H Y P N O T I S E

Short film

Watch the movie 👇

The exHMAS Brisbane served for 34 years in the Australian Navy before being scuttled just off the Sunshine Coast in 2005. 16 years later, this 130 meter artificial reef is home to hundreds of species of marine life. Hypnotise is a short movie that captures the energy of the life that embodies this incredible wreck.

I first dived the exHMAS Brisbane in July 2020, on a short trip to Queensland, and was blown away by the massive schools of baitfish that surrounded the wreck. I watched in awe as they moved with the contours of the ship, almost like the ship itself was alive.

There were several moments on that first dive when I was completely surrounded by baitfish. Their synchronised motion was hypnotic and when they suddenly dispersed I was left disorientated. There was one particular instance on the second dive where I momentarily lost my buddy completely in all the chaos.

A few months after that first dive, I moved to the Sunshine Coast. Now with the ability to frequently dive the wreck, I felt compelled to create a film that captures the feeling and the energy that you get when you visit this ship.

Throughout 2021, I spent about 17 hours underwater exploring the wreck inside and out, to figure out how best to capture its essence. I believe that I managed to achieve this with Hypnotise and I hope that you enjoy watching it with the same feelings that I get from diving it.