Proving you can capture kids’ and adults’ attention without fast-paced and distracting animation, new episodes of the Apple TV+ Emmy and Peabody Award-winning series, based on the ‘Zen’ books by Jon J Muth about a wise panda who teaches 3 siblings about the world and each other, are now streaming.
Winner of a Daytime Emmy Award, a Children's and Family Emmy Award, and a Peabody to boot, Stillwater, the animated series from Scholastic Entertainment and Gaumont Animation, has proven false the belief that a successful kids’ show must be fast-paced and saturated with distractions. With its fourth season now available to watch on Apple TV+, Stillwater can attribute its five-years-long (and counting) success to the exact opposite notion.
“There had always been the belief that to capture kids’ attention, a show needed to be quick and flashy,” says Rob Hoegee, who executive produces Stillwater alongside Jun Falkenstein. “We took an entirely different approach. I believe we not only proved that you can have a deliberately paced show that is engaging and entertaining – for all audiences – but ushered in a renewed interest in ‘low-stimulation’ programming.”
Based on the 2005 children’s picture book “Zen Shorts” by Jon J. Muth, Stillwater follows three children, Karl (Judah Mackey), Michael (Tucker Chandler), and Addy (Eva Ariel Binder), who interact with their giant panda neighbor Stillwater (James Sie). Through his example, Stillwater gives the kids a deeper understanding of their feelings as well as tools that help them face their own challenges. The 3D (and sometimes 2D) animated stories illustrate the importance of being emotionally aware and open-minded, taking time to slow down, and how to choose compassion rather than getting angry or upset.
“I have heard such amazing things about this show from parents and kids, and the fact I am associated with it still gives me so much pride,” says Stillwater’s mindfulness consultant Mallika Chopra. “My niece and nephew watch it religiously, waiting for new episodes, and I get so much ‘cool aunty’ credibility with them because of it. Their mom texted me, ‘They keep asking for more. My kids only get one hour of TV a day, so when they ask for the same thing for evening time, you know it’s really good!’”
In the newest season, the youngest character, Karl, learns how to handle tough emotions like jealousy, disappointment, and competition. The series also delves into struggles that older kids might experience, from stage fright and feeling unheard, to lack of focus and spreading negative energy.
“Stillwater, as he often does, provides insight into why the characters might feel this way, and nudges them gently to self-examine and critically think about their feelings and the feelings of others,” notes Falkenstein. “But most of the lessons in the show can be applied to my life, even as an adult. A big one I’ve learned from the show, besides stopping to breathe, is to try not to pre-catastrophize and worry about things that I either have no control over or that haven’t happened yet. I love one of the new episodes, ‘Raking Leaves’, which challenges the characters and the audience to let go of negative events that are beyond their control, like leaves blowing away after you spent time raking them. It’s a tough ask for an adult, much less a child, but a critical lesson to learn for peace of mind.”
Falkenstein’s kids were older than the intended audience when the show was initially being produced, but will still watch, she says, as a “comfort show.”
“This series is a reminder to me how quickly kids grow up,” says Hoegee, a parent himself. “When we first started development and production, my kids were roughly the same age as the characters in the show. Now they are starting high school and college. We watched the show together back then – and at times still do – though with teenagers it’s hard to get them to sit still for just about anything.”
Chopra says the episode she’s most looking forward to people watching – whether as a young or older audience member – is “Finders Keepers,” which focuses on Addy and the exploration of morally grey areas.
“Rob and I recently met for coffee, and he told me the vision for this season was to expand from the inner world of children to their outer world experience,” shares Chopra. “‘Finders Keepers’ is an interesting episode this season as it subtly explores ethics when Addy finds a special clip in a locked box. She has a funny feeling in her stomach, and her inner voice tells her something is amiss, so she needs to navigate whether to keep the clip or find the owner.”
The episode’s time period and setting location also paid homage to Falkenstein’s Japanese grandmother.
Chopra continues, “I feel this episode goes a little deeper emotionally with some of the kids who are growing up with Stillwater and are ready for the next step. It’s guiding them to listen to their body and mind in new ways.”
Though still a vibrant show, Stillwater strives not to distract viewers with its animation. In fact, the luscious nature of the show’s 3DCG visuals is meant to get viewers into a calm headspace to help enforce the message that living life slow and steady is important and wise.
“I loved the opportunity to create a visual world which felt vast, yet intimate,” says Falkenstein. “Nature and natural elements were always going to be an intrinsic part of this show, but it was important to depict these elements in a ‘peaceful’ way, especially around Stillwater’s house, which we wanted to feel like a safe space. Art Director Tommy Kim had a great eye for light and color which really helped dial in the feeling.”
The show’s animation style is also more realistic and grounded – from Stillwater’s fur to the foliage that surrounds the characters – and is far from cartoony. Since the series deals with emotions, Falkenstein felt the character acting had to be relatable and believable.
“Yes, even from Stillwater, a giant panda,” notes Falkenstein. “He’s such a thoughtful, careful and kind character, so his actions and acting needed to reflect his personality. We made sure Stillwater did everything calmly and deliberately. Polygon Pictures in Tokyo did an amazing job handling the 3DCG animation and production.”
She adds, “I was also very careful about the camera placement in the show. It felt correct, in a series that teaches mindfulness, to have the camera reflect the idea of stopping to take a breath, observe, and take in the world around you. So, I kept the camera locked most of the time and used longer takes and slower pacing. Composition was more important than motion.”
Falkenstein’s methods are working wonders for both viewers and educators. Chopra, who had often used Muth’s books as examples in her healthcare work, now uses Stillwater for a reference and feels the show is not just educational but a visual example of peace and tranquility.
“This show is so beautifully produced, capturing all the senses through the impeccable animation,” says Chopra. “The Fall leaves, the snowflakes falling on the children’s faces, the butterflies, birds, and the depth of flowers in the foreground with rich greens from Stillwater's Japanese garden, are truly beautiful. Everything about this show is subtle but teaches concepts through experience and allows the viewer to slow down and breathe.”
She continues, “So, I have used video clips from Stillwater in my public talks to kids and parents at schools, conferences and company presentations. But I have heard from teachers that they use them in classrooms, too. Independent of the lessons and tools shared in each episode, it’s just good storytelling and amazing animation. I think adults can get a moment of reprieve by watching this show themselves, even without their kids.”
Looking ahead at a possible Season 5, while nothing has been officially announced, Hoegee and Falkenstein did share that they are hoping for the chance to explore new possibilities with the show.
“We’d just started adding more characters so it would be nice to explore them a bit more and introduce new challenges and solutions that may apply to other kinds of people, not just to Michael, Addy, and Karl,” says Falkenstein. “There are always more emotions to explore and stories to tell.”
Victoria Davis is a full-time, freelance journalist and part-time Otaku with an affinity for all things anime. She's reported on numerous stories from activist news to entertainment. Find more about her work at victoriadavisdepiction.com.
