These were cool to work on

Joe Pytka directed these spots for Nike - this was '93 or '94, not sure - it was just a very simple gig shot in a barbershop in the outer Mission in San Francisco. I remember Pytka as just this huge, long haired (think: old Thor) crazy ass freak who liked to yell at people a lot. Some of the biggest guys in the NBA were in these spots though. Barkley, Hardaway, Sprewell, Gervin, Rodman, Webber and a bunch more. They cut a ton of spots out this shoot. Pytka had a crack navy seal team of Los Angeles based PA's who traveled with him and some actually got put in his commercials (thus making residual money but they were not put in these). The camera loader was famous amongst the crew for apparently getting with Madonna when Pytka did her famous Pepsi spot (aired only once).