Columbia, SC, February 15, 2016 – Panteao Productions is happy to announce the launch of the much anticipated Panteao Make Ready Channel on Apple TV. With Apple TV, Panteao now has the Trifecta of streaming platforms, bringing the Panteao videos directly to subscribers’ televisions on Apple TV, Roku, and Amazon Fire TV.
When Panteao first launched streaming content from the Panteao website in May 2011, the only option was to watch the Panteao videos directly from the Panteao website on a desktop or laptop computer. Technology has grown in leaps and bounds in the past five years and Panteao has continued to expand the platforms that subscribers can benefit from. First there were the Apple and Android mobile apps. They give subscribers the opportunity to watch our content on their phones and tablets anywhere they want. The launch of our Roku Channel in August 2015 bridged the gap between computers and mobile devices, introducing televisions. With the addition of Amazon Fire TV and now Apple TV, subscribers have many ways to enjoy our content.
Panteao offers a monthly subscription as well as a 3-month, 6-month, and a yearly subscription. Subscribers have access to over 30 instructors and all the video content Panteao offers as often as you want, whenever you want. More videos are added on a regular basis, expanding the amount of content subscribers have access to. Yearly subscribers (domestic customers only) also receive a free one year membership to the National Rifle Association and a choice of one of their magazines.
While training online does not replace actual trigger time on the range, it is an excellent supplement to a class. Instructional videos can prepare you for what an instructor is going to present as well as serve as a refresher of what you learned when it’s months later.
The unfortunate reality of training is the majority of firearms owners do not seek it out. Whether it’s because of a lack of ranges nearby, the cost of attending a class, or the inability to take time away from work or family. Some may even feel they simply don’t need it. Whatever the reason (or excuse) it doesn’t change the fact that firearm handling skills do not come by simply purchasing the firearm and reading about an instructor and his/her drills in your favorite gun magazine. If you are lucky enough to take a class, will you be able to afford another? What about that carbine class you want to take but the trip to Disney with the wife and kids is coming up? Or the braces little Johnnie needs? Every firearm owner should be seeking out formal training with a qualified instructor on the range, but most never will.
Then there is the seemingly endless flood of supposed firearms experts releasing videos on social media sites like YouTube and Facebook. Many are a walking liability waiting for an accident to happen. It’s hard to filter the nonsense from the true firearms instructors on the net. The vetting process doesn’t exist. Anyone with a video camera and a social media account can portray themselves as a firearms expert. With Panteao, you are presented with top instructors who have been vetted. Their backgrounds are legitimate and they are considered to be among the best in their circles.
With Panteao’s Make Ready with the Experts Series you have no excuse. Start learning proper firearms safety and gun handling skills from the best. Then go to the range for some trigger time. No excuses.
For more information on the Panteao streaming video subscriptions, visit: panteao.com/subscribe-now.
Earlier this evening, Haley Strategic Partners posted this statement on their Facebook page in response to the week old disclosure of video taken by Panteao Productions depicting Travis Haley discussing an AK. During that video, the weapon fired. Panteao Productions issued their statement on Monday of this week.
Press Release Feb 11, 2016:
On approximately Thursday February 4th 2016, Panteao Productions released a video through poor accountability and security with its servers by one of their instructors according to the owner of Panteao Productions. How and why this happened is still unclear, however assumptions can certainly be made.
This particular video was of me teaching a block of instruction on controversial Russian trigger finger/safety techniques, and why I personally don’t recommend them. During the filming, my AK was discharged inadvertently performing the demonstration. The range was set up for this demo, the weapon was intentionally off safe due to the block of instruction, and the barrel was oriented towards the target in the event the weapon fired as it did in this case.
Of course I take these matters seriously and if you know me or have been through any of our courses, you know our number one priority is safety. We pride ourselves on learning from our failure as it is our greatest opportunity and share those experiences with the people we serve.
