Father-son duo are ‘Keepin It Real’ by filming interviews with people in San Diego

A 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.

“Keepin It Real” 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.

“We 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,” Gary said.

On their website, keepinitreal.us, they wrote “We believe that everyone is an open book just waiting to be heard.”

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.

“I never imagined we would have such a good start,” he added.

Their goal is to have clips that are “fun, light-hearted and spontaneous,” they said, adding they are non-political and don’t plan to monetize the site.

But the endeavor is also a way for father and son to bond.

“It’s a great opportunity for my dad and I to be together and to have fun together,” said Chris, who lives in La Jolla.

This is the first time they have had a chance to do something like this because “Chris was busy with work and raising a family.” said Gary, who has lived in Rancho Bernardo almost 30 years.

“This is the best opportunity for us to enjoy camaraderie, have fun and exercise,” he said.

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.

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.

“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.

For “Keepin It Real,” they take turns behind the camera and in front interviewing. Gary edits their footage and Chris handles the social media marketing.

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.

Traveling on bicycle also means they don’t have to deal with parking challenges in some areas, Gary said.

Along the way they interview random folks, some 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. 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.

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’s fine arts building have likely seen his large artworks entered into competition 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.

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.

“Creating artwork helps with their healing process,” said Pisano, who recently retired as a Navy chief. He served for 24 years.

Pisano said he has been interviewed for segments on Channel 10 and KUSI, which is why he agreed to the interview with the Stoefens.

“Their personalities are very infectious,” he said.

What they are doing is important, especially coming out of the pandemic, Pisano said.

“People in this world have forgotten how to just talk to a person,” he said.

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.

“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 added. “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 his son 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 that was folksy and corny and that’s me,” he said. “I want to make people feel comfortable with us.”

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’s logo.

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.

The stories they have heard vary from lighthearted to serious.

Gary recalled interviewing one 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 the dogs to see if they want to say something.

“We were at Dog 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.

“Those are some of the little things we do that are somewhat humorous,” Gary added.

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.

He estimated that for each episode they record roughly two hours of footage that he edits down to around six minutes.

“For each one minute I spend about one hour of editing time,” said Gary, who also adds music and other graphics as needed.

In 2025, the Stoefens went to Pacific Beach, Balboa Park, La Jolla, Coronado, the Hotel del Coronado, Ocean Beach, December Nights and Old Town.

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.

To view their episodes, their YouTube Channel is keepinitrealsd, their Facebook page is Keepin It Real and their website is keepinitreal.us.