HUNTING GHOSTS FOR ARTE WITH BLACKMAGIC DESIGN

  Reimagining “Discoveries” with Mineworks Film, completed in DaVinci Resolve Studio.

Fremont, CA, USA - Friday, October 31, 2025 - “Haunted” is a new Mineworks Film docuseries for ARTE, commissioned by Saarländischer Rundfunk (SR) and Hessischer Rundfunk (HR). Developed as a fresh take on ARTE’s “Discoveries,” the series shifts from a traditional nature documentary to explore how folklore shapes the present.

“Discussions began in 2022, and what ultimately secured the green light was the series’ unusual concept, breathing new life into the broadcasters ‘Discoveries’ format,” said series’ Director and DP Frank Mirbach.

Principal photography ran from autumn 2023 to summer 2024, with post production in parallel for a late 2024 delivery. “Some shoots, especially in Louisiana and Romania, were postponed due to weather and permit delays. Despite this, post on the first two episodes stayed on track and both are ready for broadcast,” Mirbach noted.

Using the URSA Mini Pro 12K digital film camera and Blackmagic RAW allowed Mineworks Film to keep the crew small without compromising image quality. “The compact camera setup and intuitive controls reduced setup and lighting time considerably. Shooting in 8K Blackmagic RAW struck a balance between flexibility in post (reframing, stabilization) and manageable data size, which was especially important for location heavy documentary production,” said Mirbach.

Production averaged between one and two hours of footage a day, often in remote places. At wrap, the on set DIT cloned media in DaVinci Resolve Studio to two destinations: a SanDisk ProBlade system and a Blackmagic Cloud Store Mini 8TB network storage device. “This workflow ensured both redundancy and immediate availability for the post team,” said Mirbach.

He added, “Our camera originals lived on the Cloud Store Mini, with proxies generated automatically using the Blackmagic Proxy Generator App, and then synced via Blackmagic Cloud to the editors back in Germany. Rough cuts were then assembled in DaVinci Resolve Studio using those proxies and we relinked to the 8K Blackmagic RAW for grading, finishing and delivery once the cut was locked.”

“Day to day, we relied on Blackmagic Cloud Store, Blackmagic Cloud sync, and DaVinci Resolve project sharing,” said Mirbach. “With crews and editors in different places, that combination helped to close the distance. We could pass scenes back and forth, share project files live, and keep feedback loops short while we were still on location.”

The main challenge for the series was the abundance of compelling locations, protagonists, and stories. “So much material, but limited broadcast time,” explained Mirbach. “We refined the story during editing for better pacing and narrative tension, aiming for a more engaging experience. Editing ran largely in parallel with production using Blackmagic Cloud. With footage uploaded and synced daily, the post team could begin assembling scenes even as the crew worked on location.”

This parallel workflow significantly reduced turnaround times and enabled ongoing creative feedback during the shoot. In the editorial process, the main challenges lay in managing multi location media and coordinating feedback across different time zones, both of which were greatly streamlined by Blackmagic Cloud collaboration tools.

One sequence at Slains Castle in Scotland shows how Mineworks Film built mood. “We opened on wide frames of the ruins swallowed by fog and held them longer than comfort allowed,” said Mirbach. “We deliberately withheld dialogue and let the wind and surf carry the scene. Waiting to reveal people or clear narrative cues built unease without a single visual effect.”

Each episode was initially handled by a single editor, Frank Glencairn, who managed the full assembly, syncing, metadata and sound prep. “Tragically, Frank passed away unexpectedly in the middle of post production. Replacing him was extremely difficult. Not only was he an exceptional editor, but also a close friend,” Mirbach reflected.

From the middle of the Louisiana episode onward, Jonathan Fuß took over and proved to be an outstanding and worthy successor, allowing Mineworks Film to complete the series while honoring Frank’s work and vision. “Project files and media continued to be exchanged through Blackmagic Cloud sync, ensuring continuity and smooth collaboration despite the unexpected transition,” he said.

The Blackmagic Proxy Generator App, DaVinci Resolve Studio’s scene cut detection, and Blackmagic Cloud collaboration features saved substantial 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 sharing project files via the Cloud streamlined collaboration and significantly simplified finishing,” he said.

Each episode’s timeline was versioned and labeled within DaVinci Resolve Studio using color tags and markers. “Rather than relying heavily on traditional VFX, we used AI assisted sequences for certain effects and enhancements,” said Mirbach. “Notes and instructions were shared directly through Resolve’s built in commenting tools, eliminating the need for external spreadsheets or manual tracking.”

The commissioning editors at ARTE, HR, and SR reviewed rough cuts through Resolve, leaving timecoded notes for Mineworks Film. “We then addressed that feedback in Resolve and worked them in without the need for long email threads,” he noted.

Each episode is delivered in 4K UHD (3840x2160) in both graded and textless versions, along with broadcast stereo audio stems. “All color grading and mastering were completed in DaVinci Resolve Studio, maintaining an entirely Blackmagic native pipeline from shoot to delivery,” said Mirbach.

The 43 minute versions of the first two episodes, Dracula’s Transylvanian and Die Bestie von Gévaudan, will be available in the ARTE Mediathek from October 31. A broadcast/streaming date for the 52 minute versions has not been set yet, but it will follow soon.

PRESS PHOTOGRAPHY

Product photos of URSA Mini Pro 12K, Blackmagic Cloud Store Mini 8TB, DaVinci Resolve Studio and all other Blackmagic Design products are available at www.blackmagicdesign.com/media/images

ABOUT BLACKMAGIC DESIGN

Blackmagic Design creates the world’s highest quality video editing products, digital film cameras, color correctors, video converters, video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, waveform monitors and real time film scanners for the feature film, post production and television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability in post production, while the company’s Emmy™ award winning DaVinci color correction products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984. Blackmagic Design continues ground breaking innovations including 6G-SDI and 12G-SDI products and stereoscopic 3D and Ultra HD workflows. Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore and Australia. For more information, please go to www.blackmagicdesign.com

