Things to Do in San Pablo

The tech-savvy staff members at Blue Sky Rental Studios lease three varied studio spaces to clients for multimedia, film, and still-photography shoots. Two studios with multipurpose floors and white industrial walls bathe subjects in natural light spilling in from tall, white windows. The Light Grid studio's four walls and ceiling are inlaid with digitally controlled studio lighting, enabling photographers to join forces with a robot without having to promise their camera's hand in marriage. Outside these three creative spaces, a 7,000-square-foot hall hosts a range of private events such as weddings and new-equipment showcases.

When not hosting creative talents, Blue Sky staffers contribute directly to the process as they provide camera gear and accessories, photography and production assistants, and services such as location scouting and casting. They can also aid in completing a photographer's digital workflow with postproduction work, secure-image archival, and hand-drawing mustaches on models in each photo.

The third annual Ceramics Annual of America expo takes over Festival Hall in San Francisco, bringing with it thousands of visitors and a diverse array of ceramics. Dozens of featured artists—who hail from California as well as from farther-flung locales such as Mexico and Italy—offer professional insight via artist-panel discussions and display their wares at personal kiosks. These works range from decorative statues and figures to functional pottery, conceptual art, and recreations of King Tut’s favorite dish set.

Master goldsmith Alan Revere founded The Revere Academy in 1979, creating a space where gifted metalsmiths could pass on their skills to burgeoning jewelry-makers. Today, more than a dozen expert instructors form the faculty, introducing hobbyists and hopeful professionals alike to the fundamentals. The facilities include magnified video feeds that broadcast larger-than-life demonstrations of the teacher performing small and delicate processes, a feat that once required each student to bring their own periscope to class. In the tool room, students will find a blasting unit, magnetic polisher, and other essentials needed to bring their bejeweled creations to shimmering fruition.

Each year, thousands of fans of Apple products power down their MacBooks to attend the Macworld/iWorld expo, an event dedicated to using, appreciating, and admiring Apple products and their surrounding culture. The expo features main events such as a hall buzzing with more than 250 exhibitors, including iOS and OS X developers sharing their latest projects and magical spells. Every attendee can also venture into the Live Zone, an interactive center that showcases Apple-technology-integrated displays such as an iPad-sketch station, an iPhone-photography gallery, and a music studio presented in collaboration with the Berklee College of Music. Visitors can also join activities such as a drum circle, create their own games such as bobbing for iPods, or attend special events, which have included a concert by Little Feat, an iPhone film festival, and forums on Chinese technology.