We interviewed Eric Stine, Ryan Balas and Alec Balas of Robel Films, along with their delightfully quirky host, Robynne Yokota, about their ASMR food series for MTV.
When it comes to making delicious, food-centric content, Robel Films is no stranger. They host The Food PornHub, an online channel dedicated to creating playfully seductive food videos. When they heard about MTV’s The Sound of Taste Food Series Project, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to take their obsession to the next level.
Why does ASMR and food pair so well together, you ask? The sizzling, simmering, chopping, dicing, mixing, and pouring are natural triggers for ASMR, while the visual preparation of the food itself provides just enough eye candy to keep the mind engaged, creating a deeply relaxing experience.
For the uninitiated, ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) refers to a wide variety of sensations - such as tingles, euphoria, deep relaxation - caused by audiovisual triggers. ASMR videos are characterized (and satirized) by people whispering softly into microphones and manipulating random objects to create tingle-inducing sounds. These videos generate millions of views on YouTube.
Having never endeavored into ASMR video-making before, Robel Films had to quickly immerse themselves in the medium, which comes with a unique set of challenges from a production standpoint. If you’re curious about the format and want to try and make some of your own, this is a great place to start.
Maddie: We know food videos are one of your specialties. Was this your first foray into the ASMR world? How did you prep for your winning pitch "Mmmmm... I Wanna Eat Those F*cking Sounds!"?
Ryan (Director): Yes, we make super sexy food videos a lot! But this was our first dive into the world of ASMR food videos. We first heard about ASMR from our hair stylist friend, who showed us some pretty great hair styling videos. I was completely into the idea of these super audio-forward intimate experiences. To prepare, we watched as much as we could online, but the fact is most ASMR food videos are just folks eating - so we got excited about the idea of creating super gorgeous recipe videos to launch into the universe.
Eric (Creative Director): When I was writing the initial pitch I was lucky enough to have a lot of inspiration to pull from with the numerous food videos Ryan and Alec have previously shot. Together, we have a great handle on the visual side, so the area we grew in was figuring out the best way to combine what we already do visually with the specific aspects of sound-based ASMR, which was relatively new to us. We found some great ASMR examples to guide us as we developed and then trusted our artistic guts. We're pretty happy with the results.
M: Obviously, sound plays an important role in ASMR. What considerations went into your sound design? What sounds surprised you as effective ASMR triggers and which ones fell flat?
Ryan: Initially, I thought we’d record real-time sound and then create a more experimental sonic experience on the back end. We really discovered that the real-time sounds of crackling, plopping, stirring and splatting are really weird and nice. Since our style mixes in a lot of slo-mo, the challenge was to add those real-time sounds into our slowed down visuals in a way that felt cohesive. Ultimately, some of the syncs felt off to the viewers, so we tried to find a healthy mix of real-time and more experimental approaches.
Eric: We were initially excited to play with more experimental soundscapes and get really weird with it, but realizing that may create some disconnect for the viewer alongside the visuals, we aimed for a more luscious and less experimental sound edit. We wanted to make food porn for your eyes and your ears.
M: With phrases like "Let's show these graham crackers who's boss," your videos playfully allude to the fact that ASMR can be somewhat titillating. However, your videos still effectively capture all the traditional effects of ASMR videos. How did you come up with this unique tone?
Ryan: I’ll be frank, ASMR may be the world’s first fetish not designed to arouse anything besides the mind. It’s pretty amazing. We just wanted to keep our videos playful and fresh. We run a site called The Food PornHub that's a tongue-in-cheek video platform for super luscious food videos or “Yum Shots.” So we were used to embracing the fun side of foodie content. We, of course, wanted to fully embrace the ASMR style and really let our brain freak flag fly.
Eric: ASMR is totally titillating on the brain so we leaned into that sultry experience and sprinkled a dose of our customary quirky authenticness on top.
M: We love the sizzling close-ups, colorful backdrops and ingredients, and use of slow-motion. We know ASMR has to sound good, but what did you do to make sure it looked good as well?
Ryan: Since the videos were for MTV, we knew we could have fun with colors. They totally embrace pop and glam and love nostalgia. So many good videos these days are shot on clean, white marble against white or some sort of chic background. We wanted these to be hip, modern and those pops of color really give us a super 90’s vibe. The sizzles are all about sexy lighting, macro lenses and great flips!
Eric: We did make a point to stylize the production with bold colors that took us all back to our own MTV heydays, but that would still feel really fresh in today's context. We love to get funky and push the bold sexy colors loud and proud.
M: How did you find your lovely, quirky, pitch-perfect host?
Robynne (Series Host): Through my love of food and media (and the help of targeted advertising), I found the Instagram of the Balas brothers, @thefoodprnhub, and thought their content was super cool and fun. I might’ve had a drink or two in me when I spontaneously messaged them and asked if they were hiring or needed any hands on deck, and while they didn’t on that particular passion project, Ryan was ever so kind enough to ask for my resume and contact me when this MTV project came up. I’m honestly still in shock something came of my haphazard messaging.
Ryan: Random ‘gram DM one day, led to a colorful resume landing in our Inbox. We needed a real deal millennial to help us on this one...and Robynne was just so cool and fun and fit right into our project right out of the gate. Bless the interweb… and targeted ads… we got really really lucky.
Eric: Robynne is the BEST! She got really into it and surprised us with how well she owned this role. We needed to find the age-specific role under a tight timeline, and the universe opened up and dropped her at our front door. We absolutely love working with her, and our new goal is to get her hired as an MTV personality! She's got the stuff! Hire her, MTV!
M: What advice would you give to filmmakers who are thinking about making their own ASMR videos?
Ryan: The whisper track is key. It literally and figuratively gives your video a voice and POV. Also, record everything… even when you are shooting slo-mo. Don’t try to fill it all in during post. Ultimately, the trick is to try and blend a really intimate, sonic experience with stylish visuals to keep the eyes excited, too.
Alec (Food Stylist / Editor): Think of loud food! Make them louder, stir them faster! Bring the YUM to the ears.
Eric: Clean sound is super clutch, as we learned some on the fly - finding a working environment that doesn't allow in much outside noise (we live in NYC) is super important. Especially with the whisper vocals. And if your video host has charisma, you're on the right track to a solid win.
M: What inspires your food choices and where do you find/how do you develop your recipes?
Ryan: We live in Queens in NYC, so we are surrounded by an entire world of food. So we got most of our ideas just walking around our neighborhood with our ears open and our eyes peeled. We aren't chefs by any stretch of the imagination but neither is most of our audience, so we try to keep it real. Simple is often more fun!
M: What dish would you want to film for ASMR next?
Ryan: I’d love to do something with nachos… mostly so we can eat them while we shoot… OR sushi and play with chopstick noises.
Alec: Cocktails could be really fun. Maybe we could drink them with Ryan’s nachos?!
Eric: I'd love to do some meals cooked over open flame, grilled, etc. Real fire, real flames! Hot hot hot! Also ribs and cheesecake, just because mmmmm. And playing with more worldly and international dishes would be super fun and educational.
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What recipes (and sounds from those recipes) would you like to feature in an ASMR video? Leave your comments down at the bottom!
