CSI MIAMI 08 Budget x EPISODE???

[KETCH ROSSi]

Hi guys,

trying to get an idea of the current budget per episode of the seventh season of CSI MIAMI, as I'm currently involved in presenting a similar series based in Dubai, but with the central story based on a Photography LAB instead of a crime Lab and the central character is a Photographer, and not a crime scene investigator.

Shooting style and location scenery have various similarities to the show, tone of gorgeous ladies and such, FX are will be different and not as many, also mostly done during the shooting rater then in post.

Thanks for sharing.

Ciao

[Michael Thornton]

Ketch, the budget for that show mostly goes to talents, and staff now.

You can not compare a long running hit like that to a new one.

You need a line producer to do a real productions budget.

Tek

P. S. I think they also own their gears like color bays, and other equips.

[Finner]

I would think around 10 million + an episode

[KETCH ROSSi]

Ketch, the budget for that show mostly goes to talents, and staff now.

You can not compare a long running hit like that to a new one.

You need a line producer to do a real productions budget.

Tek

P. S. I think they also own their gears like color bays, and other equips.

Tek, you are correct, and I'm not trying to get the info as to make any direct comparisons, this is mostly as for personal reference and curiosity, not only because I do love the show, but because we came to this questioning during my presentation and comparison to the show it self, I already have a budget for the first run of the Mini series and it is far superior to any TV show ever filmed, as each episode, will be shot as a feature film, and it will have the highest number of celebrity cameos ever to be in any show in TV history.

This come to question as they say it probably was double the budget of CSI Miami, and I just had no clue as to the actual budget it self, for the 08 season that is.

Obviously nothing is done till is done, but the prospects are great.

Thanks for the replay.

Hope that some one does know the exact number, I to, Finner was told that the budget was in the ten mil, but that has not been confirmed, and I just would like to know.

I know that I could just have the Executive producer call it in , but didn't fill like waiting till morning.

Ciao

[michael zaletel]

Does anyone know what CSI Miami is shot with? Is it shot on Film or HD?

It happens to be my favorite HD show in terms of style, color and etc. I'm amazed at how much saturation and color they are able to pull off without screwing up the flesh tones and neutrals. No way they are rotoscoping all flesh tones and grays.

I honestly think it will take more than money to achieve a similar look. The entire production staff, props, lighting, camera, grips, direction and talent is an ensemble that comes together once in a blue moon. West Wing had it. LOST used to have it. Even if they spend $5 Million on production, it would probably take anyone else $10 million to match it with the handicap of time and experience. Sure, someone could get close but CSI Miami is truly a work of art and nothing is worse than an insufficient immatation.

Please do not take any offense here. This post is meant to give the CSI crew the credit they deserve not to take away from what your team may be capable of. I can assure you though that it will cost you double to do the same, at least the first year till you assemble the same quality team and work out the bugs.

Sincerely,

-shooter

[Finner]

Hope that some one those know the exact number, I to, Finner was told that the budget was in the ten mil, but that has not been confirmed, and I just would like to know.
Ciao

Hi Ketch

I am just doing a rough estimate at the 10 mil. Even though David Carusso has to be the worst, most cheezy actors of all time the show is still in the top 5 for drammas. Just add a few #'s Carruso probably gets 1-2 mil an episode and then there is all the rest of the cast to pay. Then all the producers double dip as exec prod's getting profit percentage and producers getting a wage. I would think the show could quite easily tip the 10 mil an episode mark. This has very little to do with how much the show actually costs to make though as the #'s sky rocket as a show moves up the ratings and "above the line" people end up digging deeper into the cookie jar.

[KETCH ROSSi]

Shooter, I agree with you 100%, and it is probably my accent that makes people miss understand my point some times.

I intend not to replicate any ones work, not ever, I'm an original creator, and it is because of it that I haven't gone as far and high as I could already have.

I say similar as in the content of the water locations of Miami (well in reality mostly California), vs. the water fronts of new Dubai, the similarity of the younger and more selected models like actors that mostly we see on the series of CSI Miami.

Similar in that of which they mostly play great music, and in surround 5.1.

Similar in that of keeping the series hip, and they always show the glory of the surroundings, as it is one of the main purposes of the show, that of give do glory to Dubai settings.

