We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Leonardo Trejo-Bien a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Leonardo, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

I went through several rounds of ideation with my business partner before landing on “Page Mill Films.” We explored other names with a similar three-syllable structure and punchy ring, but “Page Mill” really stuck. The name comes from a historic stretch of road in Palo Alto, CA, where we both grew up—Page Mill Rd. This road connects the hills to the bay, showcasing the iconic rolling hills of California that transform from vibrant green in winter to golden hues in summer. It’s also home to some of the world’s largest tech companies, embodying a spirit of innovation and excellence that inspires us.

As a creative marketing and film production company, “Page Mill Films” represents our commitment to crafting stories and campaigns with a blend of artistry and strategy. For us, “Page Mill” is more than a name—it’s a connection to our roots and a tribute to the community that fostered our creativity. Our logo, a lone brick windmill, is inspired by the Frenchman’s Tower, a historic landmark along Page Mill Road. The windmill in our logo is contained within a rectangle, resembling a page—bringing together both elements of the name in a visual form. While the road itself was named after a businessman who used it to transport lumber from his mills, we see “Page Mill” as something more symbolic.

The “Page” represents a blank canvas whereupon creative ideas are expressed, challenged, and perfected. The “Mill” is where those ideas are brought to life, turned into something tangible and impactful. That duality is at the heart of our mission: to combine creativity and craftsmanship, professionalism and innovation, in everything we do.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Leonardo Trejo-Bien, but you can just call me Leo. I’m a film director, producer, editor, and business owner. I’ve been making videos since I was 11 years old. My first camera and editing station was an HP Mini 110 laptop—a tiny machine with less processing power than a potato. Still, it was good enough to record with the webcam and edit in Windows Movie Maker. My friend Bryce and I made goofy YouTube sketches just for fun, but we really wanted people to watch them. So, we kept going. The channel never went viral, but before I knew it, five years had passed, and I was still making videos. I loved everything about the process. Once I discovered I could use my knowledge of video production to make movies, I knew this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. School became secondary to me and learning more about filmmaking was now my priority.

Hungry to get an early start in Los Angeles, I attended Woodbury University in Burbank, where I wrote, produced, and directed my most ambitious project yet, Death of the Lotus, a Vietnam War vignette. It remains my proudest achievement to date, but not only for its quality. It was my first attempt to create something at that scale, using only the resources available to a student filmmaker. Seeing it come to life reinforced my unrelenting passion for meaningful storytelling. Being Vietnamese, what the film meant to me helped me overcome the mountain of logistical challenges.

During and after college, I gained experience working on productions of all sizes, spending a significant amount of time in post-production for major brands. But I wanted to be more involved in the creative process. That’s why I teamed up with a longtime friend and colleague to launch Page Mill Films, an end-to-end, full-service production company. We handle everything from pre-production to post-production, specializing in visual storytelling and creating impactful content. Whether it’s a narrative film or a brand-focused visual piece, our goal is to deliver high-quality work that resonates with audiences.

What sets Page Mill Films apart is our ability to produce exceptional content without the bloated costs or unnecessary complications of larger agencies. Our streamlined process allows us to work closely with clients and creatives, ensuring that the original vision and story remain intact. I’m proud of how we’ve taken on projects with tight resources and consistently delivered results that exceed expectations.
At the core of everything I do is a passion for storytelling—whether it’s a personal project or helping a client share their story. I want potential clients, collaborators, and followers to know that my work is driven by creativity, integrity, and a commitment to producing something meaningful every single time.

How’d you meet your business partner?

I started Page Mill Films with Sam Cook, a fellow filmmaker, editor, and longtime friend. We first met in a video class back at what was then Jordan Middle School in Palo Alto. Later on, we ended up in the same high school video class, often teaming up for group projects. Eventually, we both went to Woodbury University—though Sam was a year below me. Even back then, I could see how knowledgeable, ambitious, and talented he was, which are exactly the qualities you’d want in a business partner.

What really brought us closer as colleagues, though, was working together at our first post-production agency job. Funny enough, we ended up working in the vault under our old high school video teacher at a post-house in Santa Monica. It was a professional relationship forged in flames—we were constantly dealing with niche technical problems and high-pressure situations we weren’t totally prepared for. But we figured things out together, and that experience really cemented our working dynamic.

Since then we’ve been working together on every project—building Page Mill brick by brick. It’s been a wild ride, but I wouldn’t want anyone else in my corner.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a filmmaker is watching a vision come to life, piece by piece. I remember casting the antagonist in Death of the Lotus, Staff Sgt. Cole—after auditioning a lot of great actors, I met Dane Larsen, who ultimately got the role. From his very first reading, he brought an energy and intensity beyond anything I had imagined. Even though it was just a virtual audition, the sheer physicality of his performance punched through the screen, leaving me thoroughly struck. It was exhilarating, like witnessing the birth of something extraordinary. When we moved on to full cast rehearsals, the story truly started taking shape. By the time everyone was on set and in costume, it felt so real—it was like stepping into the world I had been dreaming about for months.

There’s something indescribable about that transformation. With the right actors who don’t just play the characters but define them, with locations and set design that shape the atmosphere, the story becomes a living, breathing world. That’s movie magic to me—watching an idea in my head become something tangible that others can experience.

Film is unique because it’s so deeply intertwined with the human experience. It has the power to blur the line between imagination and reality, requiring both technical precision and artistic mastery. To me, filmmaking is the essence of life itself, and I’m honored to be part of this community.

Contact Info:

• Website: pagemillfilms.com/leotrejo
• Instagram: @pagemillfilms, @leo.tre.jo
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/leonardo-trejo-bien-28912116b

Image Credits
Sam Cook Harrison Orwig Josiah David Max Alexander Brett Griffith Lydia Hall