March 20, 2025 • 38 mins
Every region has its stories, but few places weave storytelling into their cultural fabric quite like Appalachia. Bob Peck, the visionary behind Mountainwater Films, has dedicated himself to capturing these narratives through a lens that prioritizes authenticity above all else.
When Hurricane Helene devastated much of Western North Carolina, Bob's storytelling took on new urgency. Through his documentary approach, he helped businesses like Asheville Tea Company—whose entire operation was washed downstream—process their experiences while inviting customers back through powerful visual storytelling. His work in communities from Old Fort to Lake Lure demonstrates how film can simultaneously educate, inspire, and market in ways that honor the recovery process.
What emerges most clearly is Bob's commitment to sustainable storytelling that connects "nuanced visitors" with authentic experiences while benefiting local communities. In a time when many places struggle with overtourism, his work aims to attract people who will appreciate and respect the true character of Appalachia, ensuring these communities and their stories continue to thrive for generations to come.
Want to explore more of Appalachia's authentic stories? Follow Mountainwater Films on social media or reach out to Bob directly to discover how documentary storytelling can preserve heritage while building bridges to the future.
Mike Andress
Host, Exploration Local
828-551-9065
mike@explorationlocal.com
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Storytelling is at the heart of Appalachia, woven
into its very fabric.
For generations, communitieshave passed down their heritage,
wisdom and identity through thesharing of stories, keeping
their culture alive and thriving.
Today, bob Peck of MountainWater Films continues the
age-old tradition, capturing theauthentic voices and powerful
experiences that make thesouthern Appalachian region so
(00:23):
unique.
In today's episode, bob unpacksthis journey to becoming a
documentary filmmaker, with amission to showcase the true
character of Appalachiancommunities through their own
voices.
As Western North Carolinarecovers from Hurricane Helene,
bob's storytelling has becomeeven more vital.
Through his work across 17counties, he helps businesses
(00:43):
and communities share theirrecovery stories, build
connections and invite visitorsback in ways that prioritize
sustainability.
From Old Fort's revived craftscene to Asheville Tea Company's
inspiring comeback, bob'sdocumentaries are a testament to
the power of authenticstorytelling in times of
adversity.
What you'll hear in thisconversation is a profound
understanding of what setsAppalachia apart.
(01:04):
What you'll hear in thisconversation is a profound
understanding of what setsAppalachia apart.
Through his lens, bob capturesthese qualities, preserving
cultural heritage whileattracting visitors who will
appreciate and support thesecommunities for generations to
come.
Let's dive into Bob's story,the vision behind Mountain Water
(01:24):
Films and the heart ofAppalachian Storytelling.
You're listening to ExplorationLocal, a podcast designed to
explore and celebrate the peopleand places that make the Blue
Ridge and Southern AppalachianMountains special and unique.
My name is Mike Andrus, thehost of Exploration Local.
Join us on our journey toexplore these mountains and
discover how they fuel a spiritof adventure.
(01:46):
We encourage you to wander far,but explore local, let's go
Well.
I am super excited to have BobPeck with me this morning.
He is the owner and operator ofMountain Water Films.
Mountain Water Films is a filmproduction company focused on
showcasing the uniqueexperiences of the Appalachian
region and beyond.
Mountain Water Films also afilm production company focused
on showcasing the uniqueexperiences of the Appalachian
region and beyond.
(02:06):
Mountain Water Films alsospecializes in creating brand
films for purpose-drivenbusinesses and organizations.
Bob, I cannot thank you enoughfor dropping in today.
I really look forward to thisconversation.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Hey, it's my pleasure .
I've been listening to yourpodcast for a while now and it's
an honor to be on it.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Oh, you're awesome.
Well, it's an honor for me tohave you here, that is for sure.
I want to get to know you alittle bit more, bob.
I really would love to knowspecifically about Mountain
Water Films and what really kindof drove you.
What was your passion to startthis venture?
Speaker 2 (02:35):
So I'll just start from the beginning of my career,
and I really started in audioproduction.
So as an audio engineer Iworked at a recording studio
where you know, a voiceoverproduction studio where you know
we worked with ad agencies allover the country, where we
produce radio, tv, basicallyanything that has voiceover on
it.
It could be on hold messagingsfor businesses or whatever you
(02:59):
know anything.
And so I started that when Iwas 24 years old and a few years
later a buddy of mine that Iworked with there, he and I
started a wedding productioncompany.
While I was doing the weddingstuff I also had a couple other
video companies that kind ofevolved over time that were
really just whether it was doingthings for local businesses and
(03:23):
real estate companies, thingslike that.
I kind of rebranded from that tospecifically more to Mountain
Water Films, which really kindof was more geared towards
telling the stories here of theregion.
So I became more interested insort of like the cultural
heritage and like all the allthe kind of the things that that
(03:44):
this area has to offer.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Oh, that's good.
So you're you pivoted to tellthe stories of this area, the
Appalachian area and this wholeregion, of things that were
naturally just kind of yourattention was drawn to.
That's sort of how you ended upmaking this this pivot.
I guess I'm hearing yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Yeah, and I really think I took away from doing the
weddings for so long is thatyou know each wedding was unique
and a different story and itreally helped develop that kind
of storytelling aspect of thingsand also kind of like the
running and gunning nature ofweddings.
You know it's so chaotic, youknow you're just sort of
improvising and making things upas you go along, you know kind
(04:21):
of capturing the flow, but youalso learn those moments that
are super important and I kindof continue that.
I think it just helped developme as what I do for video.
But then I've taken that againlike sort of that skill set into
what I do now with just tellingthose stories here regionally.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Yeah, so that's a very important word you said,
and I think that's probablyreally the reason you and I are
here today.
You know you enjoy storytelling.
I enjoy storytelling in adifferent medium, but there's
power in storytelling and I loveto kind of talk about that and
unpack that a little bit more,because that sounds like really
kind of what drives you.
That's sort of a motivation anda passion is really kind of
(05:05):
telling a story.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Yeah, I mean to me, if you think about it, think
about the history ofstorytelling before the
technology that we have today.
I mean story, that was howcivilizations were able to
basically, you know, exist wherethey were telling stories.
You know, before there waswritten language, before things
(05:30):
were written, and then,obviously, the other mediums
that came along.
It was the stories, you know.
It was like the sharedexperiences of what people were
passing down from generation togeneration.
That would kind of tell thehistory of why they did things.
And it continues on today and Ithink it evolved from sort of
just, like this oral tradition,to more of just, and it is still
(05:54):
oral, but it's also just adifferent medium, I guess, and
to me it's through what we havenow with cameras and technology
like that.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Well, I'm so glad you said that, because the oral
part, it reminds me, my mindimmediately went back to living
in Europe when I was a littleboy and we didn't have
television, and so I remember mymom was a big reader and so mom
would sit there and basicallytell us the synopsis of this
book.
And I remember, gosh, I hadn'teven thought about this in years
(06:24):
, bob, until you just mentionedthat.
But it was all oral and it wasa way for me to sort of be
completely encapsulated into astory that she was telling.
But it wasn't just about thebooks that she was reading, it
was talking about the TetonMountains and my grandfather who
was a hunter and all of thesethings.
And those were the oralhistories that I had and my
connection to that past.
And you're right, I meanstorytelling is very, very
(06:45):
powerful, you know, kind of inthat way, and I think we're
wired for story.
Like you said, I think you know, before you know, civilization
I mean in early civilization itwas all about telling the next
story and those stories kind ofpassing on, and that's why I
think we, that's why we watchmovies, that's why we watch
reels, that's why we like littlevideos, that's why I'm drawn to
the work that you do, and thevisual aspect of it too.
(07:05):
So yeah, didn't mean to go offon a diatribe about oral story,
but man, that is very, very,very, very powerful.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Yeah, and if you think about story and just in
relation to back to where we arewith this region, I mean this
this region has thousands ofstories from either from the
past and the present andobviously the future.
But it's really about tellingthose stories that just really
kind of showcase.
(07:31):
And you know from what I do withMountain Water Films, it is
more of a destination marketingkind of company, so it is
figuring out a way to tell thosestories in a way that, in a
marketing standpoint, what makesthis place unique to visit,
Right, so, really that's kind ofwhat we're doing is telling
those stories in a way thatmakes people that want to come
(07:52):
and visit you know, and doing itin an the ethos of this region,
and that's the culturalheritage, the outdoors, you know
, you think about the naturalresources, people, you know,
(08:13):
communities.
