Brunch With Friends – Food Video Collaboration with Jeff Barklage

Building up our portfolio and collaborating with our clients has created a variety of new opportunities for our video team at OMS. Specifically, our robotic system has intrigued a lot of people. Recently, our capabilities caught the eye of Cincinnati’s own Jeff Barklage. Jeff, a well-known director of photography, has earned a reputation around town for his numerous broadcast video projects with a variety of brands.

As soon as we began our conversations, we wanted to invite him to the studio to collaborate with us on a two-day shoot to exploring our robotic system, and its possibilities. Our videographer Jake Anderson and creative tech Paul Lanterman we’re looking forward to the opportunity. They love setting aside time to collaborate with others in our industry to share and learn.

The team decided it would be great to work with one of our favorite subjects, breakfast. Over the day they worked with a full crew to execute a number of ideas. Enjoy the finished video and see below to learn more about the process.

Going Behind the Scenes

From the beginning to the end, Jeff and our crew collaborated on lighting ideas, robot moves, and more. Our videographer Jake led the shoot and had a total vision in his mind. Jeff frequently offered up his experience, his camera, and an array of lenses to help Jake with his ideas. One specific lens we were excited to use was the same kind of lens used in the filming of the original star trek series. If you rewatch the video, pay close attention to the beautiful lens flares on the pancake pour.

Overall, the shoot was a great way to put the robot to the test. Each of the numerous moves we tried that showed off the capabilities of our system. From controlled flybys over a table, flying through the bottles and plates on the table, to a smooth wrap around a syrup pour; our robotic system was a fast way to get through those ideas with consistency. Having Paul, our robot operator, Jake, and Jeff discussing the moves led to a great end product.

The models and people apart of the shoot were the following:

  • Director: Jake Anderson
  • Cinematographer: Jeff Barklage
  • Creative Tech: Paul Lanterman
  • Food Stylist: Mellisa Milletto
  • Set Styling and Models – Anna Jones, Sarah Hone, Evan Sgouris

This crew made everything possible, and we are thankful for their time and input. The quality and style of the set and the food elevated the final look.

For the equipment enthusiasts out there here is a list of our key pieces of equipment:

  • KAISU Robotic System
  • RED Epic Dragon 6k
  • Vintage Super Baltar prime lenses: 25mm, 50mm, 75mm, 100mm, 152mm
  • Venus Optics Laowa 24mm f/14 Probe Lens ARRI PL mount

We look forward to future collaborations with Jeff Barklage and others like him. It’s through this kind of open process we help raise the bar for everyone.


Are you interested in seeing our video capabilities?

Schedule a tour of our studio right now.