Martin Lisius

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Martin Lisius filming storms in Texas, 2024.jpg
Martin Lisius after a storm chase in Texas, 2013. Martin Lisius.jpg
Martin Lisius after a storm chase in Texas, 2013.

Martin Lisius is an American filmmaker [1] and storm chaser. [2] [3] He founded StormStock, [4] a weather and climate stock footage collection, in 1993, and Tempest Tours, [5] a storm chasing expedition company, in 2000. In 2018, he produced and directed the short film, Prairie Wind, among the first known 16K resolution videos to exist. [6] In 1993, Lisius founded the Texas Severe Storms Association (TESSA), a non-profit whose mission is "to bring together both professional meteorologists and weather enthusiasts in an attempt to better understand dangerous storms through the collection and diffusion of knowledge." Lisius was a finalist for 2023 Footage Person of the Year, [7] an award presented by FOCAL International. Lisius is listed on the Notable Alumni web page for the Department of Communication at the University of Texas at Arlington. [8]

Contents

Tempest Tours

In 2000, Lisius founded an experiential travel company called Tempest Tours. The company provides storm chasing expeditions to paying guests. [9] Expeditions take place in the US Great Plains region of Tornado Alley during the active spring storm season there. The company is staffed primarily by veteran storm chasers, first responders, and meteorologists. Research meteorologist Charles A. Doswell IIl was an early member of the staff working as a lecturer.

StormStock

StormStock is a collection of weather and climate stock footage and a brand of Prairies Pictures, Inc. that Lisius founded in 1993. Lisius and a staff of videographers track and film severe weather, such as hurricanes and tornadoes, and license the content for use in TV and film productions. [10]

Public Safety

Lisius founded the Texas Severe Storms Association (TESSA), a 501(c)3 non-profit, in 1993 to bring meteorologists and storm chasers together and help disseminate their information to the public. TESSA hosts the National Storm Conference where presentations about severe weather are presented by experts.

As TESSA chairman, Lisius co-developed the DFW Tornado Scenario with National Weather Service Ft. Worth meteorologists Alan Moller, Gary Woodall, and Bill Bunting in 2000. Later, North Central Texas Council of Governments analyst Scott Rae created detailed versions of the scenario titled, Tornado Damage Risk Assessment. [11] Their objective was to create scientific scenarios in which major tornadoes tracked through the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex in order to be better prepared for those potentially catastrophic events.

Lisius published a book in 2014 titled, "The Ultimate Severe Weather Safety Guide." [12] In the book, he states his purpose for writing it is to share what he has learned as a storm chaser to help others stay safe when severe weather threatens. Chapters include safety tips for tornadoes, lightning, hurricanes and flash flooding.

In an attempt to demonstrate the danger of flying debris in a tornado, Lisius took some common household objects to the Debris Impact Facility at Texas Tech University in Lubbock to be launched by their pneumatic cannon in 2019. One object, a small handheld camera, became the fastest projectile to be tested at the facility reaching a speed of 264 mph. [13]

Filmography

In 1995, Lisius directed "StormWatch," a training video for the National Weather Service used nationwide to train storm spotter groups. Lisius co-produced the video with meteorologists Gary Woodall and Alan Moller. It was produced by the Texas Severe Storms Association with support from the Meadows Foundation of Dallas, Texas.

In 1996, Lisius wrote and directed "The Chasers of Tornado Alley," an early documentary film about storm chasing. [14]

In 2018, Lisius shot a short film titled, "Prairie Wind" with a 16K video camera system he custom-built. [15]

In 2024, Lisius wrote and directed "The Chasers of Tornado Alley: Touching the Sky," a sequel to the 1996 documentary about storm chasing. The film was shot on 4K and 16K video, and on Super 35mm motion picture film. [16]

Notable storm intercepts

June 8, 1995 Pampa - Hoover, Texas tornadoes, F4-F5. [17]

May 30, 1998 Spencer, South Dakota Tornado, F4. [18]

Hurricane Katrina (Category 5) Mississippi - Louisiana coastal landfall, August 29, 1995.

