Santa Barbara, Calif. - Iconix Video, a developer of high-definition camera systems and maker of the smallest professional quality HD video camera, has announced the use of the Iconix HD-RH1 camera on the hit television show, "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation."
The camera was utilized in one of the series' most highly anticipated episodes, "Monster in the Box," which aired on CBS on February 15, 2007.
One of CSI's main storylines this season features a possible serial killer who leaves behind miniature models that are exact replicas of murder scenes. In "Monster in the Box," lead character Gil Grissom, played byWilliam Petersen, returns from a long sabbatical to open a box that had been sitting on his desk for more than four months.
Finding one of the serial killer's replicas inside, a long tracking shot, made possible by the Iconix HD-RH1 camera, takes the viewer seemingly from inside the miniature, looking up at Grissom as he carries it down a hallway and through CSI headquarters.
Featuring a camera head about the size of a golf ball, and weighing two ounces, the remote head system of the Iconix HD-RH1 can keep pace with larger HD video cameras, yet offers 35 different format and frame rate combinations.
According to Michael Slovis, director of photography for "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," there was no other way to complete the shot within the production timeframe and budget, and the Iconix offered such high-quality data that it was indiscernible from footage shot on film. Used as the background plate for a composite shot, the Iconix HD-RH1 footage, shot at 24p, blended seamlessly with the rest of the show, which was shot on 3-perf Panavision film.
The foreground element, the miniature crime scene sent to Grissom, was shot separately by the CSI visual effects unit, which integrated the two elements during postproduction.
"We were wracking our brains on how to get this shot, and the Iconix offered the perfect solution," says Michael Slovis, director of photography for "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." "The assignability of the camera allowed us to shoot everything at 24p and record it onto a D5 deck. Frame for frame, we had a perfect match. Now that I know how well the Iconix works, I consider it a part of my arsenal."
The HD-RH1 system can capture and output video in both NTSC and PAL formats in all HD resolutions, including 720p, 1080i, and 1080p while supporting frame rates of 24, 25, 30, 50, and 60 frames-per-second (fps).
Outputs include HD-SDI (SMPTE 292M) as two single-link 4:2:2, or dual-link 4:4:4 RGB/YCbCr; DVI-I; and analog outputs, with genlocking capability to tri-level sync. Remote control protocols are available over RS-232 or 9-pin DSUB connectors. Power requirements are30W at 12VDC.