360 Video Pitch

Onondaga Nation Midwinter Ceremony - Disgo:nah (Longer nights, shorter days)

A large, open space with subjects (members of Onondaga Nation) close to the camera with movement performing a midwinter ceremony to celebrate the beginning of the lunar calendar called "Midwinters." The ceremony called "Disgo:nah" takes place in February which translates to "longer nights, shorter days." In this ceremony, the members of the Onondaga Nation give thanks to the Creator and Mother Nature.

The camera will be at eye-level. Depending on how the ceremony is performed, subjects may move towards or away from the camera. Ideally, the subjects will be moving in a circle and the camera will be in the middle so the viewer can have a full 360 degree experience around them. There will be natural, outdoor daylight weather pending and the experience will require ambient sound so as to make the viewer feel as though they are truly in the middle of a ceremony.

I want the viewer to feel they are a part of the ceremony of the Onondaga Nation. This experience is compelling because the indigenous peoples of the U.S. are almost nonexistent in media unless it is a negative portrayal of them. This video will celebrate the beauty of their culture and teach the viewer a little bit more about a group of people fighting to keep their culture alive and protected. It will give them a greater appreciation of indigenous peoples cultures and customs and give the Onondaga Nation a voice in media where they otherwise wouldn't have one.