How to make food videos

Equipment links, editing process, and finding an aesthetic

I’m moving! While I’m in the process of adding furniture and stocking my pantry, I’m also contemplating how to shoot recipe videos in my new place. Truth is I’m going to stick with what I’ve been using the past couple of years: a microphone boom arm and my cell phone.

filming on a plastic folding table in my old living room

Starting out

Most of my earlier videos from 2023 were shot on a folding table I picked up from Facebook marketplace. I repurposed a microphone boom arm to hold my phone and later added an incandescent light. For closeup shots I stuffed by phone into a mug placed on the table.

The table was set up in my living room, next to a plant stand by a sunny window. A south facing window provided most of the lighting I needed, however, this constrained filming to the daytime. Shorter days in the winter were especially frustrating, waiting for just the right weather window for ideal lighting.

Since then, I’ve acquired more equipment to work on content creation for clients. That said, I still just use my phone and a microphone arm to shoot my own content as @daywithmei on socials.

Photos from the folding table

Finding an aesthetic

When I think about the aesthetic of a social media video, I’m referring to the visual and stylistic elements that create a distinct sense of identity. A strong aesthetic is so recognizable that I can often spot my favorite creators’ work within just a few frames—no audio, no faces needed. By fostering a sense of familiarity, a well-defined aesthetic will appeal to a specific audience and communicate the creator’s values. Visually pleasing videos also signal effort and credibility—our brains are naturally drawn to things that look good. I know my food is simple and that it tastes good, it’s just a question of communicating those two things visually.

My pain point was finding a low-effort method to make my videos look consistent. I recall the era of aggressively styled food blog photos—matching tableware, elaborate flower arrangements, and carefully curated ingredients in the background. As a regular person making recipe videos for fun, that level of production felt overwhelming. It was too much time, too much pressure, and ultimately, not reflective of how I live.

The solution? Symmetry. Making scenes symmetrical doesn’t require any additional time, equipment, or styling. Short-form video is already cooking our attention spans— there’s only so much information we can interpret at once. I believe keeping things visually simple helps folk focus on the voiceover. Our brains are wired to find order and pattern in the world, making symmetrical forms visually pleasing and easy to process.

The video style is also a reflection of my everyday: I use the same plate for most videos, I repeat outfits, and I eat alone most of the time. Other values naturally shape into their own distinct aesthetics—some people have themed dinnerware and place settings to exude maximalist luxury, while others include wide shots of their surroundings to evoke rustic farm life.

My current setup

Equipment

Truth is, I love writing the stories and recipes to accompany each video, but I’m rarely thrilled by the filming step of the process. I’m looking for the path of least resistance— choices that allow me to spend more time on writing, less on manning the camera.

I started with a few goals in mind when choosing what equipment to use, and my setup really hasn’t changed much since I started:

1. Low learning curve

2. Economical

3. Quick to set up

My current setup

I still shoot my videos on a cell phone clipped to a microphone arm, clamped to a table in my living room. I’ve since upgraded from a Lifetime folding table to an IKEA table with sturdier legs.

• Camera: iPhone 13

• Phone Mount: 1/4 Inch Screw Phone Mount ($25, Link)

  • Allows me to slot my phone into tripods and the boom arm. You can definitely find a cheaper alternative for the phone mount, I use the one above since it’s compatible with a camera too ($7, Link to alternative)

• “Tripod”: OnStage Boom Arm ($36, Link) + OnStage Camera Adapter ($15, Link)

  • I use this in place of a traditional tripod for shots over the stove, “hands-and-pans” overhead shots, and of myself.

• Boom Arm with Clamp: InnoGear Boom Arm ($21, Link)

  • I keep this clamped to a table for all overhead shots. It’s sort of redundant since the freestanding boom arm listed above can do the same, I’ve come to appreciate the convenience of not having to move the tripod back and forth.

• Light: NEEWER 18'' Bi-Color Flapjack Light ($159, Link)

  • If you can find space near a bright window the light isn’t necessary. I like that it’s durable, quiet, and doesn’t get hot.

• Light Stand: NEEWER 79" Stainless Steel Light Stand ($52, Link)

• Table: IKEA MELLTORP Table ($60, Link)

  • If you already have a dining table or counter space a separate table is not be necessary.

• Reflector: white foam board from craft store (~$2)

  • A cheap alternative to reflectors. Used for bouncing light back onto the food and reducing red shadows from the bright red wall I film next to.

Editing

I edit all of my videos with Adobe Premiere Pro on a computer, though CapCut, DaVinci Resolve, or Final Cut Pro all have similar functionalities. I’m a one-person operation so simplicity ensures I can focus on sharing my story without getting bogged down by production details. I’m not a professional video editor so you won’t find motion graphics or keyframed sequences in my videos.

I like to plan ahead by jotting down key talking points and a shot list to guide me during filming. Once all the footage is captured, I upload the media files into my editing software. From there, I arrange the clips chronologically on the timeline, trimming the footage down to 1-2 minutes. Lastly, I’ll crop and color grade the clips for consistency.

For voiceovers, I write the script to fit the video’s final duration and record it directly within Premiere Pro. Captions are generated through Premiere Pro’s auto-transcription feature.

I hope this was helpful for anyone who wishes to shoot videos of their own or is curious about the process. I’m a firm believer that quality videos don’t require expensive equipment.

If you have any additional questions drop them in the comments of this post or over on the Ugly Pantry chat!