www.CVOHARLEY.com
CVO Social => Off Topic => Topic started by: VaEagle on December 21, 2018, 12:50:47 PM
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Just found out the TV show Fantomworks is ending soon in early 2019. For those not familiar with the show it was one of the best car restoration/modification shows on TV , it was on Velocity/Motor Trend network. The shop is owned by a former military person in Norfolk VA. and they do great work. I for one will miss the show!
From their Facebook page about two hours ago the owner posted this:
Why DRS quit...
By the first few days of 2019, we will finish filming the television series FantomWorks. The shop will continue to build cars for years to come but the show called FantomWorks will conclude. Our weekly tours will continue as they have since long before the show began. A few weeks back, the network officially posted the cancellation of our television show. Because of that announcement, I decided it was time to explain why I quit and thank all involved.
I want to thank my crew of amazing technicians and the film crew that gave a group of mechanical artisans the chance to be in the spotlight. The crew of FantomWorks maintained the utmost professionalism building cars while dealing with cameras in their faces, sound equipment stuffed into nooks and crannies, radio wars (they were turned off 25 times a day), takes and retakes, working lunches, early mornings that turned into late nights, unwanted travel, and the general difficulties associated with being in front of the cameras 5 days a week, 51 weeks a year, 6.5 years non-stop. Right after the show began, employee turnover increased tenfold; stresses in the shop skyrocketed, and attacks on my company (bloodsucking leeches trying to suck “riches” that never even existed) came out of nowhere. In 2017 I announced to my crew my decision to leave the television show. To my relief, the crew responded very positively. As the cameras are now closing out the final segments of filming, the crew’s morale has skyrocketed and the love of building cars is effervescent again.
I am told that filming a television show on a “set” designed for filming and utilizing paid actors is a reasonably easy thing to do. However in the case of the show FantomWorks, filming was never easy by anyone’s standards. My thanks to those members of the network and film crew who truly cared about the shop. Some understood how difficult it was and helped in any way they could. We had eleven directors in six years, most of whom agreed this was the most difficult show to shoot they’d ever worked on (most one-hour cars shows are shot in a 2-30 day window while this show averages 548 days). Car restorations that averaged almost two years were a reality while we had to display “continuity” during the builds so it looked like they were seamless done in only days. Shop dust and oils affected film gear resulting in an unusual number of equipment issues that then resulted in countless “do overs.” We never filmed less than five days a week, many weeks six. Film crews worked 7AM till 6 or 7PM most days alongside our crews. Often times, filming went well into the night. All this while trying to keep 65 to 98 cars in build at a time. It was never easy. To add insult to injury, many customers were upset as they were never reimbursed for travel or other expenses. The film schedule was so demanding that during the final weeks of my father’s life, I was not able to attend to him. The show took over my life and to make matters worse, my wife and I now face almost a million dollars of debt we incurred keeping the production going.
I have only one regret related to leaving the show. That regret is that we have to say goodbye to our many fans. I have been honored to meet thousands of viewers of the show during the tours at the shop, in local car shows, and national events like SEMA. I’ve travelled the globe and been truly delighted and humbled by meeting so many people who have openly expressed their love of our the shop and the show.
Just a few months ago, a very emotional fan of the show shared a wonderful story. He and his father would watch the show FantomWorks together during the months before his aged father passed. His father suffered from severe dementia had forgotten almost everything; his surroundings and family. It was only during the hour that they watched this show together that his father’s mind became alert. He’d been a car builder in his younger years. While the two watched the show together, his father could “remember” and for that hour, they’d connect… they’d talk. When he told me about what the show had done for his relationship, I rationalized that all the financial hardship we’d been through to make the show and even dealing with the gutless faceless internet trolls for six and a half years were somewhat justified.
So when one of the senior executives from the network and I had a long talk. He suggested that if it doesn’t make any sense to keep going, it’s time to call it done. It was time…
God Bless.
Dan Short
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Bummer, great show....
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Sure hate that as it was one of the better, no the best car restoration show on TV.
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sounds like a big weight has been lifted off someone!!
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The show took over my life and to make matters worse, my wife and I now face almost a million dollars of debt we incurred keeping the production going.
That sentence ^ surprises me. Without ever watching the end credits or doing any other research I'd assumed the network was paying the company for providing the arena to do the show. This would make you think Short (apparently ? :nixweiss: ) had an ownership stake in the show and was incurring expenses as a result. Whether that be the case or not if doing the show is costing them more money than the advertising is bringing them, accompanied by the shop inefficiencies that television production brings with it, it's understandable to stop production. Have to wonder why they didn't do it earlier.
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Wonder how Bitching Rides, Martin Bros or even that strange guy at Graveyard are making it? I know Bitching has deposits for years, yes years out. All these shops work with TV and are doing well.
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I seriously doubt all these guys are lining up to lose $1M. I'd bet this show did them far more financial good than bad.
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Wonder how Bitching Rides, Martin Bros or even that strange guy at Graveyard are making it? I know Bitching has deposits for years, yes years out. All these shops work with TV and are doing well.
