 1984 - This
was a cool year, as Martin met Chris and she joined the music business
on the first date with dinner and then an evening with Peter Butcher at "Rollingwood
Recording" an Austin recording studio.
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Chris
and Martin initiated the creation of a the Commercial Music degree program
at Austin Community College. Beginning in 1986 proposals and surveys were
continually provided to ACC to convince the college of the need. It took several
years and lots of help from others. It became a reality in the Summer of 1988
(regular classes began in 1989. ACC said if ten students showed up for the
first class, they would continue the program. Thirty-eight showed and additional
classes had to be created. Later Peter would become an instructor for the program.
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ACC News Interview with ACC President Dan Angel and Martin
Part 1 • Part 2 • Part 3 Requires Real Player |
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Shammy included James Mikulinka, Larry and
Wayne Gathright (previous Austin Music Lane Recording Studio owner).
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Phantom
to this point was primarily providing on-location recording to musicians.
We realized that one of the ways we could be more helpful to the musicians
with whom we were working, was to begin handling the day to day tasks that enabled
the artist to pursue their music. This evolved into a role as Artist Manager
(although we soon found the role was more accurately described as "investor").
Video had already become a dominant media for promotion and it was expensive
for the musicians to buy production. We decided to also invest in video
production to see if it might give our artists an edge. We choose SVHS as
it provided a higher resolution and was much less expensive than Beta SP.
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Martin videotaping van at Austin's Aqua-fest
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Chris videotaping van at Austin's Aqua-fest
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Chris'
roots were in England. Also, Peter felt the response to the new musicians
we were working with was much more helpful from the European record companies
and publishers. So we kept pitching new material that direction. On our
1986 trip back to Chris' home, we decided to try to pitch some of the artists
we were working with. We came up with an idea to take US NTSC music videos
we produced and see if we could show the material in the UK (where PAL is
the standard video format) It greatly exceeded our expectations and we were
able to actually meet with the International Rep at Island Records (it was
pretty neat to sit in the waiting room and see all the mailed demos from
artists all over the world). Our pitch was that we couldn't leave the NTSC
videos for the record company to look at later, so they would need to look
at them now...AND THEY DID! - view video of Island, creole and Burne Music (Curisity Killed the Cat) London, England
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One
publisher (Chelsea Music (publishers of "Curiosity Killed the Cat."),
asked
what Phantom got out of a deal if we found interest in the UK. Chris and
Martin said "nothing" as the musicians were friends. The publisher
said that Phantom's representation was so good, we should negotiate a management
contract. Thus began Phantom's management (investor) stint. Chris would
later move Phantom from providing resources to new artists to serious booking
contracts that brought income to the artist and Phantom. Some of the artists we originally managed toured Russia with the TIES project. view video clip
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Phantom's 4 track mobile console & Mix Listing
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Midem, Cannes, France
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Chris at Midem, Cannes, France |
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Chris &Martin being interviewed by Austin News Channel for early Austin South by Southwest festival. Phantom Productions was the first group to bring international companies to SXSW and the first to attract international panelists to the SXSW workshops.
View Austin Cablevision interviews
Chris & Martin • David Case |
Chris &Martin with David Case, John Cambridge plus family and friends in pub in Milton Keynes, UK
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Shammy performing on Town Lake, Austin, Texas
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In one of the more unusual happenings, an impersonator of Dick Dodd showed up in Austin and was identified as a fraud by someone how happened to be at KLBJ. Subsequently the real Dodd came to Austin and APD busted the fraud on stage.
View Austin news video
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Chris working on Phantom's first Mac computer
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Chris' first Phantom office in 1988 with first Mac
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Chris showing Phantom video at trade show - video
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Chris & Martin producing music video at Marble Falls power plant
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Chris videotaping folk singers at Cypress Creek - view video
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Chris on location recording
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Martin & Chris with Phantom's UK guitarist John Cambridge
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Martin & Chris with Mark Luke at Midem in Cannes, France
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Martin & Chris with Mark Luke and Andy Murphy at Midem in Cannes, France
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Martin & Chris sign Mark Luke to publishing contract with Montie Music Group at the Lowe's Hotel in Montie Carlo
See more about Mark Luke
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Midem in Cannes, France
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Chris & Martin in paris after attending MIDEM during Gulf War
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Phantom's mix room
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Phantom UK's Danny White & Music City Ad for Phantom Productions, Inc. US and UK
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Phantom UK's London showcase for Danny White
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Chris, Martin signing contract with Metal Band Skull Duggery - MORE INFO & VIDEO
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Skullduggery Austin Recording Studio MORE INFO & VIDEO
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Chris at sound check in San Antonio with Phantom's Skull Duggery - view video clips
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Chris, Martin & Phantom UK's John Cambridge, wife Joan and Joan's mother • More John Cambridge & Mark Luke Danielss UK tracks
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Chris, Martin with Canadian record execs, Andy Murphy, David & Sheila case (Phantom UK Directors) and Mark Luke with friend Benny.
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Martin videotaping Christine Albert being interviewed by German radio station - Chris provided bookings for Christine and Phantom produced this promo.
Intercord Records producer Jurgen Kramer asked Chris to arrange some radio interviews for German radio folks he was bringing to the US. Chris arranged numerous interviews including:
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Chris, Martin with Gary P. Nunn, German radio personnel & Intercord Records producer Jurgen Kramer
