time-based instructions
learn a skill, make a video
task: how to make pancakes in 60 seconds
PANCAKES FOR FUN
FIRST TRIAL
After getting assigned this project, I wanted to try making pancakes just for fun. Instead of making a batter from scratch, for this attempt I bought a pancake mix in order to get the hang of the general procedure.
I was able to learn some valuable things just from this trial with the instant pancake mix:
- Cooking time: I expect that the variance in the ingredients of a batter made from scratch would have some kind of effect on the cooking time of the pancakes themselves. But from some prior experience, I know a general thumb of rule for making pancakes (in regards to flipping timing), is to look for two things: (1). bubbles to rise to the surface of the pancake and (2). for the edges of the pancake to become dried up. These cues seemed to remain constant with this box pancake batter in comparison to a batter made from scratch.
- Mixing the batter: This is mainly dependent on individual preference but I found that the mixing of the batter had a huge impact on the way the pancakes turned out. A lumpier, less mixed batter can be better for thicker pancakes.




Class time.
Thursday’s class was a viewing of a series of opening scenes, advertisements, and similar clips. Each (group of) clips were shown to show a different characteristics of a successful instructional video.
IMPORTANT TAKEAWAYS:
- Introducing different perspectives: This usually refers to physical stances. It is important to be able to display the action/activity in a variety of angles in order to determine which perspective is the most communicative.
- Simple yet engaging: One of the bigger challenges of this project is finding the balance of being able to create easy-to-understand clips that are still creative and interesting to view. It is very easy to overwhelm a viewer when including too much (or too little) content or filming from a strange angle. These characteristics can take away from the informative aspect of the video; however, these same aspects are things that can add to an ‘engaging’ and ‘interesting’ film.
PANCAKES FROM SCRATCH: The first try

The previous class lecture helped to provide more context to the assignment. The concept of having to prioritize certain aspects of the pancake-making process jumped to the top of my considerations at the time. The short length of 60 seconds only allots for so much content that I can include into my video and being more thoughtful about the material and content that I choose to include in the video is something that I can’t lose sight of. Although there might be things that are interesting and I might want to include in my video, I will have to compromise by accentuating certain moments and knowing where to pull back.



After this first attempt, I learned a multitude of things that will (hopefully) help lead me in the right direction. My task of making pancakes has some simple and easy aspects but at the same time, leaves me with just as many challenges.
What is “easy” about making pancakes?
- I don’t have to worry about steps- The task of making pancakes is made up of a series of distinct steps and I won’t necessarily have to worry about what I need to do in order to make pancakes or make it very easy to understand.
- It’s rewarding- After each time I make pancakes, I’ll be left with a freshly made batch of warm pancakes. But by the end of this project, I expect to be completely tired of pancakes.
Challenges
- I have steps- There are many steps involved in making a pancake. Although this helps to section off the individual tasks that I will have to complete, I am also forced to include the numerous steps into one video. There will definitely be problems with length and having to cut certain parts of my clips.
- It costs money- Aside from the technical aspects of having to produce a video by the end of this project, I am also being asked to provide the ingredients by myself. Some tools I can borrow and a space can be found without spending. But ingredients will be almost entirely bought myself due to the fact that my resources are expendable and I will need to replenish as the project moves along.
- It takes time- Filming pancakes being made will be a lengthy process as I am tasked with figuring out camera angles and other related technical aspects of this project.
- The location- I found that the Donner kitchen can get pretty noisy as there are many student seating areas surrounding it, in addition to an abundance of background noises that exist in the space. It also gets pretty messy and dirty, meaning that I will have to work around the mess or clean it up myself.
STORYBOARD CRITIQUE:
For the next assignment in this class, we were asked to bring in all our images composed into one continuous strip of pictures. I collected the images I took for a
This storyboard would help us in various ways:
- Framing- To what extent can I divide the separate steps of the pancake making process? And even if I can divide it, should I? The making of the storyboard helped me to be more mindful in deciding what kind of content I actually want to include in my video. I might not actually need 15 images that show the ingredients and pouring but I might need to focus more on displaying the consistency of the batter and the timing in which I should be flipping the pancakes.
- Composition- Although I didn’t notice while I was taking the pictures and making my storyboard, the end result of my strip consisted entirely of square-cropped images. Steve mentioned how it would be very helpful (and crucial) to work with images that are as close to the 4:3 ratio frame that our final video has to be.
- Length- How long is your video? How many steps? An extremely long storyboard will definitely shed some light onto how long my video would be based on the steps that I am taking right now.
