EP 38: Stills to Video and Back Again: Mike Gluckman on Shooting Hybrid Campaigns

This week at the fire, we're joined by Mike Gluckman — a food and beverage photographer and director who splits his time between Orlando and Seattle, and whose path to the table was anything but direct. Mike cut his teeth directing corporate video for Darden Restaurants (think Red Lobster and Olive Garden), working his way up from the lighting department to director of photography to director. Then the pandemic shut down a shoot mid-production, and Mike used the forced pause to niche down hard into food and beverage stills, building a portfolio from his own kitchen while the world waited out lockdown. Years later, it's all come full circle: clients who hired him for stills are now the ones asking for his video chops. We get into how Mike lights a single set to work for both stills and video, the real difference between a director's scout and a technical scout, what to do when you show up with zero time to scout at all, and the full behind-the-scenes story of Miller's Ale House's "Skillet Queso Dunks" campaign — from a years-old warm email lead to building a set from scratch to rigging a DIY slow-motion bacon drop on a shoestring budget. Resources & Links Mentioned Mike Gluckman — website Mike Gluckman — Instagram Eddie V's Prime Seafood Miller's Ale House Squarespace 7.1 (the platform behind Mike's newly redesigned site) ⁠Tesco's Now We're Cooking Campaign It's Not What You Know, It's Who You Know Mike's biggest jobs — Eddie V's, Miller's Ale House — didn't come from cold pitches. They came from relationships he kept warm for years, sometimes through gigs he didn't even want to take. If you're ready to build that same kind of foundation — the pricing clarity, the licensing know-how, and the visibility that gets you remembered — the Basecamp Bundle is where to start. Basecamp Bundle And if you're ready for ongoing, 1:1 support as you build those relationships and grow your business, Creative Sidekick is my 6-month coaching program — built for creatives who want a thought partner in their corner. Creative Sidekick About the Host Shelly Waldman is a commercial photographer, creative director, and the founder of Creative Camp, a business education platform for commercial photographers and creative freelancers. Known as “The Analytical Creative,” she draws on a background in economics and finance to teach pricing, usage licensing, and business strategy for creatives. Shelly's clients have included the San Francisco 49ers, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Duckhorn Wine, Citibank, and Shutterfly, and she hosts the Creative Campfire podcast from her home base in London. About the Guest Mike Gluckman is a food and beverage photographer and director based between Orlando and Seattle. He built his career behind the camera on corporate video sets — eventually working his way up to director of photography and director — before niching into food and beverage stills during the pandemic. Today his stills and video work have come full circle, with recent campaigns for Eddie V's and Miller's Ale House, where he served as creative director, storyboard artist, and director of photography all in one. Keep the Conversation Going Got a question for Mike or for me? Send us a DM on Instagram — we read every one. Instagram: @creativecamp.pro Buy Me a Coffee Sign up for the Camp Bulletin And if this episode was helpful, leaving a review helps more creatives find the fire. We read every single one — hugs and high fives for taking the time.