Meet the people creating meals from paper

If the most creative thing you’ve ever fashioned from paper is a greeting card or cootie catcher, you’re about to feel a little worse about your paper-craft skills. PAPERMEAL films are the brainchild of Melbourne’s yelldesign team; a cluster of creatives with a knack for producing captivating videos. And although your parents might have swayed you away from eating paper as a kid, the results of PAPERMEAL films might have you considering tucking into a piece of paper penne. Not convinced? You’ll see what we mean:

Tell us, where on earth did the idea to create PAPERMEAL films come from?

Mostly over lunch: we discussed as a group the idea of making complete meals from paper. And, as the idea evolved, we ended up making everything from paper, including the props, sets and all.

We love the little details involved in these clips, how long did it take to create a single PAPERMEAL video?

Each video took between two-three weeks to prepare, and up to six hours to shoot. We completed the whole series over a three-month period.

Tell us a little about the process…

We started with a props list. All of the elements we would need for each animation, then we split up the tasks so each team member had different elements to work on. The props are a mix of handmade items and some laser-cut elements.

How did you choose which meals to fashion from paper?

We tried to do a range of dishes/cuisines for a broader appeal. Penne Meatballs was the first idea; we originally wanted to make spaghetti with a paper shredder, but the idea changed with each discussion.

Aside from creating PAPERMEALS, do you enjoy cooking with ‘real’ ingredients too?

Of course! We all love food. Most of us in the studio are keen cooks. We also do a lot of animations with real food for our clients. We’ve done projects featuring Tasmanian salmon, and a number of videos for a mayonnaise company, animating salad ingredients.

What other fun projects are you working on at yelldesign?

Aside from our usual client projects, we’re already discussing the next series of animations. You may see a fashion-related project sometime soon…

You’re based in Melbourne, where do you love to eat, drink and play in your hometown?

The best meatballs are at Tiamo on Lygon Street; we love cocktails at Rice Queen in Fitzroy; and we recently had a group dinner at Jim’s Greek Tavern, a legendary food hall in Collingwood.

What is your advice for those wishing to pursue their own creative projects?

Jump right in and get started. If it’s a large project, you’ll likely run out of motivation at some point; stay focused on the end goal and try to keep the final product clear in your mind. Don’t forget to celebrate small wins along the way!