BA Interactive Media - Advanced 3D Animation Techniques

'Through Children's Eyes: The Holocaust Paintings from Terezin'Andrew French - 068519

THE PROJECT BREIFAn animated short film has been commissioned for screening at the opening of the exhibition entitled:'Through Children's Eyes: The Holocaust Paintings from TerezinThe exhibition will display children's drawings and paintings from Terezin, and the animation should in some way deal with the story of Terezin.In exactly what way this is achieved is up to the film maker. The film should be no more than 5 minutes in length.

Author (A) - Wikipedia. (2015) Theresienstadt concentration camp [online]. Available from [20th Oct 2015]A BREIF HISTORY OF TEREZIN

Terezin from an ariel viewInside Terezin

TheGestapowere ordered to adapt Terezn, around 1940, to be used as aghetto. Over the next 2 years considerable work was carried out to adapt the complex, inmates were subjected to unbelievable living conditions and terrible overcrowding, the camp was designed to hold around 5000 but in fact had as many as 55-60,000 inmates at any one time.The majority of inmates were Jewish Czechoslovakians, but there were also Jews from Germany and Austria, the Netherlands and Denmark. More than 150,000 Jews were sent there, including 15,000 children. Around 88,000 prisoners were sent on to Auschwitz and around 33,000 died inside Terezin, mostly due to the terrible living conditions, malnutrition and disease.3

Author (A) - REFERENCES

SteveMerc. (2013) Terezin (Theresienstadt Concentration Camp) [online]. Available from [20th Oct 2015]

McIntosh, O. (2013) Terezin [online]. Available from [20th Oct 2015]

The fortress Terezn (Theresienstadt) was ordered to be built by Joseph II of Habsburgh, and was named after his mother, Empress Maria Theresa, in 1780 as a form of protection against the invading Prussian troops, how ironic that it ended up being used as a place to inflict such terrible hurt on so many.

Map of Terezin fortressMemorial at Terezin

The fortress Terezn (Theresienstadt) was ordered to be built by Joseph II of Habsburgh, and was named after his mother, Empress Maria Theresa, in 1780 as a form of protection against the invading Prussian troops, how ironic that it ended up being used as a place to inflict such terrible hurt on so many.

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Author (A) - REFERENCES

Vacik, S. (2015) Terezn and the Defiance to Live [online]. Available from [20th Oct 2015]

McIntosh, O. (2013) Terezin [online]. Available from [20th Oct 2015]SOME RESEARCH

As well as the standard form of research that is carried out via Google and Wikipedia, I also read several books that are related to the subject of Terezin including Fireflies in the Dark and Hannas Suitcase but the one that I found most interesting was Helgas Diary.5

Author (A) - REFERENCES

Rubin, S. G. (2000) Fireflies in the Dark: The Story of Friedl Dicker-Brandeis and the Children of Terezin [online]. Available from [20th Oct 2015]

Weiss, H. (2013) Helga's Diary: A Young Girl's Account of Life in a Concentration Camp [online]. Available from [20th Oct 2015]

Levine, K. (2002) Hana's Suitcase (Holocaust Remembrance Series for Young Readers) [online]. Available from [20th Oct 2015]

Fig i. Helga with her parents and grandmother. Credit: Permission of Helga Weiss

Fig ii. Standing in the Queue in Front of the KitchenPhoto: Helga Weiss. Wallstein Verlag, Germany, 1998. All rights reserved.

Fig iii. Counting Legs (1945/6) . . . we were allowed to stay on our bunks; they just counted our legs perhaps they felt a little bit sorry since we froze all night . . . Credit: Helga Weiss. Wallstein Verlag, Germany, 1998.Fig i.Fig ii.Fig iii.

Helgas Diary A young girls account of life in a concentration camp tells the story of Helga Weiss, her parents and friends experiences through Helgas own words, events that took place leading up to the start of war, life in Terezin and even onto Auschwitz and other camps. I decided to base my animation on Helgas experiences, she drew over 100 pictures in her time at Terezin after her father told her to Draw what you see

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Author (A) - Weiss, H. (2013) 'Helgas Diary' by Helga Weiss: exclusive extract, part two [online]. Available from [21st Oct 2015]THE STORYMy proposed animation will tell a story based on Helgas Diary.

