The short version
- Film overhead for prep and a side angle for texture and sizzle.
- Use soft window light from the side or behind.
- Put ingredients and amounts on screen as they're added.
- Speed up chopping and stirring; cut out waiting.
- Open or close with a hero shot of the finished dish.
Recipe video styles
| Style | What it looks like | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Hands-only overhead | Top-down view of the counter, fast cuts, text for amounts | Short social recipes |
| Talking cook | You at the counter explaining as you go | YouTube, longer recipes, building a personal brand |
| Cinematic | Slow, close, moody shots with music, minimal text | Showcase and brand videos |
Set up your shot
- Overhead: mount your phone on an overhead arm or a shelf above the counter, pointing straight down. Keep the frame clean and the workspace tidy.
- Side angle: at counter height for close-ups of pouring, sizzling and cutting into the finished dish.
- Prep everything first (mise en place) — pre-measured ingredients in small bowls look great on camera and make filming faster.
- Choose a simple background: a wooden board, marble or plain surface lets the food stand out.
Lighting food
Food looks best in soft, directional light — a nearby window is ideal. Light from the side or slightly behind shows texture and makes sauces glisten. Avoid overhead kitchen lights that cast yellow tints and harsh shadows, and turn off mixed light sources so colours stay natural. If a side is too dark, bounce light back with a white card. See our phone filming guide for more.
What to film
- Each ingredient going in, clearly and one at a time.
- Key stages: what the dough, sauce or colour should look like before moving on.
- Satisfying moments: the crack of an egg, the sizzle in the pan, the cheese pull.
- The hero shot: the finished dish, plated and styled, ideally with a moving shot or a first bite.
Keep your hands and nails clean, sleeves rolled up and the frame free of clutter.
Editing a recipe
- Hook with the result. Showing the finished dish for a second or two first gives viewers a reason to stay.
- Speed up repetitive steps — chopping, stirring, kneading — at 2× to 4×. See our speed-up guide.
- Cut waiting: use a text card like "bake 25 minutes" rather than footage of the oven.
- Label ingredients and amounts as they appear, in large, readable text.
- Warm up the colour slightly — food usually looks more appetising a touch warm and saturated, but keep it realistic. See our colour guide.
- Put the full recipe in the caption or description so viewers can cook from it.
Step by step: edit a recipe video in VDOAPP
- Add your clips to the free online editor, and choose 9:16 for social or 16:9 for YouTube in the Canvas tab.
- Put the hero shot first, then the steps in order.
- Trim each step to the essential action with Split.
- Speed up slow steps in the Clip tab.
- Add ingredient labels in the Text tab, timed to each ingredient.
- Warm the look in the Filter tab and apply it to all clips.
- Add upbeat music in the Audio tab, keeping sizzle sounds audible if you like them.
- Export and post with the full written recipe.
Edit your recipe video — free and private, with no watermark.