Exceptional Minds organization delivered an impactful presentation last semester to students, staff, and parents of grades 4 – 6. Exceptional Minds is a vfx/animation studio that trains and employs young adults who are on the autism spectrum. These studio artists who have autism do work on such films as Black Panther, Green Book, and dozens of other productions from Marvel, Disney, Netflix, and more. David Siegel, father of third-grader Adam, is Strategic Partnerships Director at Exceptional Minds, which was recognized in 2019 as a California nonprofit of the year.
Eli Katz, one of their graduates, accompanied Executive Producer Susan Zwerman in our Sanctuary to tell us about his detailed work on blockbuster hits like Black Panther and War for the Planet of the Apes. Our students posed dozens of questions to our Hollywood guests, who taught us about visual effects. We watched “before and after” clips of some of the most memorable shots from our favorite movies. We learned from Eli and Susan about the technical aspects of getting the perfect shot in post-production.
Our students were so impressed that after the presentation many of them wrote to Eli and Susan. Yesterday, we mailed a stack of thoughtful and beautifully-written letters to Exceptional Minds:
“I learned that people with autism are the same as everyone else,” wrote fourth-grader Tali.
“I appreciated how nice people with autism are and how inclusive Exceptional Minds is to people on the autism spectrum. I was surprised that such a small community could have such a big impact on the world. A life lesson I learned from your presentation is not to judge people.”
“It was inspiring and left a great life lesson, people with disabilities can be very talented in different ways. I learned that people with disabilities can strive to become great people.” – Aiden, 4th grader
Inna Effress
Diversity and Inclusion Program Manager