Hurricane Harvey, Southeast Texas, August 2017. [19] Lisius' aerial footage of Hurricane Harvey appears in his short film, "Buffalo Bayou Rising," an official selection by the 2017 Flying Robot International Film Festival. [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Storm chasing</span> Pursuit of any severe weather condition

Storm chasing is broadly defined as the deliberate pursuit of any severe weather phenomenon, regardless of motive, but most commonly for curiosity, adventure, scientific investigation, or for news or media coverage. A person who chases storms is known as a storm chaser or simply a chaser.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tornado Alley</span> Geographical place in the United States where tornadoes commonly occur

Tornado Alley is a loosely defined location of the central United States and Canada where tornadoes are most frequent. The term was first used in 1952 as the title of a research project to study severe weather in areas of Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kansas, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, and New York. Tornado climatologists distinguish peaks in activity in certain areas and storm chasers have long recognized the Great Plains tornado belt.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Bettes</span> American Television Meteorologist

Michael Bettes is an American television meteorologist and storm chaser who works for The Weather Channel in Atlanta, Georgia. He was a co-host of AMHQ: America's Morning Headquarters. He hosts Weather Underground TV. Bettes has been an on-camera meteorologist for TWC since 2003, and is also an occasional fill-in weather anchor on The Today Show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timothy P. Marshall</span> American structural and forensic engineer

Timothy Patrick Marshall is an American structural and forensic engineer as well as meteorologist, concentrating on damage analysis, particularly that from wind, hail, and other weather phenomena. He is also a pioneering storm chaser and was editor of Storm Track magazine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tornado Intercept Vehicle</span> Vehicle used to film a tornado

The Tornado Intercept Vehicle 1 and Tornado Intercept Vehicle 2 are vehicles used to film with an IMAX camera from very close to or within a tornado. They were designed by film director Sean Casey. Both TIVs have "intercepted" numerous tornadoes, including the June 12, 2005, Jayton, Texas tornado, the June 5, 2009, Goshen County, Wyoming tornado, and the strongest intercept, made by TIV 2, the May 27, 2013, Lebanon, Kansas tornado.

<i>Storm Chasers</i> (TV series) American documentary television series

Storm Chasers is an American documentary reality television series that premiered on October 17, 2007, on the Discovery Channel. Produced by Original Media, the program follows several teams of storm chasers as they attempt to intercept tornadoes in Tornado Alley in the United States. The show was canceled at the end of its 5th season by Discovery Communications on January 21, 2012.

Storm spotting is a form of weather spotting in which observers watch for the approach of severe weather, monitor its development and progression, and actively relay their findings to local authorities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles A. Doswell III</span> American meteorologist

Charles A. Doswell III is an American meteorologist and prolific severe convective storms researcher. Doswell is a seminal contributor, along with Leslie R. Lemon, to the modern conception of the supercell, which was developed originally by Keith Browning. He also has done research on forecasting and forecast verification, especially for severe convective storms, and is an advocate of ingredients-based forecasting.

The Texas Severe Storms Association (TESSA) is a national non-profit organization founded in 1993 by storm chaser and TESSA chairman Martin Lisius. The organization’s mission is to bring together both professional meteorologists and weather enthusiasts in an attempt to better understand dangerous storms through the collection and diffusion of knowledge. Its scope is national but focuses on Texas.

Tony Laubach is an American storm chaser and meteorologist. He has participated in several field research projects and is one of the surviving members of TWISTEX. He has been contracted as a severe weather photojournalist for various major television networks, and has starred in several television shows, including Seasons 3 through 5 of Storm Chasers on the Discovery Channel.

Reed Timmer is an American meteorologist and storm chaser. Born in Grand Rapids, Michigan, he took an interest in science, including weather, at a young age, before experiencing severe weather, including a hailstorm at age 13. After presenting weather forecasts at his high school, he began studying meteorology at the University of Oklahoma, completing his PhD in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Nguyen</span> American meteorologist

Eric Michael Nguyen was an American professional storm chaser, meteorologist, and photographer from Keller, Texas, United States. In 2008, Nguyen released his first book of photography titled Adventures in Tornado Alley: The Storm Chasers with co-author Mike Hollingshead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tornadoes of 1995</span>

This page documents the tornadoes and tornado outbreaks of 1995, primarily in the United States. Most tornadoes form in the U.S., although some events may take place internationally. Tornado statistics for older years like this often appear significantly lower than modern years due to fewer reports or confirmed tornadoes, but by the 1990s, tornado statistics were coming closer to the numbers seen today.

