Merlinda the Wizard is an imaginary friend who knows everything about everything. She’s also a magical creature with a deft touch, making her the perfect candidate to address the heaviest topic a kid might ever face: finding out you have cancer.

The majority of the character animation was done using the traditional frame-by-frame technique which allowed for an organic and approachable feel to the piece. This method felt like the most appropriate one to bring Merlinda's little quirks and flourishes to life. The challenge lay in combining this technique with backgrounds and additional characters who were animated using more modern techniques—mostly after effects and third-party plugins), in order to create a visually cohesive story.