Fun Video Productions from the Past
Fun video productions are our motto. It’s delightful when your work is your passion. We have been producing, shooting and editing videos since 1981. So we have more than four decades under our belts. We’ve been reminiscing about our work in the past. And in our case, fun video productions from the past. Here are some fun ones that stand out.
Helping Hospitalized Veterans
Patty Mooney served as the Sound Technician on a documentary about HHV (Help Hospitalized Veterans). HHV is a factory that produces craft kits. These kits – anything from a stamped leather purse to a model aircraft carrier – are given to wounded veterans as a therapeutic way for them to “return to the world.” Sometimes the kits are the only lifeline that the returning soldier has between a broken body and mind to a place where he or she can feel whole again.
Ruby Summer, Musical Sisters Duo
The Video Productions team of Mark Schulze as Director of Photography/ Videographer, Patty Mooney as Still Photographer and Luke Jungers as Sound Technician, videotaped a PSA (Public Service Announcement) for RADD, with the up-and-coming pop duo, Ruby Summer, singing and giving a shout out for RADD’s “Don’t Let Friends Drive Drunk” campaign. And it turned out to be one of our most fun productions ever.
The sisters are both so talented and adorable. We wish them great success in their career.
Super Jedi, Mark Hamill
Speaking of careers, Mark Hamill has had quite an extraordinary one. The Crystal Pyramid Productions team of Mark Schulze as Camera Operator/ Director of Photography and Patty Mooney as Producer and Sound Technician, met up with Mark at the San Diego Comic Con and interviewed him about his role in the film “Sushi Girl.” He plays a complete opposite character to Luke Skywalker and revels in it. The film picks up in the 21st century where “Pulp Fiction” and “Reservoir Dogs” left off in the 20th century. Mark’s cousin Suren Seron produced “Sushi Girl” and we are proud of his accomplishments.
Candy Man, Tony Todd
The “Candy Man”, Tony Todd, also appears in “Sushi Girl.” What a warm and kind-hearted man (belying the na-a-a-asty characters he plays so-o-o-o-o-o-o well.)
Rob Lowe, Perennial Hearththrob
Heartthrob Rob Lowe came to the San Diego Comic Con. Significantly, he arrived in a screeching bus carrying a bunch of people with bags over their heads. Lowe helmed a horror flick called “Butterfinger the 13th” that pays homage to all the horror directors with whom he’s worked. Patty and Mark interviewed Mr. Lowe for Extra!
While videotaping autograph signings for 20th Century Fox booth, Patty Mooney spotted a “Heroes” favorite, Greg Grunberg. He played Matt Parkman in the series. He kindly consented to pose for a photo.
San Diego Comic Con Fun
Geoff Stults and Michael Clarke Duncan appeared at the 20th Century Fox booth to sign autographs for their fans. They appeared in the “Bones” spin-off called “The Finder” until the passing of Michael Clarke Duncan (RIP).
San Diego Lifeguards
During the waning summer weeks of summer 2011, Crystal Pyramid Productions provided a crew (Patty Mooney as Producer and Sound Technician and Mark Schulze as Camera Operator) to follow the San Diego lifeguards for the first Weather Channel reality-documentary.
Our understanding of a lifeguard’s duties was reinforced as we watched these dedicated men and women scour the waves with their eyes, looking for any signs of trouble. And we saw them participate in dozens of dramatic events. Lost children were duly returned to their parents. San Diego lifeguards have a 100% success rate in reuniting lost children with their families. Lifeguards treated tingray stings, sunburns, heat exhaustion and rowdy drunks. A couple of more serious situations involving a fall off a fake wave at The Wave House and a boating accident. Maybe we should count ourselves lucky that local shark sightings made the national news after our crew wrapped out of the production.
NAB Show, Las Vegas
We spent a day checking out all the best cameras at the NAB show. This included the oft-hyped Red. However, Mark chose the Sony FS7 with its 4K raw capabilities, it nice depth of field and crisp pictures.
Sadly, this rig and $25K worth of other gear was stolen from our vehicle in 2018 while up in Novato, California to shoot our upcoming documentary, “Cannabis the Story.” There is a happy ending to the story. Consequently, we replaced the FS7 with the Sony FS7 Mark II and brand new sound and lighting gear. Not only that, Novato detectives tracked down the Sony FS7 camera body when it appeared a year later on Craigslist.
In conclusion, we are owner-operators of the best broadcast video equipment known to man.
Patty Mooney is a VP, Video Producer, Video Editor, Sound Technician, Teleprompter Operator and Writer at Award-Winning Video Production Company, Crystal Pyramid Productions of San Diego, California.
