ABOUT

About the project:
Too Many Options is a short animated film about analysis paralysis. To an unfocused, anxious mind, a question as simple as “What’s your favorite food?” can feel like an interrogation. It captures the relatable feeling of being stuck. Not because you have nothing to say, but because there are too many possible answers, and only one chance to get it right.

Created by Exceptional Minds Animation Studio artists, "Too Many Options" is the first of many videos to be included in our upcoming Autism Enlightenment Library. The purpose of the Autism Enlightenment Library (AEL) is to create a public library of videos that help people understand individuals on the autism spectrum and appreciate them and love them for who they are.

In today's world, video formats are most effective to get attention and rapidly communicate an idea. We are creating short, animated “aha moments” that both autistic minds and neurotypical minds grasp readily that help everyone understand the possible thinking and communication nuances that will support better communication between different kinds of minds.

1. Animation created by autistic people to share their experience with added shaping to help neurotypicals experience common ground. The Autism Enlightenment Library consists of videos that are just under 5 minutes, encouraging audiences to take a little bit deeper dive into understanding similarities and differences between different kinds of minds.

2. Short video pieces to illustrate very brief examples of autistic qualities with provided insight. These might be triggers, these might be behaviors, these might be thought processes, or shorts about what autistic people wish others understood about them.

3. Creating understanding about how unique each individual on the spectrum is by revealing different talents, triggers, and idiosyncrasies and how they are similar to the experiences of neurotypical people.

4. Creating recognition that part of the challenge is our own programming growing up about what behaviors are “not acceptable” and recognizing when it is appropriate to bend the rules.

5. Recognizing that through animation one can provide privacy and intimacy simultaneously by telling the story while protecting confidentiality.


About the organization:
Exceptional Minds is a non-profit academy and studio preparing young adults on the autism spectrum for careers in animation, visual effects, 3D gaming and other related fields in the entertainment industry. We provide technical and work readiness training customized to help students achieve their full artistic and professional potential.

Once students on the autism spectrum have graduated from our full-time Academy, they have the opportunity to work in either our VFX Studio or our Animation Studio to further their training and gain real-world experience. While working in the studios, graduates work on real projects for paying clients, helping to close the unemployment gap individuals on the autism spectrum.