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
09/11/2025
Dalet today announced a transformative leap forward for media operations: Agentic Artificial Intelligence (AI) that unifies the Dalet ecosystem under one natura...
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
17/09/2025
Transatlantic collaboration combines experience and agility to drive innovation in network design and delivery
Luxembourg, September 16, 2025 - SES, a leading ...
16/09/2025
Hace una d cada, la m sica latina representaba apenas el 8% de las reproducciones globales en Spotify. Hoy, constituye m s de una cuarta parte (27%) de toda la ...
16/09/2025
A decade ago, Latin music made up just 8% of global Spotify streams. Today, it a...
16/09/2025
Spotify is expanding our video lineup with a new partnership with Zoo 55, part of ITV Studios. For the first time, acclaimed content from ITV Studios is landing...
16/09/2025
Calrec has strengthened its collaboration with audio metering expert RTW by integrating RTW's new TMxCore metering platform across its full range of Argo IP...
16/09/2025
Leading space solutions company will use optical ground stations to deliver faster, more secure data from space
Luxembourg, September 15, 2025 - SES, a leading...
16/09/2025
Comscore Unveils The Scoreboard: An Interactive Destination Surfacing Consumer B...
15/09/2025
Global K-Pop sensation aespa is redefining what it means to be rich with the r...
15/09/2025
Every day, millions of people around the world turn to Spotify to enjoy the audi...
15/09/2025
After months of intensive planning and implementation, Brembo SGL Carbon Ceramic...
15/09/2025
Unique sports content orchestration platform builds momentum among SES's cus...
15/09/2025
-- Opens door to growth in renewable energy New Delhi, India - 15th September -- Global business and industry leaders from around the world are joining technol...
13/09/2025
Harmonic's Software-Based XOS Advanced Media Processor Provides Unparalleled Efficiency and Unlocks New Business Models SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sept. 13, 2025 -...
12/09/2025
For fans, we know how important it is to stay plugged into music culture and dis...
12/09/2025
Link ping, Sweden and Shipley, United Kingdom, September 12, 2025 - Agama, the expert in video observability and analytics for service quality and customer expe...
12/09/2025
Feature-length retrospective from Studio Crook to air in 2026
Sir David Jason returns to the nation's favourite comedy channel, U&GOLD, for Open All Hours:...
12/09/2025
Friday 12 September 2025
The Boomtown Rats, Nyah Grace, Soweto Kinch, Royal Ballet and Madness also announced to perform at the ceremony on Tuesday
Sky today ...
12/09/2025
Wuppertal September 12, 2025
Riedel Unveils Ultra-Light Bolero Mini Wireless Intercom BeltpackAt IBC2025 in Amsterdam, Riedel Communications unveiled Bolero M...
12/09/2025
Wuppertal September 12, 2025
Riedel Communications Acquires hi human interfaceRiedel Communications today announced the acquisition of hi human interface fro...
12/09/2025
CORE+ virtually removes distortion, setting a new standard for church sound and giving worship teams the clarity and confidence they need.
Read the full artic...
12/09/2025
The Late Late Show is back with a bang after the summer break, and Patrick Kielt...
12/09/2025
The World Athletics Championships, Ireland v France in the Women's Rugby World Cup quarter-final, the Irish Champions Festival, and two Sports Direct Men...
12/09/2025
The Records Show starts Sunday at 6.30pm on RT One and RT Player.
Katie Hanno...
11/09/2025
RADAR, Spotify's program for emerging talent, recently hit a major milestone...
11/09/2025
Link ping, Sweden, September 11, 2025 - Agama, the expert in video observability & analytics for service quality and customer experience, announced today the la...
11/09/2025
Under the USD 89.6 Million award, SES Space & Defense will provide global commer...
11/09/2025
Leading Balkan DTH provider adds capacity to consolidate its m:Sat TV platform at 23.5 degrees East and serve more customers across the region
Luxembourg, 11 S...
11/09/2025
UKTV's free streaming service U launches on Sky Q
Free streaming service U has launched on Sky Q in the UK, UKTV and Sky confirm today, expanding the footp...
11/09/2025
From the discreet 2061 lavaliers to 4099 and 4011 mics, the setup delivered clean, natural sound in one of the most challenging broadcast environments.
Read th...
11/09/2025
From rugged build quality to natural, detailed sound, the verdict is clear: big performance can come in a very small package.
Read the full review here!...
11/09/2025
Tonight on Prime Time
RT One and RT Player at 9:35pm
Tonight RT Prime Time...
11/09/2025
RT Statement: 2026 Eurovision Song Contest
At the General Assembly of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in July, a number of EBU members raised concerns ...
10/09/2025
Lossless on Spotify Premium is here.
Lossless audio has been one of the most a...
10/09/2025
The Television Will Be Revolutionised Sep 10, 2025
Written by Sunit Kotecha, Director of Delivery and Operations, YouView
2025 marks a century since the f...
10/09/2025
First of Spains F110 frigates get future-ready with Rohde & Schwarz communicatio...
10/09/2025
Harmonic's cOS Platform Supports DOCSIS and Fiber, Enabling Midco to Deliver Reliable Multi-Gigabit Connectivity to Subscribers SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sept. 10,...
10/09/2025
RT brings three days of live radio, live entertainment, live news, live weather, personal appearances, and more
Join RT Radio 1: Morning Ireland, The Oliver ...
09/09/2025
Since 2020, Spotify's RADAR program has been a launchpad for emerging talent...
09/09/2025
In 2020, Spotify launched RADAR with a clear mission: to identify, nurture, and ...
09/09/2025
If you're on BookTok, you know the drill. You scroll, you tap, and suddenly your To Be Read list is overflowing with trending must-reads. Not unlike Spoti...
09/09/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
09/09/2025
Harmonic's VOS360 Ad SaaS Enables Personalized Ad Delivery and Seamless Integration with the Ad Tech Ecosystem SAN JOSE, Calif. - Sept. 9, 2025 - Harmonic ...
09/09/2025
St. Luke's Episcopal Church in New Jersey needed audio that truly connects and they found the answer.
Read the full case study here!...
09/09/2025
From AI-driven sound design to adaptable systems and uncompromising audio quality, the discussion highlights how innovation is shaping the future of performance...
09/09/2025
The conversation covers DPA's natural, uncolored sound, how to choose the right mic for any application and the company's latest innovations including C...
09/09/2025
From the origins of CORE to the latest CORE+ upgrade, the article explores how DPA minimizes distortion, expands dynamic range and ensures clarity at every SPL ...
09/09/2025
September 9 2025, 07:22 (PDT) Dolby Revolutionizes Entertainment on Four Wheels...
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
