Where does magic live? Is it in our imagination? Or is it real? That’s the question filmmaker Richard Hoffmann set out to answer with his masterful new family friendly IMAX short film, ‘Watermelon Magic,’ which will be shown at the National Watermelon Association’s 100th birthday celebration in Savannah, GA, Feb. 19-23.

Using unique stop-action photography to create movement (the 37-minute film consists of more than 200,000 still photographs) Watermelon Magic follows the story of Sylvie, a mischievous 5-year-old with a magic wand — and, unbeknownst to her, a green thumb.

The latter is revealed when her wand breaks and she discovers real magic, planting watermelon seeds and becoming the loving protector of the ensuing plants.

But the real magic for viewers comes in the growth scenes. Everyone’s seen time-lapse photography of say, a flower blooming. But the striking resolution and image quality in Hoffman’s techniques present that sequence in ways never seen before.

Hoffman’s 2007 film Fridays at the Farm, an award-winner that has been seen on The Sundance Channel, set the stage for Watermelon Magic.

“My motivation came about six years ago when I saw how much ‘Fridays at the Farm’ was resonating with audiences around the world. That film was intended for adults but kids really seemed to dig the animated stills technique,” Hoffmann said. “We are effectively turning our normal perception of time on its head — we see that plants are as alive as we are, they’re just moving at a different speed.”

With Magic, Hoffmann set out to create a film kids could share with their families — and help them understand the connection between the world we live in and where food comes from.

“This film is a window to help restore our connection to food,” Hoffmann said. “I noticed my 5-year-old daughter Sylvie couldn’t sit through most of the popular movies, the bad guys were just way too scary. So I set out to make a film for Sylvie and the many boys and girls like her who don’t need an evil witch or villain to keep their attention. It’s a very simple, lyrical story that’s told beautifully with little dialogue.”

Using a combination of time-lapse, shutter-burst, and freeze frame techniques, the film employs a unique rhythm and pace more akin to an animated film than traditional live-action fiction, techniques Hoffmann and crew spent five years developing.

“Our primary consideration was to illuminate one of the core scientific messages of the film — that plants are alive,” Hoffmann said.

“By depicting humans in shutter-burst staccato motion and plants in the typical 24 frames per second standard, the audience’s perception of time is turned on its head, revealing the secret lives of plants. Viewers see that plants are just as alive as people — they are just moving at a different speed.”

While watermelon is the star of the film, Hoffmann sheepishly admitted his favorite fruit is actually blueberries. But, he said, “There’s nothing better than a crisp watermelon on a hot summer day.”