The Autism In Entertainment (AIE) Conference was a one-day, in-person event that was held on Friday, April 5, 2024, at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. This conference is helping to create a bridge to employment for individuals on the autism spectrum who are interested in entertainment-related fields, including film, television, production, animation, and game design. The conference included six Spotlight Videos featuring individuals with autism who are achieving success in the Entertainment Industry. This Spotlight Video features Dan Bowman, Animator and Educator.
About Dani Bowman
Dani Bowman-who is on the autism spectrum founded her company, DaniMation Entertainment, at age 14 in 2009 and launched DaniMation UK in 2019. She graduated with a BFA in Animation in 2018 and an MBA in Global Strategy and Leadership in 2020. Dani has premiered 14 animated short films, a PSA, and a music at San Diego Comic Con.
Over the next 14 years, Dani has led summer animation camps and around the country, initially with Joey Travolta's Inclusion Films, and then expanding out on her own, adding programs at the University of South Florida, Plymouth University and Brunel University London in England, teaching over 2500 youth with autism and other different abilities. In 2020, Dani pivoted to teaching animation from in-person to online with 1-Week Animation Workshops and One-on-One classes.
In addition to teaching animation, Dani works with her students as a role model and mentor, encouraging them to follow their dreams. In 2021, Dani and her team participated in the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, where she won for “Best Editor” with her film “The Home Office”.
Dani is currently working on getting a Ph.D with a thesis on how much impact her program has had in the autism community.
About the Crew
This video was co-directed, shot and edited by Julian Grajczak, a graduate from the CalState University Northridge Department of Cinema and Television Arts, who also is neurodivergent. It was produced and co-directed by Paul Hemstreet, an award-winning independent producer, director, and editor, who pioneered and led Warner Brother’s content creation team for Home Entertainment and all Film and TV releases on disc and digital for over two decades. He is a proud father of two neurodivergent adult twin children, one of them an animator.
About the Autism In Entertainment Conference
The Autism In Entertainment (AIE) Conference was a one-day, in-person event that was held on Friday, April 5, 2024, at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. The conference is helping create a bridge to employment for individuals on the autism spectrum who are interested in entertainment-related fields, including film, television, production, animation, and game design. This conference was hosted by the Orange County Asperger’s Support Group (OCASG) working with the Autism In Entertainment Workgroup with support from Zavikon. Zavikon is an employment agency whose mission is to place neurodivergent individuals, as well as those with disabilities, in career-oriented meaningful jobs. Zavikon uses a supported placement model to set both employer and employee up for success. The conference is funded by a Department of Developmental Services (DDS) Grant designed to help Regional Center consumers find employment. For more information about DDS, visit www.dds.ca.gov.