Holiday shoppers, get your Calendar orders in, we’re already almost out of stock.

The 2010 Loreto Calendar captures the magic and beauty of the charming seaside Baja fishing town. Thanks to everyone who sent in photos. Simply fantastic! If you didn’t make it in ′10, there is always next year. I’m a Sharks fan, so I know how the saying goes. Meantime, we’ve all created something special together. And it’s just getting started.

Production notes below.Our green screen trials continue. The results still aren’t quite right (green fringe, uneven lighting), but it’s getting better. Our main lighting is in place now in the fledgling SSC studio, but accent lighting for the green screen itself is still in process. This is needed to separate the foreground objects (people mostly) from the background images. Even lighting is essential to helping us key properly in post-production.

You’ll notice too in this video Loni is wearing a green blouse with a crazy green-heavy design. In future, we’ll ensure no green is on set! Also, sunglasses and wine glasses prove problematic as well.

The studio setting will help us for videos and shows focused on film festivals, theater and arts coverage. It will never replace being on location or in “in the field”… or getting lost in the tall Napa grass like Loni did on that windy day standing in front of the grapecrusher. There is something visceral about shooting live, in the moment. We’ll still do that. And I’ll be scoping for bloopers non-stop. Although, to be fair, it’s not easy being in front of camera with a bunch of actors that you’ve just met for the first time.

Also, we’ll keep using our trusty, pocketable Flip video for street shoots in San Jose, San Francisco and Berkeley, especially for theater. It’s a fun way to get a perspective on opening night, or behind the scenes, or just flat out running with us as we try to make the show on time. Well, at least it’s fun for us… and we hope you enjoy tuning in once and a while to catch up on the arts, film and theater scene here in the Bay Area. Not to mention of course, our love for wine country.

Clinton Stark

Clint writes about new media, arts, wine, indie film, and tech (including his trusty Droid). An aging ice hockey player, he tries in vain to direct Loni in SSC videos. He's held executive marketing roles at tech companies including Cisco, EMC and Salesforce.com. Originally from Ottawa, Canada, he now lives in Silicon Valley. More »

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