This is all everything that wedo.
What I like to think we do isabout promoting communities, the
people that live there, becauseit's really what I would like
to see is what we're promotingbenefits, the communities, right
, the people in the communities.
Because you know, when you'repromoting the region, you want
to do it in a way that's helpingthe local economies, whether
(08:36):
it's the, the fly fishermen orthe, the heritage museum or the,
you know, trail guides, andeverything is tied into like
promoting that economicdevelopment to the area so
you're talking about the way inthe work that you do,
contributing to a really deeperconnection between people in the
community in this area, and theexperiences of this area can
(09:00):
offer as well.
Yeah, it's about promoting thearea to kind of like nuanced
visitors that you want.
You know every town has thoseexperiences that could really.
You know there's people outthere that crave that.
You know what these towns haveto offer and what it is.
For me it's about finding theconnecting the right people
(09:23):
within the communities to thosenuanced visitors.
That would you know, and againthat's part of the storytelling
aspect of it is finding thecommunity members that can tell
those stories to the nuancedvisitors that want to come here.
And just to me, that attractsthe right visitors to these
towns and it's not over, youknow, populating areas or
(09:45):
exploiting things.
It's coming more from a true,authentic sort of voice when
it's coming from the communities.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Yeah, and how do you pinpoint that?
How do you pinpoint the thingsthat you want to draw out about
a particular area or aparticular area's assets?
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Well, that comes a lot into who my clients are
right.
I mean, it's I can guide themand just give them some thoughts
on that.
Like, hey, draw a list of, likethe top five attractions that
are in your region or in yourcounty or town, you know, let's
figure out those storylines wecan tell you know what are the
through lines that maybe evenconnects that one aspect of, say
(10:25):
, the cultural heritage and howdoes that tie into an outdoor
experience and how does thateven tie into, like, a local
business and how can what's thatthrough line that we can tell
that storyline, that we can tellthat's going to really bring
that person that wants toexperience all of that into your
community.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
And do you find that when you're talking with these
people, when you're talking withthe TDAs of the world and the
destination marketingorganizations that they have I
mean, they know their area, theyknow what they would love to
sort of promote what is thatsynergy like between you and
them?
As you're just kind of workingthrough that, you described it
just a little bit there, kind oflaid it out.
But what does that look likewhen you're kind of mapping out?
Are you going out?
(11:05):
Are you experiencing some ofthese areas as well, you know
kind of yourself, to getfirsthand knowledge?
Speaker 2 (11:18):
Of course, you're a local and so I know you know
Western North Carolina reallyreally well.
But what does that look like?
Yeah, well, I'll say, just overthe last five years I've had a
client that has really allowedme to travel this region.
So I've I've been all over,I've basically have produced
videos for over 17 counties herein Western North Carolina.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
So you really get the sense of what you know and it's
I think it's different from,say, where Sparta is, like
Allegheny County.
It's a little different thanway over in Murphy, like in
Cherokee County, but you see alot of parallels Again, it's
it's really about people andkind of what those unique
(11:55):
experiences are.
You know, there's definitelysomething that you can
experience in, like in Boone,than you can experience in, say,
waynesville.
So, again, it's just workingwith those people and just
figuring out what it is that'sunique and who can tell those
stories, Because I think that'spart of it, Because a lot of
(12:17):
what I guess what I should sayis that what I do focus on is
short form documentary stylework, so it's documentary is
like through voices right, Imean it's not.
You know, you think abouttraditional promotional videos
for destinations.
You would think, like I alwaysthink of, like the sandals beach
commercials, you know where yousee like the sandy beaches and
(12:39):
see people like sipping onmargaritas on the beach or
whatever, which is cool.
You know, there's definitely aplace for that.
But to me, what I've found isthat the short form documentary
is just a really powerful way toget that authentic voice from a
community and portray what itis from that voice.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Yeah, yeah.
And a specific example of thatfor me is the the one you did
recently with explore Asheville,and obviously the focus was on
Helene and post Helene, and Iknow we'll we'll have a chance
to kind of unpack that and talka little bit more about it, but
that was really, really powerfulfor me and that's the one that
(13:17):
was my hook.
That was like I've got to getin touch with Bob, we've got to
get here and talk a little bitmore about the work that you're
doing, because it told a very,very poignant story from the
voice of the people whoexperienced those tragedies.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
It just adds that voice, or it just adds that
voice or just adds that kind ofa spirit behind.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
Good word.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Yeah, I mean it's you could have a narrator telling a
story, but then it's like ascripted thing, you know, and
that's to find that hook at thebeginning and it's and that's
kind of what I do is as adocumentary kind of person is
getting that out of the peoplethat you're on camera with.
You know, I've interviewedhundreds of people and you sort
of learn as you're interviewingsomebody, like can I use this?
(14:09):
Like can I use what I'm getting?
And then a lot of times youjust have to, just maybe you
just ask a question and it justyou could see a light bulb go
off and then you can kind of diginto that a little bit deeper
and then it's just like allright, this is, this is where
we're getting at.
And then you know, and then alot of times you know we'll have
like a especially when you'reworking with a client, you know
you'll have your predefined setof questions, set of questions.
(14:35):
And then I found that you know,based on what they're saying,
you can kind of connect all thedots and just sort of kind of
just get it really concise andjust that's usually.
At the end of the interview youhave a couple of questions
follow up and it's like usuallyit takes that whole interview
process to get to that one point.
And it's like, yeah, so andthat's, that's just a process
and that's just something I'vefound over the years that have
worked well for me.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Let's talk about this area in general.
We kind of teed that up alittle bit.
You're doing some work withExplore Asheville.
I know that there is a driveand a want from people here for
people to come back.
There was a time when it wastime to stay away.
There is now a time for peopleto come back.
But there's a time to come backdifferently.
It might look a little bitdifferent and I know a lot of
(15:18):
organizations I'm thinking ofjust a couple that I've seen
recently.
They're like okay, we want youto come back and these are the
places that are open and this iswhat we'd like for you to
consider and these are theplaces downtown.
So I love to kind of unpack alittle bit about your thoughts
on people coming back to thisarea, people coming back to
visit Western North Carolina,ways that they can do that and
then ways that even you arethinking that you're able to
(15:40):
kind of share and tell thosestories in the next, however
long, bob.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Yeah.
So, first off, I think thatwe're in this crucial stage.
I mean here it is March, we're,you know, six months into.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Yeah, five, six months yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
I mean, we're heading into almost half of a year of
just recovery in this area and Istrongly feel that how we
market ourselves now is going togreatly impact this region for
years to come.
I mean, it's there's so manyareas that are so heavily
impacted and just today I'mactually after this interview,
(16:16):
I'm heading out to Lake Lure.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Chimney.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Rock area to interview some people out there,
kind of just see where we're atin that, and to me that's
important to kind of keep thosestories going.
People need to be aware of that.
That is still an ongoing thingand so it's very important that
how we market ourselves movingforward is crucial to our
(16:39):
long-term success.
And I think there's a place instorytelling with video that you
know it's such a powerful toolbecause not only can you promote
but you can also educate.
And yeah, and through, maybethrough this education, you can
say, all right, well, so much ofour region is available and
open and welcoming visitors andthey need the visitors really
(17:03):
for the economies to succeed,those visitors to come in.
And so there's this wholeeducation and that's one thing
that video can do.
You can educate people to tovisit or where maybe to kind of
tread lightly or maybe to notvisit, and so it's just, you
know, I find that videos is atool for for entertainment, for
(17:28):
education and for uh, you know,informational usage.
So there's all kinds of toolsfor that.
And so I think I'm at thispoint now where I think it's
important to promote what'savailable, what's readily, you
know, should be accessible forvisitors to come and also to
(17:49):
just be respectful and bemindful and you know, and also
to tell the stories of thatrecovery process.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
Yeah, you might've already answered this question
and what you just said, but justfrom a different way, different
perspective, as you're talkingto the different destination
marketing organizations andtourism development authorities
and things like this what, what,what's the sense that you're
getting from them?
Like, what is your overallsense of how they feel right now
about their areas, especiallywhen this interesting
(18:17):
juxtaposition of sustainabilityand we know that this area
tourism is the major drive ofthe economy how are those two
things balanced in your view andwhat is your overall sense?
Not to speak for them, but ifyou just give our listeners and
myself just kind of an idea ofwhat is the mindset of these
places that people are going tobe coming back to to visit.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
Come visit us.
