You might have seen this video. Here is the 30 seconds Stop Motion Video of How to Make the Perfect Cup of Matcha.
We made a fun stop-motion video that shows you How to Make Perfect Cup of Matcha.
In this blog post, I share with you how we made this amazing and fun video. There is really a lot of effort, tricks, and magic that went into this 30-second video.
The Effort of Perfection
The video was created with help from the team at GenDev Studio and Daniel from Lamp & Shadow.
This 30-second video took over weeks of planning, preparation, and three full days of shooting time. Yes, it took a lot of effort and dedication.
Here is the picture of the team who created this: from left to right: Wesley (President of GenDev Studio and my mentor through SCORE), Garrette and Jason (GenDev Studio, wizards of video making), Daniel (Lamp & Shadow, Motion Video Specialist), and me.
The Studio
Here are pictures of how the studio was setup to shoot this video.
Lights and cameras are setup around the matcha
Matcha and objects are carefully placed on the stage
Challenge #1 - How did Matcha Move By Itself?
In the video, the matcha is moving around by itself. How did we do it?
If you look at the picture above, you notice something...
Yes, that is actually not the real matcha! Though in the video, the matcha looks like matcha, that is not what we used to shoot the video.
The challenge was that when using the actual matcha, the white background was smudged and made a big mess.
Jason and Garrett came up with the idea to use green clay instead of the actual matcha and adjust the video to make it look like matcha after shooting. That was a clever idea!
Here is a video of Garrette setting up the clay to mimic matcha.
Challenge #2 - How did Tea Pot Fly?
In the video, the teapot is magically floating by itself and pouring water.
How did we do this?
The trick is a green glove.
As you might have seen in the old studio trick for actors to stand in front of a green screen, green is used in video production to replace it with other images.
The same classic special-effect principal is used to lift the teapot and edit out the green hands in the post-production process.
Here is an image of Jason and Garrette carefully lifting the teapot and shooting the video.
Video of Garrette and Jason shooting the flying teapot
This video is a stop-motion video. It is made by taking hundreds of still images and making them into a movie. Each image is shot and carefully examined on the laptop before making another shot.
You can imagine the enormous effort of shooting each image carefully for hundreds of shots!
Jason and Garrette carefully lifting the teapot and shooting the video
Challenge #3 - Self-moving Chasen Whisk
Unfortunately, Chasen whisk does not whisk itself in today's technology yet, but in the video it can happen.
Here is the video of how the Chasen Whisk moved by itself.
Some more pictures from shooting day
Wesley shooting an image
Daniel checking the light setting
Jason and Garrette
I am trying to help but more likely it probably disturbed more than helping :)
The Video
Here is the 30-second stop-motion video of How to Make the Perfect Cup of Matcha.
The Pros
Here are contact information of GenDev and Daniel who made this amazing video possible. Thank you!
- GenDev Studio
- 360-559-1504
- success@gendev.co
- Daniel Rheaume, Lamps & Shadow
The Matcha
Here is the matcha in the video (the real one, not clay).
This is the Global Tea Champion 2018 matcha, which has been extremely popular. Click here to get yours.
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About the author
Kei Nishida
Author, CEO Dream of Japan
Certification: PMP, BS in Computer Science
Education: Western Washington University
Kei Nishida is a passionate Japanese green tea connoisseur, writer, and the founder and CEO of Japanese Green Tea Co., a Dream of Japan Company.
Driven by a deep desire to share the rich flavors of his homeland, he established the only company that sources premium tea grown in nutrient-rich sugarcane soil—earning multiple Global Tea Champion awards.
Expanding his mission of introducing Japan’s finest to the world, Kei pioneered the launch of the first-ever Sumiyaki charcoal-roasted coffee through Japanese Coffee Co. He also brought the artistry of traditional Japanese craftsmanship to the global market by making katana-style handmade knives—crafted by a renowned katana maker—available outside Japan for the first time through Japanese Knife Co.
Kei’s journey continues as he uncovers and shares Japan’s hidden treasures with the world.
Learn more about Kei
