One “text” that I really enjoyed was the Jiro Dreams of Sushi movie. I enjoyed learning about the different methods that Chef’s use in order to acquire the highest quality ingredients, and consequently produce the best food. It was amazing to see how the loyalty that the suppliers had towards the Chef’s, often forfeiting potential profits out of respect the relationship. One text that I particularly enjoyed was “How To Make Vegan Blueberry Muffins with Waka Flocka Flame & Raury”. I enjoyed this video because it had great entertainment value, in the form of humor and satire, while at the same time provided viewers with clear and insightful instruction.
To me, the rhetoric of food is all about the sharing and conveying ideas to others. It’s an experience that is shared between multiple people, and can take different forms, utilizing different rhetorical strategies. It can be something fun. Something informative. Something personal. The rhetoric of food is something that is everywhere and is completely unique from author to author. My perspective on this subject is something that has changed over the course the semester and feel grateful for the opportunity to have learned so much about it during my time in this class.
-to promote a certain brand or product or to generate views/traffic
I) Always:
Brief – All of the videos that I have examined are similar in that they are all short in length. The median length seems to be around 2:30, with the shorter ones around 1:00-1:30 and the longer ones around 4:00-5:00, much shorter than food-making instructional videos.
Some Sort of Narrative Element – Every video has some sort of narrative element, be it spoken words or captions. Usually there is a person that is providing commentary and instruction out loud as he/she is carrying out the steps. However, sometimes authors use written captions to accompany the video instead of spoken dialect.
Simple – I have yet to come across a drink preparation instructional video that requires more than a basic cooking/kitchen knowledge. Drink preparation is mostly measuring and mixing. Some of the “harder” drinks that I’ve seen prepared require the cooking of a simple syrup, but even this is an easy process that even beginner cooks can do.
II) Sometimes
Background Music – Oftentimes, the videos will contain some sort of lyric-less instrumental track that plays lightly in the background. This serves to create a lighthearted, upbeat mood and fill awkward voids of silence that may arise.
Product Placement –Product placement is the deliberate use of a brand/product in exchange for some sort of compensation, particularly in a way that promote the brand/product. This is especially common with larger media outlets with large audiences who are sponsored or get paid to make videos and include certain brands/products.
Variety of Camera Angles/Shot Types – Although is not seen in every video, it is extremely common for these types of videos to contain alternating camera angles and shot types. When the preparer is speaking but not cooking, the camera usually pans out to a medium-shot that includes the person. When the preparer is carrying out a step, the camera oftentimes will zoom on the action of interest so the viewer can observe the intricacies of what is happening.
Ingredients List – Before getting started with making the drink, the preparer will sometimes provide the viewer with a list of ingredients/implements needed to make the drink. By doing this, the viewer can gather everything before the “making” steps and consequently be prepared to follow along with the preparer.
Introduction – Sometimes, the author will choose to include a brief introduction before initiating the preparation portion of the video. This serves to engage and “hook” the reading, giving him/her background on the drink, descriptions of the flavors, contexts for which consumption is appropriate, etc.
Videos
Powerade Green Drink Video: This, in my mind, in an example of a poorly made video, but I chose to include it because it contrasts the second video in regards to production style; there is only one camera angle/shot type used through the entire video and music, but no vocal narration (only written captions). It was also poorly stabilized, unengaging, and the captions were riddled with spelling errors. For what it was, I think It was also slightly longer than it need to be
Cosmopolitan Video: This video is an example of what I consider to be a higher quality video; there is a variation in camera angles/shot types, spoken narration, a brief introduction. The preparation process is clearly conveyed and the speaker is engaging with his presentation
How to Make a Traditional Margarita. Perf. Charlotte Voisey. YouTube. Howdini, 03 May 2012. Web. 22 Mar. 2017. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaCfUE7sVSA>.
For my mentor piece, I chose to examine a Margarita instructional video posted by “Howdini”. I plan on making some sort of drink preparation instructional video for my rhetorical piece.
Howdini is a YouTube channel that specializes in making how-to videos for kitchen related things. Although many videos pertain to making food, the channel also releases addition content that is relevant to other aspects of food, such as “How to Use a Chef’s Knife”. There are several components that seem to be reoccurring in these videos. Firstly, they are all very brief. There is no need to sit down at a TV and devote a great deal of time and concentration into watching the video; they all could be easily watched in 1-5 minutes time while on your phone in the kitchen. Additionally, all of the instructions seem to be relatively simple; there are no unreasonably complex steps or skills required in order to carry out the task. From a visual perspective, the camera does not remain static over the course of the video. A number of different camera angles are used, from MS shots to close ups. Each video also contains some sort of narrative element, be it in the form or subtitles or spoken words. The videos also contain some sort of lighthearted background music to accompany the visual images on screen. I believe that the specific video I chose is a good representation of the genre because it contains all of these elements: it is concise, simple, well narrated, contains a variety of camera angles and upbeat background music. It addition it contains several other elements that I believe make it an exemplary video. In addition to providing instruction for how to make the drink, the narrator also provides suggestions for other variations of the drink. She also gives personal preparation tips along the way, pieces of information that the viewer wouldn’t be aware of if they hadn’t made the drink before.
From a business standpoint, I think that the purpose of these video is to generate views, which in turn funds the channel and allows the creators to profit and continue to release videos. On a more personal level, I believe that these videos are created for the purpose of teaching kitchen novices how to prepare simple dishes and build basic culinary skills. Because of the easy, lighthearted manner with which the material is presented, I think that these video are meant to encourage people to try new things in the kitchen and promote the idea that cooking can be enjoyable and fun.