This study situates young adolescents' multimodal composing practices within two figured worlds--school and creative multimodal production. In a microanalysis of two focal students' multimodal processes and products, I trace how pedagogical, interactional, and semiotic resources both reified and challenged students' developing identities as multimodal composers. This research illustrates the necessity of critical perspectives on the design and implementation of multimodal composing activities for academic purposes.