DVC-20 'How to Make a Pizza'

[Bill Thesken]

With $5 of ingredients you can make 2 hefty pizzas that will feed 10 people. I've been planning to do this for about a year now with a different title, and I have some regrets with the edit since it ran too long and I couldn't fit in some key scenes. Making pizza, like making a film is fun because you are creating something, where once there was nothing. Pizza fills the belly and films fill the mind. I just hope no one falls asleep watching this...DVC -20 is like a wheel driving a machine, and this little film is just one cog on that wheel. Enjoy! And make a pizza.

[Henry Williams]

Bill, I really enjoyed watching this and fully intend to make the pizzas. Which I guess brings me to my (one) small quibble - we didn't see the finished things! (although that may have been a good move as I was already salivating all over the floor by then anyway).

A really clearly presented instructional video that made me very, very hungry. Nice twist at the end with the garlic too. Well done!

[Jeremy Doyle]

I started watching this piece at work and I started thinking to myself that I should make my own dough the next time I make a pizza when I realized we are suppose to be having pizza tonight and I forgot to take the dough out of the freezer!

My family has started eating a lot more home made pizzas lately, but I still haven't tried making my own crust. This is just the inspiration I needed.

This was easy to understand, easy to follow along, and easy to replicate, which are the most important ingredients in a "how to" video. Thank you.

[Dick Mays]

Bill,

That's a great video, but pizza is like barbeque sauce. Everybody has their own secret recipe. Mine is a lot like yours but I add a half teaspoon of baking soda and a tablespoon of honey to my dough. I am going to get more liberal with the garlic though, after watching your mushroom and olive masterpiece, my mouth started watering. Nice dream sequence at the end. Never thought that our dreams are just our bodies way to wake us up to eat more pizza, but that makes sense! Where is your island home? Your DVC buddies may need to come for a visit!

Oh, I looked and see it is Hawaii. One mroe excuse to someday visit the islands!

[Lorinda Norton]

So lots and lots of garlic will give me great dreams like that? SOLD! Loved the robo cat. Barking cat was pretty funny too. Also, I smiled at your upshot bicycling footage because I tried to think of an idea where I could incorporate my new Go Pro Hero. :)

I really enjoyed this video, partly because you took the fear out of bread-making. I've been cooking for years but never wanted to tackle any yeast-based recipe. You made it look like a piece of cake...as it were. As for pizza-specific, I always figured I'd have to try to "fly" the dough and knew it would be a disaster!

Things I noticed: Back when the DV Challenge was young we used to get our tails in a knot about showing brands. I nearly ruined a video once trying to blur out a brand, and there was often discussion about hiding logos or "greeking" -- masking the brand somehow so there wasn't a trademark violation. Over the years, however, I've noticed that no one seems to worry about it anymore, which I think is great. You would have to keep it in mind if you were going to do anything on a commercial level. Another thing my headphones picked up was a weed-eater in the background, which didn't distract me at all--I just got a kick out of it. Lastly, comes my only beef with your video...I wanted to see all that goodness in color! :)

All that to say, you put together a great video in a really short amount of time, Bill. Thank you so much for this fun how-to.

[Chris Barcellos]

Great work. Would love to have seen the vinished product too, but then, it probably wasn't around long enough to actually get a shot of.

I do a little cooking, and I am going to try to make your pizza dough very soon. Thanks for the instructions.

[Andris Krastins]

Great video, Bill! Very practical AND beautiful. I started to think about making your pizzas during watching.
Why did you choose black and white? Some colour may have helped - I think it may be important for food preparation.
But I guess that was to contrast with the vivid dream sequences and it was a very beautifully done black and white so I have no grief with that. :)
As others I would also have liked to see the finished pizzas.

The dream sequence was awesome! Really liked the cat. Nice twist with the fridge, made me laugh. :)

Thanks!

[Bill Thesken]

I tried to pull a 'Wizard of Oz' with black & white for the beginning and end and vivid color for the dream sequence. When I first thought of making this a year ago it's title was 'Pizza Dreams', since I'd already made a 'Monk Dreams' short. But no one caught the analogy and I have ended up with an actual instructional pizza making short instead of the intended comedy suprise combo. Too much technical and not enough techincolor. Oh well, at least the pizza is truly good and economical. I vow never again to go for a quick edit.
Dick I'll try that recipe tomorrow when I make the dough again. We should have a DVC symposium in Hawaii someday. And Lorinda there was a pesky weed eater next door and the Rode NTG2 didn't block it out but I had to press forward. You think I should charge for product placement next time? :)

[Lorinda Norton]

Originally Posted by Bill Thesken

We should have a DVC symposium in Hawaii someday.

I could go for that!

[George Williams]

Pizza = awesome.

[Dick Mays]

Originally Posted by Lorinda Norton

I could go for that!

Perhaps we should start planning a ten year celebration of the DV Challenge in Hawaii right now, so I can start saving for the trip.

[Lorinda Norton]

Four years from now? That's a great idea! Do you think we'll make it that long? :)