NEW VIDEO SERIES: STUDIO DYLAN HAPPY HOUR

During these difficult times, I hope our new video series, #StudioDylanHappyHour, makes you smile. Every week, I'll show you how to make an easy homemade cocktail to help inspire you to create your own fun and fresh drinks.

This week, I'm sharing a Tom Collins recipe and bar idea. The Tom Collins is a "pantry staple" cocktail where the ingredients are simple and easy to find: lemon, sugar, gin, and soda water. You can play up the styling and flavor profiles with mix-ins like fresh fruit and mint, making this an interactive home cocktail idea for one or more. The Tom Collins was invented in 1874 — you can read more about its quirky history here!

Dylan Leavitt

Founder & Executive Producer

Studio Dylan

VIDEO: Simple Veggie Prep Is Meditative

Cooking at home takes creativity, endurance, and patience. It can also be meditative: I love simple prep work, the repetition and necessary focus shield my mind from worry and my breathing grows steady.

In this video, we showcased the prep process in an uplifting way, focusing on produce and product alike. We shared it across Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, in an effort to shine some light in these uncertain times.

What are your go-to veggies at the grocery store, and how do you choose them? How do you rank versatility, shelf life, and of course, flavor preference? Do you find cooking to be meditative?

Dylan Leavitt

Founder & Executive Producer

Studio Dylan

HOW TO BE CAMERA-READY: TIPS FROM A VIDEO HOST & PRODUCER

In a matter of weeks, everyone has had to learn the basics of setting up a shot: from Zoom to FaceTime and IG Livestreams, video has infiltrated our homes. It's important to put effort into your appearance, lighting, and surroundings on camera because it boosts your confidence and earns respect from your colleagues and friends.

As a producer for

several national TV and digital series,I've learned the tips and tricks from the field to look your best on camera. That's meant discussing shirt selection with talent minutes before a cooking segment and rearranging an interview subject's kitchen counter on the fly, making sure the rogue bottle of Windex is put away, and the arranging the charming flour canisters just so. As a YouTube show host, I also learned my filler words, how to conduct a clear interview, and what clothing made me feel most confident in myself.

While I understand not everyone is interested in staging a full-scale production in their living rooms with kids running around just out of frame, and honestly there's no need, I'm sharing a handful of tips so you can improve your video conference style.

In the end, the goal is to make sure the focus is on you and what you have to say!

Dylan Leavitt

Founder & Executive Producer

Studio Dylan