Food is a delicately decaying subject that requires planning contingencies. Whether it involves backup ingredients, dishware, or complete dishes, everything must be ready to be alternated. In the context of this shoot, the primary focus was on the prep process.
Given that the medium was an Instagram reel, the recipe needed to be quick and simple. This aligned with the strategic perpetuation of this frozen food product's “convenience” unique selling point. I hired a hand talent for this shoot; so we needed to balance off-camera preparations and on-camera segments.
The bowl of water for the sliced cabbage needed an alternate as each redo take needed to be neatly reset – especially with the literal transparency of the glass. I prepared the finished dish ready for substitution with some oil on hand to revitalize the chicken’s shine. The sauce was the only constant maintained on camera: from the assembly to the final plating.
In addition to these efforts behind the scenes, omitting redundant steps keeps content quick and focused. Consumers could reference the packet instructions for the product. Similarly, the simplicity of slicing lemon wedges rendered the process redundant on camera. It’s this kind of thoughtful editing that prioritizes relevant on-camera action.