Work History Part 3

These pages were initially created to transfer photos from traditional scrapbooks to the internet in order to both preserve and make the pictures and history available to family and friends. It has become more extensive than I intended. However, I see it as a way to save the details before they slip away.

Martin T      ©2015 Theophilus

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Martin accepted a training position in Austin beginning in November 1978.  Ever since attending the State's 4 week Austin orientation in 1969, Martin had planned to join the music scene in Austin.  His position enabled him to work with the DHS Media Services Division.  Their video director was Bruce Scafe who produced the first Austin City Limits segments - view Bruce's early ACL clip.   Martin hosted a segment of the TxDHR video news magazines Telejournal. Vi

Bruce left Austin City Limits after the first season and Terry Lickona, who was originally an intern took over.  DHS memo from 1982

Martin was assigned to TxDHS Disaster Assistance Training in Austin. When the Wichita Falls tornado occurred, Martin went to document the disaster and subsequent training. He shot this cover photo for the TxDHS "WE" magazine from a National Guard helicopter.

TxDHS office Burnet Road, Austin

Phantom Productions' on location reel to reel recording production at 12/16/79 Recorded Crestview Baptist Church, Ft Worth

An early Austin on-location job upon moving company to Austin was at St. David's Episcopal Church

Phantom Productions, inc. evolved from Highland Sound company in the late 1970's.

Here the vehicles show both the Highland Sound and Phantom logos.

Phantom has always taken on a wide variety of production jobs. The first year in Austin included everything from The church and private concerts, to Kade I Man at Antone's (then on Great Northern Blvd in North Austin).

"As Sixth Street developed in the late 70s and rents got raised, Antone’s lit out for North Austin in the great migration to the far outposts above Burnet Road. Once it was ensconced in a big room there, icons like Ray Charles and James Brown came to to town and dazzled sell-out crowds. " view pdf

Martin produced the Austin Texas album "Dan & Dave Live at the Backroom"  This is a picture of the Teac 80-8 and mixer set-up in the back of Phantom's van.

Go to more on Dan & Dave and listen to some of the album

Martin with engineer Ben at Ruff Cedar (now Cedar Creek) studio in Austin, Texas mastering Phantom's Dan & Dave "Live at the Back Room" with Peter Butcher producing.

See also Phantom's History 1980's

Phantom produced an album for Clifford Zirkel's Big Band Sounds of Austin.

Click here to listen to some songs.

View video of Peter producing in Cedar Creek Studio

Martin took the position of Chief Engineer at Austin Custom Records for Roy Poole.  New generations productions staff also located at Austin Custom Records offices. 

Austin Custom Records, Burnet Road, Austin, TX

While continuing Phantom Productions,  Martin formed a new company with Peter Butcher.  Peter and Martin had met while working on NGP projects.  Using Peter's European resources, Music, Etc. worked to secure new music from recording studios in the US and promote them to international publishers and record companies. Peter and martin also enjoyed success during this time charting Leslie Gore's "It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want To " on the US Billboard charts. See more

Alpine Presbyterian church 1980s

While working for Texas DHS in 1984, Martin came across smoke drifting across MoPac, traced it down to house on fire and helped alert the occupant.

Martin in Austin mix down room 1984

In 1984 Martin met Chris and she joined the music business on the first date with dinner and then an evening with British producer Peter Butcher at "Rollingwood Recording" an Austin recording studio.

While working with the DHS Staff Development Division in Austin, Martin was liaison to the DHS Media Division (briefly hosted DHS' Telejournal video newsletter to staff). 

The Video Director was Bruce Scafe (See letter).  Bruce produced the first episodes of the Austin City Limits.   This provided great video production experience.  Terry Licona was an intern at Austin City Limits and eventually took ACL to where it is today.

 

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 we were working with, 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.

Martin & Chris with Mark Luke Daniels during promo photo session after signing an artist management agreement

Phantom video production 2002

 

 

In order to better promote the artists we were managing, we added video production to our audio recording capability.  This picture is from a music video shoot in Marble falls, Texas. 

