A day with Rocco Despirito styling several great recipes with Bertolli pasta sauce. I love cooking jobs when I get to style and work with a great team. This past shoot was such a delight with Rocco. He made easy great recipes that any one can cook!
Featuring the 3 new fresh sauces from Bertolli, Rocco with his warm boisterous energy made the day a fun one. He got all "real" flipping the pasta in an over sized skillet to show his great skills and entertained us all. Then made pasta cups which would be a great make ahead meal for any family.
I was tasked with the job of propping out the set and then stepping out and propping the beauty shots for the segments.
On set there are 3 cameras shooting the spot. One overhead, and 2 cameras on Rocco
My assistant and I shopped like crazy hitting up fishes eddy, crate and barrel, Whisk, Sur la table to get beautiful wooden cutting boards and lovely dishes.
WHAT A PROP STYLIST DOES TO PREP A COOKING SPOT:
First off I get the approved recipes from my producer. Then I "break down" the recipes and the script. From experience on set and the help of the producer and food stylist we decide what will be demo'ed and what will be a "swap out". A swap out it is through the magic of TV you "put the cake in the oven raw and poof you swap it out in 30 seconds to show the magically baked one " ..... I am sure you get it now right! Well this happens with everything from Cakes to Pasta Sauce !
What I get from the recipes is a road map of information: Amounts of ingredients, how much the recipe makes so I find the right size bowls or utensils to show the ingredients, what pans or equipment I will need for on set, what I should suggest for beauty shots. These are just a few thought I start to have.
Then I make a shopping list. It is part of my job to understand the look of the brand, and then shop for the right bowls, pans, napkins etc that reflect the look of the brand. An example is I would NOT shop for modern super slick contemporary "props" for a client like a Bertolli - this Brand is traditional Italian and should look best with natural worn woods, marble shapes, and fresh herbs and natural solid colors or glass.
I will speak to the food stylist and we will decide if I need doubles or triples back up's prepared in case the demo goes bad or we have to show a step again. Even shooting video "time is money" - and the last thing anyone wants is for the crew to be "waiting on " you for the swap out or the next step to be prepared.
Lucky for me this was not that tricky a shoot. I had my list ready, and my assistant and I divide and conquer shopping all the places on my list to get all the things we needed.
After shopping I will sit, take post it notes, and the recipes then writing out and labeling all the bowls and equipment we will need. This way my assistant, the food stylist's assistant,and the producer knows we have everything prepared and accounted for. HAVE A GOOD PRE GAME- organization makes life so much smoother on shoot day when you have to have your A game on!
Now we are at the day before the shoot.
Shopping is 99% done, everything is packed up and we transport it all to set and well.... unpack and organize it all.... on long tables dividing out each recipe so we are super organized. At that point I will review everything we bought, and the options for beauty shots and the actual cooking demo with the Producer, Executive producer, and the food stylist.
I like this part, I am able to show them the great "props" we got and how we are going to make this recipe come to life and look spectacular.
Also, depending on the client I also have the responsibility to Prop out the set. YUP!
That also is part of the job for this. So my assistant will take pictures of what the set looks like so we can remove what is there and set up what I bought to make it look like this client - Bertolli .
Finally - SHOW DAY -
The talent come in to hair, makeup & wardrobe while we are in prep mode getting everything filled up with the food stylist help so we are ready to go!
PM me for my shopping list! I am happy to share any knowledge with you!
I will be posting the final recipes and for you to try them too!
