For my diploma project, I worked on a campaign for the vegan burger brand Swing Kitchen, creating a series of three commercials under the title “Burger Love.” The goal was to combine nostalgic old-school aesthetics with fresh new-school elements — a mix that reflects Swing Kitchen’s modern yet grounded brand identity.
Each spot ends with the bold tagline “Echte Liebe isst vegan.” (“True love is vegan.”) a playful but provocative statement designed to grab attention and get people talking.
Team and Collaboration
This project was a team effort:
Sam Bajoghli was responsible for the writing and directing,
Theo Lechner handled camera and cinematography,
and I focused on editing, color grading, and postproduction.
Working closely together allowed us to shape a unified visual and emotional tone throughout all three films. Everyone brought their own strengths to the table, and that made the project both creative and collaborative from start to finish.
Developing the Concept
The idea phase started in the summer of 2024. We explored many storylines that connected food, emotion, and modern lifestyle. From these discussions, we developed three short stories, each highlighting a different side of what “Burger Love” means.
Initially, we thought about starting with Story 3, but after testing and planning logistics, we decided to begin with Story 1 to gain practical experience and refine our workflow before moving on to the more challenging shoots.
Production Challenges and Improvisation
Before each shoot, I made sure that all equipment was ready, tested, and well-organized. Still, as with any film production, unexpected challenges came up.
One of the most memorable moments came during the product shots. We wanted a smooth dolly movement, but without a professional dolly, we got creative: a tripod on top of a drawer became our DIY solution. It wasn’t easy and it took more than 55 takes to get a steady shot but in the end, it worked perfectly and became one of my favorite examples of problem-solving on set.
Postproduction: Crafting the Final Look
The entire postproduction was completed in DaVinci Resolve Studio 19. Immediately after each shooting day, I backed up all files twice on separate SSDs to ensure data safety.
To stay organized across three different stories, I created a structured folder system with separate directories for footage, audio, music, assets, and timelines. That made the editing process much more efficient.
The color grading aimed for a vintage-inspired film look. Warm and slightly nostalgic. Special attention went to the burger shots, making sure every ingredient looked vibrant, juicy, and delicious. Subtle saturation and brightness adjustments helped bring out the textures and freshness of the food.
To complete the visual tone, I applied a Kodak 2383 D55 film LUT, then added slight lens distortion, halation, and tilt-shift blur.