Cook with confidence | VonShef

Project: New product launch

Client: VonShef

Deliverables:

2 × 60s product ads
67 stills

Location: 3 days in the studio.

Moment of the shoot:

Our client having a post lunch siesta

Dead Pixel did:

Creative treatment
Pre-production, scheduling, prop sourcing, set build, casting & food styling
3 days in the studio
Directing & Cinematography
Photography
Edit & grade

The Brief

Returning client Vonshef came to us with a photography and video brief for a new product launch. This time the stars of the show were two very different pan sets: a professional-grade stainless steel collection and a sleek forged aluminium range.

With new products comes a hungry need for content. VonShef wanted a full bank of assets to feed their website, Amazon listings and socials, so everything had to look the part wherever it landed.

The brief? Slick, professional kitchen visuals, with a set, food styling, models to add a lifestyle element, props and super slow mo cinematography all pulling in the same direction.

So we rolled up our sleeves and got cooking, pulling together a production of two 60-second ads and a whole stack of stills.

Pre-Production

We already knew the VonShef team had a soft spot for glossy visuals and a good bit of slow-mo, so including it second time round was a no-brainer.

So, we got stuck into storyboards: one for each product type, packed with moments where the food (and, by extension, the pans) could really sing. Thankfully, VonShef were on board from the off.

Then it was over to our scheduling whizz, Jazz, to work out how on earth we’d squeeze it all into three days. Naturally, she worked her magic. Each shoot day was meticulously mapped out, with the food planned day by day to keep wastage to a minimum (every studio’s must-do!).

Meanwhile, Daisy was busy building a contemporary kitchen set that would make any home cook green with envy. Think marble worktops and splashbacks, gleaming chrome accessories and a sleek, minimalist look. It all came together beautifully.

Every slick product needs a face (or two) to carry the story, and ours had to look like a real couple and seem right at home in the visuals. Casting was down to us, so we went on the hunt for the perfect on-screen couple, and Duncan and Emma ticked every box. The pair stole the show and brought the whole thing to life.

Production

Our customisable kitchen sets were put through their paces on this one. We had a fresh set of doors plus we redesigned the space into a continuous ‘L-shape’ allowing for over 180 degrees of filming.

Days one and two were grouped by food type, covering POV shots, full-range shots and in-kitchen cooking. Day three was all about the super slow-mo.

It wouldn’t be a Dead Pixel shoot without a couple of clamps for a point of view shot. First up, an in-oven shot, followed by an in-dishwasher shot, which we’d never attempted before. We’re chuffed to bits with how both turned out.

All the super slow-mo was handled by Cal on the Freelfly Ember at 800 frames per second (32 times slower than real life), and when he suggested a flaming pan shot, the lads all got a little over-excited. Had Studio Manager Daisy been around, we’re pretty sure it never would’ve happened. But with a generous splash of lighter fluid, they cracked on anyway, and even Daisy agrees the result was worth the risk.

And all of this while grabbing stills at the same time! It might sound chaotic, but we promise it was planned to perfection. In fact, our client was so happy and relaxed with how smoothly it all ran that he even nodded off at lunchtime. We’ll take that as the ultimate compliment and we have since introduced a compulsory lunchtime siesta on set.

Post-Production & Results

With all the footage and stills in the bag, it was over to Kate to turn it into two beautiful ads.

Within a couple of days, the ads were signed off, and just a couple of weeks later the new products were live on the Vonhaus website. It just goes to show that a solid idea, slick storyboards, cohesive set design, well-planned scheduling and a sharp edit to pull it all together make for a smooth process for us and the client alike.

The two ads now sit proudly on the Vonhaus website, promoting the new pan sets, and we think they look dope.