7 ways to shoot your own (food) videos at home
Calling all chefs, cafe owners, foodies, late night ‘cupboard fusion’ meal makers - why confine your plates to the kitchen table?
Perhaps your Instagram is already peppered with your food shots, but it’s time to take it one step further with easy home-made videos. Use a DSLR or a phone, it doesn’t matter - what matters is that you share your food beyond your household, and build your online / social audiences. If you’re not already positioning yourself as an authority on food, making & sharing recipe videos and expert advice is a way to;
a) teach your followers how to try something new
b) establish yourself as an online brand in the world of cooking
c) encourage sales / bookings / enquiries for whatever your final product or service may be
d) fuel the creative fire in your belly - time to whet that appetite for ‘making’ and ‘creating’!
Watch these 7 great examples of food videos you can make at home, using different methods and filming techniques, and various levels of editing. This is your Masterchef moment… time to shine!
#1 - Overhead recipe video (Buzzfeed Tasty)
The Godfather of recipe videos on social and a pinnacle of oozing melted cheese and waistband-stretching maeals; cumulatively, I’ve spent more time watching Buzzfeed Tasty recipe videos than actually cooking, but that doesn’t stop me ‘saving’ their videos in the vain hope I might one day give it a go.
Key video ingredients:
Always always always shot overhead - you can get various camera / phone rigs on Amazon
Some close ups, some descriptive text to list ingredients / method (on the social version)
Always start with unctuous close ups of the finished dish before launching into step-by-step guide
I’d previously only ever seen Tasty videos on social, so they have to work as standalone videos - but here it comes with an intro, ingredients list & full method for extra info
There’s music over the top but it autoplays on mute - so it has to be fast and visually interesting…
Cast Iron Paella Recipe by Tasty
#2 - Cookalong / instructional video (Dragon Outdoors)
instructional video (Dragon Outdoors)
From the heart of the Welsh valleys comes this thoroughly nice chap and his penchant for outdoors cooking with great, local ingredients. And he hits 2 audiences - food lovers and nature dwellers. I’d watch this if I was going camping or cooking at home. You will have to source your own ‘plate made out of a log’ though.
Key video ingredients:
Long-form video (30mins) using a mix of hand-held camera and interview style
No music or special effects - just him talking through the ingredients and cooking it
A good example of a basic video with no added effects - he lets the food be ‘the magic’
#3 - How to cook… frozen dumplings (Aaron & Claire’s Korea)
Did you know there are techniques to carefully consider when cooking frozen dumplings? Aside from ordering more than I can eat at my local Asian-fusion restaurant, my knowledge of cooking dumplings was limited - until now! Aaron’s a good example of how you can bring your personality and humour into any video, whatever the topic.
Key video ingredients:
8mins - mid-length - starts with intro, and quickfire shots of the process, before launching into voiceover instructional video on the top of video
Added sound effects / music / emojis / humour - it’s quite fun to watch while you learn something
You wouldn’t think ‘how to cook frozen dumplings’ is something people need to know - but a good example of bringing cooking ‘back to basics’, sharing knowledge, learning new things etc
#4 - Chefs answer your quarantine cooking questions (Buzzfeed Tasty)
A little different to your normal cooking video, but a good option for food experts who want to talk about their passion and share their expertise. It’s super lo-fi and a good way to stop boring your partner about the correct way to sous-vide salmon- your online audience is dying to know instead!
Key video ingredients:
It shows you can use hand-held selfie style video, or set up your phone on a little tripod, and simply answer questions - no Hollywood production required
Really basic to edit with minimal after-effects
Positions you as an expert and encourages interaction with your online audience
#5 - Cookalong cheesecakes (Tom Daley)
Britain’s most wholesome underwater export - also a cooking enthusiast. Who knew?! An easy recipe video from start to end, with minimal edits or fuss. I particularly like his very regular kitchen (I’m guessing the gold medals are slightly out of shot).
Key video ingredients:
The typical ‘standing at the kitchen counter’ cookalong!
No special mics and just one big flash light (I think) - a basic, accessible setup
Talks through how to do it with minimal cuts / edits, which is easier for video newbies to master
#6 - Cookalong breakfast burrito (Joe Wicks)
Okay, another cookalong video - but how could we not include everyone’s favourite ‘bang it in the pan’ broccoli man? Digital P.E. instructor, Cockney geezer and burrito-making expert… it’s Joe Wicks.
Key video ingredients:
Another good example of easy, accessible ‘kitchen counter cookalong’ video
Mix of tripod camera & handheld closeups of food
Includes some ‘life vlogging’ shots of him exploring the setting, which you can also incorporate if it’s relevant
#7 - Bonus video! Here’s one we made earlier…
We’re currently working with an independent company that supports individuals, businesses and organisations in Wales to start and develop their business; we’re providing digital training & marketing advice for the Welsh food industry.
In this video shot & edited on his iPhone in just 1 take, deliberately lo-fi, with only the iPhone microphone and no lighting - Alex shows you how easy it is to make a mobile video in under 4 minutes - this was one of his example videos for our latest training session. Enjoy!
Key video ingredients:
Authentic & real delivery
One take (no stopping, just rolling with it)
Made for Facebook style, business-at-home demo with what you have to hand
Extra extra bonus: Keith Floyd being ahead of the social curve with his ‘one take / anything can happen’ approach
One of the things we love about Keith Floyd is his pioneering approach to ‘live’ TV. If you’re acquainted with his programs, you’ll know his style. But look a little closer and you’ll notice lots of the segments are ‘one take’, doing nothing more than the camera following him whilst he makes food in - sometimes - the craziest of places.
There’s a simple cut from the main section of the video that then shows the final dish - and that’s about it. Today, this sort of video is the exact sort of thing that you can recreate or take inspiration from.
Key video ingredients:
Authentic & real delivery
One/two takes (no stopping, just rolling with it)
Plenty of Keith’s charm and wit
Fire up that cast iron skillet & hit ‘record’ - let’s get sizzling!
Whichever way you approach making your food or recipe video, whether you focus on the food alone or bring in your brand, whether you keep it simple or play around with the edit, use these 7 video examples to inspire you and aid your creativity.
Not a food creator?
It doesn’t matter what your ‘thing is’ - from printing t-shirts to building patios, making coffees to reviewing books - these techniques and examples are applicable to any kind of home-made video. Just get making :-)
Written by: Meg Hodson
