Question

I really need help with my Cinematography and TV Production project, I have to make a 2 min holocaust memorial video and was wondering if anyone could please give me any advice or tips or even tell me how to do it because I don't even know where to start ( I attached a picture of the assignment)

Answer 1

Answer:

• Chose the focus of the video
• Make a draft
• Read about the historical background, so you make sure you know a lot about the subject
• Use reliable resources, such as museum and memorial webpages and historical evidence
• Find photos and videos on these websites
• Use accounts of the surviving prisoners of the camps
• Show the effects the Holocaust had on the modern world
• Be respectful at all times
• Use quality visual footage
• Make sure the video is visually coherent

Explanation:

I would suggest you first chose a subject and theme connect to the Holocaust – perhaps one person, one family, one concentration camp, or one event. Holocaust is an incredibly important part of history that included many aspects and events, so it would be hard to incorporate it all in the 2-minute video.

Make a coherent story, one that focuses at all times on one theme, and follow it. Perhaps draft first for yourself in a few sentences what you want the central message and idea to be, and then search for media following these keywords.

When you chose the subject, find official information about it on the internet. For example, if you focus on Auschwitz and Birkenau, visit the official website of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum first. You can also find pages where you know you’ll get reliable information, such as the Unesco page, historical encyclopedias, and Smithsonian website. You can find various photos and videos on these pages which can be used and cited in your project. You have to use reliable and true historical evidence – if you don’t, you can use false information, which can be especially problematic when dealing with such an important subject, and it will give you bad grades.

As it is a memorial video, pay respect to the events and people. Be dignified, emotional, and honest. It will make an effect if you show some personal stories of the survivors. This way, you will show that you value their experiences and thoughts and that their voice is heard. Using personal accounts will also have the strongest effect on the viewer, as it will transfer the realness of the events and the emotional evidence.

Visually, try to make sure all the photos and videos have high quality. They should also be similar in quality, as well as in the subject. Perhaps it would be good to only stick to black and white, or only to color documentations, so to make the video more visually impressive and coherent.

Another suggestion would be to maybe show historical videos and photos only in black and white, and recent accounts of the survivors, or the visual representation of the memorials in color. By this, you can visually separate then vs now, and the viewers will instantly realize what is the original footage from the 40s and what is the modern footage.

Be sure to get the message across. Perhaps conclude with some memorial or what the aftermath of the Holocaust was, and how it still affects us today. This way, you are paying respect to the victims, while also providing an important message to the viewer. The phrase "Never again" is often used as the message taken from this horrific genocide. Liberated prisoners used this statement as anti-fascist sentiment, and it means it is important for nothing similar to ever repeat in history. It is used in many memorials, and it would be a good slogan to use in your video as well.

Finally, make sure you follow the instructions given below. Be sure to focus more on the visual aspect than the text itself. You will find that video and photos of the Holocaust are very descriptive and can convey a strong message by themselves, and you should rely on this.