But I do agree that any imitation of anything in life, even if turns out to be better then the original, will always remain a copy.

ciao

[KETCH ROSSi]

Hi Ketch

I am just doing a rough estimate at the 10 mil. Even though David Carusso has to be the worst, most cheezy actors of all time the show is still in the top 5 for drammas. Just add a few #'s Carruso probably gets 1-2 mil an episode and then there is all the rest of the cast to pay. Then all the producers double dip as exec prod's getting profit percentage and producers getting a wage. I would think the show could quite easily tip the 10 mil an episode mark. This has very little to do with how much the show actually costs to make though as the #'s sky rocket as a show moves up the ratings and "above the line" people end up digging deeper into the cookie jar.

Totally true, Finner, the more money comes in the more money every one wants, this goes no different in any Photo shoot as well, when the same Models are used in repeats.

Also is one of the reasons why I'm trying to get the first part of my Chronicles, to be shot three movies at ones, as of course to keep continuity of the story, and not be left to have to replace a prior character with a different actor, but the main cause is just that, make a deal upfront, as to not let the budget go sky high as soon as the first film makes some money, and many times the Movie might make a big splash, but make no money, and still a sequel will cost a fortune as every one will want more money.

ciao

[michael zaletel]

Hi Ketch:

http://members.aol.com/remiped/csi-miami.htm

You should be able to find budget info there. Sorry for the philosophy earlier. Thanks for being a good sport.

-shooter

[KETCH ROSSi]

Thanks Shooter, and been a good sport is what must be all about among us, at the end of the day each one of us (well most of us) are just replaying each others posts to help.

Ciao

[michael zaletel]

That link is fixed now. ;)

[KETCH ROSSi]

Thanks Shooter,

will read it in the morning.

Ciao

[StephenMurphy]

Does anyone know what CSI Miami is shot with? Is it shot on Film or HD?

It happens to be my favorite HD show in terms of style, color and etc. I'm amazed at how much saturation and color they are able to pull off without screwing up the flesh tones and neutrals. No way they are rotoscoping all flesh tones and grays.


Its shot on 35mm - how is it one of your fav HD shows if its shot on film?

[Matthew Rogers]

Its shot on 35mm - how is it one of your fav HD shows if its shot on film?

I believe he means to watch in HD, not shot in HD.

Matthew

[StephenMurphy]

I believe he means to watch in HD, not shot in HD.

Matthew

ohhhhhh.......

[M Most]

Does anyone know what CSI Miami is shot with? Is it shot on Film or HD?

It happens to be my favorite HD show in terms of style, color and etc. I'm amazed at how much saturation and color they are able to pull off without screwing up the flesh tones and neutrals. No way they are rotoscoping all flesh tones and grays.

It is shot on 35mm film in 3 perf format, same as about 85% of all network dramas. The look is achieved through a combination of creative production design and cinematography, and the skills of a very talented colorist, Mark Wilkins at Technicolor Hollywood.

The budget for an "average" single camera network drama today is somewhere between $2.5 and $3.5 million per episode. I would guess that CSI Miami is a little north of that, probably somewhere between $3 and $4 million, possibly a bit higher but not by much. The cost of a show is driven largely by above the line (actors, producers, directors) costs, construction, locations, and perhaps most of all, whether production can make their schedule. Additional days are very expensive, hence why a show like "X-Files" was notorious for going way over budget by shooting additional days beyond the 8 usually scheduled. There is, by the way, often a difference between a show's "budget" and its "pattern." The budget is what is designated as the cost of creating an episode based on studio averages and estimates of the specific needs of a particular production. The pattern is what the shows actually wind up costing, and it's almost always higher (sometimes considerably higher) than the budget, as it includes actual costs of locations, guest actors, second unit work, and the like. Most episodes of network dramas wind up coming in over budget, but under pattern, provided the producers are sharp and the writers don't get overly ambitious. As reference, the cost of drama pilots (almost always more expensive than the series episodes) today hovers around $5 million. The show generally acknowledged to be the most expensive pilot ever - the pilot for "Lost" - cost a bit over $10 million, but was a two hour show.

[Finner]

The budget for an "average" single camera network drama today is somewhere between $2.5 and $3.5 million per episode. I would guess that CSI Miami is a little north of that, probably somewhere between $3 and $4 million, possibly a bit higher but not by much. The cost of a show is driven largely by above the line (actors, producers, directors) costs, construction, locations, and perhaps most of all, whether production can make their schedule. Additional days are very expensive, hence why a show like "X-Files" was notorious for going way over budget by shooting additional days beyond the 8 usually scheduled.

