Meet Aaron Brenner | Producer & President of Treefort Entertainment

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

Hi Aaron, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I started my career as an editor turned producer. Over the years, I’d be involved with custom camera rigs and tools that would always get built for specific shoots. After each job, I found myself more and more fascinated with specialty equipment. As a producer, I had decision-making power about where we rented certain tools from. I decided to slowly start acquiring equipment. Just the ultra-specialized stuff – jibs, cranes, car mounts, and stuff like that. After doing that for years, I built up an inventory that I felt would be valuable to other productions. That’s how Treefort was born. This year marks 20 years in my career and 11 for Treefort!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Treefort Entertainment, based in Los Angeles, is a go-to for specialty grip and camera support solutions. Boasting one of the most diverse inventories of specialty camera support and movement tools in the industry, Treefort carries camera dollies, rickshaws, camera sliders, car mounts, cranes, and remote heads. We focus on ultra-specialized equipment, and have carved out a niche for ourselves in an otherwise crowded industry. Often, we’re the only place in town that has the specific piece of equipment the production team needs.

I’m most proud of the work our team does day in and day out—leading with integrity, over-delivering, and helping our clients make movie magic. I’m also proud of our ability to keep the lights on during the current state of our industry.

This year marks 11 years for Treefort and 20 for my career in production. It hasn’t been an easy ride, but the challenge has made it worth it. The dual Hollywood strikes, paired with uncertainty in our industry, have us fighting to survive. We’re fortunate that our clientele is diverse to help us weather the storm. We’re positioned to survive, and hoping to thrive in the coming years.

I’ve learned that nothing is constant and industries always evolve. To adapt to those changes, the best lesson I’ve learned is to always be a student. To learn continuously and educate myself on the next thing. To seek knowledge and better prepare myself by constantly reading and studying. My library card has been one of my most-used tools of the last few years.

I’m inspired by the next generation. By the ideas and approaches that they’ll bring to our industry and the way we work. I love teaching and enjoy sharing the knowledge I’ve gained over the years. Answering questions and inspiring the next generation is something I thoroughly enjoy. I hope that I can be a part of so many of their careers.

Years from now, I hope the mark I leave on this industry will be as a teacher who loved sharing knowledge—about producing, filmmaking, and specialty equipment. About how to make friends and foster relationships, how to problem solve, and how to make it as a small business in Los Angeles.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Treefort is proudly based in Los Angeles, California. As if people were unfamiliar with the city, we like to tell our clients that it’s about halfway between San Francisco and Mexico. And that “LA” is not to be confused with Louisiana.

This city is my home – I’m born and raised and I love how spread out everything is. Being a car enthusiast, my itinerary revolves around vehicles, preferably old cars with character and patina. On the last Sunday of the month, we’d start by going to Cars & Coffee Los Angeles – in Griffith Park. You never know what you’re going to see, but it will be an eclectic mix of art on wheels. From there – we’d drive around the city at all hours of the day and night. There’s plenty of personal memories for me, and hidden history around every corner.

For breakfast, we’d stop at Wendy’s Place in El Segundo, a family-owned restaurant that’s still cash-only in 2024. We’d put down our phones and enjoy the moment. Next, we’d head to the Petersen Museum for the vault tour, then make our way to Travel Town in Griffith Park and Heritage Square as we tour through town. For lunch, we’d go to DeFranko’s in Van Nuys, another hidden gem that sandwich lovers must experience.

We’d drive the Mulholland Highway, spending hours in traffic, but that’s my comfort zone—slowing down to take it all in and enjoy the moment. On a Friday night, we’d stop at Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank for a milkshake, but save our appetite for later. Bob’s on Friday is a great place to see cars from all eras. For dinner, we’d head to Shalimar in Woodland Hills for the absolute best Indian food in town.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
More than anything, I’ve learned to surround myself with great people. From friendships to colleagues, our team, and vendors. I can directly attribute any of the success we’ve enjoyed to all the people around me. My family, friends, and our team are the only reason we’ve had the success that we’ve had.

Website: https://www.TreefortEntertainment.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heyaaron/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/hey_aaron

Image Credits
Jordan Tortorello
MJ Kampe
Chaz Curry