Field Notes: Wheaton Filmmaker in Iceland
Each summer, Wheaton College offers several Filmmaker in Residence Fellowships that fund students to travel with faculty-led international courses and produce films about the experiences and issues being studied. Film and New Media Studies major Violet Russell ’26 was awarded a fellowship to travel to Iceland with Professors Geoff Collins and Matt Evans. Violet recently spoke with Patrick Johnson, Chair of the Film, Media, and Communications department, about the experience.
What was the experience like being in Iceland and the work you did for the course?
Iceland was fascinating, but what really made it amazing was being surrounded by so many diligent students and distinguished faculty while exploring it. Every time we passed by an odd rock formation on the highway, or waterfowl resting on a still lake, someone already had an explanation on their tongue. It made me appreciate the landscape, seeing it through their eyes, and experiencing so much excitement from seemingly mundane things like cloud patterns, volcanic rock, and lichen. I am so glad I was able to capture a fraction of that glee and serenity while filming the project. Even though I have only taken one geology class in high school, and I was only filming the trip, not conducting research myself— everyone was extremely welcoming. While some moments were difficult, like carrying a tripod and camera bag up a glacier with ill-fitting crampons, catching a cold during the last days of the trip, or surveying rootless cones in random fields with snow and rain at our backs, I couldn’t help but be inspired by how everyone else was not only working in this environment, but often thriving.
Please tell me a bit about the film/project you filmed?
While the film is still a work in progress, it’ll be a documentary centering on all the brilliant research projects each team of students conducted in Iceland. It’ll look in depth at the methods, changes, and successes of each project, as well as each student’s personal highlights. On top of the amazing interviews, there’s loads of epic landscapes, majestic puffins, and even some sprinkles of animation to illustrate the natural wonders everyone was researching. I hope the film captures some of the most breathtaking moments—not just in the images, but in the perseverance of every student on the trip.
What was an important lesson that you learned from the experience?
This is probably one of the most difficult questions, because the entire trip I was learning new information every second of every hour. My most terrifying lesson: don’t hike glaciers on the black ice (hint: it has something to do with falling, a lot), but overall I learned how vital teamwork and a positive attitude are in field research. In film, it’s intrinsic in the art form to work alongside others, and what I soon learned it is the same way in scientific fields. On one particularly scenic and winding drive, Professor Geoff Collins told me about his experience while working on the Europa Imaging System, and how its success was partly due to the way the project was managed to increase teamwork and decrease toxic competitiveness between peers. A sociologist was even onboarded to foster this positive environment— resulting in endless references to 2001: A Space Odyssey. You could find the same with the students on the trip, but less of a monolith icon, with perhaps an even more iconic one, Bónus’ pig.
What were some of the challenges of filmmaking there?
Well, the environment is known for its hostility— sudden rain, snow, and freezing winds. One particularly memorable day, we were at the base of a glacier while students collected samples from bone-chilling, milky runoff water. I had a heck of a time wiping the lens, desperately trying to catch video before we piled back into the van, and I was a bit sour dealing with the foggy aftermath. I also became terribly sick in my final days there, and during the time my lungs made deflated balloon noises, and my voice was as pleasant as a spring toad’s croak, I had to conduct multiple interviews that day… I am very grateful for every interviewee who sat across from me during that time, and their patience.
What was a standout moment that you were able to capture?
This is hard; I loved all the landscapes I captured, but I think my favorites were more so the sillier ones. I’m partial to all the videos I filmed of the puffins and their strange groaning calls, and the video I captured of Maria and Rey drinking water directly from a glacier (so cool!).
