FOR SALE: Storms of 2004 DVD (CHARITY fundraiser)

[Greg Stumpf]

The power and elegance of spring across the Great Plains.

We are proud to introduce to you a truly unique summary of the incredible season of tornadic storms on the Great Plains, the DVD entitled "Storms of 2004":

http://www.towerofstorms.net/sls22/

Did you know:

This is the long-awaited DVD was the centerpiece of the two night video show presented at the American Meteorological Society's Severe Local Storms Conference in Hyannis, Massachussetts in October of 2004. This conference is one of the premiere gathering sites for severe storms researchers in the world.

All profits will be donated to the Central Oklahoma Chapter of the American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association (COCAMS/NWA) and to the American Red Cross. You may receive a tax deduction on a portion of your purchase.

Seven chase day stories were edited by six producers. The producers you may recognize as ST.org members. You're welcome to check the producers page. Many video contributions were made from ST.org members. We are all very grateful!

You will find an educational flare to the chase stories as you will see the maps the chasers used, and where the chasers are located on radar images of the storms, etc.

We are taking orders immediately for the holiday season. Cost is $25 per DVD, plus s&h. For more information, please consult the above Web page.

Remember - this is for a good cause, and because a portion of the costs are tax-deductible, you are also getting a discount.


Greg Stumpf and Jim LaDue

 

[Greg Stumpf]

PayPal ordering has just been included:

http://www.towerofstorms.net/sls22

 

[Greg Stumpf]

Today is the last day to order the DVD (via PayPal) in order to guarantee delivery before Dec 25.

Also, consider your end-of-year scramble to find tax deductions. This is one! And it is for a good cause. Only non-profit organizations are benefiting from this, other than yourself.

ORDER NOW!

http://www.towerofstorms.net/sls22

 

[Greg Stumpf]

I've just been informed that my co-producer (Jim LaDue) added chapter previews to the web page:

http://www.towerofstorms.net/sls22/previews/index.html

 

[Gabe Garfield]

Greg, will you be selling the DVD at the NSSL premier tomorrow?

Gabe

 

[Greg Stumpf]

Originally posted by Gabe Garfield
Greg, will you be selling the DVD at the NSSL premier tomorrow?

Yes.

 

[Tim Samaras]

Stormtrack forum users:

This DVD certainly needs to be included with your collection of all-time chase videos. I've seen it, and its VERY well done. Several editors contributed, hats off to Greg and Jim for getting this great collection together...and for a good cause!

Certainly the perfect video to watch during the long winter months as we all wait for spring.

Hey, its the best of the best!

Regards,
Tim Samaras

 

[Gabe Garfield]

I bought the DVD on Saturday, and I can tell you, it is the single best collection of storm video taken within the same year. Some of the video ranks among the best I've ever seen. It is also very well put together, complete with multi frame shots of the same tornado. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for the cure for SDS (or looking to aggravate it further!).

Gabe

 

[Bill Hark]

Storms of 2004 for AMS conference

I just completed watching Storms of 2004, an amazing compilation video that covers the main tornadic chase days of 2004. This is an awesome video with great footage (mostly tornadoes) and narration. The tornadoes of May 12, May 22, May 24, May 29, June 10, June 11, and June 12 are covered in this video. Unlike many chase videos, there is a short analysis with weather charts before each chase day. As I am always learning, I found this aspect to be the most beneficial. Because it is a compilation video, many of the tornadoes are shown from different angles. In some of the videos, the chaser's position is noted on a small radar picture in picture. It is also interesting to compare different chase styles and videography and production techniques.

I know there was a lot of hard work by those who donated their video and especially by those who helped with the production (their names are listed on the website below). Thanks for a classic chase video that is for a good cause. I think the first batch is sold out but more may become available.

http://www.towerofstorms.net/sls22/


Bill Hark
http://www.harkphoto.com/

 

[Shane Adams]

Any other donors still waiting on their free copy? I'd love to see this thing.

