Fremont, CA, USA - Following documentary crews around the world, “Destinations of the Damned with Zak Bagans” investigates true tales of paranormal activities and the cursed locations that are haunted by them.

Traveling to more than a dozen different countries throughout the first season, the filmmaking team for Max’s hit series had to be flexible as they adjusted to the different shooting environments, and they needed their kit to be equally travel friendly. As DP Justin Brooks noted, “Size of the gear was important as we had to travel around the world with as small a package as possible. This is where the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro was a no brainer. I knew including that camera was going to allow us a small, versatile package with a fantastic image.

“At the end of the day, image is everything and there’s little to argue about Blackmagic Design’s sensors. I have always loved the color science behind the camera and was confident in its ability to fit our needs. When shooting this style and caliber of show, we need to travel light but not at the expense of quality. With the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro, we never had to make any concessions.”

Capturing the Dark and Doomful

“With ‘Destinations of the Damned,’ we were tasked with creating a high level show with cinematic recreations, all within a super tight timeline. We knew time was limited, as was crew. We would typically go out in the field with five to six people,” Brooks explained.

The Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro’s dual native ISO was a huge added benefit for the series, which shot mostly at night with a relatively small lighting package.

According to Brooks, “Shooting the show almost exclusively at night meant every camera had to be capable of low light shooting. Furthermore, we were often not working with any lighting more powerful than a 60 watt LED Fresnel, so we needed to make that light go a long way. The Pocket’s dual native ISO kept us confident we would always come away with a usable and cinematic image. Due to the paranormal nature of the situations and locations, we would often go into a building with just the Pocket on a gimbal and a flashlight, and those images where oftentimes my favorites from the series.”

“I shoot a lot of documentary and reality television, but this series was extra special. It allowed me to use the talents I carry over from feature film lighting and cinematography and bring them into a doc style show,” he added. “Creative lighting is something I absolutely love and being able to bring that to the doc space was a dream come true.”

Shooting Spectral Sites

Throughout the season, the team investigated paranormal activity across a volcanic eruption site in Colombia, otherworldly portals in Malaysia and Chile, vengeful islands in Singapore and Canada, a haunted Czech castle, an abandoned hotel in the Philippines, a ghostly Canadian roadhouse and an Italian asylum. Each of the haunted sites had its own filming challenges that the team had to adapt to.

“When shooting in these abandoned locations we were often not afforded much room. Keeping a small and light setup was important for maneuvering and safety, as well as getting dynamic and interesting compositions,” explained Brooks. “The small size of the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro made for an excellent rig when following our ghost hunters. It also afforded us a high end cinematic look for the recreations, regardless of location.”

Brooks concluded, “In documentary style shooting, we’re always striving to have the best quality picture with the smallest package possible. For ‘Destinations of the Damned,’ we traveled to more than 13 different countries and really needed a camera package that wouldn’t break our backs while still giving us a stellar quality, cinematic picture. The Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro was a must for me.

“Having Blackmagic Design cameras on my shoots means I know I always have something I can depend on being quick and easy, but most importantly to bring a quality cinematic image. I feel like no matter what the project, I’ll always be carrying a Blackmagic in my kit.”