Excerpts of the diary will be narrated over the top of the animation accompanied by some piano music.I have chosen ABOVE THE CLOUDS by Brian Crutchfield or MY ELEGANT REDMPTION by Tim McMorris (Audio Jungle).

The entire animation will be created using 3DS max and some video editing software, maybe iMovie or Premier Pro

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Author (A) - Crutchfield, B. (2013) Above the Clouds [online]. Available from [20th Oct 2015]

McMorris, T. (2013) My elegant redemption [online]. Available from [20th Oct 2015]

SCENE 1Bright vibrant colours, Helga and her friend playSCENE 2Parents listening to radio, talk of transportation and change

The animation begins with SCENE 1 - Helga outside playing with a friend, the sun is shining, the sky is blue and the grass is green, they dont have a care in the world - #Narration from diary extract

SCENE 2 The camera cuts to a radio and Helgas parents listening intently - #Narration from diary extract

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SCENE 3Helga and friend are playing, comparing their JUDE starsSCENE 4Colours are still there but less vibrant

SCENE 3 - Helga outside playing with a friend, the sun is shining a little less, the sky isnt quite as blue and the grass is pale green, they now have a star of David on their clothing with the word JUDE written - #Narration from diary extract

SCENE 4 The camera cuts to a close up of the girls - #Narration from diary extract

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SCENE 5Hundreds of Jews waiting to be moved to TerezinSCENE 6Everyone is moved inside Terezin

SCENE 5 Helga and her parents are amongst a large number of other families awaiting transport - #Narration from diary extract

SCENE 6 Everyone is offloaded and marched towards Terezin, Helga holding the hands of both parents - #Narration from diary extract

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SCENE 7The men and women are separatedSCENE 8Helga is upset to be separated from her dad but at least she still has her mum colour is less vibrant still

SCENE 7 The men and women are separated, a close up of Helga and her dads had being seperated - #Narration from diary extract

SCENE 8 Camera cuts to a close up of Helgas face, a tear in her eye runs down her cheek - #Narration from diary extract

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SCENE 9Helga draws a picture and smuggles it to her dad. (the picture is a little more vibrant than the rest of the scene)SCENE 10He returns a message telling her to Draw what she sees (the pictures are very vibrant) Scene slides to reveal Helga creating more drawings

SCENE 9 A scene of helgas hand drawing a picture of a snowman - #Narration from diary extract

SCENE 10 Helgas dad looking at the picture, the screen slides to Helga drawing more picture - #Narration from diary extract

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SCENE 11Day to day life continues, Helga on her bunk with friends, surrounded by dirt and verminSCENE 12News comes that the men are to be taken to build a new home for the Jewish community. (all colour has now gone)

SCENE 11 Life continues, Helga on her bunk with a friend, rats and filth all around #Narration from diary extract

SCENE 12 Helgas dad hugging her and her mother goodbye as he is to leave Terezin - #Narration from diary extract

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SCENE 13Helga and her mother watch as the father leaves no narrationSCENE 14fade to black

SCENE 13 Helga and her mother stare on as Helgas dad walks towards the transport NO NARRATION

SCENE 14 Close up of Helgas face, tear in the eye, rolling down her cheek, fade to black NO NARRATION14

I am ending my Terezin diary here.Only the memories remain.I'm opening a new notebook, I'll start to fill its empty pages tomorrow.Will I see this next one through to the end as well?

#Narration from diary extract I am ending my Terezin diary here. Only the memories remain. I'm opening a new notebook, I'll start to fill its empty pages

Text in white on a black background. The scene fades to white The fade to white is a subtle nod that Helga and her mother did in fact survive their hellish ordeal during the war.15

The character style I am looking to create is based on the way a child may draw a person, large head and eyes with skinny limbs. 16

Emotion can be portrayed by movement, for example sadness and disappointment

I want to convey emotion using body movement and the eyes. The characters wont be talking as there will be a narration of extracts taken from Helgas diary.17

I plan on using vibrant, bold colours at the start of the animation that slowly pale through out the entire animation as the situation worsens until eventually the entire animation is in grey scale.

I plan on using vibrant, bold colours at the start of the animation that slowly pale through out the entire animation as the situation worsens until eventually the entire animation is in grey scale.

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Thank You For Your Time

I will now answer any questions?

BA Interactive Media - Advanced 3D Animation Techniques

'Through Children's Eyes: The Holocaust Paintings from Terezin'Andrew French - 068519