Returning to school after cancer treatment can be extremely daunting for a kid. Tough questions are inevitable. Peer groups shift around. But, it’s an incredibly important step in returning to a child’s normal routine. In this film, Shelly an imaginary-friend character, shows kids what the first day back at school might be like.

Shelly and the other characters in the film were created using a traditional 2-D animation style. The intent was to create a cast that would feel wildly imaginative, yet also relatable to the target audience. A bright palette helped build a sense of warmth and community in the school. The challenge lay in bringing all the characters together in a way that might seem relevant and oddly familiar to a kid experiencing a prolonged absence from school.