Though the two actresses had not met until the set of the show, Gillan recommended Blackwood for the role; Blackwood, however, still had to undergo rigorous auditions first. Blackwood and Gillan did get to act together in "The Big Bang", which Gillan initially found "weird", though the two actresses became used to it quickly. Gillan stated that "having read the first episode I was utterly smitten [with the show], and with the character. Amy's a sassy lady, funny and passionate, and her relationship with the Doctor has a really interesting dynamic". Gillan believed that the Doctor still saw Amy as the same seven-year-old girl he first met, and described their relationship as brother and sister, with Amy sometimes acting as an "annoying little sister". She also did not want Amy, like previous companions, to stand around "in awe of the Doctor all the time" or "mope around" while he was not there; Amy would "do her own thing, whether it's fighting monsters in strange new worlds or just getting on with her life in her own village". During her first series, Gillan wanted Amy to act "like a child in an adult body" because she had not properly grown up. She appears more guarded because "she doesn't like to show her emotions because she wants to be strong". However, she begins her second series as a more settled person, and shows more emotion, especially with the birth of her daughter. Gillan had substantial input into Amy's costume, as well as her hair and make-up. In the first episode, costume designer Ray Holman stated that Amy's identity was not clear and that she wore her own clothes later on. Gillan thought that Amy had inner confidence to wear clothes that showed "a bit of skin from time to time". Gillan said she tried on many things, but when it came to short skirts she "just thought it was right" and showed that Amy was "comfortable and confident about her look". She believed that the skirts reflected what young women typically wear at her age. Executive producer Piers Wenger also noted that Amy's 1970s flying jacket, which she wears "quite a lot", reflected Gillan was a "born adventurer" and Amy developed a love for travel and adventure. In the sixth series, Amy wears more jeans and longer trousers; Gillan stated, "she's getting a little bit more tomboyish as she becomes more of an action girl".