![\"Chris](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/PRN-L-Stoefen-3.jpg\")
Chris Stoefen, a La Jolla resident, and his father, Gary Stoefen of Rancho Bernardo. They launched their website \u201cKeepin It Real\u201d in late summer 2025. (Courtesy of Gary Stoefen)<\/p>\nA Rancho Bernardo man and his son are bicycling around San Diego to conduct video interviews with people they encounter so they can share short snippets of their lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cKeepin It Real\u201d is the creation of Gary Stoefen, 73, and Chris Stoefen, 49. Their website debuted in late summer and as of late December had nine episodes posted, each about 6 minutes in length.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to provide a weekly entertainment venue where we can explore light-hearted and heartfelt conversations with people from all walks of life within our diverse communities in San Diego,\u201d Gary said.<\/p>\n
On their website, keepinitreal.us, they wrote \u201cWe believe that everyone is an open book just waiting to be heard.\u201d<\/p>\n
From the launch in late summer through early January, they have had 22,000 views, mostly due to social media promotion, Gary said, while their website has logged over 4,200 visits.<\/p>\n
\u201cI never imagined we would have such a good start,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Their goal is to have clips that are \u201cfun, light-hearted and spontaneous,\u201d they said, adding they are non-political and don\u2019t plan to monetize the site.<\/p>\n
But the endeavor is also a way for father and son to bond.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a great opportunity for my dad and I to be together and to have fun together,\u201d said Chris, who lives in La Jolla.<\/p>\n
Chris Stoefen, a La Jolla resident, and his father, Gary Stoefen of Rancho Bernardo. They launched their website \u201cKeepin It Real\u201d in late summer 2025. (Courtesy of Gary Stoefen)<\/p>\n
This is the first time they have had a chance to do something like this because \u201cChris was busy with work and raising a family.\u201d said Gary, who has lived in Rancho Bernardo almost 30 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is the best opportunity for us to enjoy camaraderie, have fun and exercise,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
For 35 years, Gary and his wife Judy owned and operated Video Connections. Their work included filming weddings, dance performances, theatrical productions and local pageants at venues throughout San Diego County. They retired in 2020 when the pandemic began.<\/p>\n
Chris has had a career in accounting and is now semi-retired. 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy dad did a lot of videography \u2026 and as we kids grew up we would do shows together. \u2026 Doing those kinds of things was awesome,\u201d Chris said.<\/p>\n
For \u201cKeepin It Real,\u201d they take turns behind the camera and in front interviewing. Gary edits their footage and Chris handles the social media marketing.<\/p>\n
For their videos, they drive to a chosen spot and then get on their bicycles so they can easily get around and get some exercise. They might park at Mission Bay then get on their bikes for jaunts around Pacific Beach and Ocean Beach.<\/p>\n
Traveling on bicycle also means they don\u2019t have to deal with parking challenges in some areas, Gary said.<\/p>\n
Along the way they interview random folks, some they approach and others who happen to strike up a conversation with them.<\/p>\n
On Jan. 8 they ended up interviewing Joe Pisano at Liberty Station. Pisano said he noticed their bright neon jackets and made a comment to them. That led to a conversation and him agreeing to be interviewed at his art studio, The Gallery of PISANO Artistry.<\/p>\n
![\"Joe](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/PRN-L-Stoefen-1.jpg\")
Joe Pisano, center, being interviewed at his art studio in Liberty Station on Jan. 8 by Chris Stoefen, left, and Gary Stoefen for an upcoming \u201cKeepin It Real\u201d episode. (Courtesy of Gary Stoefen)<\/p>\n
Pisano said after the interview that they talked about his industrial art that is often created with thousands of drywall screws. He has also used military dog tags and golf tees. Visitors to the San Diego County Fair\u2019s fine arts building have likely seen his large artworks entered into competition over the years.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor 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,\u201d Pisano said.<\/p>\n
His art company is partnered with a nonprofit organization to provide resources to veterans so they can do art therapy as a method to reduce veteran suicides.<\/p>\n
\u201cCreating artwork helps with their healing process,\u201d said Pisano, who recently retired as a Navy chief. He served for 24 years.<\/p>\n
Pisano said he has been interviewed for segments on Channel 10 and KUSI, which is why he agreed to the interview with the Stoefens.<\/p>\n
\u201cTheir personalities are very infectious,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
