Sound Waves
By Sienna Bigelow
Growing up in Hawaii was a pretty unique experience. While monotonous activities like going to school, grocery shopping, and getting gas are the same as everywhere else, other aspects of my childhood, like the stunning sunsets after winter storms, are the parts of home I’ve missed the most since starting college (well, aside from my dogs).
Throughout my life, my dad has loved to go surfing with friends ( AKA “board meetings”) so we’ve had surfboards around ever since I can remember. I’ve always liked the boards and how each one can be used for different swells, moods, and experiences. I also love that each board has battle scars and lore behind it, like the one with the plum-sized dent in its side from an unfortunate altercation with my dad’s chin. I wish I could say I’m an amazing surfer, but in all honesty, I’m mediocre at best due to some intense wipeouts as a kid that made surfing a little intimidating. I can stand up and do basic turns in small swells and white water, buuuuuut that’s about it. I’ve noticed though, without any waves the surfboards just sit there. They still look cool and carry their stories, but until they’re paired with a winter swell on the north shore or a summer swell on the south shore, they’re incomplete.
I grew up loving media, but it wasn’t until I started creating content of my own that I understood how much time and energy goes into even the shortest videos. I would film adventures with my friends on a GoPro then go home and string the clips together, but somehow… The videos always felt incomplete. I added music to the videos by middle school and that helped significantly, but something was still missing. It wasn’t until I started studying music production in college that I realized the importance of sound in media. It’s everywhere! From the audio and sound effects in movies, to the satisfying sound when your card goes through at the store, sound serves as a vital cue in all aspects of life and the stories unfolding around us.
Needless to say, I’ve fallen in love with storytelling through sound. Bringing something that looks cool to life through waves has become a source of satisfaction and joy for me, and I can’t imagine doing anything else. I love having the power to create sound waves that carry and shape stories, because to me videos without audio just sit around and look cool like surfboards. I’m ecstatic about the opportunity to refine my skills and learn more about the film production process at JTWO. I have a feeling the next twelve weeks are going to challenge me, but I’m excited that I’ll have a chance to become more well-rounded as a professional by learning about producing films from start to finish.
Sienna Bigelow is a sound designer and audio post production assistant dedicated to bringing media to life through sound. Alongside studying recording arts and music production at Drexel University, she has worked on a number of films including Sparkle: A Unicorn Tale, Rittenhouse Square, and others. She is passionate about connecting with viewers through audio and media, and strives to perform at the highest level on all of her projects.
This project was created as part of the JTWO [INC]ubator Project. A semester long internship program built from the ground up to give young filmmakers, content creators, and all around hungry for a challenge individuals a place to stretch their creative minds while preparing them for the road ahead.