#Sunshine manor developmental center how to
#Sunshine manor developmental center movie

#Sunshine manor developmental center how to

“They’re learning how to interact in a real-world work environment and how to interact with their peers.” “This really resonates with our clients,” she said.

#Sunshine manor developmental center movie

Lanterman Regional Center in Los Angeles, acknowledged the difficulty of finding work in the movie industry for special-needs adults, but said the film workshops instilled confidence that helps graduates find jobs or pursue further education. “They see themselves as people who can do something with their lives.”ĭiane Anand, executive director of the Frank D. “We’ve seen phenomenal things happen with the students in this program,” said Mike Clark, executive director of the Kern Regional Center, which in the last three years has referred about 70 students to Inclusion Films’ program in Bakersfield. Many of the participants are referred by the nonprofit regional centers that contract with the California Department of Developmental Services to provide job training and other services for special-needs people. This builds their self-confidence.”īased in Burbank, Inclusion Films works with Easter Seals of Southern California to provide jobs to graduates of the program and is in discussions with various studios to set up internship programs for the students, Travolta said. “A lot of our students aren’t going to be filmmakers and may never work in the film business, but they are going to be able to go into the workplace and have a sense of what it’s like to be on the job.

“The filmmaking process is a great teaching tool about life,” said Travolta, 61. Students with autism, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome are trained by working cinematographers, set designers, actors and other professionals who are active in the industry. “I’d rather build sets than be a director, but the experience is going to benefit me when I try to get an interview.”ĭonoghue, who was diagnosed a few years ago with a form of high-functioning autism, was among nearly two dozen special-needs crew members who worked on “Sunshine Manor.” The film was shot over three days in Burbank this summer as a class project for a 20-week course offered by Inclusion Films.įounded by Joey Travolta, older brother of actor John Travolta, Inclusion Films trains adults with developmental disabilities in the nuts and bolts of filmmaking ― from writing the script to building sets and using film and editing equipment ― with the goal of finding them jobs in the entertainment industry or some other field. “It takes a lot of patience, and time is your worst enemy,” Donoghue said of his directorial debut. His father worked as a film publicist in Europe and his uncle is Pierre Spengler, a producer of the “Superman” movies.īut the 30-year-old had never seriously considered a career in the movie industry until he got a chance to direct his own short film called “Sunshine Manor,” a love story about the relationship between a nursing home patient and her doctor.