Fury on Film…and Video

While most were taking cover from one of the worst storms in U.S. history, veteran storm videographer Martin Lisius faced it head on. He was out capturing dramatic footage of Hurricane Katrina as it ripped across the Gulf Coast.

Lisius, who is president of Prairie Pictures, was shooting images for his company’s StormStock collection, a library recognized for disaster footage of hurricanes, tornadoes and lightening storms. StormStock is now offering footage in both high definition and traditional standard definition, 35mm film (which was transferred to HDCAM at Video Post & Transfer in Dallas by colorist Steve Franko).

In order to get shots of the hurricane, Lisius and his team positioned themselves in key points as Katrina came ashore in Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Armed with only a Sony HVR-Z1U and an Arriflex 35-3, Lisius says "We were able to get shots that no one else could. While everyone else got aerials, we were actually down on the ground as the storm was taking place."

According to Lisius, "We were able to capture the usual things like horizontal rain, trees bending over and debris flying through the air and scraping across the ground. But the most amazing scene we encountered was in Moss Point, Mississippi, where we came upon a parking lot that was flooding with storm surge and covering cars. People were stranded inside the hotel there and staring down from the upper floors when a high water rescue team arrived. The team, from the local fire department, battled winds gusting to 110 mph to search each vehicle. It made for some very powerful imagery."

With heavy winds, severe flooding and limited visibility, shooting conditions were less than ideal and certainly posed a challenge for the gear. "We had to put the gear into rain coats- Kata makes a good one for the Z1U," Lisius explains. "Any camcorder will go out very quickly in hurricane conditions, because there are so many buttons. Film cameras hold up better, but still, shooting in a hurricane is almost like shooting under water."

Lisius points out that prior to acquiring the Kata rain gear, the Z1U died on them twice during various shoots due to wet conditions. It was, in each case, later brought back to life with the help of a blow dryer. "I have to give Sony some credit for building something that could be restored," he says.

Though Lisius says he’s been using the Z1U for almost a year and is satisfied, he admits the camera "needs light in the mid-range. It doesn’t like real dark or real bright light, so you have to keep that in mind when you shoot. That’s the Z1U’s biggest shortcoming. The Arri, being a film camera, offers greater latitude. But, the Z1U is nice and light. It’s very ergonomic and easy to use, and it lets you change the acquisition format."

He is not a fan, however, of the camera’s "pseudo-24p mode that sort of emulates 24 or 30 frames per second. If you make fairly quick pans, you can see the strobe and it’s kind of annoying. It’s a little smoother when it’s set to 30. When I shoot in 24p on my Arri, which is true 24p, it’s a lot smoother."

In addition to the gear, there were also personal safety issues to consider. But as pros, Lisius says, "We know where to be and where not to be. We don’t just go out and randomly start to shoot. We plan it out ahead of time so we know where the safest places are to stand." Some of StormStock’s footage has already been aired. Sample clips can be viewed online at www.stormstock.com.