Mineworks Film's Haunted is a docuseries that brings legends to life through a very different lens and perspective. Series producer and director of photography, Frank Mirbach, offers TVBEurope his insights into the creative and technical decisions of the show
By Contributor
Published: June 24, 2024 Updated: June 25, 2024
Mineworks Film's Haunted is a docuseries that brings legends to life through a very different lens and perspective. Series producer and director of photography, Frank Mirbach, offers TVBEurope his insights into the creative and technical decisions of the show
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin> Mineworks Film's Haunted is a docuseries that brings legends to life through a very different lens and perspective. Series producer and director of photography, Frank Mirbach, offers TVBEurope his insights into the creative and technical decisions of the show
https://www.tvbeurope.com/features/bringing-ancient-legends-to-life-through-the-modern-filmmakers-lens title=Share via Email class=share-email>
Tell us about the series. When and how did you become involved in Haunted? Haunted, currently a working title, was developed by Mineworks Film as a fresh addition to the Discoveries series, broadcast on ARTE, the European culture TV channel. This project sprang from the desire to craft a mini series with a twist on the traditional nature/wildlife programme format. We chose to explore various countries and regions through the lens of spooky legends, which allows us to delve into the local wildlife, nature and culture.
How do you envision the visual style and tone of the docuseries? Given the series' focus on ancient legends and stories from various cultures, we're adopting a cinematic approach. My goal was to visually represent these tales in a way that emphasises perception's role in what we find spooky. We intend to show how the ambience of a location - be it a foggy street under moonlight or the same place bathed in sunshine - can dramatically alter its perceived spookiness.
Talk us through your approach to pre-production planning. Pre-production planning has involved seeking visual inspiration from movies and series, especially older films. We have been testing cameras and lenses and scouting locations while meeting with protagonists to plan shooting as thoroughly as possible. We've already scouted locations in the Loz re area in France, Romania and Louisiana in the US.
As the director, DP, and producer, the primary challenge lies in aligning the artistic vision with budget constraints. At Mineworks Film, our team has embraced the vision for Haunted from the beginning, with production now underway. We've worked closely with the co producers (Hessischer Rundfunk, Saarl ndischer Rundfunk and Arte) and our creative team, incorporating visual examples and discussions to craft the series' desired look and feel.
What are the final deliverables, and how has that influenced your technical choices, i.e., camera formats, resolutions, frame rates, etc.? The series will be delivered to the network in 4K UHD, aligning with our long-standing practice and the intention to distribute internationally. Likewise, we are filming real locations and people and need to work quickly, so our documentary shooting often involves run-and-gun techniques. Consequently, we need more flexibility to stabilise and resize shots in post-production, so we've opted to shoot 8K Blackmagic RAW at Q4 constant quality as a rule.
We have chosen the Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K as our primary camera and Blackmagic's Pocket Cinema Camera 6K for additional coverage, paired with DZO Films Pictor Zoom lenses. This combination was chosen after extensive testing for its ability to capture the series' desired cinematic look and feel, blending modern and vintage lens qualities to achieve the perfect visual aesthetic for the series.
What does your plan for lighting look like? Given the documentary's budgetary and logistical constraints, our lighting strategy prioritises portability without compromising on quality. We've opted for Aputure's Lightstorm series as our main lighting solution, supplemented by Amarans 200D and F21 LED lights, enhancing what light is naturally available.
The lights can also be battery operated at certain power levels, offering flexibility in challenging locations. Additionally, LED lighting is a more power efficient option than traditional tungsten or HMI lighting. Composition will largely be determined by the specifics of each location and moment, taking advantage of natural light through windows, for example.
What problems does the USRA Mini Pro 12K solve for you heading into production on Haunted? The 8K resolution offers two main advantages: visual quality and practicality. The URSA's image output is stunning, producing a beautiful, soft look that is less harsh than other cameras. In terms of practicality, the ergonomics are good, with essential features such as Kelvin, shutter speed and ISO adjustments readily accessible, along with an OLED viewfinder, a handgrip and a monitor. These built in features allow for faster operation without navigating through menus, making the camera's form factor almost ideal for documentary style shooting. Furthermore, the 12K resolution and the seamless integration of Blackmagic RAW files with DaVinci Resolve have significantly enhanced our post-production workflow.
Talk us through your on-set workflow. Our DIT station is typically set up in our hotel rooms on location, requiring equipment that is both lightweight and flexible. After each day of shooting, the footage is backed up redundantly using a MacBook Pro M3 Max, utilising DaVinci Resolve Studio's clone tool. Given the deadlines we are working towards, with the entire series set to deliver befo
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
12/06/2026
Simple Steps to Better Acoustics - Taming The Small Room
Most of us mix in spare rooms and small spaces, where the acoustics fight us at every turn. At Gear...
12/06/2026
Latest addition expands vintage-inspired effects palette
Meris' Ottobit pedal range draws its inspiration from vintage gaming consoles, and the latest a...
12/06/2026
Soundbox-based chamber strings series expanded
Sonora Cinematic have just announced the launch of the second instalment in their Soundbox-based chamber stri...
12/06/2026
With John Daro, DI Colourist at Warner Bros. Water Tower Color Tuesday 23 June, 10am-1pm or 3-6pm
Restar Corporation
Tokyo
Register here
John Daro is the ...
12/06/2026
Meet The Grumpy Onion Ireland's newest online sensation, all he wants is to ...
