A caption reads "TVO Kids and Riverbank pictures original."

[laughter]

(music plays)

Wearing a mask, Akin walks in his room.

Akin is in his early teens, with slightly long braided brown hair and wears jeans and a yellow sweater.

Akin's room is full of colourful furniture, has different colour walls, a black and white checkered floor, pink curtains, and a neon sign that reads "Feelings" behind a couch.

He says OH HEY, IT'S ME AKIN.
THE HOST OF HOW DO YOU FEEL?
I'M SURE YOU'RE FEELING A LOT
THESE DAYS.
WE ALL ARE, AND THAT'S OKAY.
I WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT MY
FRIENDS AND I FILMED THE SHOW
BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, SO EVEN
THOUGH WE'RE NOT WEARING MASKS,
OR PHYSICALLY DISTANCING, IT'S
STILL VERY IMPORTANT.
SO IF YOU'RE IN A SITUATION
WHERE YOU NEED TO
PHYSICALLY DISTANCE, BUT YOU
CAN'T, PUT ON YOUR MASK.
IT'LL HELP KEEP YOU AND YOUR
FRIENDS SAFE.
WHICH FEELS GREAT!
ENJOY THE SHOW!

In animation, the opening of the show rolls.

As the sun comes up between the mountains, colourful letters with different mood facial expressions form the name of the show. It reads "How do you feel?"

A song goes SOME DAYS YOU MIGHT BE HAPPY
AND SOME DAYS YOU MIGHT BE MAD
OTHER DAYS THEY START OFF
RIGHT
BUT THEN YOU WENT UPSET
BUT IT'S OKAY
CUZ WE WANNA KNOW
HOW DO YOU FEEL?
YEAH, HOW DO YOU FEEL?

Akin has sleep problems. He wakes up and watches the alarm clock.

Akin says WHAT SHOULD I DO COCONUT?
WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU
CAN'T FALL ASLEEP?
SOMETIMES AT BEDTIME, I HAVE
A PROBLEM
I CALL POPCORN BRAIN.
MY MIND FILLS UP WITH THINGS I
DON'T WANT TO THINK ABOUT.
WORRIES AND FEARS KEEP POP,
POP, POPPING
UP IN MY MIND.
EVEN ONES THAT DON'T MAKE
ANY SENSE.
LIKE FORGETTING ABOUT
A BIG TEST,
OR AN EVIL WITCH TURNING ME
INTO A MOUSE.
IT MAKES IT TOUGH TO
FALL ASLEEP.

(music plays)
He sits on a red sofa.

He continues MY FRIEND CRYSTAL KNOWS WHAT
THAT FEELS LIKE.
SHE HAS ONE BIG FEAR THAT
COMES OUT AT NIGHT
AND IT MAKES IT HARD FOR
HER TO RELAX.
LET'S LISTEN.

[radio tuning]

An animation rolls as Akin tells the story.

Akin says CRYSTAL IS AFRAID THERE'S GONNA
BE A FIRE IN HER HOUSE.
SHE'S SCARED TO BE HOME
ALONE AT NIGHT
AND SHE GETS NERVOUS WHEN
IT'S TIME FOR BED
AND THE HOUSE IS QUIET.
EVEN THOUGH THERE HAS NEVER
BEEN A FIRE
IN CRYSTAL'S HOUSE, THE
FEAR CREEPS UP ON HER
WHEN SHE'S TRYING TO
FALL ASLEEP.

Now in his backyard, Akin says CRYSTAL, THANKS FOR TELLING
US WHAT YOU WERE FEELING.
I KNOW WHEN I'M FEELING AFRAID
IT HELPS TO AIR IT OUT
WITH SOME PRO LISTENERS.
DUANE!

Duane sits on a bench. He is in his thirties, with short straight black hair and wears jeans, a red T-shirt and an unbuttoned blue and black plaid shirt.

Akin says PATTY!
I KNEW YOU GUYS
WOULD BE BFFS.
PATTY, DO YOU MIND IF I HAVE
A ONE-ON-ONE CHAT
WITH DUANE?

Patty leaves.

Akin says THANKS, GIRL!

