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Author Topic: Fantomworks show is ending....  (Read 4294 times)

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VaEagle

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Fantomworks show is ending....
« on: December 21, 2018, 12:50:47 PM »

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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muddypaws

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Re: Fantomworks show is ending....
« Reply #1 on: December 21, 2018, 04:06:59 PM »

Bummer, great show....
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Bill

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Re: Fantomworks show is ending....
« Reply #2 on: December 21, 2018, 05:57:55 PM »

Sure hate that as it was one of the better, no the best car restoration show on TV.
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smkymtnboy

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Re: Fantomworks show is ending....
« Reply #3 on: December 21, 2018, 06:04:10 PM »

sounds like a big weight has been lifted off someone!!
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Twolanerider

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Re: Fantomworks show is ending....
« Reply #4 on: December 21, 2018, 08:07:18 PM »


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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CVODON

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Re: Fantomworks show is ending....
« Reply #5 on: December 21, 2018, 08:25:02 PM »

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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J.D.

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Re: Fantomworks show is ending....
« Reply #6 on: December 21, 2018, 08:30:11 PM »

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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Phreakyz

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Re: Fantomworks show is ending....
« Reply #7 on: December 22, 2018, 06:58:50 AM »

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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VaEagle

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Re: Fantomworks show is ending....
« Reply #8 on: December 22, 2018, 07:04:16 PM »

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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Fired00d

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Re: Fantomworks show is ending....
« Reply #9 on: December 22, 2018, 07:26:13 PM »

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:

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VaEagle

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Re: Fantomworks show is ending....
« Reply #10 on: December 23, 2018, 03:17:35 PM »

Thanks Fired00d!
Here is shot of the engine compartment...needless to say it's not the 1947 motor.  ;D
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VaEagle

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Re: Fantomworks show is ending....
« Reply #11 on: December 23, 2018, 03:18:48 PM »

and a shot of the interior...
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Fired00d

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Re: Fantomworks show is ending....
« Reply #12 on: December 23, 2018, 06:18:32 PM »

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:

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muddypaws

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Re: Fantomworks show is ending....
« Reply #13 on: December 24, 2018, 08:33:16 AM »

Nice car..............
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Bill

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Re: Fantomworks show is ending....
« Reply #14 on: January 11, 2019, 08:27:42 AM »

  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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