Twister sisters storm chase show on WE

[Jayson Prentice]

Much like the TIV series and their fake looking radar images of the storms; WE has came up with a small mini-hurricane to display the location of the storms. We need to get somebody that is good with graphics to help these channels out with their production of 'realistic' radar/satellite graphics.

 

[Jeff Miller]

One plus so far - the EAS tones for language bleeps. Genius.

 

[Verne Carlson]

What actual chase day was this first episode? Can't tell yet, something in sw KS - nice funnel so far.

okay that was the Plainview/Silverton, TX tornado of March 28th - so why are the graphics showing sw KS?? Why can't the producers stick to the actual dates and locations!

okay I give up trying to tell what is where, the mom and daughter's outfits just changed between scenes on the same drive.

I mostly enjoyed the show - nice little SDS break!

 

[Skip Talbot]

The show is not even half way over and I'm already thoroughly disappointed. Its the same crappy graphics, and erroneous narration that's in every other show: "Its not a tornado until the funnel touches the ground..." and the show has further perpetrated the deadly myth that overpasses are a good place to seek shelter. I like the Twister Sisters and enjoy following the chase from their (and others) perspective... but the show itself truly is terrible.

 

[Dan Cook]

How lame...using Reed Timmer's Moore 99 video as the mom 'overpass' tornado.

 

[Doug_Kiesling]

Ok just watched the first show. I give it 2 thumbs up with the only draw back of a little over acting but that looks like something the editors could have done to spice it up. There were some parts that audio was hard to hear that could have used more of the on screen text (hail and voice) and the too loud background music.

It is about 1000 times better then the Discovery Channel show about storm chasers even if the sponsors is the EPT (Easy P***Y Test) "The most advanced piece of equipment you will ever pee on" is what the commercial said.

But, the fact that it was on WE TV is the only thing that is different since it is gear towards a different audence. Ignore that fact, it is probably one of the best storm chasing shows ever produced to date. This could be on Discovery Channel, Learning Channel or Nat Geo.

 

[Skip Talbot]

It is about 1000 times better then the Discovery Channel show

I disagree, and believe this show is about 1000 times worse than the Discovery Channel show. The factual errors and the narrator's dialog were much worse in this show than the Storm Chaser's series. My favorite is when the narrator made reference to the "action zone" as if it were a standard meteorological term.

You'll notice they showed the DOW during one of their chases, but the Discovery series didn't even bother covering that day. I know the Twister Sisters were probably operating under a much more restricted schedule and so had less material to work with, but the Storm Chasers series still had much more impressive footage.

The other characters they showed further detracted from the show. The one guy was asking for a data card while he was already sitting under an RFB. What does he need data for? Follow that storm! Then he is clearly caught in RFD, and makes no mention to the possibility that it was RFD and not a tornadic circulation.

The two kids they showed are probably much more representative of the chaser community, but they were just too damn geeky and cocky to be watchable. How about giving your friend some radar updates if you aren't going to lend your data card?

The fact that the show is on WE means nothing other than that they probably had less money to work with than Discovery did, and thus the quality of their editing and material is worse.

 

[Jay Cazel]

I was wondering why they would use a hurricane graphic to show storms in the plains. I watched about half of it then went to bed.

 

[Josh Richardson]

I somewhat agree with Skip, although I didnt really watch this expecting to like it all that much. I also was wondering why Brad wasnt mentioning the possibility of being caught in the RFD rather than strictly thinking it was tornadic circulation....Didnt mind watching Beau and the other guy, as a matter of fact isnt Beau a member here at ST? For some reason the name looks familiar.

 

[Doug_Kiesling]

while he was already sitting under an RFB.

Same error in typing is the same stuff in Post Production that get messed up.

For the record I have no stake in this show. I have nothing to lose or nothing to gain if the show fails or takes off but I thought as a chaser and video executive producer on many different projects, the show showed more of what chasing is like then Discovery Channels - Storm Chaser project.

There will always be errors in the different TV shows due to producers and editors in post production trying to make it look the way they want.

But from a chasing stand point, the sprint card error was a heck of a lot better and real then the which way is north as what happened in the DOWS and causing the TIV to not chase and miss.

Twister Sisters on WE is more like a ride along with storm chasers and Storm Chasers on Discovery is more like a ride along on a government bureaucratic mess. What really pissed me off about the Discovery Channel show is that the TIV could see the tornado, you don't need radar or DOWS, if you can see it so just go visual and drive into it.

