Some of the Best Lessons Arrive By Surprise - The STORYSMART® Way - August 2026
Published 19 days ago • 4 min read
When Music City Became Movie City - What Nashville Taught Me About Filmmaking
Hi Reader,
Sometimes the most important business steps forward don't happen in the office. They happen while traveling with family, watching a soccer match, or sitting in a movie theater wondering how someone else's story came to be.
This month feels like one of those moments for me as I'm sharing two feature articles.
One reflects on what a family trip unexpectedly taught me about filmmaking, while the other marks an exciting milestone as STORYSMART® begins helping filmmaker Art Holliday finish a documentary more than twenty-two years in the making.
This collaboration is the first of what we expect to be many more finish-line partnerships with other filmmakers and storytellers. It is key element in our path forward with developing STORYSMART® STUDIOS.
Also in this month's edition, I explore why some stories belong to everyone, yet great adaptations like The Odysseyor Hamilton still become valuable intellectual property, plus we share two new Storytelling for ALL® articles on 800 Words (the best TV show you haven't heard of) and Yellowstone (a hit show that spawned others).
I hope you find value in these articles, and please know I'm grateful you've chosen to share our journey...or should I say Odyssey?
Ron
1. Feature Articles
When Music City Became Movie City - What Nashville Taught Me About Filmmaking
When Music City Became Movie City
What Nashville Taught Me About Filmmaking
St. Louis, MO August 1, 2026 - Sometimes the best lessons arrive when you're not looking for them.
This past weekend, our family took a short four-day trip to Nashville.
The primary reason for the visit was simple enough. My son is a huge Liverpool FC fan. So, when Liverpool scheduled a preseason friendly against Sunderland at Geodis Park, my wife surprised him with tickets months in advance.
It became the perfect excuse for a family getaway, just like our trip to Kansas City for the World Cup. Yes, our vacations this summer have revolved around the pitch.
Of course, as is often the case, life had other plans.
STORYSMART® to Help Art Holliday Finish Film 22 Years In the Making
Film Producing Partnership Announced
STORYSMART® to Help Filmmaker Art Holliday Finish Documentary 22 Years in the Making
St. Louis, MO - July 21, 2026 - Some stories take years to tell. Some take decades.
For more than twenty-two years, veteran journalist and documentary filmmaker Art Holliday has been documenting the life, music, and legacy of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame pianist Johnnie Johnson – the man who discovered a young Chuck Berry, launched their legendary partnership, and became one of the founding architects of rock and roll.
Over the last two decades, award-winning journalist and filmmaker Art Holliday has conducted over 50 interviews, assembled more than 110 hours of footage, and built a remarkable record of one of the most influential and overlooked figures in American music.
STORYSMART® has entered a finish-line producing partnership with Art Holliday to bring Johnnie Be Good, a feature-length documentary exploring Johnson's extraordinary life and enduring impact on rock and roll, to audiences as early as the fall of 2028.
The Story May Be Free. The Telling Is Not. What Young Washington, Hamilton and The Odyssey teach us about how stories become IP.
The Story May Be Free. The Telling Is Not.
What Young Washington, Hamilton and The Odyssey teach us about how stories become intellectual property.
I’ve recently found myself thinking about three very different projects that are connected in a way that might not seem obvious to most.
Angel Studios recently released Young Washington, exploring the formative years of America's first president. Christopher Nolan just released his long-awaited adaptation of The Odyssey, one of the oldest stories ever told.
I was reminded once again of Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda's groundbreaking Broadway musical inspired by Ron Chernow's bestselling biography, that is my favorite musical and helped my see the founding of our nation in a new light.
At first glance, these projects have almost nothing in common.
One tells the story of a Founding Father. Another adapts an ancient Greek epic. The third transformed American history into a modern musical phenomenon.
But together they answer one of the most misunderstood questions in storytelling:
6. Want to Learn More about the STORYSMART® Framework?
Hollywood Insiders Know the Playbook. Now You Can Too.
7. Archive of Newsletters
About Our STORYSMART® Perspective
We approach storytelling and filmmaking as a long-term, rights-first business rather than a project-by-project creative exercise. Our focus is on understanding how stories create value over time through ownership, disciplined development, and thoughtful risk management.
The ideas shared here are intended to contribute to a broader conversation about sustainable, independent media, not to promote specific projects or investment opportunities.
About Ron Watermon
Learn More About Ron Watermon @ronwatermon.com & storysmart.net
Ron Watermon is a creator, builder, filmmaker, media entrepreneur and the founder of STORYSMART. Ron writes about professional storytelling, media entrepreneurship, filmmaking, and the business of turning stories into a valuable assets.
Ron is the author of STORYSMART Storytelling for ALL and is currently building STORYSMART STUDIOS, an independent media company dedicated to developing, producing, and owning profitable enduring original media properties.
