shooting food with Varicam


I have not shot with a Varicam, nor have I done any professional food spots. But I have seen and studied some very nice food spots.

I can also tell you that with my hvx ( as with most HD cameras), colors are not always true to life, and when you use "Cine" Modes ( in the Matrix) the colors are over saturated with some artifacts.

Start with a clean and low contrast, neutral image to begin with, do the enhancing in post.

So,

1.Get a proper white balance ( I use the zebra fuction and a white card, I overexpose then stop down untill I find where the white stops clipping, that should be your white)

2.Use a neutral gamma setting and neutral matrix setting. (You want the food to look real! and edible!)

4.Shoot everything overcranked ( 30-36p looks elegant with food)

5. Go to this website. http://www.pstechnik.de/en/skater-demo-dvd.php watch all of the videos. Rent a skater, and copy the shots by sebastian kramer.

6.Rent a wide digiprime lens.

7.Oh yeah, use HMI lights if you can.
 
I've done some food photography on local and national spots and the first bit of advice that I can give is don't do anything without an experienced food stylist if you seek the best results. Like stated above, use a good wide-angle lens. Also, if you plan on shooting motion shots, you should shoot at 60p, to avoid jutter, on the varicam, unless you are looking for the low frame rate streaky look. Then you would want to shoot at somewhere between 6fps and 12 fps and slow down the shutter to match the look. If done right it can create an exciting and creative look. I prefer to do moving shots with a jib on a track dolly to get the smoothest performance and most dynamic movement, but there are a ton of great table top options out there today too. Food itself is often rather ugly on camera and does not stand up to studio lights too well, so be prepared to swap out the product quickly and often. Another must is to have a good production quality monitor on hand and a waveform monitor on set. Starting with good levels makes a world of difference. Not sure that I am on board with the HMI statement. HMIs give off a blue tint that often is hard to compensate for and older ones also have a more noticeable flicker. Tungsten lights give a warmer look, which IMHO works better for the product. But that’s a judgment call. That's the best I can come up with off of the top of my head.
 
Thanks Cliff,
any advice on shutter settings when shooting in 60p or 6 and 12fps?
also, is it better to keep contrast and saturation low while shooting, then add where needed in post?
thanks again
 
He is right about flicker while overcranking with the HMIs.( you would have to be careful with the shutter). I just like the daylight temp of the HMIs and they seem to "wrap" around objects nicely. But Its all the DPs choice. A Tungsten light would do just fine, throw a CTB over it and you will get softer daylight temp light.

Also thanks for not bashing my reply!
 
HMIs shouldnt flicker at 60p ( if you use a shutter speed thats divisible by 60, ie 1/120.)

Anyways, use an HD monitor and review your footage to check for flicker if you think it might be an issue.
 
Is 1/120 shutter preffered for shooting food at 60 frames? if not, what might be the smoothest recipe for shooting food with camera movement?
thanks again!
 
Sure, Shoot 60p with a 1/120 shutter (180degree) Review your footage, see what looks good to you as the DP, if you like it, Great. If there is a problem or you dont like it, do it again!

That is the beauty of shooting Digital!

P.s.
Try a speed ramp with the Varicam for fun, It would be a shame to rent a Varicam with out trying it out( I think its the only video camera with variable frame ramping at the touch of a button). Even if you dont use it in the edit, post it on here I would love to see it in action!

Best,

Hunter
 
Sorry for not replying sooner. It's hard to suggest a shutter, without knowing what kind of look you are going for and what frame rate. For 60fps, then a 1/120 shutter would be the standard. I think that Hunter said it best, though. Play around a little. I have had many "happy little accidents" that worked far better than anything I had intended to shoot. It's the great thing about shooting on video and not film, you can see the results right away. Plus without the cost limitations of film, you can roll a lot of tape trying different things and work your way into finding what you are looking for.

I think that in this business, you should always be learning, and taking chances makes for a better shooter in the end. Don't be afraid to make mistakes along the way. Just don't put yourself out of business in the process.
 
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