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GROOVE SHACK FILM PRODUCTION CREDITS
 

Martin Jones - Producer/Director

MARTIN JONES
Executive Producer, Director

Martin (Marty) Jones began this journey when he was in grade school. His immediate love for music was evident as early as 5th grade when his parents gave him his first stereo. From early purchases of albums and singles by artists such as Heart, Kiss, and Hot Chocolate, he was drawn to the world of music, and inspired by how those first records made him feel.

In High School, he and his future business partner, Mike Curry, formed a friendship based on mutual interest in sports, girls, and music. Not necessarily in that order.

The two friends dreamed of owning a record store and they never let that dream die.

After graduating from Bowling Green State University in 1986, Marty held a series of corporate jobs in trucking, Insurance, home improvement sales, and lumber.

While Marty was in his late 20’s he and Mike decided the time was right for the record store of their dreams to become a reality. What was born from that vision was Groove Shack Records. The Groove Shack was an instant hit when it opened in 1993. Marty and Mike provided a venue for young musical artists to perform at the store, and fostered a free and open environment. Keeping with their theme of Hip Hop, they held Open Mic Contests and DJ battles in the store. The kids loved it and dreamed of making it big in the music business. And when Billboard Magazine ran an article on the store, it seemed like that dream might come true for some of the regular ”Groove Shackers”.

But The Groove Shack only lasted four years. When Marty closed the shop due to an onslaught of encroaching corporate record store chains, the dream had died for many.

Marty went to work in the Commercial Office Furniture Industry for the next 10 years while wondering what could have been – and then there was the question of what to do with all the old film footage of the Open Mic and DJ battles he recorded. Around 2006 he thought of making a documentary of the old store and chronicling the whereabouts of the kids who lived through the “Groove Shack Era”.

In late 2007 he talked with his friend, casting agent Rick Mason about the project. Rick directed Marty to screenwriter and producer, Deb Havener. They hit it off immediately and began collaboration on the Groove Shack project.

The film will chronicle the anti-establishment record store and those who it influenced. For all of them, The Groove Shack was one brief, shining moment – a short-lived burst of inspiration that fired up a young generation to dare to dream of making it in the music business. Some of those kids are living that dream today, while others got lost in the system. Their inspirational and heartfelt stories are at the center of the film, The Groove Shack. Marty is currently in production and looking at completion for summer 2008

Deb Havener

DEB HAVENER
Writer, Producer

Deb is a produced and award-winning screenwriter. She is currently producing the feature "Midnight Swing" with Nolan Gerard Funk (Gersh/3 Arts) and is in development with Martin Jones on a fictional hip-hop feature inspired by the Groove Shack.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1422935/

http://www.prettyegg.org/


Mike Curry - Associate Producer

MICHAEL CURRY
Associate Producer

Michael (Mike) Curry was born after "discovering" David Bowie and Lou Reed while in High School  -- this was the starting point to a lifelong obsession with music, pop culture and record collecting.

His early employment in the retail record store business includes Buzzards Nest Records, RTO and Singing Dog Records on OSU Campus. Having accumulated retail experience in this field, Mike later founded The Groove Shack with Marty Jones in 1993-1997.

Hip Hop became his obsession in 1986 and he devoted most of his time into promoting Hip Hop and Vinyl Culture in Ohio.

As an Independent Record Dealer for 20 years, Mike is a local legend in Ohio for his vinyl record collections. Mike is also a Rare Groove DJ and makes mix tapes.

Mike founded The Vinyl Alliance and published the organization’s newsletters from 1990-1999. The Vinyl Alliance was a group of individuals, record labels and artists dedicated to preserving Vinyl Record Culture – and it worked!

Because of his involvement and mentoring of the underprivileged kids who came into the Groove Shack to hone their hip-hop skills, Mike ended up in the appropriate field of social work and counseling for youth. Many of the artists you’ll come to know in The Groove Shack movie credit Mike and Marty with keeping them off the streets and giving them a safe and creative haven.

These days, Mike still enjoys his ever-growing record collection, and is busy as ever with assisting in the production of The Groove Shack.

 
 

JAMES ELIOS
Associate Producer

Elios financial group
http://www.eliosfinancial.com/

matt parker

MATT PARKER
Editor

Matt Parker Productions

n/a

TOM BOYER
Audio Engineer

Mike McGraner


MIKE McGRANER
Cameraman

Mike McGraner is a 27-year-old Film & Music Video Director, and singer-songwriter.

Born and raised in Columbus, OH, Mike was raised on great bands such as Queen and The Beatles and always took an interest in film from the age of five. Mike started directing concerts and music videos by the age of fifteen. By eighteen, he was on the road shooting behind-the-scenes footage of many well-known national acts.

At age 21, Mike was introduced to musician Pete Yorn, who allowed him to come along on his tours and shoot an extensive amount of footage. Now, seven years later, Mike has directed and/or shot videos and concerts for acts such as Blue October, Grandaddy and James Blunt.

Mike directed his first film, "The Funny Man" in 2007. The film features a soundtrack by many of the bands that Mike has shot for and befriended throughout the years. The film will be sold on Amazon later this year.

Mike will be directing a feature entitled, "Heartsick" in 2009.


Jim Petty - Cameraman

JAMES PETTY
Cameraman/Web Developer

James Petty was born in Portland, ME and moved to Columbus, OH during the Groove Shack's last days in the fall of 1996. He was able to catch some of the magic that happened at the open mics and, being an upcoming DJ/Producer, was very inspired by the DJ Battles that he witnessed in his new hometown and the wide variety of musical talent he found in the city.

He has obtained an Associate's Degree in Digital A/V from Columbus State Community College and is currently working on general education requirements to obtain a B.A. from an accredited university that he has yet to choose.

He has written, shot, directed, produced, edited and scored a short film entitled Relapse in 2005 as a final project for college. He has since shot, directed and edited two music videos, his favorite medium, for local hip hop artists that he also produces music for. He has also filmed many live music performances, many of which can be viewed on his website, www.boraslive.com.

Aside from video production, James is skilled in graphic and web design, 3D modeling and Flash animation. In the summer of 2007 he worked on several interactive exhibits for the Hard Rock Amusement Park that opened in the spring of 2008 in South Carolina.

In his free time he works as a DJ, producer and recording engineer as well as a freelance graphic and web designer while seeking employment with a major multimedia production studio.

James relocated to Brooklyn, NY in 2009 and is continuing freelance work, working as a video editor intern at Troma Entertainment, and having a blast DJing around the city.

neal havener
NEAL HAVENER
Cameraman
 
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