From Indiana to Lucca with Jovial

Hi, my name is Katie, and I am writing as a guest blogger for Jovial Foods; I am one of 14 film students who recently traveled to Italy from Ball State University in the United States. During our five-week study abroad, our assignment is to document the food and culture of Italy. Our first stop was Milan, where we spent two days taking in the sights and sounds of the downtown area, as well as having the incredible opportunity to visit the 2015 World Expo. And then it was on to Lucca with jovial.

During our week here, our task is to create video content which will be posted on the company website and will assist customers to better understand the process and benefits of baking with einkorn flour.

Aside from the gorgeous kitchen being the perfect set, I am not alone when I say we are thoroughly enjoying our time here. It wasn’t 5 minutes off the bus and our entire group was busy exploring the grounds and snapping photos – the property is beautiful and the views are spectacular. An al fresco dinner on the patio was like the setting in a Tuscan paradise. We were up early the next morning and ready for work. With jobs assigned the night before, we began by arranging camera equipment and setting the kitchen “scene.” Rosemary branches in the window, a bowl of lemons on the shelves and five different cameras along the back wall set the stage for our first shoot with Carla explaining the benefits of einkorn flour, as well as how to use the einkorn kneading tool.

While the dough from the first shoot rose, some of us worked on initial video edits while others wandered the villa grounds enjoying the beautiful May weather. Later that afternoon, we worked on the second video piece which demonstrated using jovial’s linen couche.

While production went pretty smoothly, not every shot was worth keeping. One of the students had the idea to attach a small camera to Carla to capture a video of her taking bread from the oven. We attempted to attach the camera with a makeshift harness using a camera case and a belt, but things don’t always go quite as planned!

After a long day of shooting, we were absolutely thrilled to be treated by Carla to a wonderful meal that, of course, included the bread we shot earlier that day. We were all amazed by how delicious the bread made with the einkorn flour was – I personally thought the bread was too flavorful to need butter.

After spending nearly the entire day at the villa, we were all ready to get out and explore a little more of Italy. Our entire group took a bus, then a boat, to the seaside villages of Cinque Terre. So vibrant in color and interesting, I think the villages were one of the most stunning places I’ve ever seen. We were thoroughly worn out after visiting and exploring four of the five cities. Most of us even fell asleep on the bus trip back home, but the exhaustion was well worth the incredible day we had.

Our third day was a productive one: we met our professor around 9 a.m. in one of the buildings on the property and after discussing our plans for the video, we broke off into teams for editing. Later that afternoon, Carla reviewed our rough cuts to discuss how to best improve them to meet her vision. We also discussed plans for the footage we would be shooting the next day at the einkorn farm, and then, we enjoyed more bread with homemade lasagna.

Next up: Siena! Accustomed to the humid, scratchy, and dusty corn fields of the Midwest in the United States, I was prepared for a long, uncomfortable day but I was pleasantly surprised.

The incredible rolling hills of the Siena countryside was worth the drive alone; some of us felt this fairytale-like place looked like a photo from a Dr. Seuss book. I thought these hills would be exciting to sled down in the winter, but we weren’t sure if this region got snow. One of the other students jokingly responded, “this place is too perfect to snow.”

We captured some shots of raw Einkorn grains, as well as some beautiful footage of Carla walking through the fields. The view was absolutely breathtaking and being film students who love to take pictures, many of us felt we were in photography paradise. After filming, we gathered on the terrace at the farm for an al fresco aperitivo. Again, the view was amazing from our table – and as I’m getting used to in Italy – everything was delicious. Because the late afternoon sun was beginning to set, we took a few more photos around the farm and then returned to the villa, stopping for gelato- it was another wonderful day!

As we wrap up the detailed editing of Carla’s videos, I realize what a great opportunity it has been to get the chance to film something like this in the incredible settings we have seen. Our typical projects at school usually feature shots near campus, often in dormitories that are much less picturesque than the places we have been staying in Italy. We have enjoyed working with Carla so much and are grateful for the opportunity she has given us to collaborate on this project.

Arrivederci (or Chirp! Chirp! as we say at Ball State.)