The Briefing Room

Hurricane Gustav storm surge overtakes the West Side Pier in Gulfport, Mississippi. Cinematographer: Martin Lisius/StormStock. Medium: Kodak Vision 35mm.

ARLINGTON, Texas – There are few in the world who posses the unique set of skills developed by Prairie Pictures’ StormStock founder Martin Lisius. Lisius is part storm chaser, part cinematographer and part producer. Over the past 20 years, he has amassed the most dynamic collection of weather footage in the world.

“To be successful at capturing quality storm footage, you have to really understand how the atmosphere works and become part of it,” Lisius said. “Weather is constantly evolving and flowing, like a river, and if you aren’t in sync with it, it will leave you behind.”

Lisius prepares over a hundred storm forecasts a year, poring over new data throughout the day from the Prairie Pictures office in Arlington, or from his intercept vehicle in the field. “In the case of tornadoes, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack,” he said. “I have to determine where and when a tornado will occur hours before storms develop since I may need to drive hundreds of miles to get there. And, to get a good angle on a tornado, I’ll need to get to a four or five square mile patch of land within a risk area sometimes comprising twenty thousand square miles.”

In addition to tornadoes, Lisius intercepts and photographs hurricanes, lightning, microbursts and blizzards. Fierce winds, flying debris, torrential rain, close lightning strikes and bitter cold are all part of a regular work day. “It’s a dirty, wet and often uncomfortable job, but being out in the wind and in the most pristine element of nature is worth the sacrifices.”

Lisius shoots 35mm on his Arriflex and transfers to HD at &Transfer in Dallas. StormStock imagery is utilized by film and TV producers worldwide for theatrical features, documentaries, commercials and music videos. In his spare time, Lisius chairs the Texas Severe Storms Association, a national non-profit dedicated to severe weather research and education. He is also president of Tempest Tours, Inc., a company that operates storm chasing expeditions for guests from around the world.

Sample clips from the StormStock collection can be viewed on-line at www.stormstock.com.