The Italian cookery programme Sweet Home debuted on Warner Bros.’ Food Network and Discovery+ channels in December, offering a bold new concept of culinary TV programme that brings high-end pastry making to home kitchens. “At its core, Sweet Home is about making high-end pastry more accessible,” explains director and cinematographer Michelangelo Ingrosso, whose self-produced pilot episode became the conceptual and technical blueprint of the successful first season.
Refreshingly, the format deviates from the now standard competition-style cooking shows such as the BBC’s MasterChef, focusing instead on the processes, craftsmanship and personal stories of some of the world’s most renowned pastry chefs. Each episode is introduced by Italy’s best known pastry chef and TV personality, Maestro Iginio Massari, and features a guest culinary specialist who takes viewers through the preparation and creation of a dessert in a studio kitchen. The show also utilises in-depth segments on the careers and personal stories of the featured chef, through confessional-style interviews and pre-recorded content.
Creative vision
Ingrosso explains that because the chefs are the best in their field, their craft is often perceived as distant or unattainable. “Our goal was to humanise both their personalities and their artistry to show that incredible pastry-making is possible at home, using simple recipes and common kitchen tools. At the same time, we wanted the programme to have a cinematic, film-like touch.”
To bring this vision to life, the team defined a specific aesthetic placing particular emphasis on richer colour tones and a shallow depth of field. With Ingrosso’s productions typically adopting such a superior high-end look, the team was familiar with the challenges that come with employing techniques such as upstage lighting and longer focal lengths within a controlled studio environment.
According to Ingrosso, the biggest challenge was striking the right balance, ensuring that the cinematic qualities such as rich contrast, soft backgrounds, and striking highlights enhanced the storytelling without compromising clarity.
“In a cooking show, visual intelligibility is key: viewers need to clearly see the techniques and ingredients being used,” he says. “This meant we had to carefully control the depth of field so that while the background had a pleasing softness, the food, tools, and chef’s hands remained perfectly sharp and well-defined.”
One of the key visual references Ingrosso used for Sweet Home were the cooking classes on MasterClass.com. He explains being particularly drawn to the cinematic approach they adopted: “They use beautifully composed shots while still ensuring that the procedural clarity remains intact. That was exactly the balance we aimed for with Sweet Home: a visually striking aesthetic that felt polished and high-end, but without sacrificing the intelligibility of the cooking process.”
Ingredients of the workflow
The series was shot in Blackmagic RAW 12:1 at 4K and 6K resolutions, using a mixed camera package based around the URSA Mini Pro 12K, Studio and Pocket Cinema Camera family for additional side angles, detail, and tracking shots.
The workflow also included an ATEM HD8 ISO live production switcher for multi-camera management, real-time monitoring, and ISO recording, with editing and colour grading running through DaVinci resolve.
The studio location – Ingrosso’s production headquarters, Tulpa Studio – runs almost entirely on Blackmagic Design solutions. Ingrosso explains that one of the main advantages of the full Blackmagic set-up was the guaranteed colour consistency across the suite of cameras. “The ability to maintain a consistent colour science across all cameras made it effortless to match footage and achieve a cohesive look. The seamless integration between devices allowed us to monitor, trigger ISO and RAW recordings, and manage timecode synchronisation directly from the ATEM HD8 ISO, significantly streamlining the workflow.”
Additionally, the ATEM’s ability to generate a DaVinci Resolve Project (.drp) file meant that the team could immediately create a rough cut and send a preview to the distributor directly after each recording session, accelerating the post-production process.
“For me, it’s not just about using equipment from the same brand, it’s about using a fully integrated ecosystem designed to work seamlessly together. Blackmagic’s approach ensures that every component, from cameras to switchers to editing software, functions as a unified system, providing greater efficiency and consistency throughout the entire production process.”
One of the pressures in the acquisition stage of that process was handling the sheer volume of content being captured. “One of our main challenges was storage management. With up to eight cameras shooting in 4K-6K Blackmagic RAW (12:1) for long recording sessions, the amount of footage built up quickly,” Ingrosso recalls.
