Go-to guy when production challenges have been labeled “impossible” by weaker mortals. Veteran of hundreds of productions (film, video, broadcast, global, and just about anything else you can think of), despite eternally youthful appearance. Can’t live without Chinese dumplings. Mother dated Bill Clinton in high school. Needs only a fly rod and a clear mountain stream to be happy. Has shot everywhere from Greenville to Greenland. Was nearly punched by Mike Tyson for taking the last peanuts at the hotel bar in the Santa Monica Loews. Is making sure young daughters Isabel and Cora are raised with a deep appreciation of heavy metal music and French new wave cinema.

What I Like Best about MVG: “The quality of the work and the power of our collaboration.”

Knows well over 200 different words, not including plurals. Loves a good writing challenge. Prefers short and punchy to prosaic and lyrical, but whatever – it’s up to you. Still thinks it’s cool to stay up late. Is much more Oscar than Felix. Believes that if something is worth doing, then so are five other things. Met/interviewed 573 major league baseball players in writing “Haunted Baseball: Ghosts, Curses, Legends, and Eerie Events,” available now in a bookstore near you. Doesn’t believe in ghosts, curses, or legends. Foolproof method for curing hiccups is singing “I Just Want To Be Your Everything” by Andy Gibb (but usually would rather have the hiccups).
What I Like Best about MVG: “The broad scope of projects and clients makes this a great place to learn. Over the years I’ve become a mini-expert on everything from robots to home health care to global climate change.”

Maintains extensive MVG library of more than 3000 videos and films, cross indexed by company, date, and hair color of key speakers. Knows how to milk quality dubs out of a dub rack full of assorted equipment that most people would not be able to check the time on. Believes in the Aristotle line, “Quality is not an act, it’s a habit.” Longest tenured MVG employee, having started in 1982. Has owned as many as four ferrets at a time. Enjoys visiting tropical islands as long as there are no pirates. Favorite songs are “Moon Shadow,” by Cat Stevens, “Dream Weaver” by Gary Wright, and “Sugar Magnolia” by the Grateful Dead, cementing her reputation as a crunchy ’70s type.

What I Like Best about MVG: “A friendly atmosphere, with great and creative people working hard to do their best for our clients.”

Holds deep passion for global production, fueled by a natural wanderlust. Has filmed in 16 countries on 4 continents. Taught international production at a college in Estonia. Co-directed feature documentary, The Singing Revolution. Enjoys collecting luna moths at 6 a.m. on summer mornings with her daughter. Wishes she could whistle. Favorite dining experience is sitting at kitchen counter drinking red wine over frozen pizza at 11 pm with her husband and founder of Mountain View Group, Jim Tusty. Has accidentally dropped her cell phone in the toilet three times and is thinking of starting a support group. Believes all B&Bs should serve breakfast until noon.

What I Like Best about MVG: “Smart, creative people who get things done. And good parties.”

Way cooler than you. The idea man, always throwing off sparks. Combines creative direction with creative editing for a holistic approach to creative projects. Born in Canada but passes for American. Makes a mean mojito. Possesses encyclopedic knowledge of pop culture, from Ozzie & Harriet to Lindsay & Britney. Genius with a gas grill and a pair of barbecue tongs. Favorite films are “Singing in the Rain” and “Harold & Maude.” Knows how to reach audiences. Believes there’s no such thing as a guilty pleasure.

What I Like Best about MVG: “Finding a way to unite what we do with what a client needs, to create something truly collaborative and exciting for all of us.”

InDesign. Photoshop. After Effects. Cinema 4D. Illustrator. Premiere Pro. You name it, she can use it. Articulates the project’s vision to anyone involved, from copywriters to animators. Originally studied Architecture at Georgia Tech. Self-proclaimed DIY addict. Currently restoring a 1850s farmhouse in upstate Pennsylvania with her family. Has hiked several portions of the Appalachian Trail, and plans to one day complete it. Frowns upon people who are rude to restaurant servers. Has never (ever!) broken a bone. Can’t live without her sweet dog Scout.

