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 appears holding an Ukele.

Akin says OH, HEY!
WOAH!
UH!
[crashing metal]
WHOOPS, CAME IN A LITTLE TOO
HOT THERE.
ANYWAY, WELCOME TO MY
FEELING ZONE!
THIS IS MY PLACE TO BE WITH
MY FEELINGS.
I COME HERE WHEN I'M HAPPY,
OR I'M SAD,
OR I'M ANGRY BECAUSE ALL
FEELINGS ARE OKAY.
I LIKE TALKING ABOUT MY FEELINGS
WITH MY FRIENDS
AND I LOVE WHEN THEY SHARE
WITH ME TOO.
TAKE MY GOOD BUDDY NICOLAS,
HE'S HAVING TROUBLE WITH
BULLYING.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT IS?
IT'S WHEN SOMEBODY CLOSE TO YOUR
AGE IS MEAN TO YOU
AGAIN AND AGAIN.
HERE, I'LL TELL YOU
ABOUT IT.

(music plays)
An animation rolls as Akin tells the story.

Akin says AT SCHOOL
NICHOLAS WAS BULLIED
BY A KID
THAT WAS OLDER THAN HIM.
WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED HE FELT
CONFUSED AND SCARED.
NICOLAS WONDERED, 'WHY ME?'.
HE FELT THAT EVERYONE DESERVED
TO BE TREATED NICELY.
HE THOUGHT HE COULD DEAL WITH
IT HIMSELF,
SO HE TRIED TO BECOME THE
BULLY'S FRIEND.
THE BULLY SAID, 'SURE!' WITH
A SMILE.
BUT HE WASN'T TELLING
THE TRUTH.
THAT MADE NICOLAS SAD.

Akin says NICOLAS' STORY GOT ME THINKING.
WHAT CAN WE DO IF WE'RE
BEING BULLIED?
WELL, WHEN IT COMES TO ADVICE I
TURN TO MY PAL DUANE,
WHO KNOWS MORE ABOUT FEELINGS
THAN ANYONE I KNOW!
WANT TO MEET HIM?

Akin walks into the backyard and inhales.

Akin says AHHH!
DUANE!

Duane is in his thirties, with short straight black hair and wears brown trousers, and a purple shirt over a blue T-shirt.

Duane says AKIN!

Akin says NICE TO SEE YOU!

Duane says NICE TO SEE YOU TOO!

Akin says SO, I TOLD YOU ABOUT NICOLAS'
PROBLEM WITH BULLYING.
IF NICOLAS WERE HERE
RIGHT NOW
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY
TO HIM?

Duane says I WOULD SAY, 'I'M REALLY SORRY
TO HEAR THAT YOU'RE
BEING BULLIED NICOLAS, YOU
DESERVE TO BE TREATED WITH
THE UTMOST CARE AND RESPECT, AND
YOU MIGHT FEEL THAT WAY,
BUT YOU ARE NOT ALONE'.

Akin says WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU
GIVE TO NICOLAS?

Duane says FOR STARTERS, IT'S NOT
YOUR FAULT.
WHEN PEOPLE ARE BEING BULLIED
IT'S EASY TO THINK,
'WHAT DID I DO?', BUT THE TRUTH
IS IT'S NOT NICOLAS' FAULT.
WE'RE ALL RESPONSIBLE
FOR OUR BEHAVIOUR,
SO WHEN SOMEONE BULLIES
HIM, IT'S NOT HIS FAULT.

Akin says WHAT OTHER ADVICE WOULD YOU
GIVE NICOLAS?

Duane says DEALING WITH BULLYING CAN BE
A CHALLENGING THING TO DO
ON OUR OWN, SO IT'S IMPORTANT
TO SPEAK TO ADULTS
THAT WE CAN TRUST SO WE
CAN GET THAT SUPPORT.
WHETHER IT'S A PARENT,
A GUARDIAN, A TEACHER,
THE MORE PEOPLE WE
CAN TALK TO,
THE MORE PEOPLE WHO ARE
AVAILABLE TO HELP US.

Akin says ANYTHING ELSE?

Duane says YEAH!
NEVER GIVE UP.
NEVER GIVE UP SPEAKING TO
ADULTS WHO YOU CAN TRUST,
NEVER GIVE UP BELIEVING
IN YOURSELF,
AND REMEMBER TO ONLY CONTINUE TO
REACH OUT FOR SUPPORT
UNTIL YOU GET AS MUCH
HELP AS YOU NEED.
NICOLAS' FEELINGS ARE
TOTALLY UNDERSTANDABLE.
IF HE FINDS HIMSELF FEELING
SCARED OR CONFUSED,
THAT'S OKAY, IT'S
TOTALLY NORMAL.
HIS FEELINGS DESERVE TO BE
HEARD AND IT'S IMPORTANT
FOR HIM TO SPEAK UP TO
ADULTS THAT HE CAN TRUST.