“We overcame this by leveraging DaVinci Resolve’s media management features, which allowed us to quickly delete unnecessary footage and recover massive amounts of storage space without disrupting the workflow.”
Setting the kitchen table
Lighting was another crucial factor. The production team used a combination of soft, diffused lighting and more directional sources to create depth and dimension while keeping the highlights controlled and natural. “We had to maintain the aesthetic without introducing harsh shadows or making the image too stylised for a cooking format,” Ingrosso states. “Ultimately, by fine-tuning our lens choices, lighting set-up, and camera angles, we were able to elevate the visual quality beyond that of a typical studio-based programme.”
The studio space itself was a 400 sqm warehouse, two-thirds of which was taken up by the soundstage set-up, comprising three sets arranged in parallel to allow for efficient rotation between shots. As Ingrosso explains, the audio elements of the show were given equal billing in terms of production priority. “Audio is just as critical as the visuals, especially in a dialogue-driven show like Sweet Home. Viewers might not always consciously notice great sound, but they definitely notice when it’s lacking. A clean, well-mixed audio track enhances immersion, ensures clarity, and maintains the professional standard expected from a high-end production.”
Tulpa Studio employs a dedicated sound engineer with extensive experience in audio recording and mixing, which was essential for managing the challenges of recording in a live kitchen environment. “We used a combination of lavalier and boom microphones to capture the crispest and most natural sound possible while dealing with the inevitable background noise from kitchen appliances, frying pans, and loud machinery,” says Ingrosso.
“To maintain audio clarity, we also employed practical workarounds during shooting. In certain moments, we had some of the noisiest kitchen equipment turned off during conversations, while making it appear as if they were running. This allowed us to keep the natural ambiance without overwhelming the dialogue, ensuring that every word was clear while still preserving the authentic atmosphere of a working kitchen.”
A key step in ensuring that authenticity and achieving Sweet Home’s overall filmic quality was the post-production process, with editing and colour grading carried out entirely in DaVinci Resolve. “Colour grading played a fundamental role in enhancing the cinematic quality,” comments Ingrosso. “To ensure the best results, we brought in Tobia Montanari, a DaVinci Resolve Certified Trainer, as our colourist supervisor. His expertise allowed us to develop a distinctive, creative look that set the show apart from the conventional visual style of cooking programmes.”
Cinematic storytelling on the menu
Ingrosso’’s cinematic endeavour has proven to be a success, with Warner Bros. commissioning a second season to Tulpa Studio. A clear vindication of his artistic vision, but perhaps also a clear sign that cinematic storytelling is now a more viable option for a broader range of productions, thanks to the growing accessibility of broadcast-grade technology.
“There’s a clear shift in the industry, with more TV shows and commercials refining their visual style through cinematic techniques, advanced lighting set-ups, and high-end colour grading,” he says.
“With the accessibility of high-quality cameras, affordable cinema lenses, and professional post-production tools like DaVinci Resolve, achieving a premium, polished look is no longer exclusive to big-budget productions. This has opened the door for more creators to push visual boundaries, and I think we’ll continue to see more cinematic storytelling across a variety of formats, from traditional TV to branded content and beyond.”
For Ingrosso, Sweet Home was a significant step up in terms of delivering a high-end production for a major distributor. The challenge, therefore, was not just about perfecting the cinematography but also about refining every “collateral element” that contributes to a polished production. He explains, “We placed a strong emphasis on set design, wardrobe styling, and even hospitality to ensure that both the on-screen visuals and the overall experience for the chefs and crew met the highest standards.”
The project also reinforced the importance of production design and environment in shaping the final product. “I’m very satisfied with what we achieved, but I believe there’s always room for improvement. For Season 2, we’re already implementing motion control camera systems and more advanced rigging techniques to elevate the visual storytelling even further,” he reveals.
“Overall, working with Warner Bros. for the first time has been an incredible experience. We had creative freedom which allowed us to focus on the craft and deliver the best possible product. And their confidence in renewing the show confirms that we’re on the right path!”
