What I Did On My Summer Vacation - the 2011 San Diego Comic Con - A Pocket Production Video by Patty Mooney

San Diego Comic Con has come and gone. It was typically outrageous, amazing, intense and awesome. Crystal Pyramid Productions sent out several crews to cover all kinds of interesting events, including interviews with Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried, Rob Lowe and Mark Hamill, who will be appearing in a movie called "Sushi Girl" that is already generating lots of buzz.

This is a little Pocket Production that I made that shows many of the highlights. Enjoy!

YouTube is the Thermometer of Innovation - by Patty Mooney

Image by cleopatra69 via Flickr "People watch more than 2 billion videos a day on the site - that's more than double the number of videos viewed less than two years ago." - according to Zak Stambor, in his Internet Retailer article, "The Lure of Motion."

Wow.

2 billion videos a day? Again, Wow.

So you can see that there is some really stiff competition for eyeballs out there these days.

When my husband, Mark Schulze, and I began producing our educational, special-interest videos in the 1980's, there were not that many other companies out there doing it except for the big studios putting out their multi-million-dollar theatrical releases. So, pioneers that we were, Mark and I made the world's first massage video - "Massage For Relaxation." We made the first mountain-bike video - "The Great Mountain Biking Video." We made the first mountain-bike racing video - "Battle At Durango." We made the first step-aerobics video - "Steppin' Out: Ultimate Interval Training System." We made the first erotic male dancers video - "California Big Hunks." We made the first anti-terrorism video - "Anti-Terrorism: Weapons & Tactics." And we made the world's first around-the-world mountain-biking video - "Full Cycle: A World Odyssey."

None of these shows made us wealthy, nor have we been sought after by anybody over our pioneering efforts, and companies with bigger marketing budgets snatched up our ideas and packaged them into glossier wrappers, but.... And it's a big "But"... We have enjoyed our entrepreneurial lifestyle, and had a lot of fun creating our "babies." Isn't it the All-American dream to make money doing what you love, calling your own hours and not having to answer to any boss but yourself? It's not the sort of life that just anyone can live. Some people really do need the structure of a 9-to-5 job.

But for people who are energetic, social, talented and know how to communicate, you really can achieve your dreams.

So, now back to YouTube. More than 2 billion videos viewed a day! Yes, the game has definitely changed since the last century. But one thing remains the same: There is always room for pioneers and innovation. Opportunity is alive and well, for the entrepreneurial spirit.

San Diego Comic Con Here We Come

Today is the first day of the 2011 San Diego Comic Con. It is the most attended of any convention in the City of San Diego. It is intimidating in its Hulk-like proportions. Our video production company, Crystal Pyramid Productions, has been tapped by several broadcast studios to send crews in there. We've been working the Con for over a dozen years now. I can remember some sparkling moments which I will share...

Image by cleopatra69 via FlickrImage by cleopatra69 via Flickr

When I was still a "mere pup" at sound mixing, back in 1999, I bopped Lucy Liu on the head with my boom pole. It was one of those extraordinarily embarrassing moments where the adrenaline zooms up and down your body, encasing you in an immediate sweat while causing your face to glow a bright red. She was very gracious about it. She said, "Don't worry, I'm fine," and we went back to the interview. Later, when I saw her in "Kill Bill," I know she could have put a serious hurting on me. Thank you, Lucy Liu, you are one class act!

That same year, Mark and I were in the Press Room and spotted Arnold Schwarzenegger sitting at a table. We approached him to see if he was up for an interview about the movie he was appearing in, "Terminator 3." He didn't want to be interviewed, but he did consent to shake my hand when Mark introduced me. The weird thing, though, and it's a pet peeve of mine, was that he didn't look directly into my eyes as he was shaking my hand. That's disconcerting. Learning about his recent behavior in regards to a secret affair and love child frankly did not surprise me at all.

Last year I ran into Zoe Saldana in the ladies' room. I really wanted to snap her pic but bathroom photos always seem so creepy, and I didn't want to sully our short-and-sweet chat with a bonehead request for her photo. She, like Lucy Liu, was a lovely woman with a beautiful smile. And I really enjoyed seeing her in Avatar.