What they are doing is important, especially coming out of the pandemic, Pisano said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople in this world have forgotten how to just talk to a person,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Stoefens said they interview people from all walks of life, from those living out of their RVs to vendors, store owners, tourists, local residents and even one of the Whaley House museum supervisors.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe look for the good in people,\u201d Gary said.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople open up all on their own, with a message or experience that we can tap into,\u201d Chris added. \u201cOur main goal is to get to know people, give them an opportunity to share \u2026 what\u2019s going on in their life and have fun with us too.\u201d<\/p>\n
The inspiration for their project goes back a few years, to when Gary and his son were Lyft and Uber drivers.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe would listen to people vent without asking to listen to their stories \u2026 they needed an outlet,\u201d Gary recalled. \u201cThat inspired us to start interviewing people about their heartfelt feelings.\u201d<\/p>\n
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 \u201cCalifornia\u2019s Gold\u201d and another on the California missions.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do not try to emulate him, but I enjoyed his show that was folksy and corny and that\u2019s me,\u201d he said. \u201cI want to make people feel comfortable with us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The two interviewers always ask permission before filming, explaining what they are doing. They have also worked to improve their approach. Initially, people often declined an interview, but Gary said they were more willing once he and his son became more professional in their approach, presenting business cards and wearing shirts with their website\u2019s logo.<\/p>\n
At the suggestion of a bicyclist they met in Coronado, they added brightly colored neon jackets with their logo to improve their safety while biking.<\/p>\n
![\"Chris](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/PRN-L-Stoefen-2.jpg\")
Chris Stoefen and his father, Gary Stoefen, ready to head out on their bicycles to interview people for \u201cKeepin It Real.\u201d (Courtesy of Gary Stoefen)<\/p>\n
The stories they have heard vary from lighthearted to serious.<\/p>\n
Gary recalled interviewing one woman in Pacific Beach who recounted her struggles to get housing and medical care.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe had been living out of the airport and trying to get her health on schedule, but was having trouble getting insurance,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was a heartfelt dialogue. She said, \u2018I can\u2019t go to the airport to sleep because the police would arrest me.\u2019 I will always remember her.\u201d<\/p>\n
His favorite interviews have been with pet owners, and at times Gary has even held a microphone up to the dogs to see if they want to say something.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were at Dog Beach and I held the microphone in front of a pooch and he wanted to eat it. That was so fun,\u201d Gary said. \u201cIn 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, \u2018Mind your own business\u2019 and (the Chihuahua) took off.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose are some of the little things we do that are somewhat humorous,\u201d Gary added.<\/p>\n
Advances in technology have made their travels via bicycle possible. Gary recalled how decades ago his video cameras were large and he had to wear heavy vests filled with batteries and other necessary equipment. In contrast, all they need now is an iPhone to record their interviews and small wireless microphones.<\/p>\n
He estimated that for each episode they record roughly two hours of footage that he edits down to around six minutes.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor each one minute I spend about one hour of editing time,\u201d said Gary, who also adds music and other graphics as needed.<\/p>\n
In 2025, the Stoefens went to Pacific Beach, Balboa Park, La Jolla, Coronado, the Hotel del Coronado, Ocean Beach, December Nights and Old Town.<\/p>\n
This year, they want to expand to other communities and are open to suggestions, which can be made by emailing them at gary@keepinitreal.us.<\/p>\n
To view their episodes, their YouTube Channel is keepinitrealsd, their Facebook page is Keepin It Real and their website is keepinitreal.us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A Rancho Bernardo man and his son are bicycling around San Diego to conduct video interviews with people…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":134060,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[68487,68486,68489,68485,930,68488,15771,74,76,75],"class_list":{"0":"post-134059","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-san-diego","8":"tag-chris-stoefen","9":"tag-gary-stoefen","10":"tag-huell-howser","11":"tag-keepin-it-real","12":"tag-la-jolla","13":"tag-person-on-the-street-interviews","14":"tag-rancho-bernardo","15":"tag-san-diego","16":"tag-san-diego-headlines","17":"tag-san-diego-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134059","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=134059"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134059\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/134060"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=134059"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=134059"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=134059"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}