There was also a communication issue with the inconsistent posts made on social media between the HSP team back in Scottsdale AZ and me being in Central America at the time the video was released. Now that I have seen the entire video (never seen by me before as it was in Panteao’s library), I have been able to review it and now share my thoughts. After reading a lot of comments, I think Pat Rogers said it best:
“One type causes injury/ death or comes close enough to warrant immediate measures to remove the person and his weapon. The other type is a down range ND, when the shot is discharged unintentionally, but into the target/ berm etc. These represent the majority of ND’s and this is where learning can occur. These are teaching/ learning points, and if handled correctly, will not likely happen again.” -Pat Rogers
I have had many failure points in my life (much greater than this)… I have ND’d. I have missed the mark countless times in my life even when it mattered most. I have zigged when I should have zagged. I’ve been impulsive and involved myself into fights without thinking of who’d it effect. My brothers have asked me for direction in combat and I was unable to answer. Hell, I have even taken life when it could have possibly been avoided… I have failed over and over in my life, yet I have been blessed with being accountable and educated by my shortcomings. This, in turn, allows my failures to continually become my greatest opportunities.
Panteao Productions has issued a statement to explain their involvement in NDGate, which swept social media over the weekend. Since the incident seems to have started with them, it seems appropriate that we share their statement.
But first, let’s catch everyone up who missed out. It all began Thursday evening when video surfaced showing tactical trainer Travis Haley appearing to have a negligent discharge of an AK rifle he was using for demonstration purposes. According to Panteao’s statement, they did not authorize the release of the video so they removed it from public access on YouTube, but by that time, the video clip was in the wild. Like we’ve said so many times, you can’t take the internet back. We posted an article which linked to an edited version of the video. Soon, that video was hit with a copyright claim by Panteao and was taken down. At that point, we figured they were in damage control mode and were playing whack-a-mole so there was no point in having an article up that relied on a missing video. Instead, we removed our article, with a decision to reengage once things settled down. However, the majority of the comments in our post were quite positive. They understood that NDs happen and that it was a valuable teaching tool.
For social media, comedy is the mother of invention, and over the weekend, dozens of remixes of the video appeared on Facebook and Instagram. Some were more amusing that others.
Eventually, Travis Haley chose to comment on the developing situation. Remember, that positive attitude that saw the situation as a teaching tool? Well, apparently Haley didn’t. Instead, he denied it had happened and claimed that Panteao was out to slander him. Granted, this whole situation would have been avoided had the video not made its way into the wild, but Haley’s response unfortunately had the effect of throwing gasoline on a fire. There’s a video below. When you finish reading this, make sure you watch the whole thing.
Some of Haley’s animosity toward Panteao may stem from this link on Panteao’s site: panteao.com/discontinued-video-titles. This move by Panteao was in response to Haley’s statement not long before on Facebook that the videos he had created while at Magpul Dynamics were no longer valid and that his fans should no longer purchase them. His position was that he had moved on to newer techniques. Magpul fans, and apparently Paneao Productions, took it as sour grapes. Perhaps concerned that he might eventually do the same to them, Panteao seems to have taken preemptive action. As you can see, this situation has been brewing for some time.
Now, on to Panteao’s statement (and accompanying video) on the situation:
February 7, 2016
This will be the first and last time we comment publicly on this incident. Given the firestorm surrounding the video which was recently released without our authorization, we felt it necessary to publicly state our position regarding the matter:
The relationship between Panteao Productions and Travis Haley ended over a year ago because of a disagreement over whether or not training should have an expiration date. Much to the disappointment of those who primarily use the internet to create and feed off of other people’s drama, and despite our past differences in opinion, we have nothing but respect for Travis’ accomplishments, and wish him the best in his future endeavors.
The video in question was not posted by Panteao for public consumption, and more importantly, was never intended to be seen externally. It was unlisted on our YouTube Channel, and was designated for in-house training purposes. It was intended to be a humorous reminder shared with crew members and collaborating instructors of what we don’t want to have happen during filming. It had been forgotten about until the link was shared publicly by one of the instructors we had been working with up until this point. At this time we are still unsure why they (the other instructor) felt the need to share the link publicly, regardless, once we became aware of the developing situation we deleted the video from our YouTube channel and had it removed wherever we came across it. There was nothing derogatory/defamatory intended by the video, or its description.
