By Michael Palmrose
Steaming mushrooms can be a little intriguing. Steaming mushrooms in slow motion, high-definition video? Even better. There comes a point in a cook’s life when their gourmet skills are ready for the little screen: YouTube Live, Instagram Live, and Facebook Live. But how do you know when you need to hire a professional videographer?
These are just some things your smartphone can’t capture on its own. It won’t be able to give you those shiny, colorful, juicy pieces of culinary magic your viewers are craving. Hiring a high-quality team for your cooking show isn’t just about giving your viewers quality content - it’s about taking them on a journey.
Benefits to using a professional team for your cooking show
It’s all about showing off those action shots! A wok on flame, a steaming pile of pasta and a pie bubbling with hot blueberries just isn't the same using a consumer camera as it is when you use a professional, HD 3-camera shoot.
Cooking shows are often touted as a form of ASMR, also known as Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. Ever get that satisfying feeling of joy you may get when you watch bread being perfectly cut into even slices, listening to oil sizzle on a hot pan or watching cookies inflate as they bake in the oven? These are just some of the examples of why fans are subscribing by the millions to YouTube’s hottest cooking shows.
Using a professional allows you to focus on the food instead of the video equipment. Let the professionals capture your show using state-of-the-art equipment to give you the best look and feel for your food. It allows you to cook live with your fans so they can follow along without you having to worry about losing the lives tream connection. Imagine being halfway done with your recipe, and you come to find out your camera was off that whole time! Most importantly, don’t forget to hire a videographer who knows how to professionally live stream your cooking show to your social media platforms to give you the biggest bang for your buck and provide you with the furthest reach.
How to get your cooking show onto YouTube
Determine your differentiator. What makes you unique? Make sure this is reflected in your channel description, title and channel name.
Connect with everyone on social. Add social icons to your YouTube channel so people can follow you along on your other social media platforms.
Use recipes that will have the biggest visual impact. Don’t make your viewers feel like they’re watching paint dry. Which recipes will make your food come alive and dance on the screen?
Get the gist. Share a script or outline of your planned episode with your videographer so that they know what to anticipate. Are you best at frying, baking, griddling? Make sure your videographer is aware of these so that they know what to focus on. This will help capture the most enticing action shots.
Enhance the noises. Make sure your videographer knows how to professionally record and enhance sound effects while you’re cooking: Snap, crackle and pop!
Don’t forget the glam. Upgrade your cookware, glassware or other props to ensure that they complement the food nicely. Lighting underneath your glassware and darkening the scene during open flames can really help boost the color of your food and beverages.
Engage with your subscribers. Use them as your “test kitchen” by answering recipe requests or sharing culinary advice.
If your channel ends up growing to over 1,000 subscribers, you are very likely on your way to becoming a full-time YouTube chef. This opens up new avenues of revenue through your channel through ads as well as sponsorships. To help with your culinary show journey, here are our top 5 favorite cooking shows that we’d recommend looking into for inspiration:
Guga Foods
Guga loves meat. That much is obvious. But he also loves cooking. You can hear it in the passionate way he talks about the dishes he cooks and see it in the beautifully crafted slow-motion shots of an A5 Wagyu as it sears to perfection on his charcoal grill.
Alex
Alex, also known as French Guy Cooking, takes a different approach to culinary entertainment. He happily applies the scientific method to the perfect number of layers in a croissant as well as the exact time you need to hard boil an egg for your ramen. His skillful editing will keep you entertained as he diagrams his approach on a blue refrigerator.
Hercules Candy
Hercules Candy takes the exact opposite approach to Alex. There are no fancy edits here. Just long-form videos of the entire process of making a batch of hard candies. The draw with their videos stems from the wonderful personalities of the owners and staff. There is also something deeply soothing and satisfying about watching experts at work.
Bon Appétit
Speaking of experts, the chefs at Bon Appétit have taken cooking shows to the next level. Whether it is professional pastry chef Claire Saffitiz recreating your favorite childhood candy or chef Brad Leone hunting for his next meal in the wild, the production values are there. Great editing, lighting, audio, and video all combine to provide a satisfying blend of culinary entertainment.
Ready to explore what it’s like to have a professional record your cooking show? Fill out the form below for a free quote.