- Visuals and reception- It is important to consider many different visual factors when making this video: lighting, general coloring, the colors of specific tools, how I display the food, the With a few of these in mind,


General feedback
Throughout the class, I also went around to my classmates and our TA’s, asking about my storyboard and about what might be important to think about for the coming steps. I heard a variety of responses, some constantly showing up in addition to comments that seemed to be specific to each individual that I approached. This class session provided me with insight on how I can effectively translate the content in my storyboard into an actual video.
Comments that I received and things to keep in mind:
- Try to look at tutorial videos. Good examples can be Buzzfeed Tasty, Hanse (popular Youtube cooking channel), and other short cooking videos.
- Make the clips faster and more engaging. It is sort of boring to see only the pancake batter being mixed up for 30 seconds. Try to include sensory elements that can compromise for the more routinely process of making pancakes.
- Zoe mentioned that my packaging all seems to have yellow tones (interesting observation). How can I work with or work around this characteristic? Was this simply an observation or does it pose an issue??
- It can be helpful to work in a pure white, clean setting. This will focuses on the process more and keep away all distracting elements of a dirty, noisy kitchen.
- But I can also focus on the setting by using a more naturalistic area to give a feeling of a normal kitchen. The environment with a stovetop and countertop gives a completely different atmosphere than cooking in a pristine “workspace” in comparison to a “kitchen.” There are pros and cons to both a non-kitchen setting and a normal kitchen as well.
FIRST VIDEO ITERATION- So much room for improvement.
The comments I received during the storyboard critique really inspired me to look into related content, specifically from Tasty.
I’ve been exposed to Tasty’s videos more than once before and there is a consistent pattern of their presentation. Their videos get increasingly popular as the top view filming allows for an ease of understanding and the short length allows viewers to stay engaged during this short time frame. However, a major difference between the Tasty videos and the assignment I have is my inability to insert text and directly edit the content of my clips.
What Tasty has that I can’t include:
- Text: The presence of a textual component in the Tasty videos allows them to skip on the showing of packaging and related clips. This also clears up confusion that arises from any ambiguity in my actions of making the pancakes. I have to find ways to combat these complications in order to easily communicate what is the best way to deliver the information and content without being able to provide textual context.
- Speed editing: After trying to film for the first time, I noticed that my clips get unnecessarily long and this makes it difficult for me to
- Audio editing: The noise in Tasty videos is often music or completely muted. I can not add music and I am allowed to mute my video; but I feel that in some part, the sound of pancake making can play a crucial role in engaging the viewer. But Donner can be really loud and the sounds can completely distract the viewer, ruining the viewing experience.
- Ease of choosing a location to film in: There are many variables that help in creating a successful video for our assignment and controlling the audio is one of them. The audio of my video is directly related to the location that I film in; the Donner kitchen is full of background noise due to it being a public space for the residents of the house. It is also inconveniently located in the basement of the building, right next to the laundry machines and pool tables, which only add to the commotion. I still feel uncomfortable asking those who are sharing the space with me to stay quiet during the filming of my video.
Video References: Things to consider
- The video above does a good job of making pancakes with clear and easy steps.
- The visual appeal of the pancakes in this video is very high. There are some aspects of the presentation that I might want to think about.
The first video.
Next steps: Things to change and others I want to try out.
Things I can improve on:
- CLEAN THE WORKSPACE! The stovetop is quite dirty and the stains create excessive glare. I was told that although it isn’t a major issue, the dirty stovetop can cause the pancake scenes to become unappetizing.
- The noise is an issue. This first video taught me that I have to do something about the noise problem.
- I think that there are parts of the video that are strangely angled. I tried to fit the whole flour bag into a much smaller frame than I should’ve had. For some reason, I made the frames a lot more zoomed in; I could have afforded to film with a more zoomed out frame.
- I also move quite slowly when I am introducing the different ingredients. During the next time I film, I can definitely move faster and cut certain clips out. This will create room for “fun” things that I might want to include.
Things I want to try:
- At the end, instead of ending on the pan, try making a jump cut transition that flips the pancake onto a plate. I would cut in the middle of the flipping on the pan and the jump cut would play the second half of a flipping motion ending on top of a plate instead. Right now, my video is much more informative and it is not necessarily boring but I think there is potential for a more “interesting” and “fun” video to be made.
- Should I make more pancakes and show that? A stack of pancakes will probably have more appeal than a singular pancake sitting on a plate.
SECOND VIDEO ITERATION
The first video led me to realize the pro’s of filming from a bird’s eye view. I noticed that there was plenty I could include in the video while still making the angles and content easy to understand from an audience point of view. I want to continue using this style of filming in order to capture the details of the pancake and the mixing actions. Even though I can alternate the angles between different sections of my video, I want to avoid as much complication as possible.
