Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1530856
not seen his entire film until we returned to Los Angeles. We were scheduled to have two weeks off, but I decided to return a bit early because I knew that the minute we were back, we'd be in high gear. Strike or no strike, the release date was July 19, 2024—that wasn't going to change. So we had to work with a certain degree of tech- nical and creative efficiency to deliver to the visual effects department the resources they needed, and yet keep the editing room in a space where Isaac and I could close the door and be able to work on the things that we really wanted to work on. CineMontage: How were you able to balance the epic and intimate aspects of the film? Shropshire: This one was challenging because I knew that in order to tell the full story of "Twisters," it would involve character development. Sometimes we would be asking the audience for the grace of recognizing that. Yes, we're going to put you through this thrilling roller coaster ride, but there are going to be moments where we're going up the roller coaster to get to that height before zooming down. But sometimes people get impatient with the amount of time it takes us to get them to the top. It's always that dance, and ultimately, it takes a lot of trial and error—putting it in front of people you trust to tell you what they're feeling. CineMontage: How many screenings did you have, and what did they reveal? Shropshire: About two and a half weeks before we finished shooting, we had to return to Los Angeles without completing the entire film. So, you ask yourself, 'What really is a director's cut without the whole film?' Despite that, between the editor's cut and showing the cut to the studio, we began bringing in our crew to gather feedback. We also held a friends-and-family screening with a mix of industry profession- als—people who can give really valuable, filmmaker-friendly feedback—and non-in- dustry folk who simply love movies. The good news from those screenings was that people really connected with the characters. I was concerned about the mo- ment when we finally slowed down enough for Kate to go home. I wondered if the audi- ence would have the patience to take that pause amidst the otherwise nonstop action and spend some time getting to know her. During our preview screenings, it turned out that people actually liked that section and really connected with that moment. What we realized was that the audience didn't need as much information about Kate at the beginning, after the initial tornado. When we bring you back into her life five years later, they understood where she was emotionally, which was great because it allowed us to pull some stuff back. The other concern we had—whether the science in the film would bog people down or confuse them—turned out to be a relief. When you're making a film about tornadoes, you have to incorporate a certain degree of science, and we worried it might be an issue. People had no trouble understanding it. CineMontage: Let's talk a bit about what distinguishes the different characteristics of all six tornadoes seen in the film. You waste no time getting to the first tornado. Shropshire: The first tornado that hits the overpass had to be the catalyst that upended Kate's world, not only altering the course of her life but also taking the lives of several close friends, which sets off a chain of events that would redefine her path in profound and unexpected ways. The second tornado brings Kate back home reluctantly. It is her re-entry into what she has been hiding from and she just isn't emotionally ready. Even though everyone around her is storm chasing- H e r f r i e n d J a v i ( A n t h o n y R a m o s ) i s b u sy ga t h e r i n g re s e a rc h , w h i l e h e r rival, tornado-wrangling YouTuber Tyler (Glenn Powell), is focused on capturing the perfect footage. By the end of the third tornado when the twin tornadoes split off, the growing conflict between teams is in full gear. CineMontage: Tell us about tornado four, the "rodeo tornado." Typically, you don't see night footage of tornadoes, whether real or in films. S h ro p s h i re : T h e r o d e o t o r n a d o i s incredible because it taps into the fear of the unseen. Isaac and I often talked about "Jaws" that sense of something lurking underwater that you can't see until it's too late. Isaac recalls growing up in Arkansas where the scariest tornadoes were the ones at night because you simply couldn't see them. T h e f i f t h t o r n a d o f i n a l l y s h o w s K a t e r e d i s c o v e r i n g h e r w o n d e r f o r tornado chasing. Tornado Six sets off a domino effect, tearing through the town and igniting a ref inery f ire. In many ways, this f ilm plays out like a monster movie, with the f i n a l to r n a d o — n i c k n a m e d " F ra n k e n - stein"—mirroring the monster movie being shown at the local theater. CineMontage: You mentioned the delay due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, a release date that couldn't be moved, and the huge amount of visual effects turnovers for Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). Can you talk about your visual effects editor Warren Hickman's role in helping with temps when it was time to show a cut to Isaac or the studio before final shots were delivered? Teri: Warren was incredible. He joined us about a week after we arrived in Okla- homa City and immediately got to work, creating visceral visual effects, keying green screens, blue screens, and everything in between. He provided us with as much temp visual information as possible, which was crucial for guiding the first and second units on what they needed to capture. He even created a special bin for me called 'Teri-nadoes" filled with lightning and other effects that I could easily drop into a shot when needed. He was excellent at communicating 43 W I N T E R Q 4 I S S U E F E A T U R E SEE PAGE 61 'The rodeo tornado taps into fear of the unseen.'