Letters - Props

A key prop used in our film is the series of letters Anastasia receives from her chosen university, which visually communicates that she has been accepted and awarded a scholarship. To make these props believable, we researched real college acceptance packets, scholarship notifications, and institutional branding. This helped us design a school name, logo, and letter format that feel authentic within the world of the film. We ultimately chose the name Everdale University of Prestige and Innovation. The word Everdale carries connotations of idealism, intuition, generosity, creativity, wisdom, and tolerance, qualities we want the institution to represent and, by extension, qualities that reflect the type of student Anastasia is. Including “Prestige and Innovation” in the title reinforces the idea that Everdale is both highly respected and forward‑thinking, which strengthens the audience’s understanding of why receiving a scholarship from this school is such a significant achievement for her.

Many films and television shows use fictional elite schools to establish character identity, social environment, and narrative tone, which helped guide our own naming process. Productions such as Dead Poets Society (Welton Academy), Gossip Girl (Constance Billard and St. Jude’s), and The Clique (The Pennington School) all rely on invented institutions that signal privilege, exclusivity, and academic rigor. These names are carefully crafted to sound prestigious and believable, often combining traditional-sounding surnames or aspirational language. Studying these examples helped us understand how fictional schools function as tools, shaping audience expectations about the characters who attend them. This research directly informed our creation of Everdale University of Prestige and Innovation, ensuring that the institution felt authentic within the film’s universe while still communicating the values we wanted associated with Anastasia.

In addition to naming the university, we analyzed real college acceptance and scholarship letters to design a prop that would feel visually and structurally accurate. We studied common formatting conventions such as official letterhead placement, institutional seals, formal congratulatory language, and clear breakdowns of scholarship terms. These elements helped us create a letter that mirrors the tone and layout of genuine university correspondence. By incorporating a professional logo, and consistent branding, the acceptance reinforces Everdale’s credibility and highlights the significance of Anastasia’s achievement. The authenticity of this prop strengthens the film’s mise‑en‑scene by grounding her academic success in a believable institutional context.

The official seal for Everdale University of Prestige and Innovation is designed to communicate tradition, academic excellence, and the school’s forward‑thinking identity. At the center of the seal is a shield, a classic symbol of protection, honor, and institutional legacy. Inside the shield sits an open book, representing knowledge, scholarship, and the pursuit of learning. Rising from the center of the book is a torch, a long‑standing emblem of enlightenment, leadership, and intellectual curiosity, qualities the university seeks to cultivate in its students. Above the book and torch are three stars, symbolizing aspiration, achievement, and the university’s commitment to guiding students toward excellence.

The inner portion of the seal is rendered in navy blue, a color traditionally associated with intelligence, stability, and academic authority. Surrounding this is an outer ring in gold, which conveys prestige, honor, and high achievement. The combination of navy and gold creates a refined, elite aesthetic that aligns with the university’s identity and reinforces the significance of Anastasia’s acceptance and scholarship. This color palette also ensures the seal stands out clearly on official documents, giving the acceptance letter a polished, believable, and institutionally consistent appearance.

Here are the sample acceptance and scholarship letters that were designed: