Director Peter Collis

Vibrant and graphic erosion at a remote coastal research site.

A curious coastal research site becomes a vibrantly graphic testament to impermanence.

Exposed to the elements on an isolated stretch of beach, an assembly of material fragments fizz with marks, crackle, flake, warp and decay over time.

Exposed to the elements on an isolated stretch of beach, an assembly of material fragments face seawards in a small commercial station, testing the rates of decay of an array of construction materials. The sample-sized plates are bolted on Dexion ‘A’ frames, enduring the forces of weather. The film works with these raw materials to create its own study of exposure - both physical exposure to weather and photographic exposure to light and processing chemicals.

35mm photographic still and cine documentation of the site was reworked on computer image manipulation software (Aura and Photoshop), mixing marks and images scratched directly onto raw film celluloid. The results were re-photographed on a reclaimed and rebuilt 35mm optical printer/rostrum camera. Audio fragments and music were recorded separately on computer and DAT, mixed into a soundtrack on computer and overlaid onto DigiBeta.