Category Archives: Production Diary

LONDON UK, 1986. That’s me on the right up there. I may be smiling, but I’m afraid, very afraid. After this photo shoot, we planned to show that video wall to an audience of trade press and VIPs from British … Continue reading →

FEBRUARY 2009 SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA Boy am I tired! On February 2, we shot the last sequence of my feature documentary Pinot: Sonoma Dreams. It was the bottling of Wall Street trader turned winemaker Jamie Kutch’s ’07 vintage. Almost exactly … Continue reading →

LONDON, OCTOBER 1997. “Stefan, it’s Peter. I might have a job for you. We booked Walter Taggart. He makes films for banks. Has a Ph.D. in banking. Knows the banker-speak. Anyhow, Wally’s gone and we don’t know where he is. … Continue reading →

SAN RAFAEL, CA. DECEMBER 2008. I had a client coming in at 10:00 today. It’s now 11:00. I phone. Nope – just an answering machine. “Hi Peter, where are you?” I email. “Did you think it was at YOUR place?” … Continue reading →

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, 2008. We’ve spent a year filming Jamie Kutch. He was a Wall Street trader, threw it in and now makes Pinot Noir in Sonoma County. Yep, he’s a real person not just an actor. The grapes (the … Continue reading →

This week I ordered a Sock-Loupe from Hood Pro (http://www.hood-pro.com/). The copy says a “fully rigid loupe” can be adjusted to have a “minor droop.” I pay by Paypal and within minutes receive an email from the inventor, Mike Stevens. … Continue reading →

BONDI BEACH AUSTRALIA, MARCH. 1966 I’m in the surf filming Will Rushton, an English comedian. He starred in the BBC’s That Was The Week That Was and in the feature film Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines. Today he’s … Continue reading →

Floating around in cyberspace there’s an article entitled 12 Breeds of Clients and How to Work with Them. But only 12? Come on! What about Susanne? The Presidio Film Center, San Francisco, 2002. Son-in-law George Lang has completed a three-day … Continue reading →

SEBASTOPOL, CALIFORNIA, JUNE 2008. It’s 6:30 in the morning. I’m in a frost-damaged vineyard that’s being chopped down. It’s raining. I’m shooting in close to the vines. Every time one gets the chop, it collapses on me. I’m drenched; so … Continue reading →

Before you read another word, you’ve got to watch this. STRATFORD-UPON-AVON, 1984. Hey, today I’m a director. (So different from the usual Stefan/Tricia modus operandi.) We’re here in Will Shakespeare land, home base of my client’s client, Alveston Kitchens. Up … Continue reading →