Akin says THANKS DUANE.

Duane says ANYTIME AKIN.

[glass clink]
They toast and blow air into their drinks.
[bubbling water]

[fanfare]

Akin says IT MAKES ME FEEL SAD THAT
NICOLAS WAS TREATED LIKE THAT,
BUT IT MAKES ME FEEL HAPPY THAT
HE TALKED ABOUT IT.
I KNOW WHEN I HAVE BIG FEELINGS,
I DON'T LIKE TO KEEP IT
TO MYSELF.
I LIKE TO TELL THE
WHOLE WORLD!
OR AT LEAST A FEW FRIENDS.
THANKS GUYS
FOR COMING.
HOW DOES NICOLAS' STORY
MAKE YOU FEEL?

Yenna is around 11 years old, with long black hair in two ponytails. She wears a denim dress over a dark blue shirt.

Yenna says WELL...IT FEELS A LITTLE SAD
AND I DIDN'T LIKE HOW, UM, THE
BULLY HAS TO BULLY NICOLAS
A LOT.

Matilda is around 11 years old, with blond hair in a ponytail. She wears a lilac sweater.

Matilda says IT MADE ME UPSET
BECAUSE HE TRIED TO BE FRIENDS
WITH HIM AND IT DIDN'T
REALLY WORK OUT.

Akin says YEAH, NICOLAS REALLY WANTED
TO BE FRIENDS.
WHAT DO YOU GUYS DO WHEN
YOU FEEL SAD?

Matilda says I USUALLY, UM, WANNA BE ALONE
AND I DON'T LOOK AT ANYONE
AND I USUALLY SAY, 'DON'T
TALK TO ME,
I JUST WANT TO BE ALONE!'

Akin says HMM, CALVIN WHAT DO YOU DO
WHEN YOU FEEL SAD?

Calvin is around 11 years old, with brown hair. He wears a brown jacket.

Calvin says WELL, I WOULD USUALLY GO
UPSTAIRS, I WOULD GRAB
DRUMSTICKS, AND
THEN I JUST
WACK THE DRUMS SO HARD.

Akin says IF NICOLAS WERE HERE GUYS,
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?

Matilda says I WOULD SAY, 'IT'S OKAY
NICOLAS, I'LL PLAY WITH YOU'.

Yenna says THEN, UM, WE COULD FIGURE THE
PROBLEM OUT TOGETHER.

Calvin says I WOULD ALSO GIVE HIM
SOME ADVICE.

Akin says WHAT WOULD YOUR
ADVICE BE?

Calvin says I'D SAY, UM, IF HE'S TRYING TO
PICK ON YOU AGAIN
THEN JUST GO, UM, MAKE SURE,
LIKE STAY
IN THE TEACHER'S SIGHT,
SO YOU, UM, IF YOU START
GETTING CHASED OR
HE TRIES TO PHYSICALLY HURT YOU,
JUST YOU CAN GO TO A TEACHER,

Akin says DO YOU GUYS WANNA DO WHAT
CALVIN DOES
TO CALM DOWN?

Yenna laughs.

Akin says LET'S PRETEND TO DRUM.

(drum solo)

(Piano lullaby plays)
Akin sleeps on sofa.

Akin wakes up and says WOO, I WAS JUST CATCHING A
FEW ZEES.
SOMETIMES WHEN I'M NOT FEELING
ONE HUNDRED PERCENT
AKIN I LIKE TO
TAKE A NAP.
I ALSO LIKE TO WALK, MAKE A
SNACK, OR JUST CHILL OUT.
IN FACT, IT'S CALLED
SELF CARE.
SELF CARE IF WHEN YOU DO
SOMETHING JUST FOR YOU,
TO MAKE YOURSELF
FEEL GOOD.
IT CAN BE ANYTHING AND EVERYONE
SELF CARES DIFFERENT.
IF YOU LIKE TO STOMP
YOUR FEET.
[stomping on wood]
OR SHAKE YOUR FIST AT THE MOON,
THAT'S COOL TOO!
WHAT DO YOU DO FOR
SELF CARE?

Back in the basement, Akin says HEY, THANKS FOR HANGING OUT
WITH US TODAY!
COME BY ANYTIME YOU WANT TO
TALK FEELINGS.
AND REMEMBER IT'S OKAY TO FEEL
WHATEVER YOU FEEL.
SEE YOU NEXT TIME GUYS.

Akin and his friends say BYE!

(music plays)

Music plays as the end credits roll.

Copyright 2020, Riverbank Pictures.