My second video actually worked well with a lot of my classmates. They enjoyed the top view and the pacing of my ingredient+measurement cuts seemed to be appropriate and understandable. I think that being able to balance the timing of the ingredient shots helped me a lot for this iteration because for the initial video I created, I had a problem with taking too long to get through the steps.
I also had good reactions with my cuts at the end. Throughout this project, I wanted to be able to incorporate fun and engaging elements into the informative aspect of the assignment. I think that the jump cut scene and multiple pancakes helped the viewers get a more definitive ending to the video. That was an issue with the first video I had because I got criticism for a very abrupt closing. In addition, the syrup pouring scene was quite appreciated by the viewers. The ending clips proved to be a successful resolution for some of my problems and I’m glad that it didn’t interfere with the length of my video.
Takeaways + Next Steps
Problems I still have:
- Noise persists on being an issue. I STILL have problems confronting the other students and asking them to be a little quieter. Steve mentioned this during class and proposed the idea of using a portable griddle/hotplate to film my video in a non-kitchen location. But I feel like leaving the environment of the kitchen would change the atmosphere of a cooking video. I like the scene of a pan on top of a stove; it helps to develop an appropriate environment for cooking. I have to find a solution somehow.
- Focus actually detracted from my video this time. There were some focus problems because I forgot to adjust the focus at several parts as I set my camera on manual focus for this iteration. I think I should keep working in manual focus though; there are several moments where my hands have to go in and out of the frame and this messes up the focus of the filming. The option of manual focus really helped in areas where I did remember to work with the focus. For the next time I film, I just have to pay more attention.
- I need to fix the scene with the butter. This is actually another focus issue but I think aside from that, there are still places I can improve on the presentation. I like the action of pulling the piece of butter out from the box but I have trouble holding the butter in a natural way as the butter does not always exit the box in the correct position for the shot.
THE FINAL BATCH
Finally, I finished filming. There were certain parts of this filming session that I felt really frustrated. The pancake flipping wasn’t going well; for some reason, this time every flip ended up riding up the sides of the pan and it would completely leave the frame. I was able to get one decent clip that I ended up using.
However for this final filming session, I was finally able to get a quieter environment. I was lucky enough to have most of the laundry machines unused and the lounge area relatively empty. The people in the study area right next to the kitchen were kind enough to be quiet enough for my video so it wouldn’t get interrupted.
Time-Based Instructions: How to make pancakes in 60 seconds
FINAL REFLECTION-
Things I did well:
- I think that the pacing of my video was easy to understand. The viewers of my video felt that the length of each clip of the ingredients and measurements were especially fitting. I think that I was able to create clips that were efficient with timing yet informative enough to teach the viewer how to make pancakes as well.
- The pancake flipping scene and the syrup helped me to include a bit of human interaction into the video. People usually don’t just eat pancakes plain and I think that the inclusion of the ending clips made the video more approachable and engaging with the audience. Without it, I think that the entire video would have felt too abrupt and incomplete.
- Sounds in some parts of my video seemed to get good reactions. At any pancake flipping portion, the sizzle was a very recognizable portion and I was able to get the reactions that I wanted.
Things I could have improved on:
- The lighting of my video in some aspects still bothered me a bit. Especially when I was introducing the flour bag or the shot was entirely on the white dry ingredients, the lighting of the filming would completely shift and bounce back in an unnatural manner if I were to introduce another subject into the frame.
- The sound can always be improved upon. There was still some background noise that could’ve been avoided if I were to not have filmed in the Donner kitchen. However, I recognize that complete silence was something that I compromised in order to maintain the environment of the kitchen.
What can I apply from this project?:
I think I truly learned how to become more empathetic with a user/viewer through this project. Each time I would film a video and present it to an audience, I would be thinking about how I could film or stitch together clips in a way that would be the most convenient for the viewer. The task of fitting a task into 60 seconds and teaching was taxing yet rewarding when someone told me that they could make pancakes through my tutorial. The concept of thinking about how to make create around another person’s interaction with my work was a humbling experience and I learned many things about being mindful of those that can see my work.
It is fun and easy to think of ways to beautify the cooking process of pancakes. Making the same task inviting yet fully informative for an audience calls for mindful thinking and compromise after compromise. The task did not ask for the most beautiful video; it asked for a 60 second tutorial on how to make pancakes. However, it is only human for us to be attracted to and feel more invited to content that we find visually appealing as well.
