Crafting Murder On A Tiny Scale

CSI Files

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CSI: Crime Scene Investigation used season 7 to explore an unusual storyline that required minute attention to detail.

CSI's Miniature Crime Scene Killer, or MCSK, was the show's first season-long recurring storyline. Taking place over five episodes, the MCSK mystery gave fans a chance to try to solve the murders, each of which came with a scale replica of the crime scene. Some critics claimed that the storyline was meant to help CSI compete with ABC's Grey's Anatomy. Executive producer <font color=yellow>Naren Shankar</font> denied the comparison. "We're a true crime procedural; we're a mystery show," he told Calendar Live. "Any kind of season-long arc we generate is not about who you're going to sleep with, or who you're going to choose, or who you're going to drive off into the sunset with…."

The MCSK arc was inspired by the work of <font color=yellow>Frances Glessner Lee</font>, a woman who used dioramas of murder scenes as forensic training tools for the police. The CSI writers met with a forensic scientist to come up with a story and a character that would fit the profile of the MCSK. According to Shankar, the season-long arc was reminiscent of the "mythology stories" from The X-files, which followed the same theme over the course of the season.

A major part of the MCSK story arc was the miniature crime scenes themselves. Crafted by set designer <font color=yellow>Rob Sissman</font>, each crime scene was actually three separate creations. Sissman designed the life-sized set and then created two miniature replicas. The prop that was used by the actors on the show was a half-inch-scale model of the original set. High definition cameras were used to capture close shots of the third model, which was a one-inch-scale. It took Sissman hours to duplicate the details for each scene and he said that the "season was exhausting."

You can read the entire story at Calendar Live.<center></center>
 
I've actually heard of Frances Glesner Lee before. :rolleyes: I've been wondering throught the season why no one made a conection to her. After all, there is a mervellous thing called internet. Crime library is an excellent site.

Poor Rob Sissman! I'm going to send him some flowers and a thank you note. Actually, we should start a petition for him to send him off to the Bahamas to get some much-needed time off. Or Finland. Where they'll never be able to find him.

Nah. I think som flowers will do. :D
 
I think I remember reading a book that was all miniature crime scenes. I don't think it was a true to life version of Frances's work, but it was still fascinating to see how intricate the work was.

I must find out more about her.

ElinWaffle, could you tell me some more about the Crime Library?

And Rob Sissman deserves an Emmy for what he did. They were really fascinating miniatures and I actually found myself focussing more on them rather than the case! LOL
 
ElinWaffle, could you tell me some more about the Crime Library?

Sure can! Crimelibrary

And Rob Sissman deserves an Emmy for what he did. They were really fascinating miniatures and I actually found myself focussing more on them rather than the case! LOL

oh! Yes, and Emmy! How could I forgotten about that! *bangs head against computer* Defiently! He deserves one! I do not even dare to wonder how much physical theraphy he'll need. My mom's a zone therapist (foot therapist as I like to call it) and practises Thai Massage. Two of her customers are both artists (one is a ceramist) and both of them have problems with neck, head and all kinds of jints. Poor Sissman. :(
 
Thanks for the link, ElinWaffle :)

I can imagine him being more than a little sore after all that intricate work!
 
Thanks for the link, ElinWaffle :)

You're very welcome, Drumchik . Wonderful site by the way. Used it a lot for my essay about Columbine. Hope to use it more next semester when I can choose what to write about in English. There's this assignment about famous murderers and forensics.

I can imagine him being more than a little sore after all that intricate work!

God, I would be! Wait...*lamp lights over Elin's head* Heureka! Now I know what to do for woodwork next year! A miniature...I'm obsessed, I know. But it's intressting! :D
 
"Any kind of season-long arc we generate is not about who you're going to sleep with, or who you're going to choose, or who you're going to drive off into the sunset with…."

Someone should tell that to the guys over at NY. *chortle*

Seriously though, the minature killer case has been really interesting, and it's nice to see the continuity fairy working in at least one CSI series...
 
"Any kind of season-long arc we generate is not about who you're going to sleep with, or who you're going to choose, or who you're going to drive off into the sunset with…."
Uhm, wait... GSR? *s*

I've heard of Frances Glessner Lee on Amazon. There's a book (with pictures) there about the mini crime scenes that she made: The Nutshell Studies of Unexplained Death It looks very similar to the mini crime scenes that CSI makes.

I'm not a huge fan of the MCSK story arc but I bow down to Rob Sissman, he did a great job replicating the crime scenes.
 
Thanks for that link, Rissa. I think I'd read the "Dollhouse Murders" before. I shall definitely try and get hold of Frances' book.
 
Someone should tell that to the guys over at NY. *chortle*

Agreed. Or should we say Greys: NY? :D

Seriously though, the minature killer case has been really interesting, and it's nice to see the continuity fairy working in at least one CSI series...

Also I strongly agree on that. I loved the MCSK plot. It's way different from NY and Miami. This is a case that has been bothering them for a long time, especially Grissom. It's complex. It's daring and fresh. Horatio has several nemesises, as do Mac. But, how many episodes did feature them. Walter Resden? One-two eppies?

Another reason why to watch CSI instead of CSI:miami or NY. Resden was smart and somewhat cunning. Natalie is a complete manic nutcase. And still...Natalie is smarter than Resden.

I guess CSI is better at portretaying its killers that the two others. :D

As for the GSR story line, I also agree. But it is closely related to the MCSK seasong-arc. They both complete each other. And rather nicely.

I love it how CSI makes a plot that is intresting and intriguing enought to keep us intrested for an entire season. This far, I haven't seen Miami and NY pull off anything like it.

I so much prefer CSI over the two others. But you've probably known that by now. :lol:
 
As for the GSR story line, I also agree. But it is closely related to the MCSK seasong-arc. They both complete each other. And rather nicely.

That's one of my problems with the finale. None of the other miniature crime scenes had anything to do with GSR. Including it took away from the early intensity of the MCSK. :rolleyes:
 
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