Peet and the Montzingo Family: Lights, Camera, Advocacy
Byline: By the Jynx Productions Team · 3 min read
Our team ventured into the vibrant, unique world of Peet Montzingo's family in Los Angeles, ready to capture their story. Peet, a towering 6'1", is the only "giant" in his family, with his parents and siblings of short stature, between 3'9" and 4'3". This contrast isn't just a quirky family dynamic; it's the foundation of their social media stardom and advocacy work. We visited Peet and his family in Los Angeles to document his upbringing, social media stardom, and working on disability rights and advocacy with his sister, Jennifer.
Filming kicked off at Peet’s new house in Los Angeles, affordable now with his social media stardom. Still moving in, we arrived in time for a delivery, filming Peet while he built furniture he bought with his family’s size and comfort on top of his mind.
Peet with Mom, Vicki, and sister, Jennifer, with Johannes and Chandler after filming wraps.
Peet directing his Tik Tok about filming with the Jynx team.
Next we headed off to Vicki's house. Vicki, Peet’s mom, greeted us with open arms and immediately, we were plunged into their prolific content creation process . This family churns out several videos a week and filming with a TV crew was an opportunity Peet couldn’t ignore. So, there we were filming a TikTok video scene, with roles reversed! Peet was directing, and the crew were his actors (thankfully, they have a day job!).
One significant challenge we faced was adapting to the varying heights of the family members. This required creative camera angles and adjustments to our lenses, lighting setup and audio mounts. For instance, when filming Vicki, we used the Sony FX3 paired with a wide-angle lens to capture her in the kitchen,
a room that clearly emphasized the adaptations she's made to suit her height. Jennifer, Peet's sister, uses the platform Peet has created to advocate for the needs of people of short stature, reporting on the everyday problems of disabled people in Los Angeles.
Recently, Jennifer won a local council seat and is now arguably the most well-known advocate for disability rights in the city. While filming Jennifer, who uses a wheelchair, we faced the challenge of capturing her perspective and highlighting the accessibility issues she advocates for. To address this, we utilized a DJI Ronin-S stabilizer to achieve smooth, cinematic shots while following her movements. This allowed us to maintain a consistent frame and avoid shaky footage, providing viewers with an immersive experience.
Peet with Jennifer filming a TikTok for Jennifer’s advocacy campaign.
BTS with Peet while he lays down tracks for his new single, Carousel.
Peet is also venturing back into the music industry, recording his first album in a studio in Hollywood. He went with Vicki, his biggest fan, who is usually by his side, whether they are filming content or not.
What struck us most was the family's incredible bond and positive message. "We're all people, just different sizes," became a recurring theme. Peet’s journey from food stamps and welfare to social media superstardom is a testament to his resilience and creativity, a reminder of the power of using social media for advocacy and the importance of embracing our differences.
Here’s the full segment we produced for the magazine show Galileo on the ProSieben network:
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For almost 20 years of award winning production, Jynx Productions has specialized in presenting life as it unfolds to viewers across the globe. Our experienced production professionals are passionate about telling the kinds of authentic stories that leave a lasting impression on audiences. We’re glad to know that our work has sparked curiosity and joy, and has entertained millions of people.
Our clients cover a spectrum of industry sectors. We're always interested in building new relationships, showcasing our services, and we welcome opportunities to talk about collaborations.