We just watched Mike's video last night, and I wanted to pass a few
comments on it as is tradition.
The editing...
Mike certainly surprised us with the quirky beginning to a chase
documentary - not at all like anything we've seen so far. It tells a
story, and has some really interesting editing/ideas.......I think Mike
will be going into the Directing business pretty soon......(Chasing? Bah!)
The music he uses throughout his production is thoughtful, tense,
atmospheric and very in-tune with the kind of storm he is portraying at
any given time (especially on the July 8th segment). But also - he
doesn't leave the music playing ALL THE TIME. You get tantalizing
snippets of "real" storm chase sounds too - he leaves it in there so you
don't become too detached from what's going on.
The video...
Mike knows his home state of Nebraska like the back of his hand - and this
DVD is a perfect example of what you CAN see if you chase your heart out
in your beloved home state. Of course, it helps to have a home state like
**Nebraska**......LOL!!!!
He caught many, MANY gems last year that only he saw (or perhaps him and
one other chaser or local) - and that has to feel pretty special.
Witnessing some of what he has seen must feel like seeing Mother Nature's
forbidden events......the ones that weren't meant for any human eyes.....
Highlights...
May 16 Holt County NE: Beautiful start to a tornado that sure wasn't on
my list from last year!!! It takes its time wrapping up, and just as Mike
is repositioning it puts down the most elegant but awe-inspiring
elephant's trunk you can get!
May 24 Chester NE: The tornadoes that so many saw, and so many missed!
We were a part of the "bust club" this day - and so here's another date
that we didn't score on last year. It's nice to see what Mike was seeing
that afternoon - as we hung out in quiescent Marysville KS! Beautiful
contrast on the largest, main tornado - and a dynamic corkscrew rope out
to wish for!!!
May 28 Crofton NE: Just a beautiful high-based supercell. What
unbelievable separation between updraft and core. If I had been in my
little Mazda that day - I would have had to fight the temptation to drive
right into that wall of precip.
June 13 Alvo NE: Not only one of THE most ridiculously structured storms
of the year last year - but some wispy tornadic vortices......I think this
was a high-based multi-vortex tornado - WOW! Do NOT take your eyes off of
this while watching.....you wouldn't want to miss the hypnotizing double-
helix intertwining vortices.....
July 12 Bartlett NE: 'Nuff said. I think this storm was Mike's crowning
glory for the 2004 season (although he might have other favourites I don't
know). I remember watching this storm on radar while it was stomping
through the Sandhills as I languished in baking central Oklahoma during
the summer. We thought "hey - that looks like a monster" - and hey -
wouldn't ya know it - it WAS!
The tornadogenesis/meso evolution of this storm is just as downright
incredible to watch as the actual cigar-shaped vortex (which IS
spectacular). Great contrast and one of the most interesting tornadic
events structure-wise I've seen from last year.
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Well - I'm sure you all know I could go on forever but I have to stop
sometime. I've not even mentioned his couple of successful tornado-chases
in Iowa on this video......that's a whole other story.
Well done Mike - and congratulations on another great production.
Despite the lack of editing and music on our production - I hope you
enjoyed our video as much as we enjoyed yours.
Last words? Go order yourself a copy, of course!!:
http://www.extremeinstability.com/video.htm
..Gene..
