Dîner en Blanc - San Diego from Balestra Entertainment on Vimeo.

Meet Linda Skeens: One Day in San Diego Ambassador

Linda Skeens is another one of our One Day in San Diego ambassadors. She is an award winning filmmaker and co-founder of Balestra Entertainment. Born and raised in San Diego, Linda brings a great perspective to our project. We are so excited to have her on board our team!

Who are you and what is your profession?

San Diego producer, director, writer, cinematographer, editor, and co-founder of Balestra Entertainment. My notable local clients include U-T San Diego, UC San Diego, King's Hawaiian, Ilovemusubi.com, Nubry.com, Dîner en Blanc, and I do...Weddings! I have a B.A. in media with an emphasis on cinema, and a minor in economics from the University of California, San Diego. 

Can you tell us a little about your background and upbringing?

San Diego local, originally from the dusty horse-trailed portion of South Bay. My business-savvy mother is a California raised redwood; raven haired and half-mexican, half-spaniard. My caucasian father hails from the hills of Kentucky, and owned a San Diego pest control company for 25 years. His business closed their doors when he was diagnosed with a malignant tumor in his throat. I now live in City Heights with my filmmaker partner, Patrick Russell Burton, and our two dogs Keith and Dandelion. 

What inspired you to become a filmmaker?

As a child I had trouble falling asleep, making friends, or being out in the sun for too long. The rest is history.

Who or what do you most admire?

My heart is always in complete admiration of my partner Patrick Russell Burton. His confidence, constant creativity, willingness to learn and grow, and his ability to lead and inspire others are just a few reasons that he's my favorite person in the world.

What do you love about San Diego?

The usual perks: the weather, the food, the people, the arts, the animals, the nature. 

What do you fear most for San Diego?

LA smog will be pushed down by NorCal winds, leaving us to choke on their murky cancer-causing crappy air.

What do you hope for San Diego in the next 20 years?

I hope that the standard of living will rise for the lower class, and that education, healthcare, and shelter are readily available for everybody. 

Check out more of Linda's work: http://www.balestraentertainment.com/

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Have questions for Linda, comment below.

Join the Conversation: What stories do you think are important to San Diego?

We are only a few weeks away from April 26th.

Which questions will you answer?

Ten Questions for the Future of Your City from One Day on Earth on Vimeo.

Meet Chris Tran: One Day in San Diego ambassador

As we get closer to our day of filming, we will be introducing you to our ambassador team. Each ambassador will be out filming amazing things happening in San Diego on April 26th.

Our first Q&A is with Chris Tran, a local filmmaker.

Who are you and what is your profession?
I am an SDSU graduate originally from the San Francisco area and currently residing in Pacific Beach. After many years in the hospitality industry in the Gaslamp, I am now a freelance videographer.

Can you tell us a little about your background and upbringing?
Growing up in Marin County, you are surrounded by hills of green and ocean bays but have the bustling intensity of the San Francisco city life only 15 minutes away. The differences in landscape were always complimented by the differences of cultures that thrived in different pockets of the area. I feel the variety of life that exists in the area has influenced me to continue to discover the world through a camera lens.

What inspired you to become a filmmaker?
Filmmaking used to be a dream to me, as foreign as climbing Mt. Everest or walking on the moon.  Not physically impossible, but pretty likely to not happen. Then cameras started to become smaller and more affordable, and editing software less a foreign language. Once the tools were in reach and I realized that it was possible to recreate how I saw the world, I was truly inspired by the possibilities that lied ahead.

Who or what do you most admire?
I admire surf filmmakers because they have found their way into an awesome combination of a specialized culture: travel, sport, and personality that is truly global.

What do you love about San Diego?
San Diego is neither a big city nor small. I can be eating octopus tacos in Baja in twenty minutes or get lost in a jungle of Los Angeles freeways in an hour (four hours if it's a Friday and I start driving between 3pm and 6pm). You can't smoke a cigarette on the beach and if you try and liter you'll likely get chased out of town.

What do you fear most for San Diego?
San Diego is certainly no hidden gem. People save up just to vacation here. I fear San Diego will become unaffordable in time, that as the cost of living rises with the tide of people attempting to call this place home we will start to lose the culture and character of what we have grown to love.

What do you hope for San Diego in the next 20 years?
I hope to see people become able to name a few players on the Padres.

Check out more of Chris' work:http://christranmedia.com

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Where can we find you on April 26th?