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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Kaylan Whetstone
info
StormStock Celebrates 10th Anniversary as the World’s Choice
for Storm Footage
ARLINGTON, Texas - June 27, 2003 - Prairie Pictures’ StormStock
library, considered the top source for storm footage by TV and
film producers worldwide, is celebrating its 10th anniversary with
an unprecedented storm season.
The StormStock team of photographers has captured a large
collection of exceptional images during the most active tornado
season on record in the US. “We’ve photographed very dramatic,
close-up shots of airborne debris, as well as ethereal,
locked-down wide shots of tornadoes,” says StormStock founder and
photographer Martin Lisius. “Over the years, we’ve shot other
topics as well like storm clouds, hurricanes and hail, but this
has been the season of the tornado. We have the largest and most
diversified tornado footage collection, and still the only
violent-class tornado on 35mm, in the world,” he said.
Over the past 10 years, the library has both expanded and improved
the imagery in its collection. A commitment to higher definition
footage is one of the primary improvements made during this time.
“When StormStock was created in 1993, a broadcast video
acquisition format was more than adequate for most of our client’s
needs,” Lisius said. “However, by 1997 we decided to make 35mm our
primary shooting format in order to be ready for HDTV when it
arrived. Our plan first proved itself when theatrical clients
began calling a few years ago. Now, we’re finally seeing the
much-anticipated increase in HD video requests,” he said.
Even though a commitment to quality is
StormStock’s primary mission, Lisius says there’s a fringe benefit
for those on his team. “Our job allows us an opportunity to
witness nature untouched by man,” he said. “We perform our craft
under a big sky. The light we work with is natural, no tungsten or
halogen. And, the storms we witness are magnificent, especially
the tornadic supercells. Seeing a tornado is an experience like
none other. It is a challenge to capture on film. The motion is
incredible. The most dramatic motion occurs in and around the
tornado itself. Condensation and debris move at surreal speeds
there, motion that is uncommon to most of us. And, there’s the
motion beneath the storm’s base and far above, within the towering
updraft. Everything is spinning counterclockwise, or cyclonically,
around a common center. It is remarkable and beautiful to behold.
Being there, on theprairie, with all of the motion, the
colors, and the sounds surrounding you is like touching the sky
and leaving the bonds of earth for a brief moment.”
And what’s in store for StormStock over the next 10 years? “We’ll
continue to capture the best storms nature can produce on the best
formats technology can deliver, Lisius said. “Our ultimate goal is
to bring as much as possible of what we experience beneath a
dramatic storm to the screen for others to enjoy and appreciate.”
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StormStock is the world’s
premier storm footage library. The StormStock team of
photographers track and capture dramatic weather for licensed use
in film and television productions worldwide. StormStock can be
accessed on-line at
http://www.stormstock.com
Media representatives can access our on-line Media Resource Center
at
http://www.prairiepictures.com/media_resource_center.html to
acquire photographs, and other information for use with this press
release.
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