Meet Dustin Haney | Filmmaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dustin Haney and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dustin, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I’ve always been drawn to different stories & various walks of life. I found a creative outlet within that interest early on in picking up a camera & shining a light into that world of storytelling. It’s such a fulfilling way to get creative & relate to people & share some insight into others lives that you might not otherwise be able to.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I grew up in the small town of Shelbyville, TN & pretty poor if I’m being honest. Some odd jobs in my teens landed me a few offers to start as a PA on a few video shoots which sparked some interest in that field. I saved up what money I could as a PA & cutting grass to buy my first camera & MacBook which landed me the ability to get some photo & video shoots going. It took a few years of hustling until one day I got on set with Ronnie Dunn where he eventually offered me a position touring with him as a photographer. I leaped at the chance & didn’t even care what the rate was. I’ve always been of the mind that opportunity is far more valuable than the money attached. Ronnie got me in several doors which opened up new relationships to more musicians, managers, & labels. I spent several years building these relationships all while continuing to write short stories, feature films, & music video treatments. It was a few years in to touring that I decided it was time to level up creatively.

I quit the road & spent several months telling everyone I was a director & only a director before finally the tables of perception turned & I started being called for just that. A director.

My relationships from the road combined with my practice in writing started landing me large music videos quickly. My music video style tends to lean very heavily into small town narratives & I’ve always preached, make your films from the inside looking out. Never outside looking inward. Everything needs to scream authenticity from the artists you work with to the stories you represent. They have to be real & relatable stories combined with a special spotlight that puts the artist on a visually compelling stage.

A few music video awards later, & my first film beginning to rack up it’s own awards now, I’m still applying a lot of these lessons to my professional career but hey, so far so good!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My favorite hangouts in Nashville are Burger Up in 12 South, Never Never or Good Times for a cocktail in Wedgewood Houston, & last but not least – Dicey’s is the best pizza in Nashville hands down.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d have to shout out Ronnie Dunn of Brooks & Dunn for giving my first real job picking up a camera & trusting me to run with it. Along with the Nashville music & film community for helping me get my chops in along the way.

Website: https://www.dustinhaney.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dustinhaney

Image Credits
Jason Stoltzfus