Graveyard Cars is the Bomb for restorations and Bitchin’ Is the Bomb for Customs... IMHO
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Boy lot's of questions and speculation that we may never know about any of the car shows. :nixweiss:
The viewers like most of us only know what the show people want us to know.....Sort of like how our neighbors appear to be much richer and happier then us and maybe later we find out they are in hock up to their eyeballs and it's not all "champagne wishes and caviar dreams!"
Here is a shot of my 1947 Chevy inside Fantomworks.
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Boy lot's of questions and speculation that we may never know about any of the car shows. :nixweiss:
The viewers like most of us only know what the show people want us to know.....Sort of like how our neighbors appear to be much richer and happier then us and maybe later we find out they are in hock up to their eyeballs and it's not all "champagne wishes and caviar dreams!"
Here is a shot of my 1947 Chevy inside Fantomworks.
Sweeeeeeeet ride!!! :2vrolijk_21:
:pumpkin:
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
:fireman:
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Thanks Fired00d!
Here is shot of the engine compartment...needless to say it's not the 1947 motor. ;D
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and a shot of the interior...
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Thanks Fired00d!
Here is shot of the engine compartment...needless to say it's not the 1947 motor. ;D
Why am I not surprised that the stock motor is not under the hood. :rolleyes2: :D
and a shot of the interior...
Interior looks great!! :2vrolijk_21:
:pumpkin:
Ride Safe,
Fired00d
:fireman:
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Nice car..............
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VaEagle, I saw the finale show. It was an awesome show! Sad to see them gone. Also, NICE ride! The other JC.
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That is a really sharp 1947 Chevy!
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Thanks muddypaws and FLSTFI Dave, I enjoy it when I get a chance to get it out on the road....
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Great looking car!
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I liked the show, but the owner always seemed a little bit of a jerk. The way he talked to his customers seemed rude to me. Must be my southern manners...lol.
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Thanks RonandJanet.
aland I know it can seem that way sometimes on the show. But I consider it as the way the show is edited and somewhat due to the fact that the owner is retired military officer (so is his wife) and has "military bearing". He also has to reign in some customers unrealistic expectations on a build and to get the point across that the owner puts safety and function before cosmetic or "bells and whistles" as a general rule.
I have taken my car to him for work and inspections for a couple of years now and he may not be the cheapest shop but he has always treated me fairly. One benefit is that when they stop filming soon for the last season they will be able to complete work much faster.
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I never saw anything to take issue with regarding the show's depiction of the company's relationships or interactions with customers. Customer isn't always right. Especially in something as technical, specialized or deeply involved as a high end car build. Customer's don't know all that's going on, can't understand and need to be informed through the process.
There was only one contradiction in the show that I could never get my head around. They're sticking Coyote engines in old Fords, changing not just body panels but completely changing body shapes and reimagining (sic?) panels and body lines. They are building things that did not exist. They are in some cases starting from self-created wood bucks to create brand new versions of classics from scratch. They'll make new versions of shaker hoods for cars without that particular intake system. They'll put power steering on immediate post war fire trucks!
But he'll make a customer with a family heirloom Cyclone go out and spend more than $16,000 for a donor car that had factory air because they won't use an aftermarket air conditioning system?
Seriously....?
It's not like Vintage Air doesn't have mature, capable, effective systems that are straightforward installations? But rather than use new air conditioning parts in a kit he'll make a customer use 50 year old AC parts with some level of refurbishment to install a system that will take longer to get working than the aftermarket system and will never work as well.
That one I couldn't understand?
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I understand what you are saying Twolanerider.
From my conversations with Dan Short the owner he seems to prefer keeping a car or truck as close to stock showroom condition as possible specially when it is a truly numbers matching vehicle. Many times though the older vehicles aren't truly matching numbers so the pristine condition is not there anymore so the collector's value is already shot. Then he does a balancing act to make the vehicle safe and sound but meet the demands of the customer who may want it to appear as original as possible or have some modern features or the customer wants as much power as possible n the old body and frame etc.
As far as air conditioning is concerned Dan hates it on older cars but will work within customer budget and requests whenever possible. He claims many aftermarket a/c systems are made cheaply and Fantomworks has to replace many of the components to get it to run right. Many of the customers have a wish list of what they want and they say things like I don't care about budget, i just want the fastest car you can make or I want a one of a kind ride. They will spend $100,000 to build a car that at auction might only bring $50,000 but it is a car they are 100% happy with and maybe will keep it in the family to pass it down to the next generation.
Not too far off from Harley owners I think in that we either try to keep it stock condition or we just go ahead and spend thousands of dollars to make it our own... :huepfenlol2:
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Posted today in an email newsletter by Fantomworks :
Show Ending but not the Shop
With the last two episodes airing this week and the final episode next week, we would like to say "Thank You" for all the awesome comments that we have received regarding the show. We would also like to inform everyone that even though the show is ending the shop is going to continue to be open. We will still be holding a weekly tour for as long as people show up for them. And with all the sadness resulting from the show's ending we have decided to make moves to other avenues to keep the fans with new videos posted to either our Facebook Page or our Youtube page.
Additionally we are still looking for some more Fan Cars for our weekly Fan Car Friday post. If you would like to see your vehicle featured or know somebody that should, please email our Webmaster.