CSI - Crime Scene Investigation, Las Vegas.
CSI Las Vegas has been one of the longest running shows on TV spanning 15 years (15 seasons) and in 2015 it was decided to take it off the air. After some debate it was decided to end the series with a 2 hour special episode. I was honored to be asked to design this last show and to meet the challenge of fitting into the production machine that had been running for so long. While the show format was designed as 2 episodes we were essentially making one 2 hour special. The existing CSI sets that were needed for the script were taken from universal studios and rebuilt at another facility. While minor modifications were made to them we had to build a few additional sets as well as modify locations.
The most challenging aspect of the show was primarily having a short time time to figure everything out without a final script, particularly when this type of script is heavy on detail.
The main sets that required the most attention were the Casino and the School, as each had to incorporate redresses and builds for pre and post explosions. Additionally there was a bomb test site, cemetery, mountain cabin set along with location dresses for Bee experiments, a parking garage, Bordello/psychiatrist's house and others.
The most challenging aspect of the show was primarily having a short time time to figure everything out without a final script, particularly when this type of script is heavy on detail.
The main sets that required the most attention were the Casino and the School, as each had to incorporate redresses and builds for pre and post explosions. Additionally there was a bomb test site, cemetery, mountain cabin set along with location dresses for Bee experiments, a parking garage, Bordello/psychiatrist's house and others.
The Casino.
Originally destined to shoot at the Morongo Casino where a previous episode had been shot, it was decided for cost not to travel the company out there to shoot and to make our own casino closer to home. The foundation for this set was found at "Hollywood Park" casino, where there was a disused banquet area that had casino carpeting but little else. Additionally, California casinos are forbidden to have certain gambling elements that exist in Las Vegas ( Roulette, Craps ) so to do a Vegas casino these elements would need to be brought in anyway. While it would be cost prohibitive to create a full on casino the space was designed to cover only the essential action and to give a hint of the previously shot space in its colour, and to utilize existing architecture with some embellishments. The key piece of the set was the cashiers kiosk which had to be built in such a way as to easily be converted from good to bomb damaged.
Space we used to create casino
Key built elements added
8 of these light boxes were made to move into any background gaps in the frame to keep composition vibrant.
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Breakaway endcaps added to ends of slots
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Existing columns were wrapped in mirror with arched details added to hang lights from.
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Set Sketches and renders
Below is a sketchup model of the space showing how colour scheme on the walls and soffits, some dressing and the arched elements and mirrors to be added to existing columns would work to enhance the space.
Rendered with depth of field to show how this would help make our minimal dressing more believable. Particularly how the large light boxes would read.
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Sketchup model and render to show CCTV POV of bomb damage.
Set Photos
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Cashier cage with section removed and damaged section inserted.
Elementary School
Elements clean for school play.
Sketchup sketch of auditorium concept post explosion. Finding an auditorium with space at the front allowed us to make use of folding seating which was key to helping show the physics of the blast. We also used some purchased wooden theater seating to match location so they could be damaged and embedded with shrapnel.
Set Still of destruction. A large area of vinyl flooring was laid over the existing floor to protect it and to incorporate dimensional damage.
Vinyl flooring overlay allowed us to break into it and insert small floorboards to give the point of impact have dimension.
Sketchup model
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flooring break concept
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Cabin
Built interior cabin to match exterior building at Disney Ranch