I worked 2 years on X-files and the show ran 3.5-4.5 mil US an episode in Vancouver with Canadian crew when the Canadian dollar costed .64 cent's US and that was 10 years ago. Heck the last year of friends had each member of the cast earning 1-million an episode and that was a half hour sitcom.


There is, by the way, often a difference between a show's "budget" and its "pattern." The budget is what is designated as the cost of creating an episode based on studio averages and estimates of the specific needs of a particular production. The pattern is what the shows actually wind up costing, and it's almost always higher (sometimes considerably higher) than the budget, as it includes actual costs of locations, guest actors, second unit work, and the like. Most episodes of network dramas wind up coming in over budget, but under pattern, provided the producers are sharp and the writers don't get overly ambitious. As reference, the cost of drama pilots (almost always more expensive than the series episodes) today hovers around $5 million. The show generally acknowledged to be the most expensive pilot ever - the pilot for "Lost" - cost a bit over $10 million, but was a two hour show.

Pilot's are expensive compared to following episodes of the first season of a series. After the first season though if a show has taken off the price per episode rises dramatically as the show pushes limits resulting in higher production costs, actors wages jump way up, bigger more expensive directors are brought in and other "above the line" people on the show pull down way more money. I admited my 10mil was a rough guess and probably more in the 7-10 zone but your numbers mmost are way to low and not accurate.

[Alex Carr]

CSI Miami Shoots every other day somewhere in Downtown Long Beach, 100% 35mm.

[michael zaletel]

Anyone know someone high-up on CSI-Miami production staff? PM me if you do. I'd like to offer to them free use of my Red One for a week as long as I can hang around on set and help with technical issues and file management. Would give them a chance to compare to 35mm without cost or learning curve.

-shooter

[BASSAM MSSALATIE]

as I'm currently involved in presenting a similar series based in Dubai,


If i understand KETCH very will .he is presenting for some Arabic series

Which will be shot in Dubai , am i correct ?

if that is a true , i think most of all calculations has been posted had

Very big Budgets for Arabic series .. it will never coast more than 25 %

of The Lowest Numbers has been posted above .

Iknow them .. They will never pay so much high ..:sad:

[laguun]

5-10 mil, holy cow, i wasnt aware that SUCH budgets are spend i n the US...

... here in germany, the most prestigious series as "tatort" run 500.000-1.500.000.

most employees favorite series right now is btw shot on hd, its "Battlestar Galactica". Steve McNutt, the DoP, does most of the colorcorrection on-set, with the camera.

[M Most]

Pilot's are expensive compared to following episodes of the first season of a series. After the first season though if a show has taken off the price per episode rises dramatically as the show pushes limits resulting in higher production costs, actors wages jump way up, bigger more expensive directors are brought in and other "above the line" people on the show pull down way more money. I admited my 10mil was a rough guess and probably more in the 7-10 zone but your numbers mmost are way to low and not accurate.

Sorry, I only worked in network television, primarily on dramas, for about 25 years, so I guess I don't know what I'm talking about. I'm comparing the show in question to shows I did work on in recent years, which would include Ally McBeal, The Practice, Without a Trace, Veronica Mars, Boston Public, Boston Legal, and others I won't go into. The sitcom you mention was a singular, unique case of a show that the network could not afford to lose, and that the producing studio knew had a huge future in syndication. No drama is in that category, including CSI Miami. X-Files was a case of an out of control production that was given a blank check by the network and exceeded it. Nobody today gets away with what they got away with. There is no financial model that would let a show succeed with a weekly budget of $7 million today without a huge future in syndication - which basically doesn't exist anymore.

I could be a bit wrong. But I don't think I am. However, over the next few days I'll make a few calls and find out.

[Rudi Herbert]

5 million an episode, with the occasional 6 or 6.5 sounds more like it, but except for the marquee shows, those which "define" a network nowadays, like Heroes, House, the original CSI, Lost, 24, you get the idea, I can't see an episode reaching 10 million anymore, especially not for a second tier spinoff like CSI Miami. Don't forget the actors at Friends were making a million each on their last season, after 10 solid years of ratings and a HUGE promise for sindication. With the economy the way it is now, we won't see those numbers for a while, or hopefully, never again, since as both mmost and finner pinted out, the extra money won't get used to add production value, only for above the line padding.

[Noah Kadner]

David Caruso does suck beyond all belief though. here's the hilarious proof:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sarYH0z948

-Noah

[KETCH ROSSi]

Thanks guys for your participation in this thread and for all the reply so far.

