Overview
Catch Up Kids is a 34-minute documentary that follows Amy, a young girl diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, as she navigates an education system not built for the way she learns—and begins transforming adversity into growth, self-belief and possibility.
The film combines intimate personal storytelling with expert insight and hand-drawn animation to help audiences better understand learning differences, and the practical supports that can change a child’s trajectory.
Challenge
Education documentaries aren’t easy to commission. While the need for stories like Catch Up Kids is pressing, the market is risk-averse and dominated by other genres. Our challenge was to build enough proof of concept to show the power of these stories — while navigating shifting commissioning trends that weren’t leaning toward this type of project.
Our Approach
We started by building trust with Kip McGrath Education, who generously funded our first production effort. With their backing, we focused on Amy’s story: a deeply personal journey that anchored our pilot.
We produced a 36-minute pilot episode, shot and cut as a proof of concept for a potential docu-series. Along the way, we brought in remarkable experts like David Gillespie and Dr. Anna Lembke, as well as animated dramatizations to visualize moments no camera could capture.
Results
- Current cut: 34-minute documentary
- Format: Documentary (Short)
- Status: Complete cut for festival submission; feature-length expansion in development
- Approach: Observational storytelling, expert interviews, hand-drawn animation
Why This Matters
This project sits right at the heart of our purpose at Resonant Blue: telling meaningful stories that make a difference.
For us, Catch Up Kids isn’t just another production. It’s an exploration of how personal stories, expert insight, and creative storytelling can shine a light on systemic challenges — and inspire hope for change. It’s proof that when one pathway closes (the series model), another can open (the feature format), if you stay committed to the story.
