In California, more and more companies want to recruit autistic employees

[Sherman A1]

Staring at his screen, Dakota Jordan adds the last touches to the cartoon he has been working on assiduously for weeks. “When I am creating, it is as if I suddenly have the world in my hands. It is a feeling of absolute freedom!” explains this young man, an autistic graphic artist and film fan, who one year ago joined Exceptional Minds, the Californian school of digital animation and special effects.

Based in Sherman Oaks, a few kilometres from the biggest studios in Los Angeles, the school trains talented young people on the autism spectrum who dream of working in Hollywood and who are now more and more sought after by the film industry.

Founded seven years ago, Exceptional Minds now has its own animation studio where some of the school’s young graduates work. They are regularly called on to collaborate with the giants of the animated films industry: from Nickelodeon to HBO, as well as Sony, Netflix and the Marvel Studios, a division of Disney.

“Some of these companies are particularly keen to get us to work on their special effects,” explains Jennifer Giandalone, the studio coordinator. “For example, our team has the job of re-working their images, painstakingly removing tiny, undesirable details from the screen, such as some unflattering frizzy curls from the head of an actor, or mountains in the background.” Such details can take hours of work and unwavering attention.

https://www.equaltimes.org/in-california-more-and-more#.Wyf0UC-ZNdt

[bitterross]

1. I hope they get equal pay/benefits as any other person

The article touches on how it is difficult for people to negotiate. I hope that means the school is helping them get the same pay and benefits as anyone else.