Netflix's Kingdom: Ashin of the North takes audiences back a few decades from the Kingdom series and tells the revenge origin story of Ashin and the series' zombie antagonists. The show depicts a dark and enigmatic narrative that was perfectly emulated by its cinematographer Nak Seon Go through the ALEXA Mini LF.
The space shown in the Kingdom' series and the space where the story of Ashin unfolds are completely different, so naturally, the image should reflect this dichotomy. If the main story is a fiery genre about the power struggle within the palace, the prequel is an emotional tale about a girl from a small northern village. I put plenty of thought into exhibiting these emotions and focused on the parts that would make the audience sympathize with Ashins feelings, says Go.
Kingdom: Ashin of the North tells the revenge story of Ashin and how she set off the zombie invasion.
To achieve this, the Taxi Driver cinematographer pursued a more realistic approach by preserving the image of the north as much as he could. Unfortunately, this came with many challenges for him and his team. Go reveals, There were many running scenes on rocky mountains, so the actors and the grip team endured a lot. The sequence where the Pajeowi chief rode horses was filmed on reclaimed land, which was muddy. Also, producing clouds of dust that resembled a sandstorm was more difficult than we expected.
Thankfully the ALEXA Mini LF became a handy choice for the show's rough shooting locations. The ALEXA Mini LF supports 4K shooting, is lightweight, and it's the top camera for expressing colors. It was the best option I could use, Go exclaims.
Underexposed shots were also key in delivering an authentic feel to the Korean hit show, mainly lit with candles, torches, and moonlight. Usually, we use lighting devices to mimic fluctuating lights, but we filmed at such a low exposure that the flickers of the actual candles were captured on screen. As we shot extremely dark scenes under the moonlight, we pushed the limits of HDR, says Go, stressing the crucial role of high contrast ratios during production.
The cave scene from Kingdom: Ashin of the North demonstrates the ALEXA Mini LF's high dynamic range.
Known to capture the highest dynamic range among any digital camera to date, the ALEXA Mini LF easily became the most suitable camera for the project. Historical dramas are generally shot in extreme lighting conditions, but I was able to capture great images with the ALEXA Mini LF. It has a much wider range of expression from the darker areas to the highlights, says the veteran filmmaker. In my previous work, I would normally shoot two to two-and-a-half stops underexposed, but now I can go three to three-and-a-half stops, making it possible to shoot a realistic scene with a minimal light source.
DP Nak Seon Go with his crew using ALEXA Mini LF to shoot scenes in the dark with a minimal light source
Much like the lighting, accurate colors were also integral to the shows cinematography. Even against the harsh surrounding, you can see life from the greens of the trees and from the warm portraits of the villagers. The military camp of Chu Pa-jin made the browns of the fallen trees and the grays of the war-burnt wood stand out, elaborates Go, who also made use of the ACES-compatible Mini LF to maintain color consistency from camera to screen. He continues, Before filming, colors were pre-selected to avoid indiscriminate representation of each distinct shade. While on set, we lowered the saturation, used a strong look-up table for the contrast, and adjusted color temperature settings. Finally, for post-production, we worked with Baselight and Dolby Vision HDR.
The Mini LF's color accuracy was also integral in DP Go Nak Seon's decision to use it for the series.
In these times when technology and techniques are quickly evolving, accelerated by the emergence of progressive theater systems and diverse streaming media, filmmakers are pushed to find tools that can keep up. DP Go shares similar sentiments saying, The display environment is rapidly changing, and I think ARRI is responding well. As a cinematographer, I need to capture varying images for each project, and I try to achieve the desired results fast with a ton of help from ARRI cameras and lighting systems.
Kingdom: Ashin of the North is streaming on Netflix.
Related Products ALEXA Mini LF Large format, small camera
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
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...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
06/05/2026
Gravity Media Chief RF Communications Engineer Glenn Willems uses Wisycom RF over Fiber and wireless solutions across major cycling events and international mar...
06/05/2026
A Sennheiser Spectera module is now available in Bitfocus Companion and Buttons, enabling direct integration of Spectera with the two software platforms. The mo...
06/05/2026
Ted Turner, the visionary media entrepreneur whose appetite for disruption helpe...
06/05/2026
Peacock is going all-in on the beautiful game - streaming all 104 FIFA World Cup...
06/05/2026
New pricing tiers for vocal/dialogue restoration tool
NoiseWorks Audio's AI-powered vocal and dialogue processing plug-in is now available in three diff...
06/05/2026
Popular mixing & routing software overhauled
Following a recent public beta test, RME have launched the final release version of the powerful mixing and rou...