I mean no, like I said, we'reat this crucial point where how
we market ourselves now is goingto impact this region for years
, and it's about educatingpeople that want to come and
travel.
Like maybe they've, you know,maybe they've traveled, traveled
here before or maybe they'venever been here before, but
(19:01):
they've seen the stories orthey've seen images from the
news organizations or whateverway back then.
But then obviously they've seenstories of overcoming this.
Maybe they've seen the storiesof what people are doing to
overcome the aftermath of thisnatural disaster and it's given
them some inspiration and somaybe those stories have
(19:22):
inspired people to come here tovisit.
But what I've seen from someregional organizations is that
they're totally welcomingvisitors.
I mean a lot of these peoplewest of us haven't really
suffered what we had here.
I mean the base of these peoplewest of us haven't really
suffered what we had here.
I mean the base of it was from,I guess, near the Boone, like
Watauga County area, throughHaywood County, right, so that's
(19:44):
a huge footprint, and obviouslynorth of us up until like
Yancey County and MitchellCounty and all that.
I mean that's a huge footprint.
But you also think about thefootprint west of us.
West of Haywood County is ahuge region that was largely
spared from from Helene andtheir business as usual.
But their business is down andso they need the visitors for
(20:05):
their, for artists, for thebreweries and all the other
businesses to in the outdoorindustries to just, you know,
know we need to get thesevisitors to come back here this
year.
So again, it's like how wemarket this region.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
it's going to be super important for this year
and for the the years thatfollow yeah, for sure, you did
some work with explore ashville,like we talked about, and there
were some, a couple ofcompanies that were a part of
that.
There's some work that you'vedone on instagram with Russ and
Chris with Second Gear.
Are you able to talk about anyof the other companies that
(20:40):
you're kind of working with nowand kind of helping to tell
their story of rebuilding,recovering and kind of looking
to the future?
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Yeah.
So one of my longtime clientsis the Blue Ridge National
Heritage Area and theorganization that I've traveled
much of this region with topromote the craft musical
heritage of this region and weare just wrapping up a series
for the craft trails in McDowellCounty.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
Nice, nice.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
We did our first set of interviews and whatnot in
December.
Old Fort was still I mean,they're still reeling in kind of
recovery.
But when we were there theywere Arrowhead Gallery, which is
over on Main Street.
There on Old Fort their maingallery was damaged from the
(21:31):
flood and then they were able tobuild a new gallery across the
streets next to the TDA there.
First time I went there inDecember the walls weren't even
up yet, but then they had theirgrand opening in February.
When I came back to kind ofcover their grand opening and
you've got artists that werecreating, you've got the whole
(21:53):
gallery there.
There's tons of art in there.
You know the brewery across thestreet, hillman, is open, and I
think some of the other spotsalong the way are open up again,
and the coffee shop there, andso you could tell that this
little area has been through alot.
But they have come together andthey're you know they're making
it happen and again it's justabout welcoming the visitors.
(22:16):
So I think that's a goodexample of like working with the
craft trails, because you knowthey're they're about promoting
the artists, right, and sothat's.
A lifeblood of this industry isthat is, to promote these
artists, and so that's, that'swhat we're doing for that county
, and so it's.
I'm happy to see, happy toreport that you know there's a
long way to go but there'sprogress being made and that
(22:36):
there's going to be some happyoutcomes to come from that.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Oh, that's very good, Very good.
And then as you expand out alittle bit, so we're going to
kind of pan our vision out.
You mentioned a little bitearlier about you love and have
a passion for not just this areawe live here but the
Appalachian region as a largergeographical area.
This will be a little bit moreof kind of a vision casting
question for you, but what's inyour mind and your heart and
(23:00):
your brain for where you takeMountain Water Films and where
you would love to see thisexpand to?
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Yeah, so Mountain Water Films.
When I started this, it wasreally just to kind of help do
really local sort ofstorytelling.
It was really just to kind ofhelp do really local sort of
storytelling.
And as I've gotten more into it, I've really kind of feel that
there's a whole theme inAppalachia, that it is about the
heritage and the outdoors andthose small towns.
(23:27):
It's like that's whatAppalachia is made of, is are
these small communities, and Ifeel like what I, what I do here
regionally, could be a goodspringboard for the greater
region, and to me it's.
It's really about promoting theregion as a whole and just
helping drive those economiesand, you know, just Really
making Appalachia like asustainable ecosystem here in
(23:51):
the future that is welcoming thevisitors.
There's experiences all overthe world, even all over the
country, but as far as, like,what experiences are in
Appalachia, I mean I feel likethere's some distinct
experiences here that I feellike the stories need to be told
.
I mean there's, like I said,there's hundreds of stories.
There's thousands of stories tobe told.
(24:11):
I mean there's there's, like Isaid, there's hundreds of
stories, there's thousands ofstories to be told in one, in
one community, but think aboutin a whole region like
Appalachia.
Speaker 1 (24:17):
Yeah, what are some of the areas that you are really
kind of passionate about sayingthese are kind of going to be
some of these first steps that Iwant to sort of chase after, or
will those things justorganically come up as you're
networking and talking anddeveloping more stories?
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Yeah, and so my whole background and working with the
heritage area and all that hasbeen sort of it's kind of rooted
in craft and music and I'vejust been really passionate in
music pretty much my whole lifeand just just whole bluegrass
and traditional music has alwaysreally spoken to me and you
know I've done a lot of musicvideos over the years with.
(24:51):
You know a lot of the in thatindustry.
I think that that's like agreat story there is.
Just when you think about liketraditional music in this area,
I mean there's so many storiesbehind that.
If you think about like whatthis whole Western North
Carolina has brought, and thenyou think about like like
Southwest Virginia, you knowthey've got the Crooked Road and
(25:11):
then there's Bristol Tennessee.
You think about BristolVirginia, slash Tennessee, that
is like the birthplace ofcountry music.
You know, and there's like allthese stories around music here,
that that's like a whole set ofstories that can be geared
towards a whole set of peoplethat are interested in that kind
of stuff.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
Talk a little bit about some of the feedback that
you get from people that areexperiencing your pieces of work
, your creativity, your love forstorytelling.
You get much feedback frompeople.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
Yeah from you.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
I'm just kidding.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
What I try to bring to the table is this sense of
authenticity and, you know, tellthem those.
It's about those voices.
Again, it's about thosecommunity voices.
I did a series in Hayesville,you know, clay County, and those
people were just reallythankful to have a voice.
You know that I feel like theywouldn't have had otherwise if I
(26:07):
didn't help them talk abouttheir, the different aspects of
their, their cultural heritage,Cause there is a whole lot of
heritage and culture in thatarea, as as just as anywhere
else.
You know, and kind of tying backinto like with second gear and
Russ and those guys, you knowthey, they were really thankful
and this is another thing thatback around the beginning of
(26:31):
Helene, some of the feedback wasright around the time of Helene
, sort of like those monthsafter when, you know, there was
a lot of emotion and a lot ofjust people figuring things out,
like what are we going to donext?
Everyone had this sense ofcommunity and what can you do to
help during those first weeks?
(26:54):
And so after Helene, I don'tthink I would be very helpful if
I came out with like a chainsawand was like trying to just
move brush around and thingslike that which I had people
help me, which I'm so thankfulfor for some of the volunteers
that helped me.
So what I was doing was my actof service was to help people
tell their story a little bitaround the recovery and kind of,
(27:17):
where do they, what's next forthem?
And they don't, maybe theydon't know, and so any kind of
thing I could do to help thosepeople.
Like you know, another examplewould be Asheville Tea Company.
So I'll just back up a littlebit and say that I kind of sent
out like a little social mediapost a couple weeks after the
(27:37):
storm and said, hey, if you needhelp telling your story or if
you have been heavily impactedfrom the storm, I want to help
you with your messaging, helpyou get your story out.
Maybe who knows what kind ofresources that would bring to
these people.
And so you know, through somefriends that were tagging
businesses you know, I was ableto get connected with the
(27:59):
Asheville Tea Company.
Their business was right on theSwannanoa River.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
And during the storm their whole business literally
got washed down the stream.
So they were trying to navigatewhat's next for them.
You know, we were able to kindof tell their story.
And then the first time that Iworked with Jesse and Melissa
and them, we were able to kindof say, hey, we are packaging
(28:33):
tea for our fall, we're takingorders now for Christmas,
because it was right around theholidays.