 

[Greg Stumpf]

Shane,

We never offered complimentary copies to the video contributors (only the 6 chapter producers)...if so, then we would have to give away over 40 DVDs (out of the 100 we made), which would basically blow our profit margin to send contributions to the fundraisers. In fact, Jim and I had to cover some of the production and s&h costs ourselves because we came up a little short on the $20 per disk profit margin at the end of the first 100 DVD batch, so nobody is making any money here (except for COCAMS and the Red Cross).

Yes, we sold all 100 DVDs in the first batch, and have made a $2000 contribution to charity ($500 to COCAMS, $750 to the Heart of OK Red Cross Chapter, and $750 to the National Red Cross Disaster Relief fund). The remaining cost $500, plus some s&h charges collected, minus PayPal fees, (plus donation by me and Jim) covered the wholesale DVD duplication house cost, postage, packaging, and production supplies. We will post all accounting details to the Web site soon. We already have orders for more DVDs, which are on hold since Jim and I are making a "second edition" of the DVD with some improvements. Should be available in about 1-2 weeks.

I would suggest that you buy the DVD for the $25 price because all the profits are being donated to charity. If this is unsatisfactory for you, then I'll burn an extra copy on my home DVD burner for you, and you can swing by NSSL next week to pick it up (no professional DVD art or case, however).

We appreciate all the positive comments so far on the production, and thank all you contributed to the charities with their purchases.

 

[Mike Hollingshead]

I would think this thing could sell like hotcakes across the US if one could find someway to market it. It shocks me to hear all contributors for it couldn't get a free disc, when afterall it certainly is not helping them in their vid sales when someone can buy this one to see some of their best footage.

 

[Shane Adams]

Normally I wouldn't be concerned about this issue, but since the contract I was sent clearly stated that I would be getting a copy of the DVD, I expected one. I remember real plain, because everytime my video is on the line I never forget.

Two things were conditional on my signing of the contract. (1) that I give up any rights to the profits for the DVD, and (2) I will receive a free copy of the finished product. I'm not clear on why the producers (who also volunteered) get a copy and the contributors don't. Without contributors the producers had no gig. Oh well.

This was the first and will be the last project I donate footage to.

 

[Greg Stumpf]

Originally posted by Shane Adams
Normally I wouldn't be concerned about this issue, but since the contract I was sent clearly stated that I would be getting a copy of the DVD, I expected one. I remember real plain, because everytime my video is on the line I never forget.

Shane,

I went back and read the footage release, and I have to admit, you are right (and we apologize). Our faux pas was that a "template" release form was provided to us by someone who deals in stock video sales, and that person put the "free DVD" verbiage in the contract. We had not originally intended to give DVDs to all the contributors because we knew our sales would be limited and that it wouldn't be profitable for the fundraiser, but we failed to remove that verbiage from the release form template before sending it to the contributors. Ack!

Therefore - we *will* honor the contract. Just please be patient - we will send the DVDs from the second batch, so you will be getting a better version anyway. Sometime in mid-to-late January (I have some business travel coming up, so it will take a little time).

We're not bad folks...just made a mistake. Thanks for pointing it out (although, you could have taken this up with us privately and settled it that way - next time, please!).

We'll send a notice to all the contributors. However, we still would like to suggest that they buy the disk in order to add to the amount of charitable donation. They'll all get a private email about this.

Originally posted by Shane Adams
This was the first and will be the last project I donate footage to.

Please don't let our honest mistake dissuade you (or others) from helping us out again! It's for a good cause.


Greg and Jim

 

[Shane Adams]

Greg,

Thank you for taking the time to look this up and finding the facts. I'll be happy with a burned copy (just a plain DVD). This was an honest mistake, and I don't wish to take $25 from any charity.

I'm very sorry I was so reactive and abraisive in my original reply; you've always been very cool to me and have never crossed me in any way shape or form. No hard feelings.