Dwan started his directing career by accident in 1911, when he was sent by his employers to California, in order to locate a company that had vanished.
dwˈæn stˈɑːɹɾᵻd hɪz dᵻɹˈɛktɪŋ kɚɹˈɪɹ baɪ ˈæksɪdənt ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd ɪlˈɛvən, wˌɛn hiː wʌz sˈɛnt baɪ hɪz ɛmplˈɔɪɚz tə kˌælɪfˈoːɹniə, ɪn ˈɔːɹdɚ tə loʊkˈeɪt ɐ kˈʌmpəni ðæt hæd vˈænɪʃt.