Cinematic Twister, Cinematographer Captures Deadly Spencer, South Dakota Tornado


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Cinematic Twister
Cinematographer Captures Deadly Spencer, South Dakota Tornado
First-Ever of its Kind on 35mm Film
For Immediate Release
Monday, July 27, 1998
Contact: Lorie Kinkaid, Prairie Pictures, (817) 276-9500

ARLINGTON, Texas - Prairie Pictures announced today that producer and cinematographer Martin Lisius is the first-ever to capture a violent-class tornado on 35mm motion picture film. Lisius, also a veteran storm chaser, intercepted the deadly tornado at Spencer, South Dakota on May 30. The nearly mile-wide tornado destroyed virtually the entire town of Spencer that evening causing several fatalities and numerous injuries. It was rated F4 by the National Weather Service on the Fujita intensity scale. Tornadoes rated F4-F5 are officially categorized as "violent." "To our knowledge, there is no other footage like it in the world," Lisius said.

Lisius, also founder of Prairie Pictures' StormStock library, conducts approximately 35 "chases" each year to intercept and photograph violent weather for the library. An average of 200 to 400 miles are logged per chase as he traverses the infamous region of the US called "Tornado Alley." "It is not uncommon for us to depart from the Prairie Pictures office in Dallas-Ft. Worth early in the morning and drive to Central Kansas for an intercept in the afternoon, for example," he said. "The Spencer, South Dakota tornado intercept required two days of travel and approximately two dozen weather forecast analyses and revisions. It wasn't all luck."

In addition to the Spencer tornado footage, Mr. Lisius has recently acquired some very unique storm time lapse for StormStock. "We now have several supercell thunderstorm time lapse sequences in the can," he said. "The significance of a supercell is that the entire storm rotates. This is very dramatic in time lapse form. Supercells are also the most violent thunderstorm type in the world." These images, along with the Spencer tornado sequence, are expected to further solidify StormStock as the world's premier storm footage library.

The Spencer tornado was photographed by Mr. Lisius using an Arriflex 35-3 motion picture camera and Eastman Kodak Vision 250D film stock (5246). Processing was performed by Video Post & Transfer, Inc. in Dallas. Original negative transfer was made to D5 by senior colorist Steve Franko via the Spirit Datacine, also at Video Post & Transfer.

StormStock images are licensed to producers worldwide for use in television programs, commercials, music videos and interactive applications. Clients include ABC News, Bozell Worldwide, Chiat/Day, CBS News, CNN, Dateline NBC, Discovery Channel, HBO, Industrial Light & Magic, Leo Burnett/USA, National Geographic Television, The X-Files, and many others.

StormStock can be accessed on-line at www.stormstock.com.

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