Hi, I’m Lee Isaac Chung, the director of “Twisters.” This scene takes place in the middle of the film and is internally labeled T4, meaning the fourth tornado sequence. The characters Kate and Tyler, played by Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell, respectively, are central to this moment. In particular, James Paxton, son of Bill Paxton, makes a brief appearance as a man trying to escape the tornado with his partner. Other cast members in this sequence include Lily Smith, daughter of our writer Mark L. Smith, Samantha Ireland, Aila Grey as the little girl, and Jeff Swearingen as the hapless desk clerk.
Capturing a tornado at night was a key goal for me, inspired by my experiences growing up in tornado alley, where nighttime tornadoes were especially terrifying. The goal was to convey the intense, real-time experience of dealing with a tornado.
Our visual effects expert, Scott Fisher, orchestrated the emotional elements of this scene. For example, the top lid of the Coca-Cola dispenser was intentionally designed to blow away in the wind. Jeff Swearingen was rigged for a dramatic pull-back sequence, transforming into a stuntman who was lifted approximately 60 feet into the air. The trailer crashing into the edge of the pool, accompanied by falling debris, added tension. The shoot was challenging due to the noise and potential danger, but our actors handled it with great professionalism.
The sequence required meticulous set design and destruction. While filming in the pool area, crew members simultaneously dismantled parts of the set to represent the aftermath of the tornado. The motel setting was originally a location with three separate structures. We built additional elements in a horseshoe arrangement, including an office, to facilitate the on-screen destruction.
A highlight of this scene was a dynamic crane shot, expertly executed by our camera operator, Geoff Haley. His technical prowess ensured seamless fluidity and precision throughout this complex sequence.