Corey Miller Shares Visual Effects Department's Secrets

CSI: Miami writer Corey Miller recently interviewed Visual Effects Supervisor Larry Detwiler for his online blog.

Detwiler, who started out as a model maker intern at a visual effects company called Introvision, began by explaining what his job on the set of Miami entails. "My job is to design, execute, and deliver the visual effects for the show (with a shoot crew and a team of digital artists)."

Though working with visual effects can be fun (Detwiler gets to go on helicopter rides to shoot material for visual effects) he revealed it also has a downside. "Schedule has always been the biggest challenge in television production," he said. "We deliver 25, hour long shows a year with an average of 30 visual effects shots per episode. That totals 750 shots to be delivered in 10 months time (roughly, 17 a week). Oh, and by the way, they need to pass Bruckheimer standards!"

In addition, Miller has also revealed the last entry of the journal he's been keeping on the set of Miami. In this journal, Miller has provided a closer look at the process of writing and creating an episode, and has offered a sneak peak at the new episode "Fade Out."

In his last two entries, Miller wrote about the neverending evolution of the script. "When we write scripts, we go over and over every line of dialogue until we think it's right," he wrote. "We work to try and get a certain rhythm down, building to the end of the scene, and then try to 'button' each scene with a line or action that propels us out of that scene for maximum effect."

"Action and dialogue have to be wed in such a way that there is a natural flow to the scene," Miller continued. "Some writers get so attached to every single word, thinking the scene won't work any other way, like it's been inscribed on a tablet. That viewpoint is myopic to me, however. You have to almost forget all the time you spent agonizing over getting the action, dialogue, and pacing just right, because once the scene gets to set, it’s a different beast."

Visit Miller's blog to read the complete interview with Detwiler and get a behind the scenes look at the upcoming episode "Fade Out."

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