Duane says HEY BUDDY.

Akin says HEY DUANE, IT'S ABOUT CRYSTAL,
DID YOU HEAR HER STORY?

Duane says I DID, AND I WAS SO SORRY
TO HEAR THAT CRYSTAL'S
BEEN AFFECTED BY
THESE THOUGHTS.

Akin says IS CRYSTAL'S FEAR OF
HOUSE FIRES NORMAL?

Duane says MANY PEOPLE HAVE FEARS.
IN FACT, THERE ARE MANY
PEOPLE WHO FEAR EVENTS
THAT ARE NOT LIKELY
TO OCCUR,
OR THEY'RE AFRAID OF ANIMALS
THAT COULDN'T POSSIBLY
SURVIVE IN THEIR COUNTRY.
CRYSTAL IS NOT ALONE.

Akin says WHAT CAN CRYSTAL DO TO HELP
HER CALM HER FEARS?

Duane says I WONDER IF IT WOULD HELP
CRYSTAL TO BE CERTAIN
THAT THE ALARMS AND
EXTINGUISHERS
IN HER HOUSEHOLD
WORKED?
I WONDER IF IT WOULD BE
HELPFUL MUCH LIKE SCHOOL
FOR HER TO COME UP WITH
AN EVACUATION PLAN,
SO THAT SHE AND EVERYONE
ELSE IN HER HOUSEHOLD
WOULD KNOW WHAT ROUTES TO
FOLLOW, WHAT EXITS TO USE,
AND EVEN A MEETING
SPOT OUTSIDE
SO SHE KNOWS THAT
EVERYONE IS SAFE.

Akin says DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER
ADVICE FOR CRYSTAL?

Duane says I'D LIKE TO ENCOURAGE CRYSTAL
TO EXPRESS HER THOUGHTS
AND FEELINGS WITH AN ADULT
THAT SHE CAN TRUST.
SOMETIMES TALKING ABOUT
OUR FEELINGS CAN BE
A GREAT WAY TO WORK
THROUGH OUR FEELINGS.
MAYBE SHE'LL DISCOVER
WHY SHE'S SO AFRAID
OR WHAT CAUSED THE FEAR TO
OCCUR IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Akin says THANKS, DUANE.
PATTY!

Duane says PATTY!
[dog barking]
COME HERE. COME HERE.
YEAH!

Akin says I'LL LEAVE YOU GUYS
TO IT.

[fanfare]
Now Akin stands in the basement with friends.

Akin says YUP THAT'S RIGHT, EXTRA
CHEESE, EXTRA OLIVES,
NO PEPPERONI!
THAT'S IT.
THANK YOU.
I LOVE YOU!
AND I LOVE PIZZA!
YOU GUYS HAVE VERY DELICIOUS AND
VERY GOOD IDEAS.
I'M CURIOUS WHAT YOU THOUGHT
ABOUT CRYSTAL'S STORY?

Zoha is around 10 years old, with long black hair tied-up. She wears earrings and a blue shirt.

Zoha says I LIKE FELT LIKE NERVOUS
AND SCARED FOR HER, UM,
BUT SHE SHOULDN'T BE
LIKE WORRYING THAT MUCH OF
WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN.

Shaniya is around 11 years old, with black hair in a short ponytail. She wears a red sweater and a denim overall.

Shaniya says I KNOW HOW SHE FEELS BECAUSE
WHEN ITS TIME FOR MY BEDTIME
I HAVE TO PUT A SHEET OVER
MY HEAD
BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE SOMETHING
JUST GONNA GRAB ME.

Akin says AND YOU RON?

Ron is around 11 years old, with short curly brown hair. He wears black-rimmed glasses and a striped sweater.

Ron says I FEEL A LITTLE SAD
FOR HER
SINCE SHE'S ALWAYS SCARED
AND SHE DOESN'T FEEL LIKE SHE
HAS ANYONE TO PROTECT HER.

Akin says WHAT DO YOU GUYS DO WHEN
YOU FEEL SCARED?

Shaniya says WELL, WHENEVER, WHENEVER
SOMETHING SCARES ME
I PLAY MY QUIET MUSIC
WITH PIANOS AND BIRDS
AND IT PUTS ME TO SLEEP WELL.

