5 Tips for BETTER Cooking Videos
15 August 2026 · 6:52 watch
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A professional guide for chefs looking to lift their digital media presence, translating culinary skills into polished, engaging video content using pro-filming techniques.
Key takeaways
- Incorporate dynamic camera movement to create a sense of energy and narrative flow in your recipe videos.
- Switch to manual focus controls to prevent the camera from drifting away from the food during close-up shots.
- Apply culinary mise en place to your video production by planning shot lists and organising ingredients beforehand.
- Invest in a dedicated lighting kit to neutralise harsh, erratic kitchen lights and make ingredients look vibrant.
In the modern culinary landscape, a chef's influence often extends far beyond the pass of a physical kitchen. For professional chefs looking to showcase their craft online, translating culinary expertise into high-quality digital content is a vital skill. In this editorial guide, filmmaker and culinary content creator Philip Lemoine outlines essential tips to lift your cooking videos from simple home recordings to polished, professional-grade productions.
Master Motion and Manual Focus
Static, single-angle shots can quickly make even the most exciting recipe feel stagnant. Lemoine emphasises the importance of dynamic camera movement to keep viewers engaged. By physically moving the camera and changing perspectives between prep work, cooking, and plating, you create a narrative flow that mirrors the energy of a professional kitchen.
Additionally, relying solely on your camera's automatic settings can ruin an otherwise perfect shot. Lemoine highlights focus control as a critical skill for culinary creators. Learning to manage your manual focus ensures that the camera lens remains locked onto the texture of the food rather than drifting to your hands, utensils, or background steam.
Establish Digital Mise en Place
Just as you would never begin a busy dinner service without proper preparation, you should never hit record without a clear plan. Lemoine advocates for treating video production with the same respect as kitchen service. This means planning your shots and organising your ingredients—your digital mise en placeMise en Place(French) "Everything in its place." The foundational setup of prepped ingredients and tools before service begins.—well in advance. Writing a shot list and prep plan prevents costly delays, cold food, and missed angles when the heat is on.
Control the Light and Final Details
Kitchens are notoriously difficult environments to shoot in, often plagued by harsh overhead fluorescents or dim yellow lighting. Lemoine recommends investing in a dedicated light kit to control your environment. Consistent, diffused light is essential for making ingredients look vibrant and appetising on screen. Finally, the guide warns creators not to skip the crucial final steps of production—such as clean audio capture and structured storytelling—which ultimately determine whether a viewer stays to watch the entire dish come together or clicks away.
Questions from the pass
Frequently asked questions
Why should I move my camera instead of keeping it on a static tripod?
Moving your camera creates a dynamic visual narrative that mimics the physical movement of a kitchen. Static shots can make your cooking appear flat and unengaging. Changing angles and perspectives helps maintain viewer interest and highlights the unique textures of your ingredients.
How do manual focus controls improve the quality of a cooking video?
Manual focus controls prevent your camera from shifting its focus onto your hands, knives, or rising steam during close-ups. By locking the focus, you ensure that the star of the show—the food itself—remains sharp and detailed throughout the shot.
What is the benefit of planning my video shots before cooking?
Planning your shots acts as a digital mise en place, saving you time and preventing food from spoiling or getting cold on camera. Creating a shot list ensures you capture every critical culinary technique without having to redo steps.
Do I really need to invest in a dedicated kitchen lighting kit?
Yes, because professional kitchens and home setups often have harsh, inconsistent overhead lighting that makes food look unappealing. A dedicated light kit allows you to control the shadows and showcase the natural, vibrant colours of your dishes.
What is the most critical mistake to avoid when filming culinary content?
The most critical mistake is ignoring the final production details like clear audio and structured storytelling. Beautiful visuals will not save a video if the audio is poor or the narrative structure is confusing to the viewer.
Original video by Philip Lemoine. This overview is written independently by The Chef's Circle editorial desk — watch the original on YouTube.
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