"Shadowplay" took over two years to complete, and took a year just to complete the animation. One of the most frequent questions about the animation is how the shadows were brought to life. First, a black puppet of Akio was animated against a white set. This was to be the foundation for the film’s pacing, framing, and acting. Nine months later, after work was completed on the flashback sequences of the film, Dan filmed the sets of crumbled Hiroshima, as well as animated the soldiers' return to the city. Using Adobe After Effects, the black puppet was composited against the walls of Hiroshima, then blurred, made translucent, and distorted to give the feel of real shadows.