EP031 - Opportunity Calls! w/ Patrick Heaphy

Join Ben as he walks solo with Patrick Heaphy—a New York producer/director and music doc extraordinaire. Together they saunter across South Congress, past the Continental Club to Arlyn Studios. Pat's the filmmaker behind CHARLEY CROCKETT: $10 COWBOY documentary—now screening at Austin Film Festival—but his career path runs through a Nancy Kerrigan vampire clip (the lav accessory, of course), the 1994 Olympics, and a 9/11 doc compiled from his day-of footage. We dig into the music documentary hustle: multi-cam concert films at the Ryman, working the Springsteen archives, and why answer-the-phone opportunity beats mere aspiration. Pat breaks down his company LCM247 (figure out what it means yourself), eating ramen for 26 odd years before festival recognition, and why the AI his mom uses is top of mind. Plus: Pat spots Will Ferrell's eyeballs and uncovers Willie's old haunt.     Discussion Links: WITNESS TO 9/11: IN THE SHADOWS OF GROUND ZERO (2020) | NEBRASKA CELEBRATION: WORDS AND MUSIC (2024) | CHARLEY CROCKETT: $10 COWBOY (2025)     Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and Camera Work 01:00 Patrick's Background and Nancy Kerrigan Story 05:00 From Firefighter Family to Filmmaking 08:00 Post-Traumatic Stress Documentary 10:00 Selling Cars and Making Cable Commercials 12:00 Becoming the Music Guy 16:00 Musicians and Documentary Filmmakers 18:00 Charley Crockett's $10 Cowboy Origin 20:00 Arlyn Studios and Willie's Legacy 22:00 Americana Fest and Noah Kahan 24:00 Irish Connection and Multiple Hustles 26:00 9/11 Documentary 27:00 Lightning Round Begins 29:00 Charley Crockett Recording Process 33:00 Advice for Young Filmmakers 35:00 Gateway Drug Question 36:00 Dream Collaborators and AI