FX Wizards On Keeping It Real

Danny Cannon, who is credited with creating much of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation's visual style, recently revealed there's more to the show's signature 'CSI shots' than special effects.

The veteran director told the Hollywood Reporter's Debra Kaufman that the gruesome shots, which zoom in and out of the victim's body to reveal details of the wound, are filmed live before being digitally manipulated. "Things always look better if they feel real," he said. "For me, CGI is a tool that should be used within real photography. Otherwise, it feels too animated."

Cannon, who was given the assignment of directing the "Pilot" and has been with the show every since, said the original script wasn't very explicit about the type of shot to use. "In the original script, Anthony [Zuiker] had just done a line of description that said we were inside the body and I thought that was interesting."

The effects team decided to use real blood and gore for the shots because of the high level of realism they provide. Associate producer Brad Tanenbaum: "When you shoot real body pieces with real dripping blood, there's no way a computer can manipulate that to make it look real. That's where we've been successful." When the crew needs a particular body part to bore through, they turn to special effects make-up artist Matthew Mungle. "Matthew has a stock library full of body parts, but there are specific things he has to build every time," Tanenbaum said.

Visual effects supervisor Andrew Orloff told the trade paper that the gory shots aren't there simply for show: they have to serve a storytelling purpose. "It's supposed to be a seamless extension of what's going on through the eyes of the CSI: To take the viewer along on this journey into what they are actually seeing. We're constantly pushing as hard as we can to make it photo-real and keep the camera moves dynamic."

The other major behind-the-scenes component to the show is provided by composer John Keane, who shares many of the FX team's feelings on integrating his work into the plot. "If you pay attention to what I'm composing, you'll notice that I'm using music to help point a finger at someone who may well be innocent or at evidence that means nothing," he told the Hollywood Reporter's Ray Richmond. "The music is always useful for manufacturing red herrings. Part of my job is to create mystery and suspicion just like the writers do."

CSI is well-known for its extended processing sequences, in which the cast members lay out the evidence and carry out tests to look for evidence of blood spatter, gun shot residue, fingerprints, and numerous other clues. These montages rarely have dialogue, which means the music has to help tell the story. "One thing that's unique about CSI is the opportunity we're afforded to actually have the music drive the scenes, because they're often about showing and not telling," Keane said. "There are a lot of times where our music and the visuals are all that's driving the action; that's exciting to be a part of."

To read the complete articles on CSI's behind-the-scenes team, pick up the November 18 issue of the Hollywood Reporter, or read the online version of their CSI feature here. Many thanks to Al Fornos for this!

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