LIMS Founder Jimmy Lifton aims to bring more people with autism into the movie industry with his new program, “REEL PEOPLE,” at the Lifton Institute of Media Arts and Science.

The program is designed to train young adults with autism with the technical knowledge of the trade.

In the film industry, the “technical trade” refers to jobs “below-the-line,” including camera operators, grips, set construction and other essential support members of the crew.

“We decided to see if our approach that we did at LIMS with our veterans could work with certain people who had autism who had the same types of passion that we vet for,” Lifton said on founding the program. “We self-funded the operation because we did not know what to expect for the outcomes.”

Jordan Katz on set during the program.

For 21-year-old Jordan Katz, who was a part of the test run, the program was a success.

“I had a really fun time with the training,” Jordan said. “It’s a really neat program for the people with autism and it would help them get ready to be in the [film] industry.”

Jordan’s mother, Thresa Richardson, saw a significant result.

“The thing that I appreciated most was my son’s enthusiasm for the program and his willingness to talk every day excitedly about what happened,” Richardson said. “Where before, his responses were a little more passive.”

Related: ‘Adopt-A-Vet’ Sponsors Veteran At LIMS Film School Through Santa Clarita Coalition

Through the pilot test of the program, REEL PEOPLE has had a success rate of 75 percent, with trainees starting with no specialized skills for the movie or television trades and ending the program with job readiness and potential employment.

“We were extremely not only impressed, excited, but blown away by the results,” Lifton said. “The work ethic, the laser focus that these young adults had was amazing.”

Jimmy Lifton works with students on set.

As a result, Lifton reported that 70 percent of the first graduating class from the program have been placed into a paid position on a television show starting production in early January.

Lifton’s ultimate goal is expanding the program to be held every calendar quarter.

Though the first test run was self funded, Lifton is currently raising funds to continue and expand the program as well as be able to offer the program at no tuition cost to the students. Donations are currently being accepted through a GoFundMe page, as well as directly on the LIMS website.

“There aren’t a lot of employers at the moment who have employment programs for adults on the autism spectrum.” Richardson said. “And I think a program like this is going to show to the rest of the nation, that needs to change. We need to open the doors.”

As Santa Clarita’s only local radio station, KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and sign up for KHTS email and text alerts today!