This is not your typical traffic delay: A photo shoot for an Audi car ad.
But it’s the beauty of the Mendocino County coast that is drawing a Southern California company to Highway 1 this week to shoot those photos.
Caltrans issued a permit to Burrito Productions of El Segundo to take photos 1 to 9 p.m. Tuesday along the highway from 0.9 mile south of San Juan Creek to 0.2 mile north of Hardy Creek, which is about 5 miles north of Westport.
On Wednesday, the company will move south to the area of MacKerricher State Park, where its crew will work 1 to 9 p.m. from 0.7 mile south of Ten Mile River Bridge to Camp Ten Mile Road.
The permit allows intermittent closures of the highway both days. Traffic delays of up to 10 minutes are expected, Caltrans warns.
Jeff Wight, Burrito Productions producer, said the company will be taking photos of the scenic coast for use in advertising an Audi car that isn’t due to be released until next year. He said the Mendocino photos will be used as background in the ads with the car superimposed into the images by computer.
He said his company uses a location scout who “spends a lot of time looking for great locations. One of his tasks was to find coastal roads with epic views. He showed us pictures of the specific stretch in Mendocino County, and our client was sold.”
Wight said off-duty CHP officers will be used for traffic control.
————–
Follow the Road Warrior on Twitter via @PDRoadWarrior
Safedriver
They want to be sure and not accidentally include any of the massive pot garden sites or armed mercenaries.
July 30th, 2012 7:04 pm
Roger W. Hamilton
Whats wrong with the Sonoma Coast????????????
July 31st, 2012 7:49 am
e.
Really? They have to close the road to get their shots? Amateurs!
July 31st, 2012 9:41 am
JCB
Why not just remove cars digitally if you are going to add the Audi digitally? Waste of time and money if you ask me.
July 31st, 2012 9:49 am
wangofango
” the Mendocino photos will be used as background in the ads with the car superimposed into the images by computer.
What ever happened to truth in advertising? LOL. Yesterday, marbles in the soup bowl, today…..lying by computer. Hucksters of the world untie…
July 31st, 2012 10:21 am
whocares
That might be funny Safedriver if anyone grew right on the coast. The fog tends to kill the pot with mold so you fail sorry.
August 1st, 2012 12:07 pm
Debra De Graw
Jeff Wight (not Wright) was great to work with as we, the Mendocino County Film Office/Commission, assisted and welcomed this photo shoot to Mendocino County.
We are pleased that the Burrito Brothers chose the Mendocino Coast for this project and hope they come back to visit us soon. Film, Photo, TV, and Commercial projects are good for the economy and we appreciate all the folks who understand welcome them during the time they are here. We appreciate your patience through any traffic delays and hope that you will support filming in Mendocino County and California.
We are competing with the world these days to get production here. Thanks again.
Cheers!
Debra De Graw
Film Liaison
Mendocino County Film
August 6th, 2012 12:49 pm
Road.Warrior
Debra, Thanks for your comment and your correction of the spelling. I’ve updated the column to reflect that.
August 6th, 2012 3:29 pm