Sean Casey (filmmaker)

Sean C. Casey
Sean Casey in TIV Sean Casey in the TIV
Born	December 28
Nationality	American
Occupation	IMAX film director/producer
Known for	Main cast member on Storm Chasers, IMAX filmmaker
Spouse	Jennifer Casey

Sean C. Casey is an IMAX filmmaker and professional storm chaser who stars in the American documentary reality television series Storm Chasers. Casey is currently working on an IMAX film about chasing tornadoes and had to built the Tornado Intercept Vehicle (TIV) and the Tornado Intercept Vehicle 2 (TIV2) to film from inside of a tornado. His next IMAX film, Tornado Alley, is scheduled to be released in March 2011. Casey has been named one of the 50 best minds of 2008 by Discover Magazine.

Tornado Intercept Vehicles

Main article: Tornado Intercept Vehicle

Sean Casey and the TIV

Sean and the Tornado Intercept Vehicle

TIV2

Tornado Intercept Vehicle 2

Casey has built two mobile armored trucks called Tornado Intercept Vehicles (TIV and TIV2 prospectively) to film from inside the tornadoes he chases with Joshua Wurman and the Doppler on Wheels radar trucks (DOW 2-DOW 7). Construction began on the TIV in 2003 and cost over $80,000. Sean began concept of the TIV after he was locked out of a minivan while a tornado was dangerously close. The windows are bullet resistant polycarbonate at 1.5 inches thick. There's a 7.3 liter Ford Power Stroke turbodiesel under the hood, and the top speed is 65 mph. The TIV weighs in at 8 tons and holds 60 U.S. gallons of fuel. Construction began on TIV2 in September 2007 with help from Great Plains Technology Center in Lawton, Oklahoma after Sean realized he needed to upgrade his vehicle. TIV2 weighs in at 7 tons and is a 4 wheel drive 3 axle vehicle. It stands taller than the original TIV and is capable of going on mud and unpaved roads without the fear of getting stuck. The original TIV has 2 wheel drive and extremely low ground clearance that would cause it to get stuck on unpaved roads. It is powered by a 6.7-liter Cummins turbodiesel engine, modified with propane and water injection to produce 625 horsepower. This gives TIV 2 an estimated top speed of over 100 mph. Fuel capacity is 92 U.S. gallons, giving TIV 2 an approximate range of 750 miles. The body of TIV 2 is constructed of a 1/8-inch steel skin welded over a 2-inch (51 mm) square tubing steel frame. The windows in TIV 2 are all bullet resistant 1 5/8 inch interlayered polycarbonate sheets and tempered glass. TIV 2 also features an IMAX filming turret similar to the one on the original TIV. The original TIV's somewhat cumbersome hydraulic claws were not used on TIV 2 in favor of 4 hydraulic skirts that drop down to deflect wind over the TIV to stabilize it and protect the underside from debris plus 2 stakes that extend down 42 inches. The stakes were so effective that after the first use TIV 2 couldn't retract the stakes and they had to be dug out by hand.

Film and television work

IMAX films

• Amazing Journeys
• Africa: The Serengeti (1994)
• Alaska: Spirit of the Wild (1997)
• Forces of Nature (2004)
• Tornado Alley (March 2011)

Television

Casey appeared in the following television programs:

• Storm Chasers – Season 1 (2007)
• The Science of Storm Chasing (2007)
• Storm Chasers – Season 2 (2008)
• Storm Chasers – Season 3 (2009)
• Storm Chasers – Season 4 (2010)
• The Ellen DeGeneres Show (November 13, 2007)
• Tornado Intercept (2005)
• Marines: Earning the Title (director)
• US Army Rangers (director)
• Entertainment Tonight
• Paula Zahn on CNN
• Good Morning America with Diane Sawyer
• NPR
• The Insider
• MythBusters, Tornado Special (October 13, 2010)

Music videos

Casey directed music videos for the following artists:

• Rilo Kiley
• Violent Femmes

See also

• Storm Chasers
• Doppler On Wheels
• Tornado records
• VORTEX2

External links

• Sean Casey at IMDb
• Official website of Storm Chasers
• Production website of Storm Chasers