Howdy! It’s Steve here, your friendly recipe video creator.
If you’re a recipe blogger who is considering outsourcing the production of your recipe videos, you’re probably asking yourself a very important question..
How can you spot the difference between a video creator who is producing merely okay recipe videos, versus a creator who is producing top notch work?
First things first, lets discuss the controversial P word. Yes, I’m talking price!
It’s easy to fall into the temptation of shopping based on price first, and quality second – but unless you are talking about a massive difference in price per video, my recommendation would be to shop based on quality first, and price second. Paying 25% more for a recipe video that’s 200% higher in quality is well worth it!
- Does the lighting look good? Good lighting is absolutely essential for a great video. A small degree of shadows are normal (and even important for giving the food depth), but if you can clearly see a strong shadow being cast by the person’s hands or utensils, that can be a sign that the lighting isn’t ideal. Another characteristic of good lighting is that the colors will look bright AND vivid. You can use a $2 light bulb to make the video look bright, but getting vivid colors requires high CRI bulbs and a bit of finesse.
- Is the footage consistently sharp and in focus? Viewing the video at full size on a PC (rather than on a small phone screen) can help you get a better idea of the visuals. If the focus of a scene bounces back and forth numerous times, that may be a sign that the camera’s autofocus is being used, which is generally undesirable.
- Does the video incorporate both a top down view and a side view? Shooting with two cameras/views is important because it creates visual interest by jumping back and forth between perspectives, and doubles the potential for getting those awesome shots. Some portions of a recipe tend to look best from the top down (mixing ingredients in a large bowl), while others look best from the side (slicing into a cake).
- Does the recipe in the video look like the photos of the recipe shown in the blog post? This comes down to the cooking & baking skills of the person making the recipe in the video, and also to styling (linens, plates & bowls, utensils, backgrounds, etc.)
- Does the video creator do a good job of highlighting key moments during the recipe (cheese pulls, slicing into a layered casserole, etc.) and do they lure the viewer in during the first few seconds with captivating “hero” shots?
- Does the video creator provide the video in multiple formats? One size doesn’t fit all when it comes to video, and ideally you’ll want the video delivered in rectangle, square, and vertical formats for use on the different social media platforms.
- Is the video creator organized and do they consistently meet or beat deadlines for video delivery? The last thing that you want is to invest in a seasonal recipe video, only to receive the video a day after the big day has passed.
I hope this information helps you in your quest for the perfect recipe video creator! My wife and I create recipe videos for ourselves and for others and it’s a passion of mine, so feel free to let me know if you have any other questions! I love this stuff! 👌 You can send me an email here.
We would love to create recipe videos for you! You can learn more about our process and see examples of our work here.
You might also be asking yourself, Why are recipe videos so important for a food blog in the first place? or Which recipes should I make recipe videos for?