<i>Storm Riders</i> (TV series) American TV series or program

Storm Riders is a reality television series following two meteorologists as they travel across the Great Plains and East Coast of the United States in search of thunderstorms, tornadoes, and other severe weather. Storm Riders was aired on The Weather Channel, and it was included on the channel's Tornado Week programming.

David K. Hoadley is an American pioneer of storm chasing and the first widely recognized storm chaser, as well as the founder and former editor of Storm Track magazine. He is also a sketch artist and photographer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Moller</span> American meteorologist (1950–2014)

Alan Roger Moller was an American meteorologist, storm chaser, nature and landscape photographer known for advancing spotter training and bridging operational meteorology with research.

James M. Leonard, also known as "Cyclone Jim", was an American professional storm chaser, photographer, and videographer. Intercepting severe weather including thunderstorms, tornadoes, hurricanes and typhoons, he was among the earliest storm chasers. He was the first to photograph an anticyclonic tornado.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roger Edwards (meteorologist)</span> American meteorologist

Roger Edwards is an American meteorologist and expert on severe convective storms (thunderstorms). He is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Electronic Journal of Severe Storms Meteorology (EJSSM).

Tempest Tours, Inc. is a U.S. based tour company. Headquartered in Arlington, Texas, the company takes its guests storm chasing across the Great Plains of the United States and into Canada. During tours, guests have the opportunity to learn from their staff of storm spotters, climatologists, and meteorologists on the intricacies of atmospheric science as they track and photograph storms.

StormStock is an American provider of stock footage focusing on weather and climate content. It was founded by filmmaker Martin Lisius in 1993 and is headquartered in Arlington, Texas. The brand shoots content on 4K, Super 35mm film, and 16K video. Topics include tornadoes, lightning and hurricanes.

References

  1. ↑ "Martin Lisius". FilmFreeway. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  2. ↑ Patoski, Joe Nick (1996-07-01). "Riders on the Storm". Texas Monthly. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  3. ↑ Valdez, Andrea (2009-04-01). "How to Chase a Tornado". Texas Monthly. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  4. ↑ Seevers, David (2017-01-06). "Cinematographer Martin Lisius Explains What Makes StormStock Unique". Stock Footage Newsroom. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  5. ↑ "Cool companies". CNNMoney. Retrieved 2024-01-26.
  6. ↑ "'Prairie Storm' Could Be The First 16K Film Yet -- And Its Stunning". Digital Trends. 2018-11-24. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  7. ↑ "FOCAL Awards 2023 Shortlisted Nominees". Focal International. Retrieved 2023-11-17.
  8. ↑ "Notable Alumni". Notable Alumni - Communication - The University of Texas at Arlington. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  9. ↑ Weise, Elizabeth. "Tourists flock to Tornado Alley, paying big bucks for the chance to see dangerous storms". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  10. ↑ ellen (2015-08-18). "Weather-Chasing Champions: StormStock and Framed By Nature - Part One". Visual Connections Blog. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  11. ↑ "Tornado Damage Risk Assessment". www.nctcog.org. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  12. ↑ "The Ultimate Severe Weather Safety Guide: What You Need…". Goodreads. Retrieved 2024-01-29.
  13. ↑ Zhang, Michael (2019-03-11). "Watch a Camera Get Smashed to Bits in a 264mph Tornado Projectile Test". PetaPixel. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  14. ↑ Lisius, Martin, The Chasers of Tornado Alley (Documentary), Sam Barricklow, Keith Brown, Charles Doswell, Prairie Pictures, retrieved 2024-07-24
  15. ↑ Cade, D. L. (2020-04-01). "Photographer Captures Incredible 16K HDR Timelapse Using Two 50MP DSLRs at Once". PetaPixel. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  16. ↑ "Post Magazine - Storm chaser Martin Lisius release new documentary". www.postmagazine.com. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
  17. ↑ "Pampa, Texas 6/8/95 Tornadoes". stormtrack.org. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  18. ↑ "Reid story on Spencer SD intercept". www.stormeyes.org. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  19. ↑ "StormStock captures the wrath (and kindness) of Hurricane Harvey". www.linkedin.com. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  20. ↑ "Flying Robot international Drone Film Festival - FRiFF 2018". friff.co. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
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