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Chris & Martin at Austin Arlyn recording studio studio with Intercord Records producer Jurgen Kramer visiting with Freddy Fletcher, Calvin Russell.
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Martin & Chris consulting with Jurgen Kramer of Intercord Record Records, and radio folks from Germany.
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Chris with Jurgen and George
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Danny White recorded Ritchie Valens "Oh Doona" for Phantom UK - London Showcase video
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Chris & Martin helped David Case represent Intelligent Light Animation sysytems on the Apollo computers at the Hewlett Packard display booth at Alaxendria Palace, London, UK
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Chris and Martin working with Phantom's UK Director David Case in Bristol, UK - David's Phantom intro
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UK Phantom Director David Case received an offer to brand this auto with the Phantom logo and name. Proposal video
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Billboard's 1989 profile of Austin
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Housewives Choice recording in Chris & Martin's living room - view video clip - Note: this was one of the last sessions with the Teac/Tascam A-3440 as Phantom moved more to video for promotional work.
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Chris, Tracy & John after signing management contract
See more about Tracie Lyn • view ACTV video clips
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Tracy at Broken Spoke video shoot w/Chris • view video
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Tracy, Martin and Chris during Tracy's recording session at Cedar Creek Studio, backed by Marcia Ball's band, produced by James Hinkle - view video clip
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Fred Remmert at Cedar Creek during Tracie Lyn's session.
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Champ Hood playing for Tracie's session at Cedar Creek
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Tracy & Mike Kanda (Tokyo, Japan) at Gruene Hall. During Mike's visit, Chris & Martin took him to San Antonio and visited Sonny and Mitchell's studio, Emerald Sound. Sonny & Mitchell decided to produce an album of Tracie based on the cassette demo we left for them during Mike's visit.
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Tracy & Mitchell at Emerald recording studios in San Antonio
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Martin, Sonny, Chris Tracy & Mitchell at Emerald recording studios in San Antonio
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Tracie Lyn played Austin Aqua Fest's and was interviewed by Nashville's Crook & Chase show - view clip
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Phantom Productions shot promotional video for Rotel and the Hot Tomatoes. The video was submitted to Disney - view video
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Tracy playing for Ann Richards
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Tracy played for Gov. George Bush's Inauguration in Austin, Texas
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Phantom's video suite |
Chris and Martin in England with Phantom UK's artists, staff & families
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Tacie Lyn and Pam Boenig opening as the Boenig Sisters for Steve Warner in Corpus Christi - view video clip
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Martin with james Hinkle at Cedar Creek Studio, Austin, Texas during session James produced for Tracie Lyn. James was in Marcia Ball's band and the bands other players were used on Tracie's cuts. view video
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Martin's ID at Midem
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Chris & Martin at Midem, Cannes, France representing Texas music. Phantom produced video of bands and presented the material to publishers and record company reps from around the world.
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Chris in Paris (during Gulf war 1991)
video of Volcanics represented at Midem
video of Alien Project represented at Midem
video of Bow Brannon represented at Midem
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Intercord Records Rep from Germany, Tom Pacheco recording artist and his Irish Record company head with Chris & Martin
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Chris being interviewed on the KXAN Morning show regarding employing musicians throughout the year.
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Chris & Martin with Lucian Turk and his band
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Martin Chaired the Austin Music Business Association which worked in conjunction with the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce More infor Eyes and Ears Newsletter 1 2 3 4
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Phantom Video suite
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Chris and Martin in Austin recording Studios producing Skull Duggery
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Phantom audio suite |
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Chris and Martin attended the float contest on Town Lake
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In 1990 Chris met with Canadian entertainment producers who suggested Phantom should move into the corporate entertainment market. After initiating several bookings with David Perkoff, Chris & Martin met with David and began offering support services to David Perkoff Music Click this link to view more about David Perkoff Music.
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DPM's Esther's Follies ToGo show for the Independent Banker's Association - view video
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DPM's custom Comedy Show featuring the Esther's folks and Steven Fromholz
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Stephanie, Natalie, David & Chris at Bevo UT Ex party
 
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DPM entertainment for Dell at Las Vegas Comdex |
Chris & Martin heading out to DPM gig
30th
Anniversary - Phantom Production, Inc. |
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DPM entertainment for the Lumberman's Association. The circus theme included Ceasar the elephant. Chris arranged for the elephant to be driven over to the San Antonio zoo for lunch. Nothing like taking an elephant to lunch.
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DPM entertainment for the San Marco Factory Outlet Shops included bagpipes leading the opening parade. DPM also provided musicians, magicians, dancers, gunfighters and clowns.
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DPM entertainment on Lake Austin included The University of Texas mascot BEVO - view video clip
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Martin
and Grainger Hunt 40 years after first recordings in may '64
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Phantom Productions, Inc. 40th Birthday
 
Chris
Theophilus, Phantom Director, Martin Theophilus, Phantom Director,
Andy Murphy, Panda Productions, Jan Sides, musician, Art Kidd,
musician at the 11/07/04 party celebrating Phantom's 40 years
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Geoff Emerick Beatles engineer at Austin City Limits meeting with Texas NARAS members
  
Geoff Emerick back at Abbey Road with old 4 channel mixer he used with the Beatles recording the Sgt. Pepper album
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Martin & Chris visit Abbey Road Studios in London, November 2007
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