12/06/2026
RT stays Up All Night with brand new daily 2026 FIFA World Cup Vodcast
Adding to the fun around 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament, RT has launched a brand new d...
11/06/2026
As podcast formats evolve in the streaming era, podcasting needs updated, transp...
11/06/2026
As Spotify's global RADAR program enters its sixth year in Italy, a new class of artists is stepping into the spotlight. Today, we're announcing the six...
11/06/2026
Pride Month is a time for celebration, reflection, and amplifying the diverse stories and perspectives from the LGBTQIA+ community that enrich our world. To hel...
11/06/2026
First in new line of muted string libraries
VSL have just announced the launch of two new string libraries that represent the first two instalments in a new...
11/06/2026
New colour option for 61-key Launchkey MK4
At Superbooth 2025, Novation introduced the Launchkey Mini 37 White and Launchkey 49 White, bringing an additiona...
11/06/2026
Larger, but still compact!
Arturia's popular compact MIDI controller keyboard is now available in a, well, slightly less compact version! The new MiniLa...
11/06/2026
Eurosatory 2026: Rohde & Schwarz shapes the new-generation battlefield Rohde & Schwarz unveils next generation SIGINT/EW and CUAS solutions on uncrewed system...
11/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz unveils NEMACS - Directional, ultra secure connectivity for the ...
11/06/2026
Thursday 11 June 2026
Daisy May Cooper rallies the nation ahead of ICC Women's T20 World CupTurn on cookies to view this content. Go to Privacy options and...
11/06/2026
Summer solstice shows from C il House and Late Date from 9pm on Saturday 20 Jun...
10/06/2026
Get Hands-On with Interfaces & Mic Preamp Brands
If youre after a new interface or preamp, then GearExpo UK is the place to be! Well have a whole host of au...
10/06/2026
November 13-14 2026, The Midway, San Francisco
Following their recent rebranding, MONO Music Conference (formerly Music Expo) have officially announced thei...
10/06/2026
Debut instrument free for limited time
deFORM is the debut release from newly founded developer ebbandflow, and it's being offered as a free download fo...
10/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and TRUMPF advance laser-based drone defense with THORIS LCS Rohde & Schwarz is showcasing THORIS at ILA 2026: A sovereign, end to end counter...
10/06/2026
MAHLE and Rohde & Schwarz develop application for sensor testing of modern drive...
10/06/2026
10 Jun 2026
VEON's Banglalink Brings Every World Cup 2026 Match to Football...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
How to watch every ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 match live on Sky Sports
Where is the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 availabl...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
P RLA brings first-ever Beautifully Clean Oral Care'...
10/06/2026
Wednesday 10 June 2026
Sky reveals pulse-pounding first teaser trailer for upco...
10/06/2026
Wuppertal June 10, 2026
Riedel Artist at the Heart of the 14th World Live Neurovascular ConferenceAt the 14th World Live Neurovascular Conference (WLNC) in Li...
09/06/2026
Last month, Spotify hosted PURE FLOWERS LIVE, a special event celebrating the re...
09/06/2026
Last month, RADAR U.K. artist Skye Newman took the stage in East London for a sp...
09/06/2026
Company to cease operating on 30 June 2026
Australian loudspeaker and amplifier manufacturer Wayne Jones Audio have announced that after much consideration,...
09/06/2026
Increases low-end weight and character
The latest plug-in release from Sheffield-based fedDSP aims to offer an all-in-one solution for users in search of mo...
09/06/2026
Introduces AI Studio Assistant, Moises Studio integration & more
Fender Studio have just announced the launch of a significant update that brings an array o...
09/06/2026
The BBC has found its Hercule Poirot.
After Deadline revealed last month that t...
09/06/2026
Filming to take place in Holmfirth
9th June 2026, London: U&GOLD is heading bac...
09/06/2026
X-Rite Pantone Launches Offset360 to Modernize Color Control Across Existing Pre...
09/06/2026
09 Jun 2026
VEON Appoints Serkan Ozturk as Chief of Staff & Strategy Officer Dubai and New York, June 9, 2026 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a global digital oper...
09/06/2026
Tuesday 9 June 2026
Katie Price: Nothing to Hide, a candid and unfiltered accou...
09/06/2026
Enni Continues to Rely on Arvato Systems - And Will Be Using AEP.EnerS4 Billing Solution
Arvato Systems to implement transformation project for SAP S/4HANA Ut...
09/06/2026
These special programmes will highlight RT 's connection with the Irish diaspora
This year, RT is marking 100 years of public broadcasting in Ireland with...
08/06/2026
At Spotify, our commitment to the LGBTQIA community is year-round. Through GLOW, our global music program, we celebrate and amplify the contributions of queer ...
08/06/2026
Get Hands-on With Keyboard & Synth Brands
GearExpo UK wouldn't be complete without some synth action, and we've got some of the industry's most ...
08/06/2026
50 popular in-ear monitoring system profiles added
The latest update for IK Multimedia's headphone-correction system has just arrived, and introduces ca...
08/06/2026
Manny Marroquin signature cans upgraded with SLAM Technology
The flagship model in Audeze's Manny Marroquin Signature Series has just been treated to an...
08/06/2026
Air domain supremacy redefined - New counter UAS, space solutions and directiona...
08/06/2026
he BBC and BritBox have announced that Edward Bluemel (We Might Regret This, My ...
Mineworks Film's Haunted is a docuseries that brings legends to life through a very different lens and perspective. Series producer and director of photography, Frank Mirbach, offers TVBEurope his insights into the creative and technical decisions of the show
