CSI Miami

[Lor]

Of all the CSI shows spin off, they each have a particular color theme. I am particularly interested in the CSI Miami color theme. Do they actually wait until a very nice clear day e.g. to take the shot or are most of those very nice shots (especially color wise) done in post? Do they use any filters, gells, or special lens for those shots? I'm referring to shots that shows very nice landscape and the clear blue skies and water, sometimes with the actor(s) in the frame. I wonder what kind of camera they use. It would be interesting to know what color grading software they use.

Any comments is appreciated.

 

[Tim Joy]

I'm always amazed at what bold choices they make with those super-saturated colors. Every shot is like a rainbow. Totally unrealistic for interior scenes especially, but somehow it works.

I think they shoot on film don't they? Probably a combination of polarizer/ enhancing filters, colorful lighting and pushing the saturation in post.

 

[Lor]

...super-saturated colors..

Yes, that's the word I was looking for to describe those shots. If it was shot with video camera and not film, are they able to push those colors that high?

 

[ProfessorU]

You can crank up the color in camera, which might help.
They shoot with a lot of color in their lights. They mix a lot of color temperatures, too.
Pay attention to the sun in exteriors. Often it's behind ALL the actors in a scene in their closeups.
Almost all of their exterior masters and second unit stuff uses odd-colored grad filters (tobacco, green, etc.), even on panning and moving cameras. I think sometimes they simulate colored grads in post to help tie shots together, too.

 

[Richard J. Johnson]

Miami is nice but It is not THAT colorful. I keep trying to tell my wife this.

 

[Beat Takeshi]

They had a write up in American Cinematographer and they use colored gels in front of the lenses shaped for the scene. The interiors are lit by giant colored gells to get the color reflections on the tables and such.