Chris shooting video for PPI

Martin & Chris with Mark Luke and Andy Murphy at Midem in Cannes, France

At the Lowe's Hotel in Montie Carlo Martin & Chris sign Mark Luke to publishing contract with Montie Music Group

See more about Mark Luke

 

Montie Music Publishers hold the worldwide rights to Richie Valens music.

Following a joint LA produced Phantom/Montie Music album for Mark Luke, he was signed to a seven album deal with Gene Simmons (KISS) on Simmons' own custom RCA label. Take a look at the contract!

Go to mark Luke CD order page   View Video clip

 

Chris, Martin signing contract with Metal Band Skullduggery

 

    

Phantom's first computer Epson Geneva

Martin's Texas DHS office Winter's Building, Austin

Martin presenting certificate to Texas Department of Human Services retiree Jean Morris.  As Chief of Services for the TDHS, Martin managed the Dept's headquarters management training staff; the Basic Job Skills Centers in Houston and the Dallas / Ft. Worth area and provided Liaison education services to the 10 TDHS regions comprised of over 100 trainers.

Martin provided management training and team building to Texas DHS, MHMR, the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, as well as organizations.  Here's a write-up from Martin's ITC presentation.

10/20/89 Bob Hays moved out of his office

Martin exited the Texas Department of Human Resources in May, 1990 after 22 years with the State of Texas (note smile on Martin's face).  Bob Hays (left, former Director of Staff Dev for DHS), Martin & Chris (right)

Martin and Chris proposed the ACC Music Business Degree Program, completed the surveys justifying its worth and bringing the program to fruition.  View more

Picture of Phantom edit suite late 1980s with player piano

Phantom's 3/4" video duplication deck

Phantom's video editing in 1990

Martin & Chris with Joan & John Cambridge and Joan's mother

1990's

1990 Phantom Phacts Video (8 part)

part 1  part 2  part 3  part 4  part 5  part 6  part 7  part 8

Martin & Chris with Phantom's UK guitarist John Cambridge

Garard, French music rep with Chris & Martin at SXSW

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.

 

 
Phantom's 30th Anniversary

In the 1990's periodically Phantom Productions, Inc. produce

Christine Albert with the German radio DJs, Chris & Martin

Phantom produces Music Videos.  Here's Tracie Lynn in a video produced for her song "The Silence."  View Video   

In 1989, Martin was looking for a unique  birthday present for Chris.  The result was a Hot Air Ballooning class at Austin Community College.  The class was taught by Dan Sherrill who had catered our wedding from Railroad Bar BQ.  Martin video taped the class as a memory and Dan asked if we'd want to produce a Crew Training tape for hot Air Ballooning.  We did and the tape (now a DVD) has sold in all 50 states and in 15 foreign countries.  It is the crew training standard for many events around the world.

Dan then asked us to document his Harris Branch balloon fest, the 1991 and 1992 Baltimore Preakness Balloon races and the Guanajuato, Mexico event (pics & video below).   Subsequently we were asked to document the Poteet Strawberry Festival Balloon Race which resulted in an ongoing relationship with the Strawberry Festival to document their primary festival every couple of years.

   

Chris & Martin's  Hot Air Balloon video production also took them to Washington DC for the Andrews Air Force Base Kodak ballooning event, the United Kingdom hot air balloon factories and additional events around Texas.  Here are some video clips that include some of the scenes and a few clips from the final production.  All Phantom's Hot Air Ballooning video are available at this link.  Phantom's Hot Air Ballooning DVD's

Chris & Martin initiated into hot air ballooning after first flight

Chris & Martin with Central texas hot air ballooning folks

 

Chris & Rusty caught on fence

 

 

Andrews AFB to videotape Kodak AAFB hot air balloon races

Andrews AFB to videotape Kodak AAFB hot air balloon races

Chris was escorted around Andrews AFB to video Phantom's production

 