So we were able to, you know,make a video that was kind of
like you know it showed whathappened, but then also say, hey
, we're still around, we'retaking orders for the fall or
for the holidays and please signup.
And then the outpouring thatthey received from that was like
(28:55):
, I mean, who knows how muchthat kept their business afloat
by having that let people know.
Again, it's about thateducational aspect of like, hey,
we're still here and we needyour support.
So that's yeah, that's oneexample of how you know what I
the stuff that I do can helppeople about an event, something
(29:17):
, some person, someplace.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
But part of what you're doing is also, it sounds
like helping those people toactually process what it is that
they were going through or whattheir story is that they're
(29:39):
telling.
And that's the heart connection.
And I think with truestorytelling there's a grab at
the heartstring.
And one of the things that Ithink I've heard you say is that
you were able to share a story,but you were also able to help
them process what they just wentthrough and then also kind of
tell the story of where they'regoing.
And I think that that's one ofthe things that really just kind
(30:02):
of hit home for me of why I'mdrawn to the work that you do,
because it is first person, it'stheir voice and it's not just
you telling a story about.
You know something to celebrate, although the things we're
talking about we can celebrate,but you're talking about
something where somebodylivelihood it's their, their,
their way of making a living,it's their not their whole
(30:23):
identity, but it's really kindof what they wrap their life up
into and you're kind of helpingtell that story to somebody else
.
And then the other thing, too,when you started mentioning some
of these small towns, like inHayesville.
These are small towns that wekind of talk about, the flyover
states in America, but sometimesthese are the drive-thru states
or the drive-thru parts of thecountry that we don't even think
about in our own state.
(30:44):
But all of those people are somuch about or, excuse me,
there's so much heritage andtradition there that really
speaks the story of what trueAppalachia is.
And sometimes it's not just theflowery stuff and the high, you
know, the high energy stuffthat you see out there, but it's
those quiet roads, it's thecabin, it's the store, it's the
place that circa 1895, it's allof these kinds of places and
(31:05):
they have major stories to tellas well.
And for me that's theconnection between where I am
now and my past.
And that connection right thereis also about future
connections.
And so, yeah, I don't know whatI'm saying in any of that right
there, but I think I've justkindly found out why I'm
connected to the work that youdo.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
Thanks, yeah, and I think from what you just said
there, I mean I think you wouldbe a great spokesperson for
Mount, I mean it's could be agreat spokesperson for Mountain.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
Water.
I mean it's just true, I meanit's just good stuff.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Yeah, and I'll just jump in and just say just about
the Appalachian region is.
What I'm drawn to is it isabout those people and it is a
certain you know, I feel likethere is a certain realness to
this area that you just can'tfind anywhere else.
All of that is just unique tothis area, and so what I try to
do is just really just tellthose stories through those
people.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
Yeah, you know what I think you're right on.
A couple of weeks ago StephenFoy and I were out skiing and we
had these chairliftconversations and they were so,
so good each one of them.
But he said something thatreally kind of stuck with me and
, steve, if you're listening,I'm probably going to kill this,
but what he said was that, youknow, he spent a lot of time out
West and also some time in, youknow, the Teton Mountains and
(32:17):
also in Montana, and those areasthey all have a different
characteristic that they take on.
The characteristic of theRockies is not the
characteristic of Bozeman,montana, which is not the
characteristic of theAppalachian region, and it's
very, very specific.
Outdoors could be a thread,small communities can be a
thread, but the particular areahas its own personality, its own
(32:41):
characteristic, and the waythat he said it was that, you
know, in the Tetons I think itwas really or, excuse me, in the
Rockies it's really rugged.
You know it's life or death Inthe Montana area.
You know, some of the Tetons ismore kind of cowboyish, but the
(33:01):
Appalachian region is justgritty.
There is a gritty story there.
I mean what we just wentthrough, what we are going
through, the grit, theresilience and everything is
just a very differentpersonality than all these other
areas and you're bringing thisout.
Part of you diving into theheritage, I think, bob, is that
you're bringing this out.
You say you're going to LakeLure right after this.
My gosh.
I just watched some stuff lastnight with Mayor O'Leary and the
recovery that they're goingthrough, and there's a story
(33:22):
that's going to be written foryears from now, but it's being
written today and it's a grittyresilience and it's yeah, it's.
You're drawing all of thatstuff out, which is what I love,
and, of course, I'm a SouthernAppalachian myself, so this is
where we live and I love to hearthose stories.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
Yeah, and I'm from here, Like I grew up here, like
I grew up in Weaverville andI've lived in Asheville.
Basically I went to UNCAsheville.
So I've I've been here my wholelife, so I've seen the
evolution of how you know, thisarea has changed over the years.
And going back to what you weresaying about all the different
regions of the country is to meit's like a terroir, like if
(33:59):
you're a wine person and youthink about that's like that
unique flavor that that regionhas.
You know, like a wine that'sgrape that's grown in Arizona is
going to taste different than awine that's grown in like Napa,
or grown here like the crest ofthe Blue Ridge.
So it's that unique flavor andI think it's that flavor that's
(34:20):
our food, it's just our culture.
It's all that what's unique tothis area.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
Yeah, yeah, that's really good and I'm not from
here, but but it's the type ofwork that you do and it's
through this podcast, even inthe diving into our culture in
this region, that I appreciateit even more and I knew years
ago that I always wanted to livehere.
Now that I live here, I knowthat I never want to leave here.
I'll go visit, but I'm alwaysgoing to come back to this place
(34:46):
.
But it's the, it's thestorytelling, it's it's
understanding those stories thatare that are, you know, told,
heard and yet to be heard andtold right.
That just continues to kind ofdraw me here.
So another reason that I'mreally kind of drawn to the work
that you do, brother.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
I appreciate that.
Speaker 1 (35:00):
Yeah Well, listen, man, I know that you need to get
to Lake Lure and I don't wantto take up all your time.
We were chatting a lot beforewe started recording, chatting a
lot before we started recording, and I know this conversation
will continue as well.
But, bob, your heart for story,your heart for storytelling and
really trying to help peopleunderstand what this region is
all about, but also helping thepeople that live here really
kind of fully give voice, youknow, and amplify who they are
(35:24):
and what they do in the regionthat they live in, is huge.
So I, just as one follower ofyour work, man, I really
appreciate the work that you do.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
I appreciate that and again, to me it's just that
emotional connection that youknow.
It's about the emotionalconnection to the area and if
it's someone from the outsidethat you know interested in that
, anything I could do to kind ofhelp the region, help local
towns, to me I feel like mylegacy, I guess you could say,
(35:52):
is that I would hope that Iwould just have made this region
a better place, just attractingthe right visitors.
It's not being exploited oranything like that.
It's a true sense of place andit's going to attract the right
people to come.
Speaker 1 (36:10):
For those people that are interested in you helping
to tell those stories?
How do they reach out to you?
What's the best way to getengaged with you?
Speaker 2 (36:16):
Yeah, my email address is bob at
mountainwaterfilms.
Feel free to send me a messageif you have any questions or
anything.
Follow me on Instagram atmountainwaterfilms.
You can find me on Facebook.
You can find me on LinkedIn.
I'm on the socials here andthere, so, yeah, that's the best
way to find me.
Speaker 1 (36:33):
Nice Well, bob, thanks again.
I've thoroughly enjoyed thisconversation and I am so glad
that you made the trip down, andI wish you the best in all the
things that you hope to uncoverin the future.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (36:45):
Bob's dedication to capturing the authentic voices
and stories of Appalachia is apowerful reminder of the deep
roots of this region and theimportance of preserving its
heritage for future generations.
Through his films, bob not onlyhighlights the beauty and
resilience of these communities,but he also shows us how
(37:05):
storytelling can be a force forrecovery, connection and
sustainable growth.
If you're inspired by Bob'swork, be sure to check out
Mountain Water Films and explorethe incredible stories they're
bringing to the screen andremember.
The next time you're inspiredby Bob's work, be sure to check
out Mountain Water Films andexplore the incredible stories
they're bringing to the screenand remember.
The next time you're in themountains of Appalachia, take a
moment to listen, engage andappreciate the rich culture that
continues to thrive throughstories like these.
Thank you for tuning in.
(37:25):
If you enjoyed today'sconversation, leave us a review
and don't forget to subscribe soyou don't miss the next episode
.
Follow me on Instagram andFacebook and drop me a note at
mike at explorationlocalcom ifyou have ideas for future
episodes or you just want to sayhello.
