Little Shop of Wonders - Clip from the episode “Taking Turns”
By Diane Baumann
The lockdown caused by the pandemic changed our daily routines. Staying home and social distancing was the new way of life. There was no socialization for children and no interaction with their peers which is important for their behavioral development. Stress and anxiety issues appeared in children as well as adults. The cartoon episodes that I was working on prior to the pandemic were stories with good content in that it was teaching the children socialization, lifestyle choices, music, and light academia. Using my cartoon characters was the vehicle to capture the children’s’ attention.
Staying home created enough time for educational playing. I too had extra time to work with my editor to turn my stories into 3D animation for virtual use. The educational playing and virtual stories provided the children with some structure and routine. In addition to my stories, I developed companion activities by combining different media platforms. I created activities that the children could participate in online such as coloring pages, a writing activity, and music. This simultaneously provided some fun time.
I was unable to visit schools and read my stories to the classrooms. I was unable to reproduce or manufacture anything. During the lockdown, all the companies I dealt with were closed. The children were now continuing their education with the use of Zoom and reading online. I believe that this form of communication is here to stay on some level. Evolving into this type of platform with my children’s stories and music was inevitable and necessary. Fortunately, I was able to work with my editor through the use of digital platforms which allowed me to create this. For the first time, I had to do all the sound effects myself because the studios were closed.