Chaser created Storm Chasing Documentaries?

[Mark Sudduth]

This would all be great stuff for a live streaming video site. That is why I am going to do just that in 2008. I will post a new thread about this venture soon but this is exactly what I am thinking will draw people to watch- like a storm chaser version of "The Truman Show" but without actors- it's all YOU guys and the storms are the main goal. I am not really a chaser, per se, I just think a live streaming video site would be very successful in showing the world how chasing really is- complete with bad drivers, TIVs, DOWs, fist fights (maybe some day), women chasers, men chasers, teen chasers and so forth. And all of this is just the "people" side to storm chasing. Imagine if we ever get to stream a live tornado and get the reaction of all the people around us. That is what live is all about- no script and it is what it is. I think David's frustrations are very valid and an extension of everyday life that we experience in our own home towns. I consider getting to and from someplace around where I live safely a successful avoidance of death- every day. When someone like David is out working, and this is his work, and this happens, it makes it all the more upsetting and even more so that there is little he feels he can do about it. I just hope everyone is careful and extends as much common sense as possible- Darwin will take care of the rest, so long as it's not you.

 

[Shane Adams]

Better put an NC-17 warning on the live streaming video thing, LOL. The Discovery Channel and all those Pioneer Productions shows don't even skim the surface of what really goes on when the storms aren't the main focus. Send a camera guy out with us one time and see what you get.

 

[David Drummond]

I thought about doing a chaser documentary for a while. Everyone is always saying the ones that get done aren't right essentially because it wasn't chasers, who really knew about chasing, that did them. I thought I could give up a season or two of chasing, ride a long with a wide cross section of chasers, and just see what happens.

Funny thing was that no one really WANTED to let others see what REALLY happens.

 

[Shane Adams]

Actually Mick, Chad, and I are gonna do a chaser documentary on ourselves over the Winter. The idea is to finally produce a chaser documentary done by chasers, not crews hired to ride along. Producers never get it right from the beginning, because they don't know the most important aspect: what questions to ask, and where to lead from there. This isn't going to be the documentary to end all chaser documentaries, just something we've wanted to do for a while and finally decided to do.

You won't have to be a chaser or even interested in weather to enjoy this project.

 

[Mark Sudduth]

Chaser doc

Actually Mick, Chad, and I are gonna do a chaser documentary on ourselves over the Winter. The idea is to finally produce a chaser documentary done by chasers, not crews hired to ride along. Producers never get it right from the beginning, because they don't know the most important aspect: what questions to ask, and where to lead from there. This isn't going to be the documentary to end all chaser documentaries, just something we've wanted to do for a while and finally decided to do.

You won't have to be a chaser or even interested in weather to enjoy this project.

Good! Those are usually awesome. Jim Edds and his colleagues produce those from time to time and they are simply excellent in my opinion. Would never make it on TV because of what TV is but I love watching them do their thing. Their latest on severe weather is great. I think Wal-Mart is selling them.

Go for it and enjoy doing it. I made a pair of hurricane season DVDs on 2004 and 2005 (wonder why no 2006 or 2007???) and enjoyed every minute of the production. The people who bought them loved them and that's enough for me. Not looking to make $1 million on it- just tell the story and let it ride from there.

Sorry to get off topic a little but I personally like to see people do what they love to do and succeed with that- money or not, it is living life the way you want to.

 

[Jay McCoy]

Actually Mick, Chad, and I are gonna do a chaser documentary on ourselves over the Winter. The idea is to finally produce a chaser documentary done by chasers, not crews hired to ride along. Producers never get it right from the beginning, because they don't know the most important aspect: what questions to ask, and where to lead from there. This isn't going to be the documentary to end all chaser documentaries, just something we've wanted to do for a while and finally decided to do.

You won't have to be a chaser or even interested in weather to enjoy this project.

Sounds like something most chasers would love to see and much of the general public would not. They think chasing is pure nonstop adrenaline and risk. they dont get to see the hours of pouring over data in the morning and then the 4+ hr drives just to get inot the area. then maybe 1 out of every 10 chases you catch a good tornado. Bad hotels, bad food, and bad drivers make for a long day. If anything you have to be very patient to be a chaser. otherwise you be around long.

But if you guys do make one that shows the actual day/life of a chaser I will be one of the 1st in line to get a copy.

And I would love to see some poor kids face after he ran David off the road and David starts walking over towards his car steaming.. Pure entertainment. Like watching a train speed towards a car stuck on the tracks. You know its going to be ugly but you cant turn away..lol

 

[Shane Adams]

But if you guys do make one that shows the actual day/life of a chaser I will be one of the 1st in line to get a copy.

We're only gonna charge for the cost of shipping. No way we could ask people to pay for this.

 

[Doug_Kiesling]

but without actors- it's all YOU guys and the storms are the main goal.

So your going to be out there with a stack of release forms since your not reporting the news but documenting people for entertainment?

If your filming a tornado and someone walks into the shot, that is like someone walking into a live news shot on the street, they were in the shot by chance. Now if your going out to document people for entertainment, you better talk to your lawyers first.

A lot of the chasers that run live cams also work with TV stations to cover the storms so their pretty much in the clear.

There is a fine line between news and entertainment when your filming people in public. All you would need to do is film some chase tour group and get one pissed off guest with money to sue you for broadcasting them.

 

[mike scantlin]

So your going to be out there with a stack of release forms since your not reporting the news but documenting people for entertainment?

If your filming a tornado and someone walks into the shot, that is like someone walking into a live news shot on the street, they were in the shot by chance. Now if your going out to document people for entertainment, you better talk to your lawyers first.

A lot of the chasers that run live cams also work with TV stations to cover the storms so their pretty much in the clear.