That's going to do it for thisepisode.
As always, I encourage you towander far, but explore local.
(37:46):
There's so much to discover,right where you are and, until
next time, keep listening, keeplearning and keep sharing the
stories that make us who we are.
Storytelling is at the heart of Appalachia, woven
into its very fabric.
For generations, communitieshave passed down their heritage,
wisdom and identity through thesharing of stories, keeping
their culture alive and thriving.
Today, bob Peck of MountainWater Films continues the
age-old tradition, capturing theauthentic voices and powerful
experiences that make thesouthern Appalachian region so
(00:23):
unique.
In today's episode, bob unpacksthis journey to becoming a
documentary filmmaker, with amission to showcase the true
character of Appalachiancommunities through their own
voices.
As Western North Carolinarecovers from Hurricane Helene,
bob's storytelling has becomeeven more vital.
Through his work across 17counties, he helps businesses
(00:43):
and communities share theirrecovery stories, build
connections and invite visitorsback in ways that prioritize
sustainability.
From Old Fort's revived craftscene to Asheville Tea Company's
inspiring comeback, bob'sdocumentaries are a testament to
the power of authenticstorytelling in times of
adversity.
What you'll hear in thisconversation is a profound
understanding of what setsAppalachia apart.
(01:04):
What you'll hear in thisconversation is a profound
understanding of what setsAppalachia apart.
Through his lens, bob capturesthese qualities, preserving
cultural heritage whileattracting visitors who will
appreciate and support thesecommunities for generations to
come.
Let's dive into Bob's story,the vision behind Mountain Water
(01:24):
Films and the heart ofAppalachian Storytelling.
You're listening to ExplorationLocal, a podcast designed to
explore and celebrate the peopleand places that make the Blue
Ridge and Southern AppalachianMountains special and unique.
My name is Mike Andrus, thehost of Exploration Local.
Join us on our journey toexplore these mountains and
discover how they fuel a spiritof adventure.
(01:46):
We encourage you to wander far,but explore local, let's go
Well.
I am super excited to have BobPeck with me this morning.
He is the owner and operator ofMountain Water Films.
Mountain Water Films is a filmproduction company focused on
showcasing the uniqueexperiences of the Appalachian
region and beyond.
Mountain Water Films also afilm production company focused
on showcasing the uniqueexperiences of the Appalachian
region and beyond.
(02:06):
Mountain Water Films alsospecializes in creating brand
films for purpose-drivenbusinesses and organizations.
Bob, I cannot thank you enoughfor dropping in today.
I really look forward to thisconversation.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Hey, it's my pleasure .
I've been listening to yourpodcast for a while now and it's
an honor to be on it.
Speaker 1 (02:21):
Oh, you're awesome.
Well, it's an honor for me tohave you here, that is for sure.
I want to get to know you alittle bit more, bob.
I really would love to knowspecifically about Mountain
Water Films and what really kindof drove you.
What was your passion to startthis venture?
Speaker 2 (02:35):
So I'll just start from the beginning of my career,
and I really started in audioproduction.
So as an audio engineer Iworked at a recording studio
where you know, a voiceoverproduction studio where you know
we worked with ad agencies allover the country, where we
produce radio, tv, basicallyanything that has voiceover on
it.
It could be on hold messagingsfor businesses or whatever you
(02:59):
know anything.
And so I started that when Iwas 24 years old and a few years
later a buddy of mine that Iworked with there, he and I
started a wedding productioncompany.
While I was doing the weddingstuff I also had a couple other
video companies that kind ofevolved over time that were
really just whether it was doingthings for local businesses and
(03:23):
real estate companies, thingslike that.
I kind of rebranded from that tospecifically more to Mountain
Water Films, which really kindof was more geared towards
telling the stories here of theregion.
So I became more interested insort of like the cultural
heritage and like all the allthe kind of the things that that
(03:44):
this area has to offer.
Speaker 1 (03:45):
Oh, that's good.
So you're you pivoted to tellthe stories of this area, the
Appalachian area and this wholeregion, of things that were
naturally just kind of yourattention was drawn to.
That's sort of how you ended upmaking this this pivot.
I guess I'm hearing yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
Yeah, and I really think I took away from doing the
weddings for so long is thatyou know each wedding was unique
and a different story and itreally helped develop that kind
of storytelling aspect of thingsand also kind of like the
running and gunning nature ofweddings.
You know it's so chaotic, youknow you're just sort of
improvising and making things upas you go along, you know kind
(04:21):
of capturing the flow, but youalso learn those moments that
are super important and I kindof continue that.
I think it just helped developme as what I do for video.
But then I've taken that againlike sort of that skill set into
what I do now with just tellingthose stories here regionally.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Yeah, so that's a very important word you said,
and I think that's probablyreally the reason you and I are
here today.
You know you enjoy storytelling.
I enjoy storytelling in adifferent medium, but there's
power in storytelling and I loveto kind of talk about that and
unpack that a little bit more,because that sounds like really
kind of what drives you.
That's sort of a motivation anda passion is really kind of
(05:05):
telling a story.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Yeah, I mean to me, if you think about it, think
about the history ofstorytelling before the
technology that we have today.
I mean story, that was howcivilizations were able to
basically, you know, exist wherethey were telling stories.
You know, before there waswritten language, before things
(05:30):
were written, and then,obviously, the other mediums
that came along.
It was the stories, you know.
It was like the sharedexperiences of what people were
passing down from generation togeneration.
That would kind of tell thehistory of why they did things.
And it continues on today and Ithink it evolved from sort of
just, like this oral tradition,to more of just, and it is still
(05:54):
oral, but it's also just adifferent medium, I guess, and
to me it's through what we havenow with cameras and technology
like that.
Speaker 1 (06:03):
Well, I'm so glad you said that, because the oral
part, it reminds me, my mindimmediately went back to living
in Europe when I was a littleboy and we didn't have
television, and so I remember mymom was a big reader and so mom
would sit there and basicallytell us the synopsis of this
book.
And I remember, gosh, I hadn'teven thought about this in years
(06:24):
, bob, until you just mentionedthat.
But it was all oral and it wasa way for me to sort of be
completely encapsulated into astory that she was telling.
But it wasn't just about thebooks that she was reading, it
was talking about the TetonMountains and my grandfather who
was a hunter and all of thesethings.
And those were the oralhistories that I had and my
connection to that past.
And you're right, I meanstorytelling is very, very
(06:45):
powerful, you know, kind of inthat way, and I think we're
wired for story.
Like you said, I think you know, before you know, civilization
I mean in early civilization itwas all about telling the next
story and those stories kind ofpassing on, and that's why I
think we, that's why we watchmovies, that's why we watch
reels, that's why we like littlevideos, that's why I'm drawn to
the work that you do, and thevisual aspect of it too.
(07:05):
So yeah, didn't mean to go offon a diatribe about oral story,
but man, that is very, very,very, very powerful.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Yeah, and if you think about story and just in
relation to back to where we arewith this region, I mean this
this region has thousands ofstories from either from the
past and the present andobviously the future.
But it's really about tellingthose stories that just really
kind of showcase.
(07:31):
And you know from what I do withMountain Water Films, it is
more of a destination marketingkind of company, so it is
figuring out a way to tell thosestories in a way that, in a
marketing standpoint, what makesthis place unique to visit,
Right, so, really that's kind ofwhat we're doing is telling
those stories in a way thatmakes people that want to come
(07:52):
and visit you know, and doing itin an the ethos of this region,
and that's the culturalheritage, the outdoors, you know
, you think about the naturalresources, people, you know,
(08:13):
communities.
This is all everything that wedo.
What I like to think we do isabout promoting communities, the
people that live there, becauseit's really what I would like
to see is what we're promotingbenefits, the communities, right
, the people in the communities.
Because you know, when you'repromoting the region, you want
to do it in a way that's helpingthe local economies, whether
(08:36):
it's the, the fly fishermen orthe, the heritage museum or the,
you know, trail guides, andeverything is tied into like
promoting that economicdevelopment to the area so
you're talking about the way inthe work that you do,
contributing to a really deeperconnection between people in the
community in this area, and theexperiences of this area can
(09:00):
offer as well.
Yeah, it's about promoting thearea to kind of like nuanced
visitors that you want.
You know every town has thoseexperiences that could really.
You know there's people outthere that crave that.
You know what these towns haveto offer and what it is.
