I must refrain from comment, but feel free to call Shaun (info below) or Rob O’Keefe, CEO of See Monterey who is working overtime since the road opened to get visitors in this winter for our businesses, which I understand…however…
Hi, there –
We are producing a small commercial shoot for See Monterey this Wednesday in Big Sur and wanted to share our shoot schedule and plans.
Our goal is to advertise Highway One as the ultimate path between California’s biggest sporting events (including the World Cup and Racing).
CURRENT SCHEDULE:
7:30AM – Call time at Nepenthe
8AM-2PM – Film at Nepenthe (parking lot and lower cafe Balcony)
2PM-6PM – Filming with ITC (CHP) drone + car to car on a stretch of road from Nepenthe to the pullout just beyond the Boronda Trailhead.
6PM – WRAP
STORY OVERVIEW:
The 30-second commercial opens with high-energy, sweeping drone footage of three distinct cars—a Porsche, a Chevrolet, and a vintage convertible Porsche with a soccer scarf flying in the wind—winding along Highway 1. We smash-cut to electric, tight interior shots showing a professional soccer player and two race car drivers traveling separately, moving toward their next destinations.
The camera narrows as they pull into Nepenthe—engines cut off, doors close, and a mix of racing shoes and cleats hit the pavement.
On the balcony at the cafe overlooking Big Sur and the South coastline, over coffee and a casually juggled soccer ball, they notice one another. A nod of recognition turns into a quick, punchy conversation.
What begins as a chance encounter becomes a shared realization: they’re all traveling between California’s biggest sporting moments. With a smirk and a nod to “Enjoy the view,” they head back to their cars and roar back onto Highway 1, pulling off in different directions.
Highway 1 isn’t just a road. It’s the ultimate connection between the pitch and the track. Whatever path you take, find your way here.
FILMING DETAILS:We will be flying the drone no higher than 400 ft and will not be over the water at any point. In accordance with the ITC regulations, we will not stop traffic for longer than 5 minutes at any time. Our goal is to be as inconspicuous as possible.
Our total crew, client, and talent consists of approximately 15 people, including three professional athletes and a pace car driver who will handle most on-road driving. Our home base will be the Nepenthe parking lot, with the dirt pullout just below used as staging for our chase vehicle when utilizing Highway One.
Thank you for the opportunity to help make Big Sur, Highway 1, Laguna Seca, and Monterey County an attractive destination for all visitors.
Please let me know if you have any questions —
Shaun Boyte
Shaun@beandogfilms.com
Highway 1 has become a race track?
I can’t say I care for that image. The coast route in Big Sur is to be treated with respect. Many have perished there driving too fast or assuming they can handle it. When in fact, they couldn’t.
As if Hwy 1 isn’t already a big draw for tourons….
Both nationally 😢 and locally . . . .
Oh why the daily grind of dealing with the greed of others . . . don’t they realize they’re fouling their own nest?
War in Iran, destruction of the East Wing, ICE, Big Sur Coast.
Why not use their talent to create a legacy of positivity, respect . . .
Sadness on steroids. 😩
“…then switch to a sweeping overhead view of the three fabulous cars sitting still on the amazing scenic highway, stuck in a 23 mile long line of traffic, backed up from the Rio Road traffic signal.”
I just sent this to our District 5 Supervisor, Kate Daniels:
Hi Kate,
This should not be allowed. We are overwhelmed already and do not need more tourists.
How can we stop See Monterey from making this commercial, and stop them from making more advertising Highway 1?
If we want to change this, keep this from happening, we have to go ABOVE See Monterey’s CEO. County government is a place to start. District5@countyofmonterey.gov.
What day is this happening? I tried to call Shawn Boyle and the answering machine hung up on me three times.
Perhaps he got an earful already, vroom, vroom, vroom!!!
Maybe he’s already had an earful, vroom, vroom, vroom ….
Can we spend money on managing visitation instead of promoting it? Drive Highway 1 on any weekend and you will see for yourself that social media is marketing the area for free!
It’d be a shame if there were a lot of locals lining the road with their buttocks on display while they were filming…
So which one is it, folks? Stay away or help keep businesses alive? You do realize that 90% of the local economy is directly tied to tourism, right? Occupancy taxes at hotels are what pays for hwy repairs, notoriously one of the most expensive roads in the WORLD to maintain. Like genuinely, shut down tourism and then what’s the plan?
This is an awful concept. Shallow and out of touch. The proliferation of mindless street racers on Highway 1 in Big Sur is out of control NOW. Promoting it with TOT funds is mind-boggling. The Monterey tourism group loves to use Big Sur imagery to promote the entire peninsula, and it is tiresome, worn out and a great disservice to this community.
I’ve been saying g. The same things for the very ten years now.
But il say it again for those in the back.
The money to pay for the road, half a billion and counting over the last ten years. Comes not from the local Big Sur economy. In fact,any and all bussiness is in facts subsidized by the American taxpayers. They don’t make even Pennie’s on the dollar,what it would take to maintain the road.
That being said I’ve said for years now that visit California, and the state have collectively sold out the community’s of Big Sur,Tahoe and Yosemite.
The trifecta of exploitation.
The state makes its money not off the three locations and any profits deprived from food or trinkets.
It comes from the trifecta of taxation.
The car rental tax. (That’s why the car branding in the ads)
The gas tax
And the occupation taxation.
They show these ads over seas and advertising the car trip,starting in SF or LA and making a loop. Yosemite,Tahoe Big Sur. Or the other way around…
I’ve explained this for years now and what we need are real leaders who are willing to gro stand up and say enough.
As you can see,that’s not obvs nepenthe. Mr gafill being the head of the chamber of commerce and all.
Maybe if we actually had a mayor and democracy here,we could come to a consensus on what we all can form a majority and implement actual plans of sustainability and resilience.🤷♂️
Occupancy taxes go to the county. The state pays for and maintains Highway 1; thus Caltrans. It is an extremely expensive road to maintain, but it runs the tourism economy of the state.