Anyone that has spent any serious amount of time doing this at the professional level knows that NO ONE IS ABOVE MAKING A MISTAKE. We have multiple layers of safety in place to prevent them, but at the end of the day there is absolutely nothing we are able to do that can entirely remove the human element from the equation. We decided to utilize the video as a tool to show our crew members that no matter someone’s level of past experience, background, or accomplishment that the possibility for an accident always exists. It served as a reminder to us; always wear eyes and ears on set, confirm the condition of any firearms the talent may be using to demonstrate techniques with, and to watch our position in relation to the muzzle whether or not a segment was intended to be live fired. Unfortunately individuals from the Haley Strategic camp have started spreading inaccurate statements about how the video was published intentionally to hurt Travis and that it was not a Negligent Discharge in the first place.
It is disheartening that Travis has failed to acknowledge what took place. We don’t care to speculate why someone with his abilities and background feels the need to deny their own fallibility, common to all of us, so vehemently. He handled the situation as best as anyone could at the time and pressed on during filming, as one would expect from a professional. Internally, we saw the opportunity the video represented for us, and utilized it to illustrate things that WE could do better on set.
The big question now is “was this really a negligent discharge?” or something staged or edited to look like one. The scene in question was not intended to be live fired, thus none of the crew had their hearing protection on, neither did Travis. It was strictly a demo of different Russian techniques. There were MULTIPLE individuals standing in close proximity to Travis, any of whom who would have reminded him to put his ears on if live fire was intended. In the crystal clear light of hindsight, one of the errors that occurred was having a hot gun for this particular scene. As the ones ultimately responsible for the safety of the production, that particular error falls on us, and it was one of the many lessons we took away from the incident. When the rifle discharged into the side berm, ears were ringing and as is common in these situations, everyone took a moment to look at each other and inspect for new holes. Travis summed it up best in the video “That didn’t work.”
So let’s talk about what works:
1. All Guns Are Always Loaded.
2. Never Let The Muzzle Cover Anything You Are Not Willing To Destroy.
3. Keep Your Finger Off The Trigger (And Out Of The Trigger Guard) Until Your Sights Are On
Target.
4. Be Sure Of Your Target.
Most importantly, do not allow yourself to become complacent. Familiarity breeds contempt, and contempt breeds complacency. In this business, complacency kills. We are saddened that this has become such a public incident, but since the cat is out of the bag, let’s all utilize it for the learning tool it is. We are all human, we all make mistakes, and there is nothing wrong in acknowledging that.
If you have any doubts as to what happened, watch the whole uncut sequence. At the end of the clip we’ve also included two additional references to the incident that Travis made later that same day during shooting. As we have maintained throughout this entire incident, we have nothing but respect for Travis and his past accomplishments, and we wish him the best. However, we are not able to condone someone attempting to rewrite their personal history to save themselves a little embarrassment, especially when in doing so our own reputation and professionalism is called into question. Let’s all spend our energy on more productive endeavors, and move on from this incident having learned an important lesson.
Columbia, SC, December 28, 2015 – Panteao Productions introduces the new MRTK made exclusively for Panteao by Battle Horse Knives. It was developed with the combined input of Dan Coppins of Battle Horse Knives and the instructors from the Panteao Make Ready to Survive Series. The goal was to create a workhorse of a knife that could handle a wide range of uses and scenarios. The MRTK does just that and then some.
Dan Coppins is Co-Owner of Battle Horse Knives and has been an avid hunter for over forty years. Dan has three children and six grandchildren that he enjoys passing on his hunting and outdoor knowledge to. Dan also enjoys making and designing knives that will bring his company to the next level.
“We were introduced to Dan by instructors from the Panteao Survival Series and I was extremely impressed with his work and attention to detail,” said Fernando Coelho, president of Panteao Productions. Fernando continued, “His no nonsense approach to knives and knife making inspired us to film a video on selecting a knife and during those discussions, the MRKT came about. I’m very happy with the way it came out. It truly is a beast.”
