In 2008, we went to Toy Fair with new inventors who'd hoped they'd created a hit toy.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Play On Productions Presents
Everybody has a dream. What does it cost to follow it?
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Meet the Toymakers
AIMEE is a corporate etiquette expert who couldn't find a kids game that made teaching manners fun. So she invented one that would work for kids of all abilities.
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BRETT is a water-loving inventor and adventurer who spent twelve years engineering and patenting the ultimate self-siphoning water gun for his pool helmets.
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MICHAEL is a Hollywood special-effects artist who sculpted full-body dinosaur puppets so realistic they could star in a movie. At Toy Fair, he resurrects a dream that nearly went extinct.
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RAY is a former marine whose flash of inspiration led him to create a moveable board for his favorite game, chess. The extra level of challenge mimics modern warfare.
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TERRIE couldn’t have more kids, so she created a live-action series starring her pets to bring joy to children. She dreams of giving her movie to 1,000,000 kids.
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The Journey: Crash and Check-In
The Crash
Months after Toy Fair, the Great Recession hit. Hard. The myth that toys were “recession-proof” was quickly disproved. By 2010, Aimee was operating a crane lift to ship out her games herself. Brett still hadn’t recouped his investment, had most of his original inventory sitting in a warehouse, and was in danger of losing his home to foreclosure.
Independent toy stores shuttered and small manufacturers struggled as the economy dived and Amazon rose. We shelved our documentary. The plans to follow up with our dreamers on video were postponed indefinitely.
Eighteen Years Later…
Now, like Michael Apted’s UP series of documentary films — which follow children throughout their lives – PLAY ON!’s once-in-a-lifetime footage offers a rare chance to see these dreamers at the beginning of their journey … and then find out where that long, bumpy road took them.
Meet the Filmmakers
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BOB NAIMI. Executive Producer.
Bob is a visionary, mission-driven businessman and founder of ToyDirectory.com (est. 1996), which gets 42,000 unique visitors per month, as well as the online magazine TDmonthly. Bob believes that playing with high-quality toys helps children develop compassion, creativity, and intellect that stay with them as they grow, contributing to a more peaceful world. Read more about PLAY ON! and our inventors on ToyDirectory. |
ALISON MAREK. Director, Producer, B-Camera, Editor.
Former director of videography at ToyDirectory, Alison has won grants from Showtime Networks, Inc., and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for her short films. She’s been nominated for a local Emmy, received Gold Aurora and Bronze Telly awards, and has written, produced or directed numerous PSAs, short films, web series, features, and TV. Her graphic novels, Desert Streams and Sparrow, were published by Piranha Press (DC Comics). Like Sharri, she has an MFA in film directing from NYU. |
SHARRI HEFNER. Producer.
Sharri is an award-winning internationally-based filmmaker. She produced Joseph T. Walker's 2025 feature film Broken Land, starring David Morse ("The Green Mile," "Hurt Locker"), Eli Daughdrill's Faith, Sharon Hoffman's Almost, and co-wrote Gene Rhee's The Trouble with Romance, As a member of Hyphenate Films, Sharri line produced Joel Viertel's 'Strictly Sexual' and production coordinated/guerrilla marketed Mora Stephens' 'Conventioneers', which won the Independent Spirit Awards' John Cassavetes Award. She also ran the Baby Roundtables for TDmonthly. |
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AMANDA ROSE WILDER. Cinematographer.
Amanda was A-camera for the 2008 PLAY ON! footage. Amanda's documentary subjects include textile artist Richard Saja, the Estey Organ Company, and poet Mary Jo Salter. Wilder shot as second camera alongside Albert Maysles for Maysles Films, Inc.. She directed and shot the award-winning observational documentary feature, "Approaching the Elephant," |
FROM THE HEART PRODUCTIONS. Fiscal Sponsor.
PLAY ON! has fiscal sponsorship through From the Heart Productions, a 501C3 organization that considers PLAY ON! to be an important historical project. This partnership also offers a tax deduction for any contributions made toward the film -- whether as a company or as an individual. |
Support PLAY ON! Your Donation is Tax-Deductible.
JOIN OUR VALUED DONORS and SUPPORTERS
See full list here
NOTE: PLAY ON! has the full force of backing and participation from ToyDirectory. com -- a respected toy-industry authority and media company, online since 1996. ToyDirectory sponsored the 2008 production and preserved the footage that became the foundation of this documentary. However, PLAY ON! is not a corporate-funded film and is being completed through independent sponsorship and donor support. Donations -- including in-kind donations -- are tax-deductible through our fiscal sponsor, From The Heart Productions.
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DAVID ESPOSITO
Harvest Time Partners. Co-Producer. We met David at Toy Fair 2013, where we videotaped his Abundant Harvest communication games. David is a combat veteran, husband, father, business executive, a creator of award-winning self-help resources … and now he’s in the movie biz, too! Read more about his unique journey to toy creation on TDmonthly.com. |
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The Moss-Tucker Group has graciously donated their valuable promotional resources and strategic outreach
to support PLAY ON's campaign and visibility. Supporters benefit from their generosity, too.
FROM TOY FAIR 2008 TO THE BIG SCREEN: What Happened to the Dreamers?
