Lights, Camera, Hustle: Former assistants turn grit into empire as film industry faces change | Features

For Hunter Beard and Deven Hernandez, MVPA started with a simple idea. Take the experience they had gained working as production assistants and turn it into something of their own.

After meeting on a film set, the two connected quickly over their shared dedication to hard work and optimistic outlooks. Combining roughly $20,000 saved from their industry work, they founded MVPA — short for Most Valuable Production Assistants — in 2022.

Since then, the production supply company based in Downtown Los Angeles has expanded its operations across Los Angeles and Miami, and it plans to open a New York City branch by late August.

Their growth comes at a challenging time for the Los Angeles entertainment industry as productions and film-related businesses have increasingly looked to other markets.

But Beard and Hernandez say they have remained focused on what they know best, showing up for their clients and doing whatever they can to make a production run smoothly.

“We’re just happy to be here,” Beard said.

MVPA delivers comprehensive production solutions.

Their offerings extend from basic production supplies like walkie-talkies, generators, tables and chairs to specialized gear designed for large-scale operations.

Beyond equipment, the business supplies production assistants, additional crew staffing, location protection and various on-set support services.

What Beard believes distinguishes MVPA from its competitors is less about size or superiority and more about the company’s approach to client relationships.

Both owners continue to work on sets directly and alternate managing office operations. Despite the company’s growth, they stay actively engaged in the daily demands of production work.

“We’re there, we’re in the trenches, we’re working with them,” Hernandez said.

This direct involvement has also given the founders an up close look at evolving industry trends. Though colleagues have relocated to hubs like Austin and Atlanta, MVPA continues to uncover steady business in Los Angeles, particularly in still photography and commercial work.

According to Beard, MVPA strives to remain accessible for lower-budget productions. The company has provided pro bono services to first-time directors and producers leading passion projects, and it has occasionally assisted larger clients free of charge during tight budget constraints.

For Beard, helping a production succeed is often more important than the immediate financial return.

“We’re always there to find a solution,” he said.

That hands-on mindset directly fueled MVPA’s organic growth. In the beginning, the company operated entirely through the founders’ own labor, covering every task from loading production trucks to processing invoices and managing email correspondence. Only recently have Beard and Hernandez started delegating some of these duties to newly hired team members, freeing up their capacity to concentrate on scaling the business.

The company’s next steps will take it beyond Los Angeles.

MVPA expanded into Miami with the help of business partner Dario Gallagher and is preparing to open its New York City operation.

Beard said many of the company’s existing clients in Los Angeles are based in New York, making the expansion a natural next step.

Despite that growth, DTLA remains central to the company’s identity.

Beard and Hernandez are both DTLA residents and actually live in the same building. For them establishing MVPA in the neighborhood wasn’t simply a business decision. It was a reflection of where they had chosen to build their lives.

“Downtown LA is not meant for everyone, but it is for us,” Beard said.

Beard described DTLA as a mix of historic buildings, creativity, energy and grit. While he acknowledged the challenges the neighborhood has faced, including homelessness, crime and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, he said he remains encouraged by people working to improve the community.

That commitment extends beyond MVPA’s business operations.

The company has organized a town hall focused on the relationship between homelessness and the foster care system and has also worked to distribute excess food and drinks from film sets to people experiencing homelessness in Skid Row. For Hernandez, those efforts are ultimately about helping where the company can.

“It’s very rewarding when you get to see someone in such hardship at least crack a smile,” he said.

The journey has also produced milestones that Beard and Hernandez once couldn’t have imagined. One of the biggest came when MVPA became a preferred vendor for Walmart after initially facing rejection.

Beard shared that he recently finished the paperwork required for MVPA to officially register as a Netflix vendor.

Beyond business expansion or notable clients, watching an idea born between two friends transform into a thriving enterprise remains the most fulfilling aspect for Hernandez. “Watching it grow” has been the most rewarding part, he said, particularly because he gets to experience that growth alongside one of his closest friends.

“Watching it grow” has been the most rewarding part, he said, particularly because he gets to experience that growth alongside one of his best friends.

As MVPA prepares for its next chapter, Beard and Hernandez aren’t planning to slow down.

Their long-term vision includes potential expansion into additional markets like Atlanta. But for now, their focus remains on growing the business while staying true to the foundational approach that brought them success.

For Beard, that means maintaining the positivity and gratitude that they have become part of MVPA’s identity.

“There’s always hope,” he said. “We got this, we want to show love and compassion.”