If your mouth has ever watered from an Instagram ad or your scroll stopped dead at a slow-motion splash, chances are, you’ve been hooked by great food and beverage cinematography.

As a Los Angeles director of photography who’s shot everything from national QSR campaigns to indie drink brands, I’ve learned that food and beverage isn’t just about looking good — it’s about triggering cravings, emotion, and memory in just a few frames.

In this blog, I’ll break down what makes great commercial food videography and drink videography, the gear I use (yes, we’re talking Phantom slow motion), and why brands should invest in high-end food cinematography if they want to stand out.

The Goal of Food & Beverage Cinematography?

Make the viewer taste something they haven’t even touched.

That’s the whole job in one sentence. And it’s a lot harder than it looks.

When I’m directing or acting as a DP in Los Angeles for a food or beverage campaign, I focus on one thing above all: the emotional reaction. That can be:

A nostalgic hunger
A sense of comfort or indulgence
The thrill of refreshment
The sensory punch of spice, sweetness, or texture

And those emotions are triggered through light, texture, motion, and timing.

Slow Motion: The Secret Sauce

Slow motion isn’t a gimmick — it’s a storytelling tool. And for food and drink, it’s everything.

Using a Phantom Flex 4K camera, I can shoot at over 1,000 frames per second. That means I can stretch a 0.5-second soda splash into a 5-second moment of cinematic magic. Want to see condensation ripple across a glass in real time? You’ll need Phantom slow mo camera rigs and someone who knows how to light them.

Whether I’m shooting a beverage tabletop director role or capturing a burrito unwrapping in mid-air, slow motion photography makes those “impact frames” linger — long enough to make someone feel it.

And if you're looking for Phantom Flex rental or slow motion camera rental in Los Angeles — I’ve got you covered with in-house rigs and crew.

Motion Control + Food = Precision Storytelling

When I shoot drink pours, cheese pulls, or pancake stacks, I often bring in motion control filmmaking rigs. That means I can:

Lock in a repeatable camera path
Sync movement with lighting cues
Layer multiple elements in post
Hit precise marks even with live ingredients

Using tools like Colossus or MIA robotic arms, I can make commercial food video production feel like a choreographed dance — one that can be repeated until we get the perfect moment.

Food Stylists: The Unsung MVPs

None of this works without top-tier food styling and product wrangling. I collaborate with some of the best stylists in Los Angeles — people who know how to:

Torch a steak for perfect grill marks
Layer a sandwich so it doesn’t fall apart in camera
Frost a glass without it melting mid-shoot
Make an egg yolk break just right

If the product isn’t prepped for 6K detail, no amount of lighting or cinematography can save it. That’s why I only work with stylists who understand the demands of commercial production in Los Angeles.

Beverage Cinematography: From Craft Cocktails to Canned Energy

When it comes to video production for beverages, the requirements change. We’re often working with:

Carbonation and fizz
Cold-sensitive ingredients
Transparent glass or condensation-heavy surfaces
Bold colors like reds, oranges, and deep browns

Each of these elements requires specific lighting setups, modifiers, and timing tricks. Whether I’m filming a pour, a crack-open moment, or a slow swirl of an old-fashioned, I build custom rigs to get the job done.

Recent beverage projects have included:

Pacifico can launch with high-speed Phantom and motion control rigs
Guayaki splash ad featuring backlit yerba mate explosions
Larceny Bourbon rollout with synced lighting passes across the bottles

BTS Video is Part of the Deliverables

Today’s brands want behind-the-scenes (BTS) video almost as much as they want final edits. That’s why I build in options to shoot BTS reels on every shoot — showing the rigging, robotics, slow motion setups, and magic that goes into every moment.

Whether you’re posting to LinkedIn, Instagram, or your website, showing how the content was made creates instant trust and engagement with your audience.

Who Needs High-End Food & Drink Cinematography?

If you’re in one of these industries — you do:

Restaurants & QSRs
Beverage brands (alcoholic & non-alcoholic)
Packaged food and snacks
Bars, distilleries, and coffee brands
Food-tech and nutrition companies

A well-shot food or beverage cinematic video can drive conversions, awareness, and long-term brand identity. These shots live on billboards, TV, websites, and product packaging.

Why Hire a Director + Cinematographer?

Some shoots need a separate director and cinematographer. Others work best with a director/DP hybrid — someone like me who can bring a unified vision across lighting, timing, and storytelling.

If you already have a creative concept but need a food cinematographer in Los Angeles, I can step in to execute. If you want a full creative build from scratch, I can direct, plan, shoot, and deliver — with BTS and custom edits included.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Just Feed the Eyes — Hit the Taste Buds

In the world of food and beverage cinematography, you’re not just capturing texture. You’re tapping into memory, emotion, and hunger — in less than 10 seconds.

So if you’re looking for a commercial food videographer, beverage director of photography, or someone who’s got the gear, the crew, and the creativity to shoot your product with serious impact — let’s talk.

🎥 Explore my reel
📍 Based in Los Angeles
⚙️ Phantom cameras, motion control rigs, and food stylists ready

Crave-Worthy Frames: Inside the Art of Food & Beverage Cinematography