An in-depth conversation with writer/director HERBERT JAMES “JAMIE” WINTERSTERN as we go into the bear’s cage talking tornadoes and the making of SUPERCELL.
Making his feature directorial debut Jamie Winterstern pulls out all the stops in bringing SUPERCELL to life on the big screen. With a very personal story as its foundation (including Jamie actually going out on multiple storm-chasing runs), Jamie looked to a meld of practical in-camera effects, a minimal amount of VFX, and the incorporation of video and imagery from actual stormchasers to deliver incredibly powerful imagery.
Written and directed by Herbert James “Jamie” Winterstern, SUPERCELL boasts a cast that stars Alec Baldwin, Skeet Ulrich, Daniel Diemer, Jordan Kristine Seamon, Johnny Wactor, and in one of her final film roles, Anne Heche.
SYNOPSIS: Baseball-size hail, violent winds, and churning tornadoes make supercells deadly, and when William Brody was a boy, his father – a legendary storm-chaser – was killed by one. Now, the family business belongs to Zane Rogers (Alec Baldwin), a reckless tour operator who sees dollar signs where others see storm clouds. When his destiny arrives in the form of one of the most powerful storms on record, William leaves his mom (Anne Heche) and home behind to team up with his father’s ex-partner, Roy Cameron (Skeet Ulrich), barely surviving a tornado yet determined to chase one of nature’s most terrifying creations: the bear’s cage.
I spoke with Jamie just the day prior to the film’s release in this exclusive interview as he was feeling the nervousness and excitement of the film opening in theatres and on VOD. An interesting and engaging conversation, we discussed, among others:
- his passion for weather-related phenomena, especially lightning and tornadoes;
- the storm-chasing community and storm-chasing;
- the scientific research and accuracy that went into the film from script to screen;
- themes and conceptualization;
- visual approach
- melding practical effects, VFX, and actual stormchaser footage;
- casting;
- working with editor RJ Daniel Hanna and the challenges of pacing and using horizon-line to meld live action with stormchaser footage;
- working with cinematographer Andrew Jeric to develop POV and a visual tonal bandwidth;
- the importance of score and working with composer Corey Wallace;
- shooting in Montana as a substitute for Tornado Alley
- lessons learned as a first-time feature director;
- and more!
TAKE A LISTEN. . .
by debbie elias, exclusive interview 03/16/2023
