The Sneaker Wave: A Video Essay

As writers, we have learned to embrace the feeling of ambiguity and face the unknown when beginning a new writing assignment. Alas, in turning one of our memoirs into a video, we struggled with these dilemmas in the initial stages of this assignment. At first, we were unable to collectively and unanimously determine which of our essays to adapt. We each had different thoughts, and we seemingly could not find a clear solution. However, in retrospect, as time went on, we came to realize that this struggle was necessary in order to succeed; therefore, we persevered, embraced our differences and trusted each other.

We were not afraid to agree, or disagree, with each other, however, we still struggled to determine who would assume control. In other words, we wrestled with who would act as a “group leader,” or whether we needed one at all. Throughout our first couple of group meetings, we wanted to adapt two essays to our video project. Nevertheless, we eventually understood how such an action would reduce the strength of the essay we would ultimately choose. We have learned that essays are creatures built on minute details; therefore, we were eventually able to appreciate how keeping the structure intact would increase the overall effectiveness. Consequently, we opted for Heidi’s “Sneaker Wave” essay. Interestingly to note, her essay embodied each and every one of our main theme from the essays we’d written: adaptation to a collegiate setting, as well as nostalgia for our recent past. We realized that this topic would have the most noteworthy complexities, which is why we ultimately embarked on the daunting journey of adapting the “Sneaker Wave” essay to a video. By the end of the assignment, we understood not only how intricate details lead to a better project, but also how our diverse opinions and backgrounds permitted the project to take a stronger identity. With these forces working together, eclectic and groundbreaking ideas began to formulate by way of collaborative effort.

The eleven-minute video compilation begins with lapping ocean waves and a soft flowing water noise. Since Heidi was the author, we chose her as the narrator because she had the strongest emotional connection to the script. As the camera pans over a peaceful Hawaiian ocean, she begins by telling the viewer about how her grandmother used to warn her about the risk of the sneaker wave – a dangerous wave that comes out of nowhere and sweeps innocent beach-goers out to sea. Man is no match for this powerful natural force. Heidi reflects, as the scene changes to her walking around Wake Forest’s campus, that these powerful forces do not only exist in the water– they can also exist in us, as “emotions in our body.”

The videography then shifts to picturesque scenes at Deerfield High School in Massachusetts, where Heidi and her sister Molly attended school. Heidi speaks to how much she loved the school; in particular, the video highlights her favorite parts of the school: the academic setting and the beautiful campus. Molly, however, felt very differently. Although older, she came to Deerfield after Heidi, she soon found that it was not the right environment for her. Heidi explains that it was as if a wave of sadness had swallowed her, once very strong and independent, sister. As much as she tried to help Molly, there was nothing she could do to fix the situation for her; a sneaker wave in the form of depression had taken her out to sea.

Towards the end of the video, we find Heidi at Wake Forest struggling with the same type of wave her sister experienced. With scenes throughout the aesthetically beautiful Wake campus, Heidi felt lost in the day-to-day of this unfamiliar ocean. She became aware, by way of the social scene, particularly at fraternity parties, that the values of her classmates did not match up with her own, creating a divide. As the camera follows her walking around campus, her feelings of loneliness and sadness mimic her solo journey at Wake. Just as Molly had been inconsolable, Heidi too could not initially find the help she needed. She was experiencing her first real emotional sneaker wave and she wasn’t sure how to get back to shore. After reaching out to her mom, who encouraged her to get help, Heidi was diagnosed with depression, just as her sister had been Deerfield. As Heidi talks about the multiple waves of sadness she experienced at Wake, the viewer sees videos of ocean waves. However, their view is from underneath the wave as if to further elucidate Heidi’s feeling of drowning in sadness.

Finally, in the last scene of the video, we hear Heidi come to terms with her diagnosis. She writes, “I’m trying to move forward in my recovery. This does not mean the waves stop coming, but I’ve learned that I must embrace my body’s ebb and flow to its surroundings.” In the end, the broader message of the video is to accept ourselves for who we are and how we come– emotional waves and all.

We began to put our diverse ideas on paper by way of a storyboard. In the beginning, this combined two of our essays: Heidi’s “Sneaker Waves,” and Carolyn’s “Dear Nanny.” We originally thought that the combination of these essays would bring two valuable and different perspectives on the same issue, which we deemed particularly relatable to our audience: the struggles of a first-year student transitioning to college. We had thought, perhaps, that we could weave together Carolyn and Heidi’s stories since we both had aspects that were relevant to our theme. But, as we received feedback from both professor Giovanelli and our peers, we came to the conclusion that this strategy would take away from Heidi’s essay, the one we ultimately chose, as it is so powerful on its own. We then drew up our new and improved storyboard which included our visual and auditory ideas for each separate scene. Shortly after this, we began to form our script. At first, this was just Heidi’s memoir, but it was soon molded it into a more suitable form for our video. Adapting the script was a continuously evolving project. We struggled with what to cut and what to keep.

Once we finally began filming, we encountered disagreement. Tommaso suggested we use two iPhones while recording so that we may have multiple angles of footage. We built upon this idea and collectively agreed upon a more efficient solution: to walk in circles around Heidi while filming. With this rhetorical choice, we were able to capture the continuous turmoil that the sneaker wave has on individuals. Similar to how the wave can pull you away from shore, we wanted to portray how sneaker waves catch you even if you are well grounded; there are problems you have to cope with, and you need to be weary to not end up washed into the middle of the sea.

Our variance of opinions concerning filming did not end there, but how we overcame our first roadblock made us confident in our ability to come up with effective solutions. We soon wrestled with the idea of using extreme videography. For example, Heidi proposed using an underwater camera in order to film her swimming in the pool. We thought that this could help convey to the viewer the “drowning” sensation that Heidi felt emotionally during her first few months at Wake Forest. Although we all liked this idea, we collectively decided that it might be too complicated and time-consuming to execute. Other than these instances, our filming sessions were productive and short as we always came prepared and with a vision.

Once we had fully edited our essay, we believed it was missing an element– a creative auditory component. In class, we watched and discussed the video “Dust Off” by John Bresland, which we all found to be quite eerie and multi-layered. This video essay utilized an effective auditory piece- subtle sounds within a complex organized story. We were struck by these background noises and desired to have a similar rhetorical tool in our adaptation. We chose to add the soft sound of waves lapping on the shore as well as music at the end to give a more complex auditory experience for the viewer.

In the end, we were all very pleased with how our video essay turned out. It is a collective effort that showcases our understanding of how to effectively and rhetorically transform one form of the essay into another. More importantly, it embodies how we were able to incorporate certain values which are necessary for our maturation as both humans and writers. These include communication, problem solving, critical thinking, cooperative learning, and peer modeling. We fed off of each other’s energy, which made us realize that group work is something that does not exist only in the realm of Writing 212, or college, for that matter– it is a skill which we will need throughout our lives.

Through this experience, we all learned a great deal about how to work as a team: how to listen, how to lead, and how to consider new ideas that we never would have thought of alone. We discovered that knowing our limits and seeing where our knowledge stops and our peers’ begins will continue to be important once we head into the professional world. We were able to flex our rhetorical muscles and gain solace in realizing how far we have come from our respective Writing 111 experiences. We have developed as humans, our ideas are starting to build upon the existing conversation, and we look with confidence into what the future has in store. We will never stop learning, and that is our strength.

Heidi Hunt, Carolyn Moore, and Tommaso Moneta