For me it's about finding theconnecting the right people
(09:23):
within the communities to thosenuanced visitors.
That would you know, and againthat's part of the storytelling
aspect of it is finding thecommunity members that can tell
those stories to the nuancedvisitors that want to come here.
And just to me, that attractsthe right visitors to these
towns and it's not over, youknow, populating areas or
(09:45):
exploiting things.
It's coming more from a true,authentic sort of voice when
it's coming from the communities.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
Yeah, and how do you pinpoint that?
How do you pinpoint the thingsthat you want to draw out about
a particular area or aparticular area's assets?
Speaker 2 (10:01):
Well, that comes a lot into who my clients are
right.
I mean, it's I can guide themand just give them some thoughts
on that.
Like, hey, draw a list of, likethe top five attractions that
are in your region or in yourcounty or town, you know, let's
figure out those storylines wecan tell you know what are the
through lines that maybe evenconnects that one aspect of, say
(10:25):
, the cultural heritage and howdoes that tie into an outdoor
experience and how does thateven tie into, like, a local
business and how can what's thatthrough line that we can tell
that storyline, that we can tellthat's going to really bring
that person that wants toexperience all of that into your
community.
Speaker 1 (10:44):
And do you find that when you're talking with these
people, when you're talking withthe TDAs of the world and the
destination marketingorganizations that they have I
mean, they know their area, theyknow what they would love to
sort of promote what is thatsynergy like between you and
them?
As you're just kind of workingthrough that, you described it
just a little bit there, kind oflaid it out.
But what does that look likewhen you're kind of mapping out?
Are you going out?
(11:05):
Are you experiencing some ofthese areas as well, you know
kind of yourself, to getfirsthand knowledge?
Speaker 2 (11:18):
Of course, you're a local and so I know you know
Western North Carolina reallyreally well.
But what does that look like?
Yeah, well, I'll say, just overthe last five years I've had a
client that has really allowedme to travel this region.
So I've I've been all over,I've basically have produced
videos for over 17 counties herein Western North Carolina.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (11:31):
So you really get the sense of what you know and it's
I think it's different from,say, where Sparta is, like
Allegheny County.
It's a little different thanway over in Murphy, like in
Cherokee County, but you see alot of parallels Again, it's
it's really about people andkind of what those unique
(11:55):
experiences are.
You know, there's definitelysomething that you can
experience in, like in Boone,than you can experience in, say,
waynesville.
So, again, it's just workingwith those people and just
figuring out what it is that'sunique and who can tell those
stories, Because I think that'spart of it, Because a lot of
(12:17):
what I guess what I should sayis that what I do focus on is
short form documentary stylework, so it's documentary is
like through voices right, Imean it's not.
You know, you think abouttraditional promotional videos
for destinations.
You would think, like I alwaysthink of, like the sandals beach
commercials, you know where yousee like the sandy beaches and
(12:39):
see people like sipping onmargaritas on the beach or
whatever, which is cool.
You know, there's definitely aplace for that.
But to me, what I've found isthat the short form documentary
is just a really powerful way toget that authentic voice from a
community and portray what itis from that voice.
Speaker 1 (12:56):
Yeah, yeah.
And a specific example of thatfor me is the the one you did
recently with explore Asheville,and obviously the focus was on
Helene and post Helene, and Iknow we'll we'll have a chance
to kind of unpack that and talka little bit more about it, but
that was really, really powerfulfor me and that's the one that
(13:17):
was my hook.
That was like I've got to getin touch with Bob, we've got to
get here and talk a little bitmore about the work that you're
doing, because it told a very,very poignant story from the
voice of the people whoexperienced those tragedies.
Speaker 2 (13:30):
It just adds that voice, or it just adds that
voice or just adds that kind ofa spirit behind.
Speaker 1 (13:36):
Good word.
Speaker 2 (13:45):
Yeah, I mean it's you could have a narrator telling a
story, but then it's like ascripted thing, you know, and
that's to find that hook at thebeginning and it's and that's
kind of what I do is as adocumentary kind of person is
getting that out of the peoplethat you're on camera with.
You know, I've interviewedhundreds of people and you sort
of learn as you're interviewingsomebody, like can I use this?
(14:09):
Like can I use what I'm getting?
And then a lot of times youjust have to, just maybe you
just ask a question and it justyou could see a light bulb go
off and then you can kind of diginto that a little bit deeper
and then it's just like allright, this is, this is where
we're getting at.
And then you know, and then alot of times you know we'll have
like a especially when you'reworking with a client, you know
you'll have your predefined setof questions, set of questions.
(14:35):
And then I found that you know,based on what they're saying,
you can kind of connect all thedots and just sort of kind of
just get it really concise andjust that's usually.
At the end of the interview youhave a couple of questions
follow up and it's like usuallyit takes that whole interview
process to get to that one point.
And it's like, yeah, so andthat's, that's just a process
and that's just something I'vefound over the years that have
worked well for me.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Let's talk about this area in general.
We kind of teed that up alittle bit.
You're doing some work withExplore Asheville.
I know that there is a driveand a want from people here for
people to come back.
There was a time when it wastime to stay away.
There is now a time for peopleto come back.
But there's a time to come backdifferently.
It might look a little bitdifferent and I know a lot of
(15:18):
organizations I'm thinking ofjust a couple that I've seen
recently.
They're like okay, we want youto come back and these are the
places that are open and this iswhat we'd like for you to
consider and these are theplaces downtown.
So I love to kind of unpack alittle bit about your thoughts
on people coming back to thisarea, people coming back to
visit Western North Carolina,ways that they can do that and
then ways that even you arethinking that you're able to
(15:40):
kind of share and tell thosestories in the next, however
long, bob.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Yeah.
So, first off, I think thatwe're in this crucial stage.
I mean here it is March, we're,you know, six months into.
Speaker 1 (15:53):
Yeah, five, six months yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
I mean, we're heading into almost half of a year of
just recovery in this area and Istrongly feel that how we
market ourselves now is going togreatly impact this region for
years to come.
I mean, it's there's so manyareas that are so heavily
impacted and just today I'mactually after this interview,
(16:16):
I'm heading out to Lake Lure.
Speaker 1 (16:18):
Chimney.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Rock area to interview some people out there,
kind of just see where we're atin that, and to me that's
important to kind of keep thosestories going.
People need to be aware of that.
That is still an ongoing thingand so it's very important that
how we market ourselves movingforward is crucial to our
(16:39):
long-term success.
And I think there's a place instorytelling with video that you
know it's such a powerful toolbecause not only can you promote
but you can also educate.
And yeah, and through, maybethrough this education, you can
say, all right, well, so much ofour region is available and
open and welcoming visitors andthey need the visitors really
(17:03):
for the economies to succeed,those visitors to come in.
And so there's this wholeeducation and that's one thing
that video can do.
You can educate people to tovisit or where maybe to kind of
tread lightly or maybe to notvisit, and so it's just, you
know, I find that videos is atool for for entertainment, for
(17:28):
education and for uh, you know,informational usage.
So there's all kinds of toolsfor that.
And so I think I'm at thispoint now where I think it's
important to promote what'savailable, what's readily, you
know, should be accessible forvisitors to come and also to
(17:49):
just be respectful and bemindful and you know, and also
to tell the stories of thatrecovery process.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
Yeah, you might've already answered this question
and what you just said, but justfrom a different way, different
perspective, as you're talkingto the different destination
marketing organizations andtourism development authorities
and things like this what, what,what's the sense that you're
getting from them?
Like, what is your overallsense of how they feel right now
about their areas, especiallywhen this interesting
(18:17):
juxtaposition of sustainabilityand we know that this area
tourism is the major drive ofthe economy how are those two
things balanced in your view andwhat is your overall sense?
Not to speak for them, but ifyou just give our listeners and
myself just kind of an idea ofwhat is the mindset of these
places that people are going tobe coming back to to visit.
Speaker 2 (18:39):
Come visit us.
I mean no, like I said, we'reat this crucial point where how
we market ourselves now is goingto impact this region for years
, and it's about educatingpeople that want to come and
travel.
Like maybe they've, you know,maybe they've traveled, traveled
here before or maybe they'venever been here before, but
(19:01):
they've seen the stories orthey've seen images from the
news organizations or whateverway back then.
But then obviously they've seenstories of overcoming this.
Maybe they've seen the storiesof what people are doing to
overcome the aftermath of thisnatural disaster and it's given
them some inspiration and somaybe those stories have
(19:22):
inspired people to come here tovisit.