Bassam, you are only half correct, as this it is a series which will be shot 90% in Dubai, but it will be an Italo/American production in english, and the budget is actually the highest ever, of any TV series in History.

This is not only to be a TV series which basically it is a CSI in Dubai, were the forensic lab is substituted by a Photography Studio, and the crime scenes by Photo shoot locations and many surprises of which I can not expose as for current NDA agreements, at list till the deal is signed.

This is also to serve the purpose of giving Dubai Global exposure, beyond anything that has ever been done so far, both at a TV level and at a commercial level, as well as a advertising level.

And as I'm sure Bassam, you more then any of us knows, Dubai's Royal family has absolutely no limits to what they can do, and what there are willing to do for Dubai.

The world tallest tower currently @ 1 Billion construction budget is just one of their answers to sorry we can't build a tower that tall, it would cost too much, not to even mention the new islands of the "world" construction budget.

I just hope to be fortunate in off to be able to write a good piece of history in Dubai, and TV with the help of RED and many many others.

For now I'm wishing the best of luck to my friends the 4K Ninjas as they already have been shooting in Dubai, as Evin at NAB was showing me some kick A@%$ imagery of it, and hope that the boys will bring back some more Kick A$#@! imagery for me to see.

Ciao

[BASSAM MSSALATIE]

Bassam, you are only half correct, as this it is a series which will be shot 90% in Dubai, but it will be an Italo/American production in english, and the budget is actually the highest ever, of any TV series in History.


Now i have nothing to say But good luck




Dubai's Royal family has absolutely no limits to what they can do, and what there are willing to do for Dubai.



You are absoloutly right .there is no limitations of thier willing to do

whatever needed to be done for that purpose




I just hope to be fortunate in off to be able to write a good piece of history in Dubai

hope you the Best and successfull mission .inshallah

[KETCH ROSSi]

hope you the Best and successfull mission .inshallah

Yes BASSAM, GOD WILLING!

Ciao

[Friedrich Moser]

David Caruso does suck beyond all belief though. here's the hilarious proof:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sarYH0z948

-Noah

Caruso probably will never be heading for an academy award, but I don't think he writes his dialogues himself. And, well, it's just a character - a character telling you: beware of the police. So, by playing this character in that way, I think, it's okay. I have to add that I am always surprised of the great potential of German actors when brought to the big screen (I am a native German speaker). They quite often make me switch off tv for a book. Is there a "Caruso's law" for bad acting in tv-series?

CSI has got weak stories, no first class actor, crackbrained dialogues - nevertheless it is still my favourite show on tv. why? cause I am totally mad about those pictures. CSI is the proof that we are visual beings. It's about stunning the senses. Isn't that great for a forum like this one? I really appreciate any show brought to us that cares about this human need - be it drama, doc or commercials. We long to be seduced by our senses... and I'd love to see an arabian show/arabian setting of a show here in EU. Keep us informed, Ketch!

Cheers, Fritz

[Eugene]

I used google and found the websites below. It seems that if you want that kind of info, you gotta pay for it. How bad do you want to know?
http://studiosystem.com/
http://www.blssresearch.com/reports/tvpilot.aspx

Williams is a cooler character than Caruso. ( I know this is not the kind of photo lab you are talking about.)
http://www.georgetakei.com/one-hour-photo.jpg

[KETCH ROSSi]

Will do blueandgreen.

Eugene and so for all others as well that have posted links, thanks so much, fun readings, most of it.

Ciao

[M Most]

5 million an episode, with the occasional 6 or 6.5 sounds more like it

Not to resurrect this topic, but I did a bit of research by talking to a friend of mine who is supervising producer on a major network program (the show is on ABC). For this season, the "average" budget for a network drama was anywhere between $2.5 and $3.5 million per episode. Some are higher, of course - "Lost" comes to mind - but the vast majority are in that range. For cable, the budget for a one hour original series is closer to $2 million. In the case of the show he works on, the budget was about $3.2 million this season and will need to be a bit lower for this coming season (closer to $3 million, hopefully below that). As I mentioned previously, this is the "budget" figure, which is not always the exact amount spent on each episode.

[KETCH ROSSi]

Thanks for the info mmost.

This have been the same figures given to me recently, on a network meeting, were we discussed the budgets and what current networks are paying for certain shows.

Dubai, sure looks like that will top all of them no problem, now if I just get the first check we can start shooting.:)

ciao