1. TV Crime Drama Conventions
Name of Drama
CSI Grave Danger Volume 1 & 2
Broadcaster –
19th May 2005
Channel 5
Scheduling details
Conventions Characters
Narrative
Mise-en-scene Locations
Sets
Lighting
Costume
William Petersen as Gill Grisson
MargHelgenberger as Catherine Willow
George Eads as Nick Stokes
Gary Dourdan as Warrik Brown
CSI Nick Stokes is kidnapped by a mystery man who
renders him unconscious and locks him in a class box
underground. The CSI team receive a memory stick with a
live video stream to the box. Then they receive a message
demanding a million dollars as ransom for their colleague,
and friend, Nick. Catherine gets the money from her
wealthy father and Will takes it to the criminal desired
location- a rundown farm far out of town. Instead of
returning Nick the kidnapper blows himself up, attempting
to kill Will in the process. The team use their CSI skills to
eventually find Nick, and successfully rescue him.
Locations (Las Vegas)
Car Park (where Nick was taken from)
CSI lab (where the team perform their investigations)
Underground (in Nick’s box)
Casino (where Catherine finds her father)
Abandoned farm (where the criminal blows himself up)
Nursery (where Nick is buried)
Prison (where the kidnappers daughter is serving her
sentence)
Lighting
Whilst Nick was in the coffin there was no natural light,
although there were some lights so the CSI team could see
him in the video stream. Nick shoots the lights out midway through the two part episode, so glow sticks were the
only source of light in the box.
Most of the two part episode was set at night or in the
lab. There were artificial lights in the lab, and whilst they
were outside (at night) car headlights and torch lights
were shone on characters to show their provenance in the
scene.
Costume
The CSI team wore: lab coats, bullet proof vests. The
people in the casino wore: suits. The kidnapper wore a long
jacket, which he lined with explosives. There were also

2. Sound –
Key dialogue
Sound effects
Music
Audiences –
Who is the target audience?
Male/Female
How might they react
differently?
Will it shape their views of
people, issues or events?
Industry –
Marketing & Promoting
Other platforms? (DVD/online)
some police in regular police uniform.
During the underground box scene there was either total
silence, or very hectic thrashing sounds as Nick fought to
escape. The general sound track was quite dull and ominous
to represent the heavy sense of dread that the characters
were feeling.
When they rescue Nick the sound stops just before the
bomb goes off to convey tension in the scene.
Country music played during Nick fitful dream to contrast
with the drama, as well as add a sense of dark comedy.
Miscellaneous sounds:
Crying
Footsteps
Gunfire
Dogs
Explosion
15+
Each gender equally.
Females: may feel greater sympathy for Nick trapped
underground.
Males: Excited by the sense of danger.
People may wish to pursue a career in crime investigation,
thanks to the (fictional) drama of the episode.
CSI is popular as a DVD box set, however it is often
repeated on TV
This particular two part episode was released as a single
episode box set because it was directed by Quentin
Tarantino so people who are fans of Tarantino (but not
necessarily CSI) can own the episode.