Defense & Military Video Production in San Diego
Ceremonies, training videos, product demos, trade-show and program videos, and veteran stories for defense contractors, military commands and government agencies across San Diego.
- Since 1981Four decades in a military town
- Navy to LockheedMilitary, agency & contractor clients
- Certified Small BusinessState of California
- Canon 55x lensLong-lens coverage from hundreds of feet away
Video for San Diego’s Defense Community
San Diego is home to one of the largest concentrations of military and defense activity in the country, from Naval Base San Diego and North Island to Camp Pendleton and the contractors who support them. Crystal Pyramid Productions has filmed here since 1981 for clients including the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard, the VA San Diego Healthcare System, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.
Defense work runs on schedules, protocols and approvals. Ceremonies happen once, base access has rules, and every frame may need a security or public affairs review before release. Led by director of photography Mark Schulze and producer and editor Patty Mooney, our experienced crew works within those requirements and delivers on time, whether we’re producing start to finish or crewing for your in-house team.
Defense Video Production Services
From the flight line to the trade-show floor.
Ceremonies & Change of Command
Decommissionings, change-of-command, retirement and award ceremonies, with long-lens and multi-camera coverage and an edited version for sharing.
Training & Instructional Video
Clear, repeatable training on procedures, equipment, safety and compliance, ready for your learning management system.
Product & Technology Demos
Product videos that show hardware, sensors and systems at their best for buyers, program offices and trade shows.
Leadership Messages & Addresses
Commander, executive and all-hands messages shot with teleprompters in your space or our studio, and live streamed when needed.
Trade Shows & Conferences
Booth loops, interviews and highlight videos for defense and maritime events and conventions.
Veteran & Program Stories
Respectful, moving videos about the people and programs serving service members, veterans and their families.
Military, Government & Defense Clients
Military commands, federal agencies and defense and aerospace companies have trusted us with their stories.
- United States Navy ↗
- U.S. Coast Guard ↗
- Dept. of Veterans Affairs ↗
- ASM Affiliates (U.S. Marines, Camp Pendleton) ↗
- Lockheed Martin
- Raytheon
- Innoflight
- NS Microwave ↗
- General Electric
- History Channel (“Dogfights”)
- See all 230+ clients →
The Decommissioning of the USS Bonhomme Richard
After the 2020 fire that destroyed the USS Bonhomme Richard, we documented her decommissioning ceremony in San Diego. Only press were allowed to attend under pandemic protocols. Mark captured the lowering of the flag from 800 feet or more away with our Canon 55x long lens.
We then cut the hour-and-a-half ceremony into a seven-minute version that captures the emotion of the day for the crew, their families and the Navy community.
Telling Veterans’ Stories with Care
For our long-time clients at the VA San Diego Healthcare System, we shot, produced and edited a video about the Equine-imity Project, which helps veterans improve their mental health and wellbeing by working with horses.
Programs for service members and veterans deserve storytelling that is honest, respectful and moving. We take the time to put participants at ease so their experiences come through in their own words.
Showing What Your Technology Can Do
For NS Microwave, an El Cajon maker of surveillance cameras and equipment, we produced a product video showing their systems, designs and capabilities to security professionals and organizations.
Whether it’s sensors, communications gear, unmanned systems or space hardware, we can show your technology clearly for program offices, buyers and trade-show audiences while keeping sensitive details off camera.
Leadership Addresses & Major Events
When the Commandant of the Coast Guard delivered the 2021 State of the Coast Guard Address, Crystal Pyramid Productions was on the job.
High-profile addresses, all-hands meetings and media events leave no room for a second take. We bring matching broadcast cameras, clean audio and backup systems, and can stream live to audiences across the country.
Training for Marines at Camp Pendleton
For ASM Affiliates, we created a cultural resources awareness training video for U.S. Marines at Camp Pendleton, helping personnel understand and protect the cultural resources on the base.
Good training video is clear, accurate and easy to watch more than once. We work closely with your subject-matter experts so every step is right, then deliver files ready for your learning management system.
Planning a ceremony, change of command or all-hands? Ask about live streaming for families and personnel who can’t attend.
Built Around Your Protocols
We plan for access, security review and tight schedules from day one.
Plan
A free pre-production consultation, then a script, shot list and schedule your program, security and public affairs teams can approve. We coordinate base or facility access, escorts and any photography restrictions in advance.
Shoot
A compact, owner-operated crew with broadcast cameras, long lenses, lighting and sound, on base, on deck, in your facility or in our in-house studio. We follow your rules on what can and can’t be filmed.
Deliver
Editing, graphics and rounds of revisions for your reviewers, then delivery in the formats you need, from full-length ceremony records to short edits for social media and your website.
What Defense Clients Say
Please consider Crystal Pyramid Productions, a reliable subcontractor and consummate professional in the San Diego Area. Their prices have always been very reasonable and negotiable based on budget and the type of work they have been asked to perform.
Crystal Pyramid Productions is a professional organization, timely, and generous with their knowledge. Not only did they have all the equipment we needed for a successful production shoot, they also offered the info we weren’t knowledgeable enough to know to ask. Great follow up, timely on the day of shoot, and great with people in front of a camera for the first time in their lives. Crystal Pyramid Productions did a great job for us; the quality of their product reflects well on our team.
Defense Video Questions
Can you film on a military base or at a secure facility?
Yes. We’ve filmed Navy ceremonies on San Diego’s waterfront and work regularly with public affairs and security offices. Let us know your access, escort and photography rules at the consultation and we’ll plan around them.
Can our security or public affairs office review footage before release?
Absolutely. We share scripts before the shoot and rough cuts during the edit, keep sensitive details off camera, and build review time into the schedule.
Can you work as a subcontractor on a larger contract?
Yes. We’ve worked as a subcontractor for prime contractors including Lockheed Martin, and we’re a State of California Certified Small Business.
Can you crew for our in-house video team?
Yes. We provide camera operators, sound technicians, gear and teleprompters on their own, so your team can direct while we handle the technical side.
How much does a defense or military video cost?
It depends on the length, number of shoot days, locations and graphics. Pre-production consultations are free, so call (619) 644-3000 or contact us and we’ll recommend the most resourceful way to get it done.
Ready When You Are
Tell us about your program, your audience and your timeline, and we’ll recommend the most resourceful way to get it done. Pre-production consultations are free.