When a young boy finds himself sinking into an abyss of sadness, an imaginary-friend character named Mr. Tibs comes along to offer support. Together, they venture into the uncharted waters of the deep blue. Along the way, the boy makes new friends and sees wondrous sights that teach him about the nature of sadness, and more importantly, why it’s okay to feel that way.

The film needed to tell a story, but also to convey a feeling of sadness—a child’s feeling of sadness—in a way that felt relatable and honest. Representing such a complex emotion and its metaphors needed to feel magical, but also grounded in a reality that viewers could connect with. As the boy in the film runs the gamut of emotion, CG/3-D animation helped illustrate how he felt.

Each stage of production, from initial designs through to visual effects, required an intense R&D period to ensure the visual approach matched the emotion behind the story itself.