06/05/2026
New SOS Video Feature
Focusrites ISA C8X is a milestone product that brings together the companys analogue heritage and their expertise in digital audio. Yo...
06/05/2026
Polands Miecznik-class frigates are part of the largest contract in Polish shipbuilding history. (Image Credit: PGZ Stocznia Wojenna)...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Riedel Communications today announced the expansion of its leadership structure as part of a strategic initiative to strengthen both its operational management ...
06/05/2026
For nearly three decades, Veteran Production Sound Mixer and Five-time Emmy Award Winner Dirk Sciarrotta has helped define the sonic identity of the long-runnin...
06/05/2026
ZEISS CinCraft LensCore: Cinema Lens Looks for Compositing
Brie Clayton May 6, 2026
0 Comments
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a nove...
06/05/2026
Wisycom Solves Extreme RF Challenges Across Miles of Live Action for Gravity Med...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Narrative Entertainment has partnered with Encompass to deliver high-quality subtitling of its Great! network content using the Altitude Intelligence AI assiste...
06/05/2026
SipRadius, widely recognized for making content processing and connectivity secure and seamless, is proud to launch a dramatic new approach to AI content creati...
06/05/2026
When the broadband and media industry gathers at ANGA COM in Cologne from May 19 to 21, Big Blue Marble will be at the forefront. The international broadcast an...
06/05/2026
Cinegy GmbH, a leading developer of software-defined television technology, is proud to exhibit at MPTS for the first time. Visitors to the stand will discover ...
06/05/2026
Val Jeanty Receives 2026 Doris Duke Artist Award Jeanty, a composer, percussionist, and turntablist, is the fourth Berklee recipient of the prestigious award ...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/05/2026
When live cycling races and international marathons stretch for miles across cities and countryside, there is no margin for RF failure in live broadcast. As Chi...
06/05/2026
Oberkochen/Germany, May 5, 2026
ZEISS announces the launch of CinCraft LensCore, a novel solution for creating physically based cinematic lens looks for visual...
06/05/2026
06 May 2026
VEON's Kyivstar Authorized to Resell Starlink for Businesses & ...
06/05/2026
UKTV has secured the exclusive rights to the early back catalogue of iconic Australian drama series Neighbours, following a landmark content deal with Fremantle...
06/05/2026
Wednesday 6 May 2026
Sky commissions feature documentary to mark 10th anniversa...
06/05/2026
Wednesday 6 May 2026
Sky and Formula 1 agree long-term partnership across UK, Ireland and Italy
Sky in the UK & Ireland to remain the home of Formula 1 until ...
06/05/2026
Sky Zero Footprint Fund-backed TV campaign launches nationwide, supported by new...
06/05/2026
Wuppertal May 6, 2026
Riedel Expands Leadership Structure, Appoints Marc Engro...
06/05/2026
SAN JOSE, Calif. - May 6, 2026 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced its latest broadband innovations for ANGA COM 2026, highlighting its vision for a new e...
06/05/2026
Statement from Rupert Murdoch, Chairman Emeritus, Fox Corporation on Ted Turner&...
06/05/2026
Friday 8 May on RT One and RT Player
Meet the NSPCA team caring for and protecting animals in need in this six-part series
Fly on the wall, six-part series...
06/05/2026
The race to build the world's most powerful AI factories demands networking ...
06/05/2026
How changes to proteins can alter drug interactions for new precision therapies Scripps Research team maps how chemical modifications to proteins affect drug bi...
05/05/2026
Experts from the world of academia, tech, business, politics and media convened for a Thomson Talks at the Cambridge Disinformation Summit in April. It's th...
05/05/2026
Three phones were hardwired for power and transmission to the truck; camera feat...
05/05/2026
The creative studio behind campaigns for the NBA, Fanatics Sportsbook & Casino, ...
05/05/2026
Nielsen has announced results from a co-viewing pilot program covering February&...
05/05/2026
viztrick AiDi, an on-device AI solution developed by Nippon TV, delivered global...
05/05/2026
ARRI has announced Omnibar, a battery-powered, IP65-rated multi-color LED linear...
05/05/2026
Imagine Communications has announced that France T l visions is the first broadc...
05/05/2026
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and Bell Media today announced a multiyear agreement to broadcast and stream WNBA games in Canada beginni...
Netflix's Kingdom: Ashin of the North takes audiences back a few decades from the Kingdom series and tells the revenge origin story of Ashin and the series' zombie antagonists. The show depicts a dark and enigmatic narrative that was perfectly emulated by its cinematographer Nak Seon Go through the ALEXA Mini LF.