Akin says AND YOU ZOHA?

Zoha says I ASK MY MOM OR DAD OR MY
OLDER SISTERS TO
SLEEP WITH ME AND IF THEY SAY
'NO' THEN LIKE I GET
A CUDDLY TOY AND I JUST
CUDDLE WITH IT AND,
UM, LIKE IT MAKES ME FEEL
COMFORTABLE AND
LIKE TIGHT AND THAT JUST
MAKES ME FEEL BETTER.

Akin says DO ANY OF YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS
SAY ANYTHING
TO HELP YOU FEEL BETTER?

Ron says MY FAMILY TELLS ME TO PET
MY DOG, JESSIE,
TO FEEL BETTER SINCE SHE
IS REALLY CUTE
AND I WOULD FEEL NICE JUST
PETTING HER.

Zoha says LIKE WHEN I'M SCARED AND
NERVOUS MY MOM TRIES TO
LIKE CALM ME DOWN AND SAYS LIKE EVERYTHING'S GOING TO
BE ALRIGHT, UH, LIKE
DON'T WORRY.

Akin says WHAT WOULD YOU TELL CRYSTAL
IF SHE WERE HERE?

Shaniya says WELL, I WOULD TELL HER, I WOULD
TELL HER LIKE JUST GRAB
A STUFFED TOY AND SQUEEZE IT
AND WHEN I DO THAT
IT MAKES ME FEEL COMFORTABLE AND
IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE,
LIKE I'M HUGGING LIKE
MY DAD.

Akin says AND YOU RON?

Ron says I WOULD TELL HER THAT SHE COULD
MAYBE GET SOMETHING,
MAYBE SHE COULD ASK HER
PARENTS FOR A DOG TO HELP
HER BE SAFE SINCE SHE KNOWS
SHE'S GUARDED,
MAYBE A GUARD DOG.

Akin says WHAT ABOUT YOU ZOHA?

Zoha says I WOULD SAY SHE SHOULDN'T BE
FOCUSING ON THE FUTURE
AND THAT WHEN HER PARENTS COME
BACK THEY CAN LIKE,
MAKE, DISCUSS A PLAN OF IF THERE
IS ACTUALLY GONNA BE A FIRE.

[doorbell rings]
Akin sniffs and stands up.

They yell PIZZA!

Now, Akin walks into a room where his stuffed animals are sitting.

Holding a notebook, Akin says TANGERINE YOU NEED TO REST
THAT LEG.
COCONUT TAKE IT EASY ON
THE VIDEO GAMES.
LOTS OF WATER AND SLEEP.
THAT GOES FOR YOU TOO
PROFESSOR PORKINGTON.
I MAY NOT BE A DOCTOR YET,
BUT I THINK I GIVE OUT
SOME PRETTY GOOD TIPS.
HERE'S ONE A LOT OF
PEOPLE FORGET.
L-O-L.
LAUGHING OUT LOUD.
LAUGHTER CAN HELP RELEASE
TENSION IN YOUR BODY
AND WORRY IN YOUR MIND.
THE NEXT TIME YOU FEEL THE
PRESSURE BUILDING UP,
WATCH A FUNNY VIDEO OR
READ A COMIC.
IT'S A GOOD REMINDER TO NOT TAKE
THINGS TOO SERIOUSLY.

Back in the basement, Akin says WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT
WORRIES AND FEARS TODAY,
BUT DO YOU KNOW WHAT
I THINK?
FEARS ARE NOTHING TO BE
AFRAID OF CAUSE THEY'RE
PERFECTLY NORMAL AND CAN
EVEN KEEP US SAFE.
AS LONG AS WE CAN TALK ABOUT
IT WITH OUR PALS.
ALL THOSE EVIL WITCHES OR THOSE
SCARY TESTS,
THOSE FEARS DON'T STAND
A CHANCE.
UNTIL NEXT TIME, TAKE CARE,
AND DON'T FORGET TO SHARE.

(music plays)

Music plays as the end credits roll.

Copyright 2020, Riverbank Pictures.