But what I've seen from someregional organizations is that
they're totally welcomingvisitors.
I mean a lot of these peoplewest of us haven't really
suffered what we had here.
I mean the base of these peoplewest of us haven't really
suffered what we had here.
I mean the base of it was from,I guess, near the Boone, like
Watauga County area, throughHaywood County, right, so that's
(19:44):
a huge footprint, and obviouslynorth of us up until like
Yancey County and MitchellCounty and all that.
I mean that's a huge footprint.
But you also think about thefootprint west of us.
West of Haywood County is ahuge region that was largely
spared from from Helene andtheir business as usual.
But their business is down andso they need the visitors for
(20:05):
their, for artists, for thebreweries and all the other
businesses to in the outdoorindustries to just, you know,
know we need to get thesevisitors to come back here this
year.
So again, it's like how wemarket this region.
Speaker 1 (20:19):
it's going to be super important for this year
and for the the years thatfollow yeah, for sure, you did
some work with explore ashville,like we talked about, and there
were some, a couple ofcompanies that were a part of
that.
There's some work that you'vedone on instagram with Russ and
Chris with Second Gear.
Are you able to talk about anyof the other companies that
(20:40):
you're kind of working with nowand kind of helping to tell
their story of rebuilding,recovering and kind of looking
to the future?
Speaker 2 (20:48):
Yeah.
So one of my longtime clientsis the Blue Ridge National
Heritage Area and theorganization that I've traveled
much of this region with topromote the craft musical
heritage of this region and weare just wrapping up a series
for the craft trails in McDowellCounty.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
Nice, nice.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
We did our first set of interviews and whatnot in
December.
Old Fort was still I mean,they're still reeling in kind of
recovery.
But when we were there theywere Arrowhead Gallery, which is
over on Main Street.
There on Old Fort their maingallery was damaged from the
(21:31):
flood and then they were able tobuild a new gallery across the
streets next to the TDA there.
First time I went there inDecember the walls weren't even
up yet, but then they had theirgrand opening in February.
When I came back to kind ofcover their grand opening and
you've got artists that werecreating, you've got the whole
(21:53):
gallery there.
There's tons of art in there.
You know the brewery across thestreet, hillman, is open, and I
think some of the other spotsalong the way are open up again,
and the coffee shop there, andso you could tell that this
little area has been through alot.
But they have come together andthey're you know they're making
it happen and again it's justabout welcoming the visitors.
(22:16):
So I think that's a goodexample of like working with the
craft trails, because you knowthey're they're about promoting
the artists, right, and sothat's.
A lifeblood of this industry isthat is, to promote these
artists, and so that's, that'swhat we're doing for that county
, and so it's.
I'm happy to see, happy toreport that you know there's a
long way to go but there'sprogress being made and that
(22:36):
there's going to be some happyoutcomes to come from that.
Speaker 1 (22:40):
Oh, that's very good, Very good.
And then as you expand out alittle bit, so we're going to
kind of pan our vision out.
You mentioned a little bitearlier about you love and have
a passion for not just this areawe live here but the
Appalachian region as a largergeographical area.
This will be a little bit moreof kind of a vision casting
question for you, but what's inyour mind and your heart and
(23:00):
your brain for where you takeMountain Water Films and where
you would love to see thisexpand to?
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Yeah, so Mountain Water Films.
When I started this, it wasreally just to kind of help do
really local sort ofstorytelling.
It was really just to kind ofhelp do really local sort of
storytelling.
And as I've gotten more into it, I've really kind of feel that
there's a whole theme inAppalachia, that it is about the
heritage and the outdoors andthose small towns.
(23:27):
It's like that's whatAppalachia is made of, is are
these small communities, and Ifeel like what I, what I do here
regionally, could be a goodspringboard for the greater
region, and to me it's.
It's really about promoting theregion as a whole and just
helping drive those economiesand, you know, just Really
making Appalachia like asustainable ecosystem here in
(23:51):
the future that is welcoming thevisitors.
There's experiences all overthe world, even all over the
country, but as far as, like,what experiences are in
Appalachia, I mean I feel likethere's some distinct
experiences here that I feellike the stories need to be told
.
I mean there's, like I said,there's hundreds of stories.
There's thousands of stories tobe told.
(24:11):
I mean there's there's, like Isaid, there's hundreds of
stories, there's thousands ofstories to be told in one, in
one community, but think aboutin a whole region like
Appalachia.
Speaker 1 (24:17):
Yeah, what are some of the areas that you are really
kind of passionate about sayingthese are kind of going to be
some of these first steps that Iwant to sort of chase after, or
will those things justorganically come up as you're
networking and talking anddeveloping more stories?
Speaker 2 (24:30):
Yeah, and so my whole background and working with the
heritage area and all that hasbeen sort of it's kind of rooted
in craft and music and I'vejust been really passionate in
music pretty much my whole lifeand just just whole bluegrass
and traditional music has alwaysreally spoken to me and you
know I've done a lot of musicvideos over the years with.
(24:51):
You know a lot of the in thatindustry.
I think that that's like agreat story there is.
Just when you think about liketraditional music in this area,
I mean there's so many storiesbehind that.
If you think about like whatthis whole Western North
Carolina has brought, and thenyou think about like like
Southwest Virginia, you knowthey've got the Crooked Road and
(25:11):
then there's Bristol Tennessee.
You think about BristolVirginia, slash Tennessee, that
is like the birthplace ofcountry music.
You know, and there's like allthese stories around music here,
that that's like a whole set ofstories that can be geared
towards a whole set of peoplethat are interested in that kind
of stuff.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
Talk a little bit about some of the feedback that
you get from people that areexperiencing your pieces of work
, your creativity, your love forstorytelling.
You get much feedback frompeople.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
Yeah from you.
Speaker 1 (25:42):
I'm just kidding.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
What I try to bring to the table is this sense of
authenticity and, you know, tellthem those.
It's about those voices.
Again, it's about thosecommunity voices.
I did a series in Hayesville,you know, clay County, and those
people were just reallythankful to have a voice.
You know that I feel like theywouldn't have had otherwise if I
(26:07):
didn't help them talk abouttheir, the different aspects of
their, their cultural heritage,Cause there is a whole lot of
heritage and culture in thatarea, as as just as anywhere
else.
You know, and kind of tying backinto like with second gear and
Russ and those guys, you knowthey, they were really thankful
and this is another thing thatback around the beginning of
(26:31):
Helene, some of the feedback wasright around the time of Helene
, sort of like those monthsafter when, you know, there was
a lot of emotion and a lot ofjust people figuring things out,
like what are we going to donext?
Everyone had this sense ofcommunity and what can you do to
help during those first weeks?
(26:54):
And so after Helene, I don'tthink I would be very helpful if
I came out with like a chainsawand was like trying to just
move brush around and thingslike that which I had people
help me, which I'm so thankfulfor for some of the volunteers
that helped me.
So what I was doing was my actof service was to help people
tell their story a little bitaround the recovery and kind of,
(27:17):
where do they, what's next forthem?
And they don't, maybe theydon't know, and so any kind of
thing I could do to help thosepeople.
Like you know, another examplewould be Asheville Tea Company.
So I'll just back up a littlebit and say that I kind of sent
out like a little social mediapost a couple weeks after the
(27:37):
storm and said, hey, if you needhelp telling your story or if
you have been heavily impactedfrom the storm, I want to help
you with your messaging, helpyou get your story out.
Maybe who knows what kind ofresources that would bring to
these people.
And so you know, through somefriends that were tagging
businesses you know, I was ableto get connected with the
(27:59):
Asheville Tea Company.
Their business was right on theSwannanoa River.
Speaker 1 (28:08):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
And during the storm their whole business literally
got washed down the stream.
So they were trying to navigatewhat's next for them.
You know, we were able to kindof tell their story.
And then the first time that Iworked with Jesse and Melissa
and them, we were able to kindof say, hey, we are packaging
(28:33):
tea for our fall, we're takingorders now for Christmas,
because it was right around theholidays.
So we were able to, you know,make a video that was kind of
like you know it showed whathappened, but then also say, hey
, we're still around, we'retaking orders for the fall or
for the holidays and please signup.
And then the outpouring thatthey received from that was like
(28:55):
, I mean, who knows how muchthat kept their business afloat
by having that let people know.
Again, it's about thateducational aspect of like, hey,
we're still here and we needyour support.