We followed eight inventors into the unknown when they chased their big dreams at Toy Fair. Now, we're checking back in to see where that audacious leap actually landed them. This is the true story of following your passion.
Fund PLAY ON! Will the Fun Survive? Today!
Your support is crucial. Every donation to our fiscal sponsor, From the Heart Productions, is TAX-DEDUCTIBLE and covers everything from pre-production to follow-up filming, to final editing to release, marketing and distribution. See the powerful impact of your tax-deductible contribution and the exclusive rewards waiting for you or your company:
| Level | Amount | Negotiable Benefits/Credit | Impact/What It Buys |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thank you! | $25 and up | Inclusion on ToyDirectory THANK YOU list. | Helps pay to re-capture 40 mini-DV tapes and create a TRAILER. |
| Thank you! plus | $250 | LINKED LOGO (to your website) on ToyDirectory THANK YOU list. | Buys a day's worth of catering for a small crew. |
| Special Thanks! | $500 | SPECIAL THANKS on IMDB plus LINKED LOGO on ToyDirectory THANK YOU list. | Covers one day's camera equipment rental. |
| Associate Producer, level one | $1,000 | ASSOCIATE PRODUCER End Credit of Film and on IMDB plus LINKED LOGO on ToyDirectory THANK YOU List. | Secures rights for a key archival photo or video clip. |
| Associate Producer, level two | $3,000 | ASSOCIATE PRODUCER End Credit of Film and IMDB plus LINKED LOGO on ToyDirectory THANK YOU list plus paragraph in MEET OUR SUPPORTERS article in TDmonthly. | Helps pay for travel for follow-up interviews with our inventors. |
| Co-Producer, level one | $5,000 | CO-PRODUCER End Credit of Films and IMDB plus LINKED LOGO on ToyDirectory plus paragraph in MEET OUR SUPPORTERS article in TDmontly plus invitation to Zoom Toy Inventor Roundtable and subsequent article in TDmonthly. | Helps pay for preproduction and production. |
| Co-Producer, level two | $10,000 | LINKED LOGO on ToyDirectory THANK YOU list plus Co-Producer End Credits in film, Shared Card plus IMDB credit plus invitation to Toy Inventor Roundtable article plus standalone article on your company or organization in TDmonthly. | Pays the composer and musicians for the original score. |
| Executive Producer, level one | $25,000 | EXECUTIVE PRODUCER End Card and IMDB, plus LINKED LOGO on ToyDirectory THANK YOU list plus invitation to Toy Inventor Roundtable article plus standalone article on your company or organization in TDmonthly plus private consultation with film's directors for your own passion project. | Helps pay for editing, color grading and sound mixing. |
| Executive Producer, level two | $50,000 | EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Shared Opening Card and IMDB, plus LINKED LOGO on ToyDirectory THANK YOU list plus invitation to Toy Inventor Roundtable article plus standalone article on your company or organization in TDmonthly plus private consultation with film's directors for your own passion project plus private screening at one of your company's events plus two VIP tickets to OPENING NIGHT (travel not included). | Funds camera, light, and other equipment rental for the entire shoot. |
| Executive Producer, level three | $100,000 | EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Solo Opening Card and IMDB, plus LINKED LOGO on ToyDirectory THANK YOU list plus invitation to Toy Inventor Roundtable article plus standalone article on your company or organization in TDmonthly plus private consultation with film's directors for your own passion project plus private screening at one of your company's events plus four VIP tickets to OPENING NIGHT (travel not included). | Funds camera, light, and other equipment rental for the entire shoot. |
| PRESENTED BY | $200,000 | PRESENTED BY [Your Name/Company] Prominent opening credit in film and IMDB, plus LINKED LOGO on ToyDirectory THANK YOU list plus invitation to Toy Inventor Roundtable article plus three standalone articles on your company or organization in TDmonthly plus two-hours of private consultation with film's directors for your own passion project plus private screening at two of your company's events plus six VIP tickets to OPENING NIGHT (travel not included) plus cross-promotional opportunities, including On-camera interview with principal of company to be run as separate article. At least one portion of the interview will be included in the finished film. | Secures funds for distribution, festival fees, and publicity campaign. |
Support PLAY ON! Your Donation is Tax-Deductible.
Or Pay by Check:
Please make check donations payable to FROM THE HEART PRODUCTIONS.
Indicate the name of the film “PLAY ON! Documentary” on the memo line.
Mail your check to:
From The Heart Productions 1013 Harbor Blvd. #53 Oxnard, CA 93035
PLEASE BE SURE TO PUT THE NAME “PLAY ON!” ON ALL DONATIONS so that we will receive the funds. Thank you!
Check back here or watch your email for updates. You can get a schedule breakdown and see VIDEOS on this TDmonthly article.
Learn from the Long-Termers:
TDmonthly has published an article about small manufacturers who band together, called
Survival of the Smallest, featuring an interview with Baby Paper's Sari Wiaz.
TDmonthly has also published an article -- The Resilient Spirit of Play: Toy Companies Share Their Journey -- with advice from long-term companies who've braved challenges such as the Great Recession of 2008-2009, the Pandemic, and today's Tariffs. See what the following successful toy leaders, such as PLAY ON! supporter Kathie Gavin of b. dazzle, have to say about persistence. And watch Tenzi's satirical song about tariffs!
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