Martin videotaping Maryland Preakness balloon event

Chris at ACC balloon class

Hot Air Balloons over Austin Willie Nelson concert on Lady Bird Lake - view video

Martin shooting video from hot air balloon. Either Chris or martin would shoot from the air while the other one went with the chase crew.  See Phantom's hot air ballooning videos at this link

Martin shooting video from hot air balloon being launched - click for more ballooning

Chris & Martin in Guanajuato, Mexico

Martin with hot air balloon pilots in Guanajuato, Mexico during Phantom's documenting the event

Patricia scrambling back to the chase vehicle in Guanajuato, Mexico

Chris and Martin on Guanajuato mine tour while documenting the 1992 hot air balloon festival.

view all mine photos pdf

 

 

Phantom was contracted to shoot a time lapse hot air balloon launch for NASA MCET.  The opening sequence appeared in a series of NASA educational satellite broadcasts; then was made available on CD to schools & the National Air & Space Museum

NASA MCET

A note of thanks and appreciation for your production on the time lapsed balloon launch for our satellite broadcast and subsequent CD for the NASA series of programs on aviation for US middle schools. In all respects - the rapid turnaround; your special efforts to shoot in the right conditions (despite several poor weather attempts and it being a holiday); and your continued patience and good humor - your work has not just been professional, but gratifyingly personal "next time."

Robert Zalisk, Producer
Massachusetts Corporation for Educational Telecommunications

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Interestingly, Chris and Martin never made to the Albuquerque Balloon Fiesta. Here's how close we once came in 1993!

In early 1993, after a shoot at Andrews AFB we were hired to produce a corporate video for a company in Ft. Worth. The company was flying all their HQ staff to the Albuquerque ballooning event and Chris and I were to accompany them documenting all their events along the way. Private flights and all. This was scheduled for October 2 to 10, 1993. 

The same client asked if we’d produce a promotional video for a ballooning event they were coordinating in Shanghai, China in October. We produced the video with our stock photos and clips the client took in Shanghai.  The China event promotor liked our work, so we were hired to document the entire event in Shanghai, all expenses paid, plus our fee. Cool! Chris bought us a Chinese translation book. 

In the late 1980’s we’d produced a ballooning crew training video for Dan Sherrill (Railroad Bar-B-Q who catered our wedding). The video is still used by events around the world. He’d also contracted us to shoot two hot air balloon events he managed in connection with the Maryland Preakness. Plus, Dan facilitated our spending 10 days shooting a balloon event in Guanajuato, Mexico in November 1992. Dan asked if we would shoot the Mexico event again in November, 1993. Yes, please! 

Dan also asked if we’d join him in early November, prior to the Mexico shoot, for a weekend in San Antonio. He wanted to use our videos to promote his services facilitating corporate hot air ballooning events. Okay, busy couple of months.

Later that year, Dan notified us that the man coordinating the ’93 Guanajuato event was in a nasty divorce and his wife had impounded his balloon. Event cancelled. The China promoter called to say the China sponsors did not come through and that event was cancelled. Finally we were notified that the company in Ft. Worth decided to use their in-house video team for the Albuquerque trip. Argh!

So we spent a weekend with Dan in San Antonio. We never tried to do Albuquerque again. Our last ballooning video was shot in Alpine in 1997.  I wish we’d had the digital cameras we have now vs SVHS at that time.

Chris and Martin still see the Austin ballooning folks regularly and Rusty, one of the pilots produced a video that we made available about Albuquerque.

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Confederate Air Force (Phantom) Document Russian YAK flight

Phantom videotaping Del Poling for his series the Four Year Old Syndrome

Del Poling (Florida) Four Year Old Syndrome (5 part bound video series) (Phantom Productions, Inc.)

Chris & Martin videotaping Esther's To Go for City of Austin employees

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Chris <1984  •  Martin <1984  •  >1984

 Alpine •  Marfa, Texas

© 2015

GO to MORE ABOUT MARFA, TEXAS

Some additional links of interest

Entertainers  •  Actors Letters • Marfa, Texas

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