CSI: Miami look

[Josh Silfen]

I was wondering if anyone was familiar with how they achieve the look of the show CSI: Miami, specifically what units are used to create the hard edges and backlight seen in virtually every close-up. Are these just regular fresnels or something harder and/or more focused (xenons?)?

 

On an unrelated topic, I'm also curious how they shoot the flashback sequences. Are they 35mm that's been degraded somehow in post or possibly another format (16mm or Super8 or some video format)?

 

Thanks for any information.

 

-Josh Silfen

[Chris Keth]

I was wondering if anyone was familiar with how they achieve the look of the show CSI: Miami, specifically what units are used to create the hard edges and backlight seen in virtually every close-up. Are these just regular fresnels or something harder and/or more focused (xenons?)?

 

On an unrelated topic, I'm also curious how they shoot the flashback sequences. Are they 35mm that's been degraded somehow in post or possibly another format (16mm or Super8 or some video format)?

 

Thanks for any information.

 

-Josh Silfen

 

Just looking at it, I see no reason why the fixtures you're talking about couldn't just be standard fresnels.

 

Isn't the whole thing shot on 16mm?

[Luke Prendergast]

It's a Bruckheimer show so anything less than 35mm is highly unlikely. I think Bob Hayes shoots on one of the CSIs; he's around here often.

[Bob Hayes]

I?ve shot motion control and crime scene recreates on CSI. We often use pars to give the hard blown out edges. I try to get lots of reflective surfaces. Curently I'm shootoing the show "Boarding School" on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

[Tim J Durham]

Curently I'm shootoing the show "Boarding School" on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

It's good to be Bob.

 

Speaking of CSI, I read that the DP did an advert for Schneider black frost filters and raved about how they were responsible for the way the daytime exteriors look. Any truth to that?

[Mike Panczenko]

I know that one of the DPs for CSI: Miami shot The Wire last season. His name is Eagle Egillson. Oh man, does he know know how to light women. Just gorgeous stuff.

[Josh Silfen]

I?ve shot motion control and crime scene recreates on CSI. We often use pars to give the hard blown out edges. I try to get lots of reflective surfaces. Curently I'm shootoing the show "Boarding School" on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.

 

Bob,

Thanks for the info. Are the crime scene recreates shot on 35 or something else?

-Josh Silfen

[Bob Hayes]

Each CSI show has its own style. 99.9 percent are shot on 35mm. Very occasionally we shoot high speed video. 4,000 FPS.

[John Mastrogiacomo]

Each CSI show has its own style. 99.9 percent are shot on 35mm. Very occasionally we shoot high speed video. 4,000 FPS.

 

What gear do you use to shoot at 4,000 fps? :huh:

[Bob Hayes]

After looking at my notes I found we shot a Photron camera at 2ooo fps 6000' shutter. The camera records to a laptop. The system can record 4,000 fps with some quality loss.