There is a fine line between news and entertainment when your filming people in public. All you would need to do is film some chase tour group and get one pissed off guest with money to sue you for broadcasting them.

I think this should be it's own thread. I dont think this guy has any idea what REAL chasing is. Its a ton of coudy skies with alot of crappy storms, maybe 1/2 of which do anything. That, and the fact that the public could care less about the REAL storm chasing.

 

[Mark Sudduth]

Forget I said anything about this- we'll just go about our business and no one will ever know we were there. That's the best way to go.

 

[mike scantlin]

im just saying theres a reason that no "real" storm chasing documentary has aired. Its boring.

 

[Joey Ketcham]

I think this should be it's own thread. I dont think this guy has any idea what REAL chasing is. Its a ton of coudy skies with alot of crappy storms, maybe 1/2 of which do anything. That, and the fact that the public could care less about the REAL storm chasing.

I don’t know how one can conclude that Mark doesn’t know what real chasing is based off his idea(s). It sounds to me like Mark wants to show the public what real storm chasing is. I think what Mark is saying is that you have all these documentaries on TV and they each depict storm chasing as a hobby with non-stop action. These documentaries don’t show the grueling side of chasing such the forecasting, the long drive, the wait and the days we bust.

The ton of cloudy skies with a lot of crappy storms that you mention is a part of what storm chasing is and what we have to deal with, why not show that? I don’t want to see a full documentary that just shows storm chasers driving to a target area, waiting around, and busting… but on the other hand it would be nice to have a documentary that does show those grueling sides of storm chasing and that storm chasers aren’t out there seeing tornado after tornado. I don't think showing these things would bore the viewers as long as they keep it short and sweet, but just to make it a point that these are part of what storm chasing is.

 

[Shane Adams]

I understand and like Mark's idea. A chaser documentary that's real, that shows just how mind-numbingly boring chasing really is most of the time, might bore viewers and make then turn the channel, which in turn might cause the interest to drop a bit overall. Seems like chasers would be all about anything that had the potential to slow the influx of newbies into the activity....yet we have a debate on here already. Doesn't surprise me.

As for the current state of "Hollywood" chase shows, I don't see it stopping anytime soon. It's too easy and popular right now with producers to snag whatever chasers are willing to be the "star" and create these pop-up chaser legends on various TV shows. Add in the technology factor, which has all but eliminated the once-natural learning curve for chasing, and you have the perfect recipe for the overnight sensation. I see these shows and the "expert" or "world famous" chasers they feature and I'm asking myself "where were these people five years ago? Three years ago?"

I miss the days of seeing chaser documentaries where the "expert" chasers actually had more experience than me.

 

[JF Massicotte]

All of this is a cycle. In a few years they will focus on something else like the sexual life of the frog or how Al Gore could cause the end of the world.

There's not much to say about chasing anyways and if you don't like the experience of driving long rides and waiting long time rapidly the experience of observing a tornado becomes worthless. What can they really show Helen Hunt didn't do 12 years ago? Will they show the same tornado every week? Because if this show was done in the last years, I don't see were they could have observed dozens of them. And I don't think a show showing the 'looks like we're scoring one more cap bust!' would score on the market.


I agree with the real documentary idea. Let's show them how the fun in chasing is not in adrenaline... I went into the plains last year and surely will every year and found out that when I am talking about my trip, I am not talking about all those supercells on May 4-5, neither that MCS in Texas 2 days before... No, we are talking about the plains and people in the plains... How we found out that everything we heard about the average american being selfish was way false and how courteous are people over there. We were surprised to see most cars slowing on the side of the road to let us pass EVEN IF WE HAD PLACE TO PASS THEM, in Texas. When all you heards about Texas is what is shown in Hollywood movies, well seeing that the average texan is far away from that 'drunk guy drifting corners with his pick-up and shooting pistol in the air' is something we needed to talk about. How people don't swear in the plains...


We are making jokes about those 'Cum & Go' in Missouri (wonder if you guys do too), we tell people how the Chicago Skyline is spectacular (I never tought I would see it in my life).

In fact, we could have busted all over our trips that the trip still worth 10000 km on the car (we rented it it had 2500 km we came back with 13000 on it...). Just experiencing that chaser convergence near that Wall Mart in Great Bend on May 4 was a great experience (chaser convergences here consist of my partners and I).


There was all the fun in our trip. This is just about the same fun we have here when chasing 'locally', that we like to go to palces we've never been and the challenge of storm chasing, even if we lose more often than win.

 

[mike scantlin]

It will be quite an undertaking but one of the things we feel will be a big draw to subscribers of the site (called tornadochaselive.com none the less) is the behind the scenes aspect of storm chasing. What will be nice is being able to call out any vehicles that are breaking the law AND having them broadcast live on the Internet with (hopefully) hundreds of people watching. There is so much that goes on out there that the avergage Joe knows nothing about and I believe that showing people the REAL chase life will be a big draw.

This would all be great stuff for a live streaming video site. That is why I am going to do just that in 2008. I will post a new thread about this venture soon but this is exactly what I am thinking will draw people to watch- like a storm chaser version of "The Truman Show" but without actors- it's all YOU guys and the storms are the main goal. I am not really a chaser, per se, I just think a live streaming video site would be very successful in showing the world how chasing really is- complete with bad drivers, TIVs, DOWs, fist fights (maybe some day), women chasers, men chasers, teen chasers and so forth. And all of this is just the "people" side to storm chasing. Imagine if we ever get to stream a live tornado and get the reaction of all the people around us. That is what live is all about- no script and it is what it is.

listen guys, its not meant to seem like a personal attack. from what i understand, you are trying to attract hundreds of viewers? i'm not trying to be the bad guy here, but its not realistic. i do like shanes idea though. people see how real chasing is, and stop driving around like idiots anytime theres a watchbox.