“Autistic Mode” is an animated anthology film made up of animatic segments directed by a team of Autistic animators, myself included. It was generously backed with a Voices for Change grant from ArtsWestchester, funded by the NEA, and all funds were shared equally between the directors and a musician on the Spectrum. The film was inspired by classic anime anthologies like “Robot Carnival” and “The Animatrix”, with each director given free rein to interpret the theme of Autism as creatively as possible in order to show the diversity of our experiences on the Spectrum.

The segments include:

HARDMODE, by Nix Busby, a JRPG inspired adventure following a hero on a quest to conquer their anxieties.
HONEYJACK, by Charles Moss, a musical comedy romp about an oddball bear and a misfit girlscout.
TOONED UP, by Malcolm Thomas, a Tex Avery inspired story about a cartoon nut who comes face to face with the real world.
CANVAS, by Gabrielle Teaford, an autobiographical music video about the hardships and triumphs in the life of an artist.
DREAMCATCHERS, by Bob Clark, a feature length sci-fi detective story where psychic agents dive into dreams to investigate conspiracies and do battle with Nightmares.

Animatics, limited animation storyboards common as a previs tool in filmmaking, were chosen for production to keep the level of work each artist had to do manageable, and to push the animatic as an ideal form for independent animation.