You’ve probably heard the expression you eat with your eyes. Nothing whets an appetite like a delicious looking plate of food. And who hasn’t shot a beautiful meal to post online? When it comes to creating a video starring food, there are a few things to remember.
Food Action
Many of the principles used to capture a mouth-watering food picture also apply to live action. But there’s one very important difference: movement. Food offers endless opportunities to show action. Elements like steam rising from grilled meat, sauces bubbling in a pan and chocolate oozing from a lava cake are very enticing to a viewer.
The actions of cooking are also full of action. Think about the motions of chopping and sautéing. Pancakes are flipped in the air and a whisk is the culinary equivalent of running. All of these movements help tell the story of food.
Manipulate Time
The action in food videos lends itself to time manipulation. Using slow motion when food is being broken down can emphasize the juiciness of a tomato or the precise cuts of a knife. Fire flares are sexy in real time, but slow them down and you have a controlled explosion! Even the slow progress of a drop of water sliding down a ripe peach makes the fruit look extra enticing.
Accelerating footage or jumping through a long process can work to your advantage. With fast motion, a viewer can appreciate the way a cookie expands and browns during baking without having to stare at an oven for fifteen minutes. By the same token, nobody wants to watch bread rise for thirty minutes. But seeing the before and after video evidence is pretty compelling. A process that can a really long time, like making croissants, can be compressed into stages and covered in mere minutes without losing any visual impact. Check out the video we did for Crepe Delicious and how we used some editing magic to make the food come alive.
Lighting and Audio
Video needs light to work, and lights can be hot. Sometimes hot lights and food don’t play well together. The food star needs to be stable in the shooting environment and that can mean using fakes. Food substitutes can make the food look real, while also maintaining its integrity. Depending on what you’re shooting, you may need a food stylist on hand to doctor ice cream or colour “roasted” chicken the perfect hue of brown.
Do you need audio? Videos that feature food, but are covered with music, may not be an issue. But if you want to capture the sizzle of a frying pan, the crunch of chopped lettuce or the whir of a food processor, consider your options. Be prepared to capture the moment, but also be prepared to make that moment happen repeatedly to get the best sound. Sound can also be enhanced in post-production.
Keep it Fresh
Shooting food can be a challenge, but there are ways to make it look great. Take the time to choose the best looking products. Don’t shoot wilted greens or an under-ripe tomato. Make sure the surfaces under and around your food are clean and free of debris. When you zoom in for a close-up, you don’t want the audience to notice the bruise on the apple. Your food is the star, so treat it that way and make it shine.
Let’s Have Lunch!
Call Key West Video today to set up a lunch date. Or dinner. Or even a snack. We love food and we can work with you on your food project so you can feast on the rewards.
