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When it comes to whiskey on camera, it’s all in the details. They check the label and observe the settling in the glass and then estimate the space in which the tasting will be held. If anything from that looks blurry, the video takes away some of its ‘sizzle’.
Tasting rooms are usually dark and phone video is compressed when it’s saved or sent. You get the grain in the corners, soft edges and label text that you need to strain your eyes to read. There are some clips that are very good and might benefit from AI enhancements. There’s more than one way to do this and here’s how to do it responsibly.
Choose a simple whiskey-focused scene
Do not have a large first test. A glass and a bottle on the tasting-room counter will do. The same with one staff member introducing one bottle, for 15 or 20 seconds.
It is an easier task to judge a short clip than a long clip is. It’s the same video, and you can view it five or six times in the time of processing a full tasting video.
Make sure to do a quick scan of the room prior to recording. To prevent fingerprints from appearing on the glass or bottle, wipe it clean; and clear the background to avoid distractions, such as a stack of menus. Direct the light so that it does not shine in the viewer’s eyes on the label. Place the camera on a sturdy tripod or something solid and start recording. Keep the frame stationary and let the liquid flow into the frame. The label should be facing forward and no label covers it.
The most typical issue is glare. Now move the bottle about a few inches and observe the label on the screen until it no longer reflects.
Utilize video that your organization has taken or licensed. Don’t steal a snappy video from another distillery for the purpose of testing – ever.
Before you do anything else, obtain permission, if someone is appearing on camera such as a bartender, or a guest. This minimizes the need for awkward follow-up e-mails.
Understand which recording problems are worth addressing
Enhancement seeks to address a few specific issues: noise in dark regions; soft edges; compression artifacts, such as in blocky regions; and smearing of fine details such as the body text on a label.
It is most likely that these have been caused by dim rooms. Warm bulbs and dark wood colors are nice in real life, but can be tricky to capture in video and may result in a noisier, somewhat flat picture.
It’s not so useful for other problems. The camera might not be properly focused on the bottle, the hand may be obscuring part of the bottle label, or the shot may be too dark and/or too light. In a situation where you are shooting a main bottle on your site (or any important shot), it is better to reshoot. A clean second take will show real detail and an enhanced bad take will be a bad take.
Identify the problem you’re trying to correct on the back bar or in blurred text on the label, before processing. This will help you have something to review later.
Enhance the footage using Vmake
To try it, open Vmake and go to the Video Enhancer. Upload the clip, choose one of the options in the interface and start processing. When it’s done, watch the result before downloading.
If you want to improve video quality on a tasting-room clip, don’t judge it by overall feel. Look at the label: is the text easier to read, or harder? Look at the glass: how do the rim edges and the highlights in the liquid look? Look at the dark shelves and back wall: did the grain change?
Keep it factual. One clip tells you how the tool handled that clip, and yours may behave differently depending on light, lens and file compression. Test a ten-second section before committing to a longer video.
Check labels, liquid color and reflections
Look at the original and the result, on the matching frames of the video, then play both. Begin by the label. All the letters, numbers and borders must be identical to the actual bottle. Now take a look at the shape of the bottle, and the edges of the glass. Reflections should be considered also because there can be different highlights on glass that can change in processing.
The most attention required is for liquid colors. Whiskey color is an attention grabber to people, and a superior cut shouldn’t alter the color of a spirit to a darker or lighter shade than it is in the environment. If it does, choose a different setting or use the setting used originally.
That’s the same with the lights. The same applies to a clip recorded under amber bulbs as compared to a clip recorded by window, which will appear cooler.
And do not overlook that a sharper image does not establish flavor, quality or age. Those must be assessed through tasting and verified information on the label.
Turn the improved clip into a useful short presentation
The general formula is simple: whole bottle, close-up of the label, then a brief fact or two, such as the name, the type and its place of manufacture but only facts that can be substantiated. Use labelling and a separate editor to add captions. Limit to 15–30 seconds. The enhancement tool will be available from the Vmake workspace; cutting, captions and ordering will be done in your own video editor.
A fact line doesn’t have to be elaborate, it can be as simple as the name of the bottle and the distillery. Do not provide any information if you are not certain. It is better to omit an uncertain age statement than to include an incorrect one.
Conclusion
The production of good whiskey videos is a result of careful filming, light hands and a straightforward examination of the product. Make one bottle, one glass and one clip! Take a video in a steady light, process the film and compare the processed film to the original at the label, the liquid, and the glass. Post the version which matches the guest’s view of the room. If either does not, then shoot it again.
This article is sponsored by Vmake