The blade is made from 0-1 Tool Steel. It’s an oil hardening (cold work) steel that provides deep hardening and high toughness properties. It’s one of the most forgiving of any knife steel and produces blades of excellent quality. The MRTK features a full tang design for maximum strength and durability. The blade itself is a saber grind. That type of grind is known for being strong, heavy-duty, and good for handling a wide range of tough jobs. Everything from field dressing game to splitting wood, the MRTK can tackle it. You also get great control with the secondary convex edge of the blade. The spine of the knife has a 90 degree angle which is ideal for creating tinder or making a spark with a rock or ferrocerium rod. The handle is made from a combination of dark red G-10 and black Micarta, attached with brass & stainless steel Bird’s Eye Bolts and Heavy Duty Epoxy. The finger groove helps give you a solid and secure grip and the overall shape of the handle helps reduce the chance of hot spots in your hand after extended use. A 3/8” lanyard hole is perfect for paracord, leather, or cordage. To secure the MRKT and keep it within easy reach is the Kydex sheath with a leather backer. The knife is secured in place within the sheath with a thumb lock system. Pull the lock up and the knife is secure in the sheath. Push it down and you have access to your knife. The leather backer helps make your sheath quiet when moving around.
Columbia, SC, December 22, 2015 – Panteao Productions is happy to announce the filming of four new videos for the Make Ready to Survive Series. The Panteao film crew traveled to Jackson, OH and spent time with Dave Canterbury at his facility filming a series dedicated to blacksmithing. Each video builds upon the previous one, from what you need to start blacksmithing to creating simple tools and finally making your own fixed blade knife and axe. We enjoyed filming these videos and think you will like them too. Dave walks you through all the blacksmithing steps in a clear and methodical approach that will help you to start hammering steel.
These titles are currently in post-production status and being edited. They can be pre-ordered from the Panteao website with a 10% savings while they are in pre-order status.
We will also be announcing very soon an auction where the winner will receive the Viking Axe and Knife created by Dave in the videos. The folks at Battle Horse Knives also supported our project by creating custom sheaths for both the knife and axe. Proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Autism Society.
Columbia, SC, September 23, 2015 – Panteao Productions is happy to announce the release of the streaming version of the new video, Make Ready with Pat McNamara: Carbine TAPS.
Pat McNamara (Mac) has 22 years of Special Operations experience, 13 of which were in 1st SFOD-D. He has extensive experience in hostile fire/combat zones in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. He trains individuals at basic and advanced levels of marksmanship and combat tactics.
With Carbine TAPS (Tactical Application of Practical Shooting), Mac introduces you to his performance based training methodology. He reviews carbine setup, the basics of rifle marksmanship, discovery learning, malfunctions, use of cover, moving with a rifle, the four shooting positions, his Bilateral drill, the Grid of Fire drill, the Grinder, the Turn and Burn, the Blaze X drill and more.
Filmed in UltraHD 4K video, Carbine TAPS is available streaming online for Panteao subscribers via the Panteao website, mobile apps, and Make Ready Roku Channel. The DVD version will begin shipping by October 1st.
Columbia, SC, September 15, 2015 – Panteao Productions is happy to announce a partnership with Texas Armament & Technology and Aguila Ammunition. Moving forward Panteao will be exclusively using Aguila ammunition during the filming of the Panteao instructional videos.
With each video title filmed, the one constant is the need to put rounds downrange. Whether Panteao is filming an instructor demonstrating a drill or shot placement, lots of live rounds are a necessity. Then there are the times the Panteao camera operators want that “money shot” and need to shoot high frame rate video. Again, more ammo must be sacrificed for the greater good. Equally important for Panteao is the quality of the ammunition. If the ammo doesn’t work because of a bad primer or other defect, then a scene must be reshot. Time is money on the production set.
“Aguila Ammunition is proud to be the exclusive ammunition sponsor of Panteao Productions instructional videos. Fernando, the production crew and the trainers work incredibly hard to produce the most informative, educational and valuable training tools available today,” said Kristi Drawe, Director of Marketing at Texas Armament & Technology.
“With Aguila, we know we have high quality ammo that is consistent and reliable for our filming purposes. Reliability means less reshoots and more efficiency when we’re filming,” said John Tormey, Director of Photography at Panteao.
