The nonprofit World War II Foundation honors the legacy of the veterans and survivors of one of history’s most important time periods by producing educational documentary films. The documentaries air on television networks around the world via American Public Television. Each film ranges from 60 to 90 minutes in length and are available for free to educators, students, and the public. The goal is to preserve these important stories for current and future generations. Learn more about the foundation.
During the 10-day trip, from June 29 – July 9, students will be documentary film production crew members in France and Switzerland, rotating around to shadow different roles with the cinematographer, director, producer and historian. At any point, you might be carrying heavy equipment, shooting B-Roll footage with a professional camera or drone, researching a shooting location, helping prepare to interview a subject, being interviewed yourself about the experience or the topic, working with the historian, and producing your own content for social media/photo/video/written formats to bring back to Newhouse. You will leave the experience with a professional credit on the documentary film that will air on PBS affiliates or similar platforms.
After the trip, the WWII Foundation will keep you informed, sending you edited sequences that are a work in progress and allow you to ask questions about the post production process. As part of the crew, you may be invited to premiere events, panels, and screenings.
The additional photo/video/written content you have decided to produce will need to be completed before the start of the fall semester.
Ten Newhouse students (TRF, VIS/MPD) will be selected through an application process to participate in the filming of an upcoming WWII documentary with the WWII Foundation. Ideal applicants will exhibit interest and experience in one or more of the following topics: history, war, documentary film, and foreign cultures.
Each student selected will be expected to not only to be a productive and communicative crew member on the documentary, but also produce original content to showcase at Newhouse separate from the WWII film. This will require work to be completed upon return from the trip as well.
The summer 2023 WWII Foundation documentary is about the French Resistance. Expected destinations are as follows:
The online application is to be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023.
This link takes you to a form, which contains questions for you to respond to, as well as upload the following documentation to complete your application:
Submit a one-page essay answering the following questions:
You must be:
Package Price Options: $4,000.00 per person (double occupancy hotel room) + $900 if you require a single room ($4900 total)
Price Includes:
Admission fees to the following attractions:
Meals included are:
Price does NOT include:
Thanks to a generous donation to Newhouse, all 10 selected students will receive $1,000 towards this experience added to your bursar’s account. You will be expected to pay in full for your flight and trip package, perhaps before the $1,000 is deposited into your account.
We encourage you to apply for additional grants and funding to supplement the rest of the costs as needed.
Apply if you are interested in joining us for this amazing opportunity! The Newhouse WWII Doc Committee will meet to select the 10 students to attend and may require a zoom interview before final selections are made. Finalists will be notified by March 1, 2023.
If selected, a 50% non-refundable deposit for the trip package is due by March 8, 2023.
If you have any questions about the application or want more information, please contact Shaina Holmes (shholmes@syr.edu) and Cheryl Brody Franklin (csbrody@syr.edu).