Filmmaker, producer, writer, mountain biker and songwriter
Pioneer of Extreme Sports & Educational Videos.
For more than forty years Patty Mooney has told stories on film and on the trail, from the world’s first Mt. Everest Mountain Bike Rally to award-winning documentaries that give voice to women, veterans and people who go unseen.
A career of firsts.
Patty helped invent the special-interest home video, then rode straight into the extreme-sports genre she would help define.
Instructional videos that started new genres
Massage For Relaxation and Common Sense Self Defense for Women, award-winning titles that were the first of their kind.
The Great Mountain Biking Video
Made with Mark Schulze a year after they discovered the sport in Canada.
First Women’s Mountain Bike Dual Slalom
Raced in the inaugural event at Mammoth Mountain, California.
Race winner at Big Bear Lake
A San Diego mountain bike champion, later featured on KUSI News.
The world’s first Mt. Everest Mountain Bike Rally
One of the first riders ever in the rally, and co-producer, writer and on-screen rider of Full Cycle: A World Odyssey.
First female underwater mountain biker
Rode the sea floor off Costa Rica. No coral was harmed.
First woman to ride inside the Turrialba Volcano
Mountain biked into the crater of Costa Rica’s Turrialba Volcano.
NECTARBALL®: The Story of Cannabis
With Mark, produced the award-winning feature documentary, a family of short cannabis films and the CANNAMINUTES® series.
Jeff Bridges and the cast of TRON: Ares
On sound for interviews filmed for Disney with Jeff Bridges, Gillian Anderson and Jodie Turner-Smith.
Drovver’s smart shopping cart
Edited a series of videos for Drovver’s computerized shopping cart.
From the trail
Honors and recognition.
An internationally award-winning filmmaker, recognized for both her craft and her trailblazing.
Pioneer in Sports & Entertainment
San Diego Magazine, People’s Choice Award (2023)
Silver Hugo
Chicago International Film & Video Festival, for Full Cycle (1995)
Top 100 Producer, twice
Named among the nation’s leading video producers
Top San Diego production company
Clutch honors Crystal Pyramid Productions (2025)
50 Women of Influence Over 50
San Diego Business Journal (2023)
Documentary of the Year
CelebStoner Awards, for NECTARBALL® (2023)
City of San Diego commendation
With Mark Schulze, from Councilmember Raul Campillo, for community activism (2021)
Women Leader in Business
79th Assembly District, presented by Assemblymember Shirley Weber (2019)
Full Cycle: A World Odyssey
- Silver Hugo, Chicago International Film & Video Festival, 1995
- Silver Award, Charleston International Film Festival, 1995
- Award winner, New York International Festivals, 1995
- Multiple awards, International Cindy Awards, 1996
- Jade Crystal Communicator Award, 1998
- Aegis Award winner, 1998
- Classic Telly Award, 1999
The Invisible Ones
- Platinum Award, Ava Awards, 2008
- Award winner, Accolade Awards, 2008
- Gold Award, Aurora Awards, 2009
- Golden Reel Award, Media Communications Association International, 2010
- Award winner, Communitas Awards, 2011
- Official selection at Riverside, Buffalo Niagara, Fallbrook and Big Bear film festivals
Recent documentaries
- Twelve Black Cannabis Visionaries: Award winner, New York Movie Awards, 2024
- NECTARBALL®: The Story of Cannabis: Official selection at Hollywood Gold Awards, Paris Film Awards, FilmHaus and New York Movie Awards, 2024
- My Choice: Winner, Best Documentary Feature; Audience Award; Indie Film Award
Films with something to say.
Her documentaries center women’s voices, confront homelessness, promote peace and celebrate adventure.
Full Cycle: A World Odyssey
A husband-and-wife search for the best singletrack on earth, from the Himalaya and Greece to Tahiti, Costa Rica and Wales.
- Silver Hugo, Chicago International Film & Video Festival
- Telly, Communicator and Aegis awards
NECTARBALL®: The Story of Cannabis
How the world’s most misunderstood plant went from sacred medicine to public enemy, and back again.
- Four official selections at 2024 film festivals
- Original soundtrack by Patty Mooney
The Invisible Ones: Homeless Combat Veterans
The quiet dignity of veterans living on the street, in their own words.
- Platinum Ava, Gold Aurora and Golden Reel awards
My Choice: March for Women’s Lives
The energy of the 2004 march in Washington, with Gloria Steinem, Sarah Weddington, Holly Near and Amy Brenneman.
