Vorticity 5 // A Storm Time-lapse Film (4K)

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This series started off back in 2016 and it's hard to believe it's now the fifth film. Time sure flies when you are on the road chasing! Each film seems to have its own character, own style or just a vibe that resonates throughout. Not sure how to explain that or if it makes sense, but it's the feeling I get when I go back to watch them on occasion.

Vorticity 5 took two years to film. Tens of thousands of miles across the central United States, from Montana to the Texas/Mexico border. A few hundred thousand shutter clicks. Loads of McDonalds, Subway and Allsups. The most epic, cheap motels. And countless, stunning storms.

This is the first time for any movie of mine where I have tornadoes AND haboobs make appearances. The haboob (dust storm) happened in May of 2022 in southwest Kansas. It was amazing and unexpected. Of all the clips that make up this film, I'm the most proud of that one. It was like my world of chasing in Arizona finally collided with the universe of supercells and tornadoes on the plains.

I hope you enjoy this film. The colors, the storms, the lightning, the twisters and the dust. It's everything I love, everything I am continually awestruck by no matter how long I do this.

Thank you to my workshop guests, commercial clients and friends for helping make this possible. To my Patreon supporters for loving my work and being a part of making it happen.

Thanks to Nat Geo, Canon and Keith Ladzinski for trusting me with the project we filmed together this past spring. I was honored and stoked at everything we saw.

Thanks to one of my best friends Brett Wright on his support and help as always.

It's been a tough year in our family, but we're coming through. I know being away this spring at one point for three and a half weeks because of tours and a Nat Geo/Canon project...it was hard. Incredibly challenging. To not be home, to not be there to help, was brutal. Thank you to Jina for being my partner and the best mom on the planet. We're always better together than apart.

As always, I strive for the best when I make these films. I'm incredibly proud of this one. My confidence in my own forecasting has continued to grow the last two years and I'm thoroughly thrilled with the storms I was able to photograph. I work relentlessly at positioning, timing and capturing. Knowing when to bail on a storm, when to jump on another, and when to take risks. A few chases in this movie were days I took a chance on secondary targets and ended up seeing tornadoes. There were also days I chose the wrong storm. It's part of chasing. And I'm learning to better weather those ups and downs (pun intended).

I hope you enjoy this film! The soundtrack is fantastic, the work of David A. Molina and his Dream Man soundtrack over on The Musicbed. I used portions of three songs to create one long track and I'm thrilled with the outcome.

The footage was photographed entirely on Canon 5DSRs and various Canon lenses. Edited in Lightroom/LR Timelapse, rendered in After Effects and finished in Premiere Pro.

[srusty]

You’re a master of storm Timelapse! I love every one of these!

[talanigreywolf]

My husband recently passed away and this made me think that this must be what Heaven looks like. Thank you

[PepperQ]

1:38 that is terrifying but beautiful. it doesn't even look like a storm- more like a vortex to another dimension or something

[pedromarquez]

No words... So many feelings... I mean, Mike, it is pure art. You, your family and stormchaser friends have to be so proud of your work. Seriously... What a beautiful journey! Congratulations and thank you so much for your sacrifice and will to make this films for your fans : )

[cjuarez]

Apocalyptic! You should win some kind of film award for these amazing captures!

[jaltersmusic]

Awe•some: extremely impressive or daunting; inspiring great admiration, apprehension, or fear.

[markmcarthy]

This is what chasing your passion looks like on an expert level-thanks Mike!

[civicsimohd]

The quality, sharpness, the beauty’s captures and amazing level of editing skills (colors -song etc .. 👏🏻👏🏻

[ld]

There really are no words to describe the beauty of what you do. Your work is truly that of an artist…your use of color, the proportion of sky to ground, the dramatic changes. What a masterpiece. It shows how much you love what you do. Thank you for sharing with us. ❤

[MADZIA]

*WOW! Mother Nature Is Deadly Beautiful In Her Power*
*Next Gorgeous Compilation Mike! Bravo!* 👏🤩

[t.regnerus]

You deserve more recognition for your hard work. Beautiful time lapse videography.

[craigcurlee]

I think every year I say "this is you best yet!!" and then you outdo the year before!! The colors is some of these storms where just amazing!! Your hard work always pays off!!

[ugnbugn]

By sheer coincidence I've lately been working my way once again through your earlier works, of which I never tire. But just when I might be tempted to think that you've covered all angles of the storm phenomenon along comes Vorticity 5 and completely knocks my socks off! The number and variance in new perspectives in this film are astonishing. You highlight the incredible 'uniqueness' of every storm, showcasing the explosive fluidity of our atmosphere, and the other-worldliness it can reveal (such as that starting at ~10:18). Your wonderful family must be very proud of you Mike; you are the true master of this art! Thank you so much for sharing it with the rest of the world.

[LaramidiaWX]

Another absolute banger! Thank you, Mike, for all the time you spend chasing, filming and editing so we can all enjoy this distilled wonder.

[horsesby]

Absolutely Gorgeous cloud formations 🤩 such a pleasure to watch. Thank you so much for sharing 👏👏

[stormrunnermedia]

I will never get over that may 25th storm. So glad you captured something as high of quality as it actually looked in the moment. Unreal storm, unreal talent.

[Brock]

Incredible once again, Mike! All the colors, the super smooth movement of clouds, the epicness.. My dream is to make such video in my country

[lovehorrors]

Beautiful thunderstorms and storms. Continue in the same spirit

[filippetrzilekWX]

This is again a plot twist and an absolutely breathtaking film, master! Thanks Mike! 😍🙏

[DutchThackers]

Wow amazing! I loved the mammatus clouds at the end. Never seen anything like that before.