In our current TAMAM project, which we are carrying out with young refugees and German pupils who accompany the refugees as mentors, we are introducing them to media technology. The focus is on video. As an introduction to the technology, photocomics are created as a “storyboard”, as required for a later video shoot. Around 32 refugees and around twelve pupils from Ignaz-Kögler-Gymnasium are working on this together.
The first task for our participants is to get together in groups to think about two places in Landsberg that could form a framework for a story or simply an action. This in turn is then thought up together and presented to everyone.
Photo shoot for storyboard
After an introduction on what to look out for when creating a storyboard and the best way to arrange images, we get straight to work. Equipped with cameras and smartphones, the respective groups head to their locations. The photo shoot can begin. Whether it’s the Mutterturm, the train station, the Lechwehr or the greengrocer’s store next door: they act, post, photograph, photograph and photograph again.
The very next day, the pictures of the individual groups are presented in the workshop and discussed together. Different approaches and qualities quickly became clear: some groups took few pictures, and the few they did take were all pretty good, while others took a lot of pictures, of which only a small selection was really usable. Together, we all tried to understand what the pictures were supposed to tell. Which was sometimes not so easy.
Not so easy
It quickly becomes clear that telling a simple story with pictures is not as easy as you might think. You have to think a lot beforehand, such as which image arrangement makes the most sense and ultimately leads to a coherent story. After all, a storyboard is more or less the preparation for a later film or video.
Fun in a team
The first two days were already great fun for all participants. The good cooperation was particularly appreciated: “We had a good team, a great idea and a lot of fun,” says Bader from Syria, for example. Adnan from Syria adds: “It was fun and interesting.” He particularly liked the cooperation between the young Germans and the refugees. Because “being together is important, it takes away the Germans’ shyness towards us foreigners,” he continues. It is also important for him to be able to learn German.
Reducing fear of contact
Natalie from Landsberg also found it great to work with the refugees. “Everything went really well, we all got on really well. There was no fear of contact at all – for example, I played a couple with Javad and we even held hands.” Natalie also enjoyed being creative and working on something together, coming up with a story together and then acting it out. “It was great fun and we laughed a lot together,” she says.
Producing moving images
Many of the refugees were taking photos for the first time, such as Ziya Sami Haji from Iraq. “It was a good day for me because I was able to take so many photos.” Ali from Eritrea also really enjoyed taking pictures and would love to shoot the same thing again as a video. Bestom from Eritrea would also like to make a movie, possibly about a new story that still needs to be made up. Adnan already has more concrete ideas: He would like to make a movie about how refugees live in Germany. Or a play, because he studied literature and worked as an actor in Syria.
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