- Best Documentary Feature and Audience Award winner
Twelve Black Cannabis Visionaries
Documentary, award winner at the New York Movie Awards, 2024
The Great Mountain Biking Video
1987, with Patty’s original soundtrack; followed by Ultimate Mountain Biking and Battle at Durango
Massage For Relaxation
1985, the first of its genre, with Patty’s original soundtrack
Co-founder and VP of Crystal Pyramid Productions, San Diego’s longest-serving video production company.
Since 1982 Patty has worked on hundreds of broadcast and corporate shoots, and since 1985 she has run New & Unique Videos®, the company’s special-interest label and stock-footage library.
- Producer
- Editor
- Sound mixer
- Boom operator
- Voice over
- Teleprompter operator
- Still photographer
- Composer
- Writer
- On-camera talent
More at Crystal Pyramid: Patty’s bio · Crews · Events & conventions · Live streaming · Studio · Clients
Stories in words, too.
A longtime Videomaker contributor and a published poet, Patty writes about filmmaking, leadership, travel, relationships and plant medicine.
As seen inSD Voyager, She Rises Studios, Videomaker, Substack, Issuu, ProductionHUB, OB Rag and Mission Times Courier
- True Life Love StoriesHer Substack, with 1,000+ subscribers
- Diary of a San Diego Video CrewBlog and World Traveler Reviews
- Conversations with Patty MooneyHer interview with SD Voyager
- From Pain to Power: My Life on Two WheelsHer essay for She Rises Studios
- Videomaker articlesDocumentary, scripting, editing and sound
- Despite the PyramidsPoetry collection, 1979
- “Finding Love”In Hot Chocolate for the Mystical Lover, 2001
New music from Patty Mooney.
Songwriter, lyricist, singer and composer, now recording albums under her own name.
Out now
Americanna
A nine-song Americana journey through the nation’s complicated relationship with cannabis: medicine, menace, livelihood, contraband and memory. Less an album about getting high than one about remembering.
Songs
Root & Remedy · Blooms of Fear · The Curious Scientist · Hands That Know · Doing Time for a Plant · The Nectarball Collection · Americanna
Michigan Cherries
A deeply autobiographical, 12-song family album rooted in a Midwestern childhood, from French-Canadian ancestry to the cherry tree in the family yard. About the things we thought would always be there.
Songs
Filles du Roi · Kate Mooney, The Woman at the Lock · My Four Aunts · Laundry Wednesday Was a Day of Doom · The House on the Dry Creek Bed · Deep Child · In My Entomology Box · Pallbearing My Grandfather · Michigan Cherries
Sassafras Tea
Lyrical, nature-soaked folk about seasons, creatures and the small wonders that make ordinary life feel enchanted.
Inspired by the poetry of Effie Lee Newsome, a Harlem Renaissance poet whose work deserves to be shared with the world.
Songs
Morning Light · Sassafras Tea · Peacock Feather · At the Pond · Oh Autumn, Autumn · The Baker’s Boy · Moonlit Serenade · Ode to the Sea
Skeleton Lovers®
A playful, romantic, slightly macabre celebration of love that refuses to die: two lovers who, even reduced to bones, are still not finished with the ride.
Songs
Skeleton Lovers on Halloween · Baby, Let’s Dance · Under the Purple Tree · Kiss Me, Lover · Jeju Island Romp With a Cherry on Top · I’ll Run to You · Oh Pompeii · Skeleton Lovers in Paris
Skeleton Lovers® is a registered trademark.
Coming soon
Painted Elephants
A colorful, Bollywood-tinged journey through India, Darjeeling and the Himalayas, inspired by the First Mt. Everest Mountain Bike Rally.
Banjo of Oz
A spirited musical journey through the Australian Outback, bringing the wit, adventure, humor and timeless poetry of Banjo Paterson to life through Patty Mooney’s songs.
Christmas, Once Upon a Time
A nostalgic and heartwarming collection of holiday songs celebrating the magic of Christmas past, cherished memories, enduring love and the joy of the season.
Original soundtracks
Patty also composes original music for film and video, scoring Crystal Pyramid and New & Unique Videos® productions as well as projects for clients.
Films
- NECTARBALL®: The Story of CannabisFeature documentary
- The Great Mountain Biking VideoExtreme sports classic
- Massage For RelaxationInstructional video
Clients
- DrovverSmart shopping cart technology
- Nessy BurgersFallbrook’s legendary burger stand
Need music for a soundtrack? Let’s make it together.
Original songs and scores for films, documentaries, commercials and brands.