The Yummy Factor: Behind the Scenes of Food Commercials – Details, episodes & analysis

🎙 Meet Steve Starkman, the chip master! He’s the guy behind every Dorito, Lay, or Cheeto you've seen on TV, including some iconic Super Bowl ads. From working with Messi to Walter White, and directing legends like Michael Bay and Spike Jonze, Steve’s got the coolest job in snacks! Tune in for a crunchy chat about how he became the go-to chip guy for the ad world! 🍿🎬

Find Steve on IG: @stevestarkman

Get in touch:
@directedbyxander

🎙 Welcome back director Jooris Noordenbos. We talked about the frustrating side working as a commercial table top director and how the process tends to leave little room for innovation and creativity. 

Find Joris on IG: @jorisnoordenbos

Get in touch:
@directedbyxander

🎙️ Meet Kosma Tyszkiewicz, a producer with a unique upbringing. 🍴Raised by an award-winning, food-loving dad 🏆 and surrounded by creative gear 📸, she's developed a keen instinct for food and tabletop projects.

We talked about the thrill of seeing the world in frames per second 🎞️ and the special set of skills 🛠️ a tabletop producer needs to bring to the table.

Get in touch:
@directedbyxander

🎙 Meet Marcus Scigliano,  a New York based 1st AD who's worked in the industry for over two decades having assisted on all types of commercial shoots you can imagine.

http://marcus-scigliano.com

Marcus finally explains what an assistant director really does and how his particular style of running a film set is based on love for the craft and respect to every single person involved in bringing a commercial to life. 🎥 🎬

Find Marcus on IG: @the_set_whisperer

Get in touch:
@directedbyxander

🎙 Meet  the super-talented director, Catherine Millais, who’s beautiful table top work has featured some of the biggest brands on the planet. 

https://catherinemillais.com/

Catherine shared her journey from the early beginnings, navigating the geeky boys' world, to stamping her unique mark on tabletop directing. 🎥 🎬

Find Catherine on IG: @cleesmillais

Get in touch:
@directedbyxander

🎙Meet the Head of Special Effects, Rigging and Food Stunts at The Garage. Matt Huber has created some of the coolest gizmos and contraptions to make food and beverages break the laws of physics in super slow motion!

https://www.the-garage.tv/directors/steve-giralt/bts

We talked about some memorable rigs he has built, his approach as a “Mechanical Solutions Specialist” and his passion of solving these complex visual puzzles in the most elegant ways.

Find Matt on IG: @rigging.department

Get in touch:
@directedbyxander

🎙Meet director Niels La Croix, who’s created some of the most breathtaking food and tabletop commercials in recent years.

https://www.nielslacroix.com/

We got into a visceral discussion about the creative battles 🥊 directors face on every project, and the common obstacles involved in making complex and innovative imagery come to life.

Find Niels on IG: @nielslacroix_director

Get in touch:
@directedbyxander

🎙Meet hand model Kateryna Pavlovska 🌟.

https://hiredhandsmodels.com/female-hands/kateryna

We explored the art of hand modeling, and how it’s all about posing your fingers 🫳 in ways that feel completely unnatural but look fantastic on screen, a talent that takes years to perfect and is essential for any food and table top commercial. 🍇 🎥

Find Kateryna on IG: @handmodeluk

Get in touch:
@directedbyxander

🎙Meet animation guru Sebastian Ungrad a.k.a "The Butcher's Brain" 🧠 whose innovative spirit has lead him to fully embrace AI generated video like few other artists.

https://www.youtube.com/@TheButchersBrain/

In our insightful conversation, the Butcher shared a detailed overview of his intricate AI workflow and gave his prediction on how soon food commercials could be completely taken over by this technology. 🤖🍔

Find Sebastian on IG: @thebutchersbrain

Get in touch:
@directedbyxander

🎹🎻 Meet music composer Roman Fleischer, who ingeniously harnesses innovative technology, software, and crazy instruments to break free from creative constraints when creating music for commercials, 🎬 movies and 📺 TV-shows.

https://www.romanfleischer.com/

In our insightful conversation, Roman shares how he uses these technological advancements not to replace creativity, but as a means to liberate himself from limitations imposed by traditional tools and instruments, allowing his artistic abilities to flourish boundlessly. 🚀🎸

Find Roman on IG: @romanfleischercomposer

Get in touch:
@directedbyxander