What I Like Best about MVG: Smart, passionate people creating memorable brand experiences.

Regards film & video production as equal parts science and art, and considers herself a scientartist. Relates to both Christiane Amanpour and Lois from “The Family Guy.” Can’t live without her pets, her husband, or Diorshow Mascara (not necessarily in that order). Co-owns avant garde record label. Thinks you should donate a little more to animal rescue groups and shelters. Doesn’t get why drive-in movies aren’t as popular as they used to be. Considers New Orleans her home away from home, even though she can’t stay up past 11 p.m. anymore.

What I Like Best about MVG: “It’s a tie between the gorgeous work and the great people.”

Multi-tasker extraordinaire. Can solve a client’s needs, organize a mass mailing, greet guests, and find that file you’re looking for without ever breaking her smile. Has two tattoos, but only her husband knows where. Wishes she could play a killer electric guitar, like Joe Perry in Aerosmith. Believes most of the world’s problems can be solved with peanut butter. Has appeared in more than two dozen community theater shows as actor, dancer, director, and choreographer. Relates to the character of Lynette on Desperate Housewives, which probably can’t be an entirely good thing. All biases aside, thinks children Sophie and Henry just might be the two greatest kids EVER.

What I Like Best about MVG: “The people, of course!”

Observer, chronicler, student. Believes that the essence of producing is telling compelling, authentic stories, which just happens to be her passion. Is never without a Sharpie on a shoot. Is painfully aware of the resemblance between her name and the Beatles’ song “Penny Lane” and does not need you to sing it to her as a reminder. Prefers art to be contemporary and healing therapies to be alternative. Has been mistaken for Susan Sarandon but never, unfortunately, by Tim Robbins. Once ran into Gerald Ford in Vail and wished him a Merry Christmas and he replied, “You too!” Favorite quote is, “You better watch out, you better not cry,” though she has been known to violate both precepts.

What I Like Best About MVG: “The team, the clients, the process but mostly that moment when everything is in place and magic happens.”

Our social media strategy expert who curates content for our social channels as well as MVG’s weekly newsletter, Links, Lauren is putting her Italian Studies minor to good use at MVG by translating scripts. She has twice the lung capacity of the average adult male. Always up for an adventure she dreams of one day speaking every language in the world. If she ruled the world, she would have a room full of chocolate that never runs out. Her biggest pet peeve is apathy, but she can’t live without waffles and friendship!
What I Like Best about MVG: “I’m a conversationalist and naturally love to be around people and the people here at MVG are easily one of the best parts about coming into work. They are always welcoming, encouraging and never shy away from a challenge.”

Mountain View’s resident alto. Knows what clients want and how to give it to them, which is why they ask for her by name. Arbiter of good taste. Once sang the national anthem at the Rose Bowl. Appeared in an off-Broadway play at age 6. Has dated a Nobel-prize-winning physicist. Really into being a great mom and thinks her kid is pretty cool. Has no tolerance for the world’s lack of tolerance, and doesn’t see this as ironic. Would love to be able to speak French, fly a plane, and sing like Queen Latifah, but would settle for any one of these.
What I Like Best about MVG: “I really like the boutique-company atmosphere with the Fortune 500 client exposure. And I’m very proud to contribute to the top-notch work we produce.”

Develops concepts, builds creative treatments, paints pictures. Has imaginary tattoo on right bicep that reads DORK. Likes to make “art stuff.” Collection of stringed instruments includes the devil’s bass (it has 666 in its serial number and is stamped with the date “Aug. 6 ’66”). Lists life in general as a pet peeve. Keeps Shimson Bichler’s “Capital as Power” unread on his Kindle and feels smarter just knowing it’s there. Can’t live without big black boots. Relates to Bruce Willis character in “12 Monkeys” because he keeps going back in time looking for something, but doesn’t know what it is.

