Last night was a historical filming session at Schoolcraft College with Master Pastry Chef Joe Decker, Certified Master Baker Chef Heather Moore, and Certified Working Pastry Chef Youyoung Rhea. After months of planning the opening scene for the film, we were finally able to start filming the beginning stages.

To recap, it all started with an idea of showcasing the creative abilities as well as the fun whimsical approach chefs often have to culinary creations especially in the pastry world. A collaboration was developed between the College for Creative Studies and Schoolcraft’s Culinary Department to create a stunning three tier cake with Detroit chef look-alike characters that would make for a fun adventurous open to our story.

Now that we filmed the opening pieces with Chef Decker, Chef Moore, and Chef Rhea, the entire set up will move to the studios at CCS where over the next 16 weeks, the clay puppet chef look-alikes that were created by the CCS artist, Alexandra Martinescul, will go through a full stop-motion animation process with their team. When complete, the roughly 2 minute cold open will set the story up for our film, Detroit: The City of Chefs. As the story unfolds, and the chefs come to life, you will see them picking up small crafted utensils and using them to create a piece of Latin style music, which has been recorded with Schoolcraft College’s Sound Recording Technology Department by Professor and Department Chair Jeremy Salo and several chefs who stepped into the studio for a day of banging on pots, whisking in bowls, and sharpening knives, all in an effort to create the piece of music.

Adjunct Professor of Stop-motion, Kevin Coyle, Associate Professor of Animation, Josh Harrell, and Chair and Associate Professor for Entertainment Arts, David Gazdowicz, have wrapped their arms around this project and were on hand for the filming.

A very important thank you to Culinary Director Chef Chris Misiak and Chef Brian Beland who so passionately have embraced this story.