Meet Matthew Renoir | Owner of Be Kind Video

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

Hi Matthew, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Almost ever since I can remember, I loved going to the Video Store. Opening one of my own did cross my mind in High School, but it understandably took a far back seat in my brain, for many, many years. Fast Forward to about four years ago, being in L. A., my friend Aaron and I started discussing the reality of this plan. We saw a big move back to analog, and physical media, and overall a great rise in the interest of experiences. Which made the idea of opening a Video Store in 2022 all the more enticing. I’d also been working on film productions for about 14 years, without finding much of a community, so this was another big factor in my decision to open my own business- to build a community.

What should our readers know about your business?
Be Kind Video is a throwback video store with a few modern twists. Opened in November 2022, we specialize in selling VHS, as well as renting DVD, Blu-Ray, and 4K Blu-Ray movies. We host weekly events, which include Stand Up Comedy Shows, Trivia, Film Screenings with Q&As, Drink and Draws, Saturday Morning Cartoons, and more. I started by just googling questions like “how do I get money for a business,” and “how do I start a business.” Just doing this simple task got me to where I am today. There are so many resources that are absolutely free- business mentoring, online classes, grant programs, that are just a google search away. That’s not to say it’s all so easy, as it is an incredible amount of work daily to run your own business, but if you have the drive you can make it happen.
What I would like people to know about Be Kind Video is our mission statement that movies bring people together. We are all social beings, so building a community in such a large, expansive city made sense.

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.
First stop would be La Brea Tar Pits. It’s such an anomaly, Ice Age in the middle of Los Angeles. I love showing people Downtown LA (Grand Central Market, Bradbury Building, Angels Flight), Beverly Hills (Rodeo Drive), Griffith Park (Observatory), Santa Monica/Venice Beach.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are so many people to shout out. My great friend Aaron Therol, who has contributed so much to this business, and is responsible for so much of the experience that people have when they come into the video store. He is an incredibly gifted person, with a keen eye for detail. My friend Matt Landsman has been helping grow the business from just about day one. He has been incredibly generous with his time, and knowledge, contributing so much to the store. Conor Holt is another amazing friend who has the most dedication to Video Stores, and Physical Media, that I have ever seen. His contributions to the whole industry are incredible. The Burbank Community has been so incredibly supportive, donations, loans of props and equipment for our events, it truly is incredible.

Website: www.bekindvideo.com

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/bekindvideo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bekindvideo/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/be-kind-video-burbank

Image Credits
Koury Angelo. Matthew Renoir. Aaron Therol.