This animation web video introduces us to a little girl named Emily who loves school, her friends, music, reading, playing in the outdoors, and swimming in the pool.
Then one day she could not close an eye and had to go to the doctor.
Diagnosed with a brain tumor, Emily winds up spending most days in bed as we see the seasons pass by. Doctor’s orders also call for no more school, no swimming pool, and required surgery.
“I need a fairy godmother,” says Emily as she writes a letter to a magical being whom she hopes exists and can rescue her from these many months of worry and inactivity.
In the letter, Emily wishes for the sea, the sun, fun, dolphins, smiles, cake and time with family–as we see all these visualized in animated thought bubbles. Indeed Emily believes in the power of her wishes and that her luck will get better.
And thankfully it turns out that Emily has a fairy godmother who grants all these wishes in one fell swoop. The sun, fun, sea and everything else come in the form of a trip to Hawaii for Emily and her family.
We then see that our animated Emily is indeed a real person as snapshots of her on a joyful vacation in Hawaii appear on screen. She’s seen with her family, in a swimming pool, and with a Mickey Mouse cake. The photos are displayed on a table, along with a plate containing a piece of that cake.
Next the camera pans left to show snapshots of “fairy godmothers,” everyday people who contribute to The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada. Little hand-drawn-style golden crowns appear on the heads of each real person fairy godmother pictured in the snapshots–several women and one man. A voiceover relates, “Anyone can be a fairy godmother–like me or you.”
Appearing on screen are the following messages: “The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada has never denied an eligible child a wish,” followed by, “But requests have gone up 24 percent from 2009 to 2012.”/”Be a fairy godmother and help give the magic of a wish.”
The latter request is accompanied by the website address, www.childrenswish.ca.
An end tag reveals that this web film is sponsored by Church & Dwight brand Gravol, a children’s medicine.
Crush Titled “Emily’s Story,” this nearly two-minute film was animated by Crush, with the collective talent at that Toronto studio serving as its director. The piece is part of an overall campaign for the Children’s Wish Foundation out of ad agency kirshenbaum bond senecal + partners (KBS+P), Toronto.
The creative team at KBS+P–copywriter Cristina Simonetto and art director John Roberton–developed a gentle, thoughtful script before looking for an animation company to realize its premise and creative vision. The team at Crush jumped at the opportunity to help tell such a poignant story.
Crush’s senior designer and animator Julia Deakin designed Emily and all the characters, and worked with Crush’s senior designer and animator Yoho Yue and designer/animator Jullian Ablaza to bring Emily’s world to life. Ablaza worked with illustrators/assistant animators Ashley Barron and Flavia Lopez to create the world using a mix of paper and other media.
Yue and animator Joel Tellier rigged and animated the characters, with subtlety as well as with sensitivity to Emily’s story. Gary Thomas served as creative director for Crush. Executive producer was Jo-ann Cook. Janice Rebelo was Crush’s senior producer. Kyle Steffler and Errol Colautti were assistant animators.
Other key contributors at KBS+P were creative director Dan Pawych and producer Clare Cashman.
Music The team at Apollo Music took the pictures and added a beautiful, haunting score which advanced the tug-at-the-heartstrings feel of the film. Apollo’s talent ensemble included creative director Yan Dal Santo, music composers Daenen Bramberger and Mike Wise, and sound designer Harry Knazan.
Since 1984, The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada has granted over 17,000 wishes to children with life-threatening illnesses. The maker of Gravol has been a supporter of Children’s Wish since 2008. Donations to the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada can be made on Gravol’s site: http://gravol.ca/en/highlights/the-children’s-wish-foundation-of-canada/.
