The inspiration for this video came from a conversation that was overheard between two 5-year-old boys. The boys were discussing how emotions affect different parts of the brain and how to calm down by taking deep breaths. Excited at the prospect of hearing her son discussing what he was learning with his friend, Julie Bayer Salzman decided she wanted to learn as well. She took a six-week online course on Mindfulness through Mindful Schools.

Salzman’s company, Wavecrest Films, which she runs with her husband, Josh Salzman, is always looking for intriguing topics to film. As her class progressed and as their son learned more, the couple decided this was such a topic. The video was not scripted, featuring kindergartners from their son’s school sharing what they know about the brain and emotions. The short film features their son, his classmates, the families of those classmates, and staff from Citizens of the World Mar Vista Charter School in Los Angeles.