by FilmInk Staff
Six episode horror series shot over 100 days with full Blackmagic Design production to post workflow.
Blackmagic Design announce that the upcoming web series The Salem Sisters was shot exclusively using Blackmagic PYXIS 6K digital film cameras. The series is also being completed using Blackmagic Cloud and a full DaVinci Resolve Studio workflow for editing, colour correction, VFX and audio post.
The Salem Sisters is a new horror web series, which will air late 2025 on Amazon. It was created by Sean and Taylor King of New Zealand Son Films, one of the most prolific horror filmmaking duos with more than 20 films seen in more than 160 countries on 50 different platforms. Shot over 100 days, the series marks the 18th project the two have shot using Blackmagic Design cameras.
The new series, shot near Chicago, was directed by Taylor, with Sean handling cinematography and post production. Shot in Blackmagic RAW Q1, the two relied on the PYXIS 6K’s full frame sensor to capture the vibrant world of modern day witches and horror.
Sean explained how the PYXIS 6K helped them shoot the series: “We first heard about the PYXIS in April 2024. If we had a wish list for the Pocket Cinema Camera 6K upgrades, it would have included a full frame sensor, professional connectors, and more mounting points. The PYXIS camera has all three of these features.
“I think the biggest surprise would be the balance of the camera. We already loved the colour science and post workflow of Blackmagic, but the camera is small and big at the same time. It feels right for handheld shots, it’s heavy enough on a tripod to be smooth, and light enough on a gimbal and use all day. On any given shoot day, we move between car mounts, gimbals, handhelds, and tripods. All the mounting points on the PYXIS have allowed us to quickly move from one camera support setup to another.”
Dailies and post production were built around a DaVinci Resolve Studio and Blackmagic Cloud workflow. Daily footage was transferred to edit and backup drives and then brought pre synced into DaVinci Resolve Studio.
“As soon as we open the timeline, the proxies start loading to Blackmagic Cloud, and that day’s footage is ready to edit anywhere on any device that supports Resolve. The entire process from uploading the proxies to downloading on another computer is usually less than twenty minutes. We have Resolve on our laptops and iPads, which is really helpful on a series, and we can pull up any previous shoot day on location and playback scenes for reference,” Sean explained.
Blackmagic Cloud has also allowed the filmmakers to use their preferred post production professionals regardless of location. “Our picture editing and sound editing are a thousand miles apart. Everyone is on the same page because any edits or changes are updated across the entire network instantly,” said Sean.
Sean finished by saying: “The PYXIS is a high quality cinema camera, and if you are making feature films or a TV series, it’s hard to beat the price for quality. But the reason we continue to use Blackmagic cameras is the entire workflow. DaVinci Resolve works hand in hand with the Blackmagic RAW footage and now the cloud; the entire ecosystem just works.”
About Blackmagic Design
Blackmagic Design creates the world’s highest quality video editing products, digital film cameras, colour 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 colour 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/au