So that's yeah, that's oneexample of how you know what I
the stuff that I do can helppeople about an event, something
(29:17):
, some person, someplace.
Speaker 1 (29:18):
But part of what you're doing is also, it sounds
like helping those people toactually process what it is that
they were going through or whattheir story is that they're
(29:39):
telling.
And that's the heart connection.
And I think with truestorytelling there's a grab at
the heartstring.
And one of the things that Ithink I've heard you say is that
you were able to share a story,but you were also able to help
them process what they just wentthrough and then also kind of
tell the story of where they'regoing.
And I think that that's one ofthe things that really just kind
(30:02):
of hit home for me of why I'mdrawn to the work that you do,
because it is first person, it'stheir voice and it's not just
you telling a story about.
You know something to celebrate, although the things we're
talking about we can celebrate,but you're talking about
something where somebodylivelihood it's their, their,
their way of making a living,it's their not their whole
(30:23):
identity, but it's really kindof what they wrap their life up
into and you're kind of helpingtell that story to somebody else
.
And then the other thing, too,when you started mentioning some
of these small towns, like inHayesville.
These are small towns that wekind of talk about, the flyover
states in America, but sometimesthese are the drive-thru states
or the drive-thru parts of thecountry that we don't even think
about in our own state.
(30:44):
But all of those people are somuch about or, excuse me,
there's so much heritage andtradition there that really
speaks the story of what trueAppalachia is.
And sometimes it's not just theflowery stuff and the high, you
know, the high energy stuffthat you see out there, but it's
those quiet roads, it's thecabin, it's the store, it's the
place that circa 1895, it's allof these kinds of places and
(31:05):
they have major stories to tellas well.
And for me that's theconnection between where I am
now and my past.
And that connection right thereis also about future
connections.
And so, yeah, I don't know whatI'm saying in any of that right
there, but I think I've justkindly found out why I'm
connected to the work that youdo.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
Thanks, yeah, and I think from what you just said
there, I mean I think you wouldbe a great spokesperson for
Mount, I mean it's could be agreat spokesperson for Mountain.
Speaker 1 (31:31):
Water.
I mean it's just true, I meanit's just good stuff.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Yeah, and I'll just jump in and just say just about
the Appalachian region is.
What I'm drawn to is it isabout those people and it is a
certain you know, I feel likethere is a certain realness to
this area that you just can'tfind anywhere else.
All of that is just unique tothis area, and so what I try to
do is just really just tellthose stories through those
people.
Speaker 1 (31:56):
Yeah, you know what I think you're right on.
A couple of weeks ago StephenFoy and I were out skiing and we
had these chairliftconversations and they were so,
so good each one of them.
But he said something thatreally kind of stuck with me and
, steve, if you're listening,I'm probably going to kill this,
but what he said was that, youknow, he spent a lot of time out
West and also some time in, youknow, the Teton Mountains and
(32:17):
also in Montana, and those areasthey all have a different
characteristic that they take on.
The characteristic of theRockies is not the
characteristic of Bozeman,montana, which is not the
characteristic of theAppalachian region, and it's
very, very specific.
Outdoors could be a thread,small communities can be a
thread, but the particular areahas its own personality, its own
(32:41):
characteristic, and the waythat he said it was that, you
know, in the Tetons I think itwas really or, excuse me, in the
Rockies it's really rugged.
You know it's life or death Inthe Montana area.
You know, some of the Tetons ismore kind of cowboyish, but the
(33:01):
Appalachian region is justgritty.
There is a gritty story there.
I mean what we just wentthrough, what we are going
through, the grit, theresilience and everything is
just a very differentpersonality than all these other
areas and you're bringing thisout.
Part of you diving into theheritage, I think, bob, is that
you're bringing this out.
You say you're going to LakeLure right after this.
My gosh.
I just watched some stuff lastnight with Mayor O'Leary and the
recovery that they're goingthrough, and there's a story
(33:22):
that's going to be written foryears from now, but it's being
written today and it's a grittyresilience and it's yeah, it's.
You're drawing all of thatstuff out, which is what I love,
and, of course, I'm a SouthernAppalachian myself, so this is
where we live and I love to hearthose stories.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
Yeah, and I'm from here, Like I grew up here, like
I grew up in Weaverville andI've lived in Asheville.
Basically I went to UNCAsheville.
So I've I've been here my wholelife, so I've seen the
evolution of how you know, thisarea has changed over the years.
And going back to what you weresaying about all the different
regions of the country is to meit's like a terroir, like if
(33:59):
you're a wine person and youthink about that's like that
unique flavor that that regionhas.
You know, like a wine that'sgrape that's grown in Arizona is
going to taste different than awine that's grown in like Napa,
or grown here like the crest ofthe Blue Ridge.
So it's that unique flavor andI think it's that flavor that's
(34:20):
our food, it's just our culture.
It's all that what's unique tothis area.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
Yeah, yeah, that's really good and I'm not from
here, but but it's the type ofwork that you do and it's
through this podcast, even inthe diving into our culture in
this region, that I appreciateit even more and I knew years
ago that I always wanted to livehere.
Now that I live here, I knowthat I never want to leave here.
I'll go visit, but I'm alwaysgoing to come back to this place
(34:46):
.
But it's the, it's thestorytelling, it's it's
understanding those stories thatare that are, you know, told,
heard and yet to be heard andtold right.
That just continues to kind ofdraw me here.
So another reason that I'mreally kind of drawn to the work
that you do, brother.
Speaker 2 (35:00):
I appreciate that.
Speaker 1 (35:00):
Yeah Well, listen, man, I know that you need to get
to Lake Lure and I don't wantto take up all your time.
We were chatting a lot beforewe started recording, chatting a
lot before we started recording, and I know this conversation
will continue as well.
But, bob, your heart for story,your heart for storytelling and
really trying to help peopleunderstand what this region is
all about, but also helping thepeople that live here really
kind of fully give voice, youknow, and amplify who they are
(35:24):
and what they do in the regionthat they live in, is huge.
So I, just as one follower ofyour work, man, I really
appreciate the work that you do.
Speaker 2 (35:31):
I appreciate that and again, to me it's just that
emotional connection that youknow.
It's about the emotionalconnection to the area and if
it's someone from the outsidethat you know interested in that
, anything I could do to kind ofhelp the region, help local
towns, to me I feel like mylegacy, I guess you could say,
(35:52):
is that I would hope that Iwould just have made this region
a better place, just attractingthe right visitors.
It's not being exploited oranything like that.
It's a true sense of place andit's going to attract the right
people to come.
Speaker 1 (36:10):
For those people that are interested in you helping
to tell those stories?
How do they reach out to you?
What's the best way to getengaged with you?
Speaker 2 (36:16):
Yeah, my email address is bob at
mountainwaterfilms.
Feel free to send me a messageif you have any questions or
anything.
Follow me on Instagram atmountainwaterfilms.
You can find me on Facebook.
You can find me on LinkedIn.
I'm on the socials here andthere, so, yeah, that's the best
way to find me.
Speaker 1 (36:33):
Nice Well, bob, thanks again.
I've thoroughly enjoyed thisconversation and I am so glad
that you made the trip down, andI wish you the best in all the
things that you hope to uncoverin the future.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (36:45):
Bob's dedication to capturing the authentic voices
and stories of Appalachia is apowerful reminder of the deep
roots of this region and theimportance of preserving its
heritage for future generations.
Through his films, bob not onlyhighlights the beauty and
resilience of these communities,but he also shows us how
(37:05):
storytelling can be a force forrecovery, connection and
sustainable growth.
If you're inspired by Bob'swork, be sure to check out
Mountain Water Films and explorethe incredible stories they're
bringing to the screen andremember.
The next time you're inspiredby Bob's work, be sure to check
out Mountain Water Films andexplore the incredible stories
they're bringing to the screenand remember.
The next time you're in themountains of Appalachia, take a
moment to listen, engage andappreciate the rich culture that
continues to thrive throughstories like these.
Thank you for tuning in.
(37:25):
If you enjoyed today'sconversation, leave us a review
and don't forget to subscribe soyou don't miss the next episode
.
Follow me on Instagram andFacebook and drop me a note at
mike at explorationlocalcom ifyou have ideas for future
episodes or you just want to sayhello.
That's going to do it for thisepisode.
As always, I encourage you towander far, but explore local.
(37:46):
There's so much to discover,right where you are and, until
next time, keep listening, keeplearning and keep sharing the
stories that make us who we are.
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