Funky Jack Leahy
Jack
Funky Jack Leahy is an institution in the San Francisco film and music industries.
In 1967, Funky Jack, Funky Paul Olsen and Funky Sam Ridge started up, Funky Features, to produce posters and graphics, including work for the two eminent San Francisco ballrooms, the Fillmore and the Avalon
By 1969, Funky Jack opened a recording studio at 142 Central, and morphed into a recording engineer, recording and mixing music in the famous Haight-Ashbury district for musicians such as Janice Joplin, Country Joe McDonald, Steve Miller, Jimi Hendrix and Van Morrison.
In 1977 he co-founded Russian Hill Recording, a full-service recording studio and audio post-production complex for film and television.
In the 1980’s Leahy began working on the soundtracks of feature films. Working with Tom Holman (creator of THX at LucasFilm), he developed some of the first “small” rooms capable of mixing in surround sound formats that could accurately translate to large theatrical spaces.
While living in Marin County and drawing on his studio designing experiences, he built a video screening facility in his home where he could review sound mixes before going to the mixing stage. Friends, clients and colleagues, on experiencing this early “Home Theatre”, asked him to design for their homes. The Media Room became a formal business in 1991. It provided consultation, design, installation and project management services to hundreds of businesses and individuals seeking the highest quality in custom media and communications.
In the 1980’s Leahy began working on the soundtracks of feature films. Working with Tom Holman (creator of THX at LucasFilm), he developed some of the first “small” rooms capable of mixing in surround sound formats that could accurately translate to large theatrical spaces.