A La Jolla man and his father are bicycling around the San Diego area to video-record interviews with people they encounter so they can share snippets of their lives.
The project, called “Keepin It Real,” is the creation of Chris Stoefen, 49, and his dad, Gary, 73. Their website, keepinitreal.us, debuted in late summer and as of this week had 10 episodes posted, each about six minutes long.
They also have a YouTube channel and a Facebook page.
“We want to provide a weekly entertainment venue where we can explore lighthearted and heartfelt conversations with people from all walks of life within our diverse communities in San Diego,” said Gary Stoefen, who lives in Rancho Bernardo.
The pair’s website states “We believe that everyone is an open book just waiting to be heard.”
Through early January, the site had collected 22,000 views, mostly through social media promotion, Gary said.
“I never imagined we would have such a good start,” he said.
The clips are fun, lighthearted, spontaneous and non-political, said the Stoefens, who added that they don’t plan to monetize the site.
The project also is a way for the father and son to bond.
“It’s a great opportunity for my dad and I to be together and have fun together,” Chris said.
Chris Stoefen of La Jolla and his father, Gary Stoefen of Rancho Bernardo, launched their website “Keepin It Real” late last summer. (Provided by Gary Stoefen)
This is the first time they’ve had a chance to do something like this because “Chris was busy with work and raising a family,” Gary said.
“This is the best opportunity for us to enjoy camaraderie, have fun and exercise,” he added.
Chris is semi-retired from a career in accounting. While growing up, he learned videography from his father and as a young adult occasionally accompanied him to assist on jobs. He also makes home videos with his family.
“My dad did a lot of videography … and as we kids grew up we would do shows together. … Doing those kinds of things was awesome,” Chris said.
Gary and his wife, Judy, owned and operated a video business for 35 years in which they filmed weddings, dance performances, theatrical productions and pageants at venues throughout San Diego County. They retired in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic began.
For “Keepin It Real,” Chris and Gary take turns behind the camera and in front interviewing. Gary edits the footage and Chris handles the social media marketing.
To make their videos, they drive to a chosen spot and get on their bicycles so they can easily get around and get some exercise. They might, for example, park at Mission Bay and take their bikes for jaunts around Pacific Beach and Ocean Beach.
Traveling by bicycle also means they don’t have to deal with parking challenges, Gary said.
Along the way they interview random folks, some of whom they approach and others who happen to strike up a conversation with them.
On Jan. 8 they ended up interviewing Joe Pisano at Liberty Station in Point Loma. Pisano said he noticed their bright neon-yellow jackets and made a comment to them. That led to a conversation and he agreed to be interviewed at his art studio, Pisano Artistry.
Joe Pisano (center) is interviewed in his art studio at Liberty Station in Point Loma on Jan. 8 by Chris Stoefen (left) and Gary Stoefen for a “Keepin It Real” episode. (Provided by Gary Stoefen)
Pisano said after the interview that they talked about his industrial art that he often creates with thousands of drywall screws. He also has used military dog tags and golf tees. Visitors to the San Diego County Fair’s fine-arts building likely have seen his large artworks in competitions over the years.
“For the 250-year birthday of our nation, at the San Diego County Fair I will have a piece, not as a contestant but as a guest, replicating the Statue of Liberty that is 20 feet tall,” Pisano said.
Pisano said he has been interviewed for TV news segments, which is why he agreed to the interview with the Stoefens.
“Their personalities are very infectious,” he said.
Also, he said, what they are doing is important, especially post-pandemic.
“People in this world have forgotten how to just talk to a person,” Pisano said.
The Stoefens said they interview people from all walks of life, from those living in their RVs to vendors, store owners, tourists, local residents and even one of the supervisors at Old Town San Diego’s Whaley House Museum.
“We look for the good in people,” Gary said.
“People open up all on their own, with a message or experience that we can tap into,” Chris said. “Our main goal is to get to know people, give them an opportunity to share … what’s going on in their life and have fun with us, too.”
The inspiration for their project goes back a few years to when Gary and Chris were Lyft and Uber drivers.
“We would listen to people vent without asking to listen to their stories. … They needed an outlet,” Gary recalled. “That inspired us to start interviewing people about their heartfelt feelings.”
Gary said he was a longtime fan of the late Huell Howser, who interviewed people for his PBS television shows in California, including his series “California’s Gold” and another on the California missions.
“I do not try to emulate him, but I enjoyed his show. [It] was folksy and corny, and that’s me,” he said. “I want to make people feel comfortable with us.”
The two said they always explain what they are doing and ask for permission before recording. Initially, people often declined to be interviewed, but Gary said they were more willing once he and Chris became more professional in their approach, presenting business cards and wearing clothes with their website’s logo.
At the suggestion of a bicyclist they met in Coronado, they added the brightly colored jackets to improve their safety while biking.
Chris Stoefen and his father, Gary, get ready to head out on their bicycles to interview people for “Keepin It Real.” (Provided by Gary Stoefen)
The stories they have heard vary from light to serious.
Gary recalled interviewing a woman in Pacific Beach who recounted her struggles to get housing and medical care.
“She had been living out of the airport and trying to get her health on schedule but was having trouble getting insurance,” he said. “It was a heartfelt dialogue. She said ‘I can’t go to the airport to sleep because the police would arrest me.’ I will always remember her.”
His favorite interviews have been with pet owners, and at times Gary has even held a microphone up to dogs to see if they want to say something.
“We were at Dog Beach [in Ocean Beach] and I held the microphone in front of a pooch and he wanted to eat it. That was so fun,” Gary said. “In one episode, I was interviewing the owner of a pet who was so well-behaved and this Chihuahua came out from nowhere and wanted to tangle with the bigger dog. I said ‘Mind your own business’ and [the Chihuahua] took off.”
Advances in technology have made their travels by bicycle possible. Gary recalled the large video cameras of decades ago and how he had to wear heavy vests filled with batteries and other equipment. In contrast, all they need now is a smartphone and small wireless microphones to record their interviews.
For each episode they record roughly two hours of footage that Gary edits to around six minutes.
“For each one minute I spend about one hour of editing time,” said Gary, who also adds music and graphics as needed.
Last year the Stoefens went to La Jolla, Pacific Beach, Balboa Park, Coronado, Ocean Beach and Old Town.
This year they want to expand to other communities and are open to suggestions, which can be made by sending an email to gary@keepinitreal.us. ♦