A Bold Ode to Ingredients: Pushing Tabletop Filmmaking into New Territory with Niels La Croix

Hey community!
Today we’re sharing a new magazine piece breakdown — with a full interview with director Niels La Croix coming soon. We’ve been in touch with Niels for a long time. Over the years, he’s generously shared his process with our community through a series of standout projects. These projects have always resonated deeply.

At some point, we left it simple: when there’s something you’re truly proud of, let’s reconnect and build something around it.

This is one of those moments.

This project is a collaboration between director Niels La Croix, Leo Burnett’s creative team, the client (Pepsico), and production partners Dharma 2.0 and Chopsticks. Together, they set out to create a film that goes beyond traditional food advertising. As a result, the project became a bold, sensory-driven experience built entirely around ingredients.

Enjoy the read and stay tuned to be the first to read the full interview we’re developing with Niels around his filmmaking journey.

The Challenge and the Outcome

The agency’s initial vision was a visual, almost mystical ode to ingredients with a strong message: “Savour the Adventure”. This set the tone. However, with the arrival of director Niels La Croix, that vision evolved into something more ambitious and refined. Known for his non-conventional and highly visual style, La Croix pushed the project beyond polished tabletop aesthetics. The result is a cinematic feast of ingredients crafted to feel raw, modern, and unexpected.

The goal was clear: not just to show food, but to elevate it into a bold visual language that stands apart from traditional commercial work. The film builds from mystery to clarity. It starts abstract and atmospheric before gradually revealing recognizable ingredients that culminate in the final product. Meanwhile, everything is driven by a rapid, high-density edit designed to feel like a true visual overload of flavor.

Unconventional World-Building

To achieve this level of visual complexity, the production required a highly unconventional setup. The team operated up to four units simultaneously, each focused on a different type of shot. This multi-unit approach was essential. It allowed them to capture the enormous volume of material demanded by the director’s vision. Around 50 unique shots were captured within a single week.

The technical ambition extended far beyond camera setups. Custom environments were built entirely in-studio in Bangkok, including “onion tunnels,” underground earth-like cavities and textures, and rainforest-inspired herb gardens with flowing water systems. By using specialized lenses such as macro and borescope lenses, the team was able to transform these small-scale sets into immersive, almost cinematic landscapes. This approach blurred the line between tabletop and world-building.

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Spontaneity and Technical Expertise

One of the most interesting moments came late in the shoot when one of the planned shots didn’t meet the expected standard. Instead of settling, Niels La Croix proposed a completely new, technically complex idea on the spot. The scene involved a potato chip launched at a precise angle into a pile of powdered spices. It was captured with a macro setup, motion control, and high-speed precision timing.

What would normally require extensive pre-production was executed in real time. The launch mechanism was engineered in under 60 minutes, and the team began aligning the shot shortly after. Within three hours, the shot was successfully captured. This kind of rapid problem-solving is rare in tabletop filmmaking, where most elements are usually pre-tested in detail. It highlights the deep level of technical expertise and trust within the team.

Collaboration and Craft

The project’s scale required a highly aligned team across all departments. Cinematographer Alejandro H. Madrid played a key role, navigating the complexity of the shoot with a calm, solution-driven approach. He showed seamless collaboration with local crews across multiple units.

The technical palette was equally sophisticated, shot on a mix of Phantom Flex 2.5K and ARRI Alexa systems. The team combined high-speed precision with versatile setups, including Bolt motion control, while using Ultra Primes and vintage DC lenses to achieve a rich, tactile look. The lighting was a deliberate mix of LED, HMI, and tungsten sources. It was enhanced with mirrors, filters, and crystals to create layered distortions and texture in-camera.

Final Thoughts

What makes this project stand out is not a single hero shot, but the cohesion of the entire film. Rather than relying on isolated moments, the strength lies in how all elements come together into one continuous, high-energy experience. It is a clear example of how tabletop filmmaking can evolve when pushed beyond its traditional boundaries.

We hope you enjoyed the article!

Explore more of Niels’ work here: website and IG profile.

Stay tuned for the full interview coming soon. Next up: cinematographer Kevin Otterness.

Much Love,
The Filmmakersworld Team