Whales… Dolphin… Seagulls…. When asked what animals you are likely to see at your local beach these are the typical answers you might expect. Elephants – not so much!
While volunteering at the Avalon Beach Surf Club, Jae Morrison was surprised to learn from one of the local legends that elephants once grazed on the nearby sand dunes.
Originally from Aotearoa, Jae began his career as a graphic designer before evolving into an Art Director. His creative journey led him to study ‘The Meisner Technique’ for two years, and he later directed a Levi’s commercial that went viral, garnering 20 million views and a Silver Lion at Cannes.
Intrigued, by the idea of elephants roaming his local beach, the award-winning film director took a deep dive into the story.
Fun Fact:
Elephants are surprisingly agile swimmers, capable of swimming up to 50 kilometres or six continuous hours. Their massive bodies have natural buoyancy, allowing them to float effortlessly. Elephants will typically keep their head and body just under the surface of the water as they paddle. However, they will keep their trunk raised above the water and use it as a sort of snorkel to breath, allowing them to stay submerged for hours. This means elephants almost never drown!
Jae’s research led him to Geoff Searl of the Avalon Beach Historical Society, who revealed a remarkable local history. Circus elephants had been grazing on the area’s sand dunes since the 1940s, with records documenting these visits through the 1960s. When Geoff shared three historic photographs, Jae’s creative imagination was immediately ignited, setting the stage for his documentary project.
Fascinated by AI’s potential to revolutionise storytelling, Jae embarked on a project to resurrect Avalon’s forgotten elephant history, blending newly mastered cutting-edge AI technology with his design expertise. The result is a film that seamlessly bridges historical narrative and technological innovation.
While the concept for the film came together quickly, the execution was a meticulous labour of love. Combining archival photography and footage, with new material shot specifically for the film by local Cinematographer Tim Seaton. Performing the vocals himself, Jae collaborated with multifaceted Artist / Producer / Audio Engineer Aubrie Mitchell to re-record Roxy Music’s ‘Avalon’ for the film’s soundtrack (which you can listen to on Spotify HERE).
Jae then employed various cutting edge tools to seamlessly bring all these elements together, crafted over a number of joy-filled, sleepless weeks. The result is a film that seems like an impossible marriage of worlds.
We encourage you to put 4 minutes of your day aside to take a step back in time and marvel at what unbridled passion and state-of-the-art technology can bring to life.
The Elephants of Avalon Beach recently won the award for the Best Short Film at the inaugural Avalon Film Festival.
NOTE: all of the images of the elephants were created using a combination of AI, digital editing and creativity. The footage of the elephants on the beach and in the water are digital re-creations.
