Kids need to
read and Dolphin Boy will help promote childhood literacy. Dolphin Boy will
also create QTE - a quality time experience between children and their families.
'Dolphin Boy'
will feature pop-up illustrations, pages to color and access to a downloadable
soundtrack. The book will be accompanied by an interactive website where
visitors can share stories (multimedia) about friendships - imaginary and
real - and connect with others (socially) who have engaging, motivating
and inspiring stories
to tell and share. The story of Dolphin Boy will also be re-created as an
animated web based series and feature film.
Phase One:
The first round of funding will be used
to create the book, launch the website, and record the soundtrack/theme song.
($150000 - expected delivery date Jan 2016)
Phase Two: second round of funding will be used to expand the website,
complete the soundtrack and start work on the animated web series. ($250000 - expected delivery Jan 2017)
Phase Three: The third round of funding will be used to complete the
animated series. ($350000 - expected delivery date Sept 2017)
The biggest
risk we face - after Funding Phase One and completing the book - is not
having enough funding for
Phase Two and Three.
The Story of Dolphin Boy
Caleb is a
ten-year old boy who has the ability to communicate with dolphins.
Although he tries to convince others of his unique and often magical
ability, no one believes him – except for his best friend and neighbor
Sara and her father Sam, who is a Marine Biologist and a Professor at the
local University.
Caleb has been diagnosed with a life ending disease and although he has
days when he feels he
can do anything, he is digressing very quickly. The doctor’s agree that
he has very little time left and they recommend that he spend his time out
of the hospital and at home with his family. They offer the family very
little in the way of comfort but do try to prepare them for the
inevitable. They are told Caleb will die within the next few weeks.
Every afternoon, Caleb, Sara and Sam visit the beach and swim in the ocean.
Sam is amazed to see the number of
dolphins who appear and he begins to notice that their numbers are
increasing each day. When Caleb enters the ocean, dolphins
instantly surround him. And with every swim in the ocean, with every touch
of a dolphin, Caleb gains some of his strength back. But the improvements
in Caleb’s condition are only temporary, remaining for less than a few
hours after swimming in the ocean.
One morning, Caleb calls his parents into his room. He calls for Sara and
Sam too. He tells
everyone that he is OK and that he is ready to die. He assures everyone that he
is not in pain, but that he must go now. He explains that he wants to go
out on the family boat.
Caleb, his parents, Sara and Sam are in the family boat holding Caleb, who
is going in and out of
consciousness. He whispers to his mother and father that they need to
place him in the ocean. He wants to feel the coolness of the sea. They
reluctantly agree. They jump overboard and Sam and Sara gently hand Caleb
to them. As they do, dolphins appear, swimming right up to the family.
One of the dolphins places his head in Caleb's outstretched hands. Caleb
strokes the dolphin and
the dolphin responds to Caleb’s touch and sounds. Caleb looks up to
his mom and asks her to let him go. She doesn’t know what he means. Caleb
tells her that she needs to let him go with the dolphins. She becomes
hysterical and as she and her husband loosen their grip on their son, a
miracle begins to occur.
Caleb grows
stronger and a bright light shines through his eyes and his smile provides
a sense of warmth and calmness for
everyone. He takes one last look at his parents, Sam and Sarah and says
goodbye. Caleb is slowly transformed into a dolphin and jumps high in the
air as if to celebrate life. He is alive and he is home. He will be missed
but never forgotten.
