ARTE unites horror and art in 'Haunted Places' with solutions from Blackmagic Design

'Haunted Places', the new documentary series from Mineworks Film to ART, published by Saarländischer Rundfunk (SR) and Hessischer Rundfunk (HR), emplea solutions de Blackmagic Design.

The director and cinematographer of the series, Frank Mirbach, highlights that "principal filming took place between fall 2023 and summer 2024, with post-production in parallel for delivery in late 2024. Some filming, especially in Louisiana and Romania, was postponed due to weather and permit delays. Despite this, post-production on the first two episodes continued and both are ready for broadcast."

The use of the digital camera URSA Mini Pro 12K y Blackmagic RAW It allowed Mineworks Film to maintain a small crew without compromising image quality. “The compact camera setup and intuitive controls significantly reduced setup and lighting time. Shooting in 8K Blackmagic RAW struck a balance between flexibility in post-production (reframing, stabilization) and a manageable data size, which was especially important for documentary production with many locations.”

Store the DIT

Production averaged between one and two hours of footage a day, often in remote locations. Upon completion, the set's DIT cloned the media into DaVinci Resolve Studio in two destinations: one system SanDisk ProBlade and a network storage device Blackmagic Cloud Store Mini de 8 TB. “This workflow ensured both redundancy and immediate availability for the post-production team,” says Mirbach.

In addition, he adds that "our camera originals were stored on the Cloud Store Mini, with proxies generated automatically using the Blackmagic Proxy Generator application, and then synced through Blackmagic Cloud with editors in Germany. Rough cuts were then assembled in DaVinci Resolve Studio using those proxies and, once the cut was closed, we linked them back to the 8K Blackmagic RAW for grading, finishing and delivery."

“Day to day, we rely on Blackmagic Cloud Store, Blackmagic Cloud sync, and DaVinci Resolve project sharing," says Mirbach. "With teams and editors in different locations, that combination helped bridge the gap. “We could swap scenes, share live project files, and maintain short feedback loops while still on location.”

The main challenge of the series was abundance of interesting locations, protagonists and stories. “There was a lot of material, but the broadcast time was limited,” explains Mirbach. "We refined the story during editing to improve pacing and narrative tension, with the goal of creating a more engaging experience. Editing was done largely in parallel with production using Blackmagic Cloud. With footage uploaded and synchronized daily, the post-production team could begin cutting scenes even while the crew was working on location."

It is parallel workflow It significantly reduced lead times and allowed for continuous creative feedback during filming. In the editing process, the main challenges were managing media in multiple locations and coordinating feedback across different time zones, which was greatly simplified thanks to Blackmagic Cloud collaboration tools.

A sequence at Slains Castle in Scotland shows how Mineworks Film created the environment. “We opened with wide shots of the ruins shrouded in fog and kept them longer than was comfortable,” says Mirbach. "We deliberately hid dialogue and let the wind and waves carry the scene. Waiting to reveal characters or clear narrative cues created unease without a single visual effect."

Assembly and color grading

Each episode was initially managed by a single editor, Frank Glencairn, who handled the complete editing, synchronization, metadata and sound preparation. "Tragically, Frank passed away unexpectedly in the middle of post-production. Replacing him was extremely difficult. He was not only an exceptional editor, but also a close friend," Mirbach reflects.

Starting in the middle of the Louisiana episode, Jonathan Foot took over and proved to be an exceptional and worthy successor, allowing Mineworks Film to complete the series honoring Frank's work and vision. “Project files and media continued to be exchanged via Blackmagic Cloud sync, ensuring continuity and seamless collaboration despite the unexpected transition,” he says.

The application Blackmagic Proxy Generator, DaVinci Resolve Studio's scene cut detection, and Blackmagic Cloud's collaboration features saved a lot of time. “The automatic proxy workflow kept the offline process fast and stable, while the ability to work natively with Blackmagic RAW files without transcoding and share project files via the cloud streamlined collaboration and significantly simplified finishing,” he says.

The timeline for each episode was versioned and tagged within DaVinci Resolve Studio using tags and color markers. “Rather than relying heavily on traditional visual effects, we used AI-assisted sequences for certain effects and enhancements,” Mirbach said. “Notes and instructions were shared directly through the feedback tools built into Resolve, eliminating the need for external spreadsheets or manual tracking.”

ARTE, HR, and SR editors reviewed the rough cuts through Resolve, leaving timecoded notes for Mineworks Film. “We then address that feedback in Resolve and incorporate it without the need for long email chains,” he says.

Each episode is delivered in 4K UHD (3840x2160) in graduated and textless versions, along with stereo audio tracks for broadcast. “All grading and mastering was completed in DaVinci Resolve Studio, maintaining a fully native Blackmagic workflow from shoot to delivery,” says Mirbach.

The 43-minute versions of the first two episodes, Dracula’s Transylvanian y Die Bestie von Gévaudan, are now available at ARTE Mediathek.