Laying the groundwork: Triforce Pictures brings West Coast vibe to the Gulf Coast

Standing on the set of a 2006 Snoop Dogg music video shoot in Los Angeles, Shaun Greenspan was in awe of the surreal scene unfolding before him. The portion of the street where they were filming was closed off, but a crowd had gathered to get a look at the rap icon, who was responding with a bit of true-to-form showboating.

“Snoop was calling out to the crowd, and he had his whole crew with him,” says Greenspan, then a recent film school graduate. “And here I was, trying to keep everything under control. It was crazy.”

Greenspan, who was born in Sarasota, first got his start in film after working as a local DJ, which he continues to do.

“I loved taking the audience on an emotional rollercoaster,” he says. “I wanted to be able to do that by manipulating more than just sound, so I started studying film.”

After moving to Los Angeles to continue studying and pursuing his new passion professionally, Greenspan quickly got a crash course in the inner workings of the business. Starting from the bottom as a production assistant, he made lasting connections that landed him steady gigs working for companies like Paramount Studios and contributing to projects like the "West Wing," "True Blood," "Little Miss Sunshine" and countless others. It’s also where he met his business partner, Edward Fagan, an actor and filmmaker from New York.

Looking for a change, the two men took their education and experience back to Sarasota in 2011, where they opened their own production company, TriForce Pictures.

Today, sitting in their new downtown office, Greenspan surveys the space as he mentally plans each room’s décor.

“This one will be our retro ’50s room,” he says.

It’s obvious he’s brought a bit of the West Coast vibe to his new digs; a brightly colored graffiti mural adorns the wall behind him, and early ‘90s hip-hop thumps throughout the office.

In their new headquarters, Greenspan and Fagan work as a two-man crew to produce a mix of both docu-style promotional videos for local businesses and stock footage for companies back in Los Angeles, but they have the experience to take on projects of any caliber.

They’re currently working on documentary-style projects with Nik Wallenda and local artist Jack Dowd, and they hope to release a feature film this summer and eventually bolster the industry locally.

“There’s so much opportunity here,” says Greenspan. “It’s kind of an untapped market. We’re trying to lay the groundwork now to help build the film industry here. This city is a gem, and we want to do whatever we can to help it.”

With their combined industry experience and shared passion for their work, the two have their sights set high for the Gulf Coast.

“We started as just two kids fetching coffee on sets in L.A.,” says Fagan, with a laugh. “Now, we’re here in Sarasota, doing our own thing. This is what we were meant to do.”