Meet Brian Kniffel | Executive Producer / Creative Director

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

Hi Brian, why did you pursue a creative career?
My creative origin story is rooted in skateboarding. Growing up, there was nothing I loved more. And if I wasn’t on the board, I was there filming my friends. For me, skateboarding was an unrivaled blend of art and science–the ultimate in alchemical expression. I discovered a kindred creative alchemy in making skate videos with my friends. In the same way I wanted to land a new trick on my skateboard, I wanted my next video to be bigger, more impressive, more precise. I still have a version of that goal today and it’s why I work in television and content creation. I still love riding my skateboard too.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’ve worked with a lot of production companies over the years and met some wonderfully talented people at each one. Each one of those company experiences was an education–what is this company doing that really works? What does this company do that I definitely want to avoid in the future? Seeing the best and worst of company structures, cultures, and practices revealed to me what I believed working in a creative field ought to be: exciting, collaborative, and fun. That became the founding principle of Tire Swing Media.

Tire Swing has grown into a full service creative studio and production house specializing in television production and branded and marketing content. On the TV side, we develop and produce long form television formats and on the marketing side, we provide corporate video services and we produce all types of marketing materials. All facets of this business are crowded and competitive, but for Tire Swing and its partners, there’s nothing else we’d rather be doing. For a long time, creative shops all seemed to have a too-cool-for-school facade. That’s not really our vibe. We love this work and we don’t care who knows it. There’s nothing we can’t produce, and we approach every client’s project with enthusiasm and grit regardless of scope or budget.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
LA is enormous and each little corner has its own unique identity. And some of the more well-known spots are deserving of the hype and attention they receive. That said, here’s an incomplete list of things I would suggest:

-Breakfast burritos at Baran’s 2239 in Hermosa Beach. Get ’em to go and eat them on The Strand for some views and good people watching.
-Burgers and beers at Big Dean’s in Santa Monica. It’s right under the Santa Monica pier and it’s really one of the most under-heralded burgers and hangouts in all of LA.
-Venice Beach for skateboarding and elite people watching.
-On the other side of town, I like hiking in Altadena. Some of these trails northeast of downtown have pretty amazing views and hidden waterfalls, especially in winter and spring times.
-If I’m out that way, I like to go to 626 night market at Santa Anita. Tons of good food of all kinds.
-I’d also recommend an LAFC or ACFC soccer game at BMO Stadium. LA has so much going on that it’s easy to overlook, but right now, those are the best pro sports experiences in LA.
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Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Without the mental and emotional support from my parents, there’s no way I’d be doing this kind of work today. When I was obsessed with skateboarding, my folks didn’t really get it. But they still drove me around to skateparks and helped me get my first video camera when I wanted to make skate videos with my friends. It was the same when I wanted to, go to film school…I don’t think they thought it was the best idea, but they saw how excited I was about it and urged me to go for it. Then when I got to LA and felt like the smallest fish in an impossible large pond, they reminded me of why I’m here and encouraged me to stick it out and realize my goals. If it weren’t for that kind of support, I’d probably be doing something a lot less cool.

Website: https://tireswing.tv/

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Image Credits
Robert Toth Alex Weisman