Image by cleopatra69 via Flickr

One of my favorite Comic Con memories is interviewing three of the original cast members from "Forbidden Planet" about five years ago. They were so funny. All I had to do was lob them a question and then sit back and listen as they replied in a well-choreographed way. they were all quite charming and deserve more recognition as pioneers in the sci-fi/comic-book industry.

I'm looking forward to this years encounters and ensuing stories. Stay tuned!

Are You Thinking of Selling Your Business?

Image by Diana Parkhouse via Flickr LOS ANGELES — Are you the owner of a small or medium-size business in the creative of media industry who dreams of “getting out” and retiring, writing a memoir, or simply getting away from it all? Thinking about selling your business? In today’s economic climate, selling your media or creative business can be a complicated and daunting experience.


The skills and knowledge you acquired by running a successful business are not necessarily the same skills you will need to sell it.


There are 10 things to consider. And our friend, Stuart Gross, presents all the pros and cons in his article featured in his article at Post Magazine. Food for thought!

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Know Your Comfort Zone - by Patty Mooney

Image via Wikipedia I had a nice, long conversation with my 90-year-old mother a couple of days ago. She related a story about our mutual friend, Mrs. B, who was our next-door neighbor when I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit. Mrs. B now lives in Arizona by herself, as her beloved husband passed away a few years ago. Mrs. B is 89 years old.

Mrs. B went to go see her doctor who prescribed a sitz bath. For those who do not know what a sitz bath is, it is just that - a bath in which you "sit." It can be shallow or a bit more full, and it can contain epsom salts or herbs. The point is, this doctor prescribed a bath to an 89-year-old woman.

She got herself into the tub and then she could not get out. She let the water out and ended up spending the night in that bathtub.

At that point in their conversation, my mom, who pulls no punches, said to Mrs. B: "What the heck were you thinking? You haven't taken a bath in ten years. Did you think there'd be some kind of divine intervention???"

"And then what happened?" I wanted to know.

It was a Saturday night when Mrs. B had camped out in her tub. On Sundays she was a regular at her local church and when she did not show up at church on the following morning, one of her friends came to see if she was okay. They got her out, and Mrs. B was none the worse for wear, except for maybe a little wounded pride.

But her experience got me to thinking.

For one thing, maybe we trust in doctors a little more than we should, especially if we know the limitations of our own physical comfort zone.

But beyond that, when it comes to business, it's a good idea to know the delineation of our comfort zone. If you consulted an expert who told you that in order to reap in more customers you would have to revamp your entire website starting from scratch, or invest in Search Engine Optimization because they had a patented method that guaranteed top placement, or attend a weekend seminar that would guarantee ten new clients, but the seminar cost $10,000... Would you be stepping into a sitz bath from which you could not easily emerge?

What would you do? Would you trust this "doctor" more than the little voice that emanates from your own heart? How familiar are you with the nuances of your very own comfort zone?

Food for thought, isn't it?

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World's Worst Drivers - A Video

I always get a good laugh whenever I see this video, so I wanted to share it with you. Our stock footage library, New & Unique Videos, provided a clip in this compilation of weird, odd and otherwise crazy drivers. Our clip is the "Headrest Driving a Car." If you like to laugh, this will guarantee you a few chuckles.

Ruby Summer Want Your Loved Ones Safe - by Patty Mooney

Ruby Summer are an emerging pop duo of sisters named Ruby and Summer (thus "Ruby Summer.") They sing their own original music.

This PSA that Crystal Pyramid Productions just produced features Ruby Summer talking about the new pre-paid taxi card program here in San Diego, implemented by RADD, the Entertainment Industry's Voice for Road Safety. The "RADD My Safe Ride Home" program is intended to discourage
drunken driving and give teenagers and senior citizens access to secure rides.

Check out this awesome PSA (I edited it). It's only 30 seconds long! And if you like the idea, you may want to invest in the lives of your children and other loved ones by purchasing them a $30 "My Safe Ride Home" card.