The cooking show returns! This time another Blue Apron video, and yeah, sure would be really great if they’d start paying me for these. But this isn’t about monetization. It’s about getting better at film stuff and having myself a splendid meal. As a one-man show, and film crew I am also my own craft services on this production.
I’m pretty proud of this latest piece and it’s nice to also share and receive some nice feedback from friends I sent it to. The evidence of skill level rising is clear and apparent since Making Pasta when I started. I’m only on episode four but I feel like I’m getting the hang of things, yet there’s still so much to learn and ways to improve. It sure does take a lot of energy and hours but it’s worth it, and I’m getting a little better each and every time. The lighting looks better. The pacing feels nicer. The color correction isn’t as painful as it once was. The repetition of these tasks makes it easier every time. It’s also worth noting that I feel the struggle and tension to keep learning.
To make extra value out of these I was also thinking I could put some of his food footage on my Shutterstock. Each next step feels painful and overwhelming at first. But once you dive in it gets easier. I also find it interesting how I’m learning. Watching a variety of tutorials, different lengths and different styles of explanations helps. I soak up a lot that way. Then find inspiration of something I want to execute specifically. And then the real learning and ingraining of the skill comes from actually doing the task. (Note to self: I should write more about that later, specifically on how I’m learning After Effects).
Back to the video at hand. There’s a little more comedy in this one, and I think that’s nice. Whenever I can make things funny, it makes me happy. I like making people laugh. My confidence and ideas are starting to grow in front of the camera. Also, these little silly bits are really helpful to use as b roll and drop within the edit. I’m not really an expert chef, so this keeps it light.
The music: I like having a structure here. Something classical to start, something heartfelt and soulful to cook along to, then something with a little mild celebration. This pattern seems to work and I also like how the music during the cooking feels meaningful because cooking is meaningful. It’s soulful and can be relaxing when you’re not making a mess and messing everything up. Or when your so damn hungry you just want to eat raw meat and bread with a banana and call it. For the most part, It’s a fulfilling process.
My focus now again is, how do I take it to the next level? To fix some sound and light issues, my Rode microphone and video lights have arrived and I’m pumped to start using them. (and figure out how to use them right). I also think it needs some graphics. So my plan of action is to start understanding After Effects and get inspired to make something simple and sweet. Something that kicks each episode off with the right energy and consistency. I thought I had a good idea for this…but that didn’t really work out. I was supposed to just bang a few pots and pans and say, “Making meals!” But it turns out that I really underestimated how difficult it would be to make pleasant sounding beats with mixing bowls, colanders, and spoons. I never learned how to play the drums, so dropping in front of a pile of pots and pans was quite a long shot to come away with anything good. Below you’ll see some scraps from that attempt. I wanted a quick 5-second bumper and it turned into a pile of noise and goofiness. I mean, it was kinda fun to play the pots and pans. Haven’t done that since I was about 26.