Twister Sisters just is like riding along on the chase as an new chaser just observing.

 

[Melanie Metz]

Thank you for the comments and feedback.

I would just like to comment briefly: This is TV, this is not a "documentary". The producers did supplement the chase with more photogenic tornado footage. They also merged a couple days into one. I like how I managed to change my outfit between photo op stops!

I was curious to see how they would turn one week of chasing into one hour. Now I know! Obviously, all of our forecasting and scientific discussions were cut out. I guess that kind of talk just doesn't appeal to the general audience.

To be honest, they were actually more accurate with the science than the National Geographic TV documentary we did. Of course it's not perfect, but is it ever? And yes, again, they DID supplement with more photogenic tornadoes.

Thanks for the support Doug! It is hard being on TV and having to take all the criticism. It's fun though! We have already received many requests for tours and the show just aired an hour ago! So I guess some people liked it.

All in all, I am happy to be able to share my passion with others. I hope some people enjoyed it! We did!

Happy Holidays!
Melanie

 

[SteveCarter]

Personally, I liked THIS show a LOT better than the Discovery Channel show. I agree with Doug on what he said. To me, this show is a LOT more realistic storm-chasing. When I'm out there chasing every day, I get pretty excited about seeing a GOOD anvil, or feeling the RFD. When I watch a storm-chasing show....I want to feel like I am there, or wish I was...at least. I know there are technical glitches here and there, and some footage is on other storms, but so what? The purpose of showing different footage that may be of a stronger tornado than what THEY got, is simply to get your attention, and it's ADVERTISING. This show is right on when it comes to chasing...IMHO. The Discovery Channel series seemed to me, more like a circus...with outlandish vehicles, ACTORS, and more scientific gadgetry than anyone in here has EVER used. None of it seemed real to me. So, while I'll still catch next years Discovery Channel series anyway, I like this one much better.....so far.

 

[Doug_Kiesling]

I was wondering why they would use a hurricane graphic to show storms in the plains. I watched about half of it then went to bed.

Same reason that The Weather Channel uses little tornado graphics along the boundry line on the hot and cold where the latest ice storm is.

A lot of the errors in ANY show are done in post production where the subjects of any show have no say in how the actual show looks.

Unless your doing something like what I did with Current TV last year for the Five Part series called "Weather Paparazzi" where I was the writer, producer and main editor, you really have zero control on how any TV show will look even if your name is on it. If your the Executive Producer, then you will but I really doubt they had any say in it since it was produced by the same guys that did the deadliest catch and ice road truckers. So if you think about it, how much say do you think those truckers would have in the final editing and post production graphics.

Just my thoughts. But like I said before, I have no interest in if this thing takes off or falls flat on it's face other then how they show storm chasers in the field and how they act. If they make all the chasers look like idiots in next weeks show, then I may have something to complain about but so far, it looks like real chasing to me but minus the hour and hours of waiting around and picking your butt waiting for the cap to break.

 

[Jay Cazel]

Same reason that The Weather Channel uses little tornado graphics along the boundry line on the hot and cold where the latest ice storm is.

A lot of the errors in ANY show are done in post production where the subjects of any show have no say in how the actual show looks.

Unless your doing something like what I did with Current TV last year for the Five Part series called "Weather Paparazzi" where I was the writer, producer and main editor, you really have zero control on how any TV show will look even if your name is on it. If your the Executive Producer, then you will but I really doubt they had any say in it since it was produced by the same guys that did the deadliest catch and ice road truckers. So if you think about it, how much say do you think those truckers would have in the final editing and post production graphics.

Just my thoughts. But like I said before, I have no interest in if this thing takes off or falls flat on it's face other then how they show storm chasers in the field and how they act. If they make all the chasers look like idiots in next weeks show, then I may have something to complain about but so far, it looks like real chasing to me but minus the hour and hours of waiting around and picking your butt waiting for the cap to break.

Don't get me wrong Doug....I like the show, I only have watched the first part of the first one so I can't say if it is better or worse than the Discovery Channel, TIV show. I have it DVR, but having a cold and the wife dragging me out x-mas shopping last night after cold, ice and rain I just was not in the mood to watch tv. I do think it is more realistic storm-chasing.

 

[Shane Adams]

The fact that the show is on WE means nothing other than that they probably had less money to work with than Discovery did, and thus the quality of their editing and material is worse.

The show's on WE because the Twister Sisters are women. That's pretty much the point of it all.