Penning for prime time

By Lynn Taylor Rick, Journal Staff Writer | Saturday, September 30, 2006

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Brian Davidson always wanted to be a director. Then, he discovered he had a knack for writing.

That knack has taken the 1986 Rapid City Central High School graduate all the way to the most-watched television series in the world.

And on Oct. 16, viewers can tune in to that series, “CSI: Miami” to watch an episode co-written by Davidson.

As story editor of the CBS hit, Davidson not only writes episodes but works closely with the cast and crew. That’s the difference between television writers and film writers. It’s not uncommon for a film writer to be banned from a set during shooting. In television, and particularly in “CSI: Miami,” writers are encouraged to get involved, Davidson said.

“In television, writers are king,” he said.

Which makes Davidson and his fellow writers kings of the TV world, at least according to a survey by Informa Telecoms and Media. The company named “CSI: Miami” as the No. 1 show in the world in terms of viewer numbers. It comes in ahead of mega-hits “Desperate Housewives” and “Lost.”

Davidson didn’t plan to become a writer. Even as far back as high school, he fancied himself a director. When he and his friend, Tadd Callies, (now also a writer in Hollywood), shot short films at Central High, Davidson was always the director, and Callies served as writer.

Over time, however, Davidson began to feel a pull toward writing, sometimes for practical reasons. “During that time, I started to do freelance writing just to pay the bills.”

After a brief stint working for comic book legend Stan Lee, Davidson decided to take the leap. He and his family moved to Los Angeles in 1999.

He started by taking grip jobs, handling manual labor on television and film productions. He also worked as a copywriter for Mattel Games for a time.

Eventually, a friend helped him get a job as a script coordinator for a show called “First Monday.” When that show failed, its head writer took Davidson along on his next gig, “CSI: Miami.”

As script coordinator, Davidson served as a sounding board for writers, edited the scripts and generally managed anything to do with the scripts. It’s a demanding job that involves long hours. It doesn’t usually involve writing, but often it’s a stepping stone toward a writing position.

By the second season at “CSI: Miami,” Davidson was asked to help re-write a script. That led to an offer to co-write an entire episode: a storyline where investigators unravel a home invasion.

In season three and four, Davidson wrote episodes, one based on the Scott Peterson case titled “Last Double Jeopardy.”

For season five, executive producer and co-creator Ann Donahue promoted Davidson to story editor, meaning he will have a hand in four or five episodes each season. He’s one of 10 writers on the show.

Although most of the ideas for stories come from producers, Davidson and his fellow writers spend a huge amount of time fleshing out those ideas. “We do a lot of research. I don’t see how this show could have been done without the Internet,” he said.

The show has a coroner on staff as a consultant, who the show’s researchers and writers talk to several times a week.

The writers try to keep the gore level down, but by the very nature of the show, some goulish questions must be answered. “Like what does a body look like if it’s been in a suitcase for 11 months,” Davidson said.

It will be three years before Davidson will be in a position to pitch story ideas. Until then, he can continue to hone his skills as a writer, working alongside the actors and learning everything there is to about television.

He hasn’t given up on the idea of directing someday either. “This is a great training ground,” said Davidson, who is locked into a three-year contract with “CSI: Miami.”

“When you achieve one goal, there’s always another goal after it.”

Contact Lynn Taylor Rick at 394-8414 or lynn.taylorrick@rapidcityjournal.com