Chef’s Corner Cafe & Bakery

The Creative Brief

Chef’s Corner - 30 Second Broadcast Spot
Sharp Cheddar Films was brought on to craft a fresh, playful commercial for Vermont favorite Chef’s Corner Café & Bakery. The goal: highlight signature breakfast staples and showcase the iconic Creemee Station, while celebrating the local flavor that makes the spot legendary.

We brought the story to life with a mix of dolly pushes, whip pans, and lens flares - giving everyday breakfast moments an epic, dream-like quality. The spot featured a surprise duo of local and international icons: actor Luis Guzmán and Senator Patrick Leahy, each adding their own charm to the narrative.

The result was a fast-moving, flavor-packed 30 seconds that blended humor, style, and star power into a memorable love letter to breakfast (and creemees).

Behind The Scenes

Photon Theory

We wanted the spot to feel light, bright, and approachable, with minimal shadow. To achieve this, we kept the contrast ratio at 2:1, which creates soft, natural-looking contrast where shadows are present but never distracting.

For the dining room scene, we placed an Aputure 1200d Pro and two Aputure 600x Pros outside on the deck, pushing light through the windows. This not only lifted overall exposure but also added shape to the background wall, talent, and floor, creating a uniform, inviting atmosphere.

For the opening scene with Luis Guzmán and Senator Leahy, the key was an Aputure 600x Pro with a Light Dome 150 Softbox, giving a large, flattering wrap. A 4ft Quasar Science Crossfade Bi-Color LED provided backlight, while a 4x4 black floppy flag added contrast control on the fill side. For additional separation, an Aputure 300x Pro with a Fresnel was used to illuminate the background.

Stills

Team Credits

Produced by: Sharp Cheddar Films
Writer, Director, DP: Sharp Cheddar Films
Co-Director Michael Fisher
Gaffer: Michael Fisher
Sound: Dan Mazur
PA: Morgan Harrewyn
Editor: Michael Fisher
Colorist: Nick Lareau

Shake & Bake
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