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Most of the time, the food we see in a movie makes us want to go and cook the exact same dish so that we can enjoy it ourselves. In fact, if we could, we’d jump right in that movie and start eating the incredibly visually appealing cake or doughnut that we see on the screen!

However, if you were to do so, you’d soon find out that most of the food used in movies are actually fake food and are only meant to create a mouth-watering scene. But the question is, how do they make fake food look so realistic?

Well, let’s find out together!

The Fake Food Industry

There are a couple of companies, such as Display Fake Foods and Independent Studio Services, that actually offer pre-made fake food props that can also be ordered in a bulk. In short, if you ever wanted to fill your home with fake pink doughnuts, then these are the companies you should contact.

This is because, as you may know, certain shots can take a very long time to film – sometimes even a couple of days. If the characters were to eat ice-cream, for example, it would melt in a matter of minutes – or they had to use a nugget ice maker and make sure that the cast has ice available at all times.

The Manufacturing Process

According to several fake food professionals, the ones that submit an order must also send the manufacturer a real version of the food that they want to be duplicated.

• The Mold

After that, the creator will make a mold of the item in order to get its exact shape and size – they can’t come up with a regular-sized apple out of the blue.

• The Materials

As for the materials, fake foods are usually made with foam or rubber. The latter is poured into the mold and left to set. A lot of fake food creators compared this process to bread making, mainly because foam – which is commonly used – rises just like dough. 

• Look and Texture

Then, for the look and texture, most of them rely on their painting background. However, they also admitted that you have to look at things in a different light and realize that, while a foam apple is not an apple, it still has to look like one. 

• Other Elements

In terms of peculiarities, a lot of other things are used to replicate certain foods or elements that decorate food – for example, drywall patching, caulking, sheetrock mud, and so on.

For example, granola and ground beef are usually made from crushed corkboard, as the latter breaks up just like granola does.

Real-Life Look

There’s also a tiny little trick that they sometimes use for the food that they can’t replicate. For example, cereal, popcorn, or various candy are covered in resin so that they are preserved and useable in multiple shots.

Most of the time, we can’t even tell if a piece of candy is glazed in resin or not – nor the actors or the movie enthusiasts, obviously. 

The Bottom Line

A lot of talent and skill is required to be able to make fake food that looks realistic. First of all, you need some experience in molding, working with shapes, and knowing the proportions of various foods.

Then, you have to be a good painter as well so that you can give an apple the shine it has – or a banana its consistency.

Nevertheless, keep in mind that real food is also used in movies, but not that often. Most of the time, it’s the fake food professionals that leave our mouths watering!

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