How ‘Twisters’ Destroys a Motel | Anatomy of a Scene

A grungy, empty pool becomes a motel’s greatest asset in this harrowing sequence from “Twisters.” The storm chasers Kate (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and Tyler (Glen Powell) find themselves in a predicament when a tornado descends on a motel and the two must lead a group to safety. They head to the drained pool to stay out of the tornado’s path, along the way dodging debris that includes a soda machine and a trailer. Much of the sequence gives the impression of a one-take shot, although it was stitched from different takes to best incorporate its visual effects. Those effects are a mix of the practical — one stunt performer was whisked 60 feet in the air — and the digital. “I really wanted to film a night tornado,” Chung said, narrating the scene, “because growing up around Tornado Alley, the night tornadoes were always the most frightening.” He said the intent of the scene and shooting it in this frantic, hand-held manner was to create “that subjective feeling of what it’s like to experience a tornado in real time.” Chung said that while filming his cast inside the swimming pool, crew members were destroying the set outside, so as the scene ends and the characters emerge, they are seeing a damaged version of the set they hadn’t seen going in. Read the New York Times review: Subscribe: More from The New York Times Video: ---------- Whether it’s reporting on conflicts abroad and political divisions at home, or covering the latest style trends and scientific developments, New York Times video journalists provide a revealing and unforgettable view of the world. It’s all the news that’s fit to watch.