As a cancer survivor herself, Casey Landman (writer & director) believes that those who’ve been personally affected by cancer deserve representation that reflects on their experiences and helps them understand what they’re going through. Children with cancer didn’t choose to be children with cancer.

is a story that is very close to my heart. I'm Casey Landman, the writer-director of Casey the Frog. When I was 18, I was diagnosed with Hodgkins Lymphoma, a blood cancer. Although I was technically an adult, I was treated in the pediatric wing at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Being surrounded by children while I was in treatment, I was constantly thinking about the pros and cons of being a young adult with cancer. On one hand, I was still a child, just barely out of high school. On the other hand, I had gone from staying in dorms to staying in chemo rooms. Throughout the whole experience, something that really stuck with me was how lucky I was to be able to understand what my body was going through. When I looked around, I noticed the children around me didn’t have as clear of an idea. They need to be able to understand what is happening with them so that words and jargon don’t leave them in fear and confusion.

That’s why I created Casey the Frog.

Children with cancer didn’t choose to be children with cancer. They deserve representation in stories and art that reflect on their experiences, and maybe even help them understand it, too. In nursery-rhyme style, the film goes throughout some of the staples of going to the doctor’s office in worrisome times. During the entire story, the film provides coping mechanisms and comforting call-and-repeat songs for not only children 3-8 years old but also for their parents, guardians, and loved ones. I really believe it will be a great way to help younger kids understand what’s going on with their bodies, and a way to start a dialogue between parents and children as well.

In October, we began the animation process – recording our actors and sketching out storyboards. I was even lucky enough to appear on the CBS show The Doctors to talk about our mission with Casey the Frog. From there, our project became bigger and better than I could have ever imagined, which is why we're crowdfunding once again. We have moved into actually animating and truly bringing this world to life! Each week, our animators present animated, moving scenes of our script, and each week, I am completely amazed!

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All of this amazement costs money, though. Our budget has been carefully constructed to ensure every dollar is being spent on what matters most. Your contribution will go towards covering studio rentals, animation equipment, festival submissions, and the magical composition which will bring this family of frogs to life.

 

 

SOMETHING NEW - While in the production process, we as a team realized that Casey the Frog is more than just a short film. Casey the Frog is a symbol of hope for young ones impacted by cancer, and we want this story as well as other resources avaiable to them whenever they need. Therefore we have created an incredble plan for what will happen after the film is completed. It is what we call the Casey the Frog Outreach Program – a schedule and budget in place to one day take this film to hospitals, to create a Casey the Frog care package for patients, and to spread our mission and message with the world! Eventually, we hope to use the short film we've created to show a larger idea-a Casey the Frog series. We are thrilled about this aspect of our project, and we hope you are as well. To hear more about our ideas and dreams for Casey the Frog, check out the media tab where Casey the Human is speaking about it!

 

If this story speaks to you, here is how you can help:

No contribution is too small and every dollar counts—plus, with each tier, you'll get access to exclusive perks that will take you behind-the-scenes on our process! With all that being said, we are in a PANDEMIC, and it is totally okay if contributions aren’t feasible right now. You can still help by sharing our campaign with your friends and family on Facebook and Instagram (@caseythefrog) as well as our website – www.caseythefrog.com!

Before I wrap this up, I'd just like to thank you for taking the time to check out our campaign. Being someone who was somewhat a kid, and somewhat an adult in the cancer world, I really began to learn how important it is to tell children what is going on with them and their bodies. Together we can make this a reality, and give children who’ve been personally affected by cancer a sense of representation and understanding. 

 

Thank you so much and please stay safe!

writer & director of Casey the Frog