What I Like Best about MVG: “Smart people working hard who are still able to laugh about it.”

Luxme works with her hands, from playing the piano to hand-lettered typography. She answers to “Lux” and dreams of owning a pet pig one day. Currently a senior Graphic Design student at SCAD, she originally studied Architecture because she believes it has the power to heal and ameliorate people’s lives. If she wasn’t a designer, she would travel the world as a pilot. First Stop: an Australia vacation with an endless supply of ice cream!
What I Like Best about MVG: “The work, the people, and the creative environment.”

The King of Cash Flow – budgets, ledgers, that kind of thing. Keeps vendors paid on time, clients billed on time, and MVG solvent. Gives us our allowances each week, and warns us not to blow it on candy and records. Rides a motorcycle, relates to Chuck Norris, loves horror movies. Mischievous father wanted to name him Steven Howard Isaac Thiessen, for the unfortunate initials. Cites Underdog as a personal hero. Favorite quote: “You improvise. You adapt. You overcome.” (Clint Eastwood in Heartbreak Ridge)
What I Like Best about MVG: “Being able to see all the innovative and creative productions we do and taking pride in that. Plus we have a great team of people.”

Strategist – conceptualist – visionary. Named company after vista from home office that served as initial “headquarters.” Childhood nickname was Crazylegs, after a little-known football star Crazylegs Hirsch. Spends 200+ days on the road per year. Wishes people would stand back a little from the luggage carousel so we could all get our bags more easily. Visited the New York Yankees locker room as a kid and met Mickey Mantle in his underwear. Is probably playing online poker right now. Considers Bugs Bunny a personal role model. Doesn’t understand why – after selling Mountain View to Thom and Stephen – he still has to have a profile on the website.

MVG’s Indiana Jones: archeologist by day (great at finding that perfect, rare footage), superhero by night. Prefers a PBS Frontline documentary over any reality TV show due to his news background. Good guy to have in a foxhole, especially if there’s an editing suite in there. Favorite international hangouts: Buvda of Serbia-Montenegro, Nicaragua and Havana, Cuba. Produced an independent documentary about Cuban hip-hop and was awarded a grant to screen the film at a dozen colleges throughout the southeast. Also, an avid fan of rap music (just think of the character “Michael Bolton” in the film Office Space). Grandson of world-famous sculptor Charles Umlauf. Embraces different cultures, loves to travel, usually the only American in his crowd.

What I Like Best about MVG: “Watching a project develop from an initial need to a creative concept and then a completed film/video that the client loves.”

Loves to take pictures and video of every moment of life, soaking in the sun, rollerblading, snow skiing, watching her hubby “live” on stage, and keeping her 3 little munchkins alive and happy. Once hosted a wedding show that aired on Pax TV, only to get fired for being pregnant. Too embarrassed to share her most embarrassing moment. If she ruled the world, we would all grow our own fruits and vegetables free of toxins, pesticides, and food dye. Would buy lots o’ Talenti Gelato stock if she won a million dollars after she helped the poor. Her campaign slogan if she ran would be, “Love is all you need…and a little bit of money!”
What I Like Best About MVG: “The spectacular, über professional, out-of-this-world work that’s produced by this vast array of creative minds known as the MVG team!”

A closet Iron Chef, Rob works to reshape corporate brands and their strategic visions for today’s corporate climate. He has created strategic campaigns for clients including SeaWorld, Hilton, Embassy Suites, GE, and Wendy’s Restaurants. Also collects robots and superhero art. Has been featured in Graphic Design USA as one of the top 50 designers in the country and one of the top creative people to watch. Coaches disabled children and runs a non-profit business. Has won over 1000 major advertising awards including Platinum Adrian’s, six One Shows, and over 30 Best of Shows worldwide. If you ever need creative advice, or you just want to borrow a pencil, he’s got a bunch of gold ones lying around his office.