opening Credits. (2019, July 22). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kbpy7tIedKY

The opening credit sequence was very immersive. It immediately starts with an upbeat song, a barbie-like font, and her blonde hair being brushed. They used a lot of warm lighting, pink colors, and close-ups of Elle's morning routine, applying her lip-gloss, to show her world. So, far we can already tell she's very feminine. The typography (vocab word!) has a handwritten/cursive look. It's white with an outline of pink which matches her personality. 

MGM Studios. (2001). Close-up of Elle Woods brushing her hair with the “Legally Blonde” title overlaid in pink cursive font [Film still]. Legally Blonde. 

The Edge of Seventeen (2016):

The Edge of Seventeen – Opening Scene. (2016, November 14). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMMrp4-zOJE

This movie begins with showing the main character Nadine rushing into school very stressed. It also has fast-paced music playing in the background which adds to the stressful mood. The lighting is very natural which makes it look like a "typical school morning." Aswell as the camera focusing on her face a lot so we can see how nervous she is. Also, the typography is very simple which fits the film's realistic teenage mood. 

STX Entertainment. (2016). Nadine walking down steps in a park during autumn, wearing a blue jacket and orange skirt [Film still]. The Edge of Seventeen.

Eighth Grade (2018):

Eighth Grade – Opening Scene. (2018, May 1). YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JEwSi_TjXI 

This movie begins with Kayla's phone playing music and waking her up. The song is very upbeat and happy which contrasts with the mood of her room which is very dark and she looks super tired. Next, she's putting on makeup while watching a tutorial (the one below) and she looks very awkward and like unsure if she's doing the steps right. The typography is super simple, it's just plain white, and it's shown in the bottom left kind in a small text size. This helps immerse the audience into the movie and also kind of show how insecure she is in her life.

A24 and IAC Films. (2018). Laptop screen showing a YouTube makeup tutorial titled “Everyday Makeup Tutorial” with Kayla watching [Film still]. Eighth Grade.