Don't Shoot the Brewmaster! - by Mark Schulze

Mark Schulze, Jim Koch and Patty Mooney

Don't shoot the brewmaster! Okay, that's my little allusion to the old quote, "Don't shoot the piano player." It's an inference that you don't want to destroy something or someone that brings you pleasure. And I was being sarcastic, in that I DID shoot this particular brewmaster, Mr. Jim Koch, the CEO of Samuel Adams, but I shot him with my camera when he appeared at the Craft Beers Convention in San Diego last summer. If you've ever seen the Sam Adams commercials on television, yes, that really is Jim's voice.

This is a man who knows his beers! And why not? He is a third-generation brewmaster, and he and his forebears have been immersed in hops for decades. See the taps behind us? That is what they call a "perk" of the gig. It was one of the best video production gigs I have had the pleasure to be a part of.

Some of the finest beers on Earth, right there in that room. Well, as they say, someone has to do it! As someone who is part German, I certainly know how to appreciate well-crafted beers. And so does my wife, Patty, who is part Irish. 'Nuf said.

An Interview With Ced Dempsey - by Mark Schulze

Ced Dempsey and Director of Photography/Videographer, Mark Schulze - Photo by Patty Mooney

Now that March has roared in like a lion, it seems like a great time to talk about the day we shot a short interview of Ced Dempsey, who is one of the most respected men involved with intercollegiate athletics in the United States.

According to his bio on the Albion College website, Ced Dempsey, who has been President of the NCAA since 1994, "has championed athletic involvement as a means of enhancing international understanding. He provides leadership for the more than 1,200 colleges, universities, conferences, and affiliated organizations that comprise the association."

Additionally, "A nine-time letter winner in three different sports at Albion (football, basketball, and baseball), Ced was named the MIAA Most Valuable Player in basketball his senior year and was inducted as a charter member of the College’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989. From 1959 to 1962, Ced served as Albion’s head basketball and cross country coach. The following year he was dean of men."

"Prior to joining the NCAA, he was director of athletics at four institutions, the University of Arizona, University of the Pacific, San Diego State University, and the University of Houston.
He earned a doctorate from the University of Illinois in 1963. A recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from Albion in 1993, he was presented with an honorary doctor of laws degree from the College in 1995."

"He and his wife, June Luke Dempsey, ’54, recently funded extensive improvements in the College’s softball field. The Dempseys are the parents of three children and reside in Indianapolis."

It was a great pleasure for my wife, Patty, who is also my sound person, and I to meet Mr. Dempsey. It would be difficult to meet a more gracious man. Although Patty met the late, great Pete Newell a couple of years ago, just before he passed, and he, too, was fantastic.

The great Pete Newell - Photo by Patty Mooney

"The Invisible Ones: Homeless Combat Veterans" Website

We are very excited to announce that the website for our multiple award-winning documentary, "The Invisible Ones: Homeless Combat Veterans" has been updated with our latest awards. There's a trailer there and viewers can click on that and see the four-minute piece that highlights the plight of nearly a quarter of a million homeless veterans across the nation. Every American needs to see it. The thing is, those who served their country and performed the work that was required of them should not be disposed of like trash. There are veterans from every war, even going back to WW2, who are sleeping on the sidewalks. We have troops coming home now from Afghanistan and Iraq who are slipping through the cracks and finding themselves sleeping in cars and on park benches because they missed one payment on their home or apartment. After getting clued in by watching the trailer, you will realize how deluded someone like Bill O'Reilly is when he says "there are no homeless veterans." Yep, and I have some swamp land to sell you in Florida.

Premiere of "The Invisible Ones" at San Diego Public Library

This last Sunday afternoon was matinee time for around a hundred people who came to see the world premiere of our latest project, a documentary called "The Invisible Ones: Homeless Combat Veterans. The reason we created this documentary is that we felt not enough people know about the plight of homeless veterans; they comprise around half the population of homeless on our streets. My wife, Patty, has written extensively about this topic, so if you are interested in learning more about veterans, and homeless veterans in particular, read these blogs by Patty Mooney. Here are the links.

Our Gift to Veterans

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!

Steve Mason's "The Wall Within"

"The Invisible Ones" Wins Two Prestigious Awards

Casey Tibbs, Paralympian and Natural Born Hero

Casey Tibbs and Mark Schulze at Olympic Training Center, Otay Mesa, California - Photo by Patty Mooney

Casey Tibbs & Mark Schulze at Olympic Training Center, Otay Mesa, California - Photo by Patty Mooney

Prior to the 2008 Beijing, China Olympiad, I had the opportunity to videotape Casey Tibbs, the Paralympian, at the Olympic Training Center in Otay Mesa. It's amazing how developed the area is now, as I remember shooting off bottle rockets there 30 years ago when it was just dirt, sagebrush and the occasional roving border patrol agent.

Casey was a very down-to-earth guy who spoke of his "disability" as an "opportunity." I enjoy working with such positive people. Casey at the time was about to head over to China for the Paralympics, and he was dedicated to working out as much as possible, while balancing a life with his family and his work in the Navy.

I later learned that he had won a gold medal in Beijing in the Men's 4 x 100 m relay as well as a bronze medal in the Long Jump.

If you are interested in learning more about this inspirational man, follow this link:

Casey Tibbs, Paralympian

Life at the Landfill

We've been shooting landfill footage for Allied Waste Services over the last couple of years, including timelapse footage of landfill excavation and lining. It's quite an intriguing topic, especially if you have ever wondered where your garbage ends up, and how it is managed. My wife, Patty, wrote a story about this at her blog. Check it out!

Adventures at the Landfill by Patty Mooney

Covering the San Diego Wild Fires

Covering Evacuees at Qualcomm - Photo by Patty Mooney

Our hearts go out to our "mates" in Australia right now, for they are suffering through some devasting wild fires. We can also commiserate, having been evacuated from our home once, and returning with relief to find it still standing. After suffering a drought for 20 years or so, we San Diegans are now used to enduring an elongated "fire season" every year now, from summer through autumn.

In 2001, Extra called on me to document footage of the evacuees at Qualcomm Stadium. Look at how brown the air is. The air is thick with burnt ember particles and face masks are

a must.

Good things eventually do sprout from the devastation, such as tender green shoots in the ground heralding new life, and people experience a new awareness and gratitude for what they have. We all continue to learn that this life is fleeting and it can all be gone - up in smoke - tomorrow.