Meet Ben Kiesewetter & Kevin Waite of Kelly Gulch Filming Location

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Kiesewetter & Kevin Waite.

Hi Ben Kiesewetter &, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
In the early 2020s, a group of friends and I took on Kelly Gulch, a working filming location in Topanga Canyon with a 40-year track record in the industry.

The property came with a lot of movie history. The property has appeared in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter and more recently as the family cabin in This Is Us. It had been consistently booked by productions since 1984, maintained by the Kelly family and Young family who built the relationship with Hollywood.

We saw an opportunity to continue that legacy. Kevin and I handle the production side, working with filmmakers, managing shoots, and making sure every booking goes well.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We jumped into the film industry during one of the tougher periods for production in California. The industry is consolidating, the landscape is changing, and productions are increasingly leaving the state.

We’ve stayed active by being flexible. We work with indie filmmakers, student projects, music videos, and photoshoots. We love productions where creative vision matters and the team is excited to bring the cabin to life. Those relationships have been valuable, and they’ve helped us build credibility for larger commercial work. One of the most gratifying experiences is going to a premiere and seeing the cabin we take care of on screen.

The property itself is its own education. We’re managing decades-old infrastructure, coordinating with neighbors, and learning the realities of running a location in Topanga Canyon. Some days feel like running a small hospitality operation. Other days we’re just problem-solving to keep things functional.

It’s taught us a lot about what we actually signed up for.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Kelly Gulch Filming Location?
Kelly Gulch is a log cabin filming location in Topanga Canyon. We handle everything from studio productions to small indie projects. If you need a rustic mountain cabin within 30 minutes of LA, this is it.

What sets us apart is that we actually live here. We’re not a corporate location house. We’re a small team that knows this property inside and out, understands its quirks, and wants every shoot to succeed. We’ve worked out the logistics: parking for large crews, power routing, neighbor coordination. We’ve had to figure it out ourselves.

We’re also invested in the land beyond its function as a set. We’re restoring native plants, managing fire risk responsibly, and working to keep the property ecologically healthy. The goal is to be good stewards, not just operators.

What I’m most proud of is that we’ve kept Kelly Gulch active and relevant while respecting what it’s always been. We’re not rebranding it or forcing it into something new. We’re continuing its story.

What matters most to you? Why?
Building something sustainable with people we respect.

Kelly Gulch works because it’s both a business and a life we believe in. It’s creative, collaborative, and connected to community, both the film industry and Topanga itself. We get to work with filmmakers bringing stories to life while taking care of a place that matters to us.

We care about doing right by the land, the legacy we inherited, and the filmmakers who trust us with their projects. That combination keeps us motivated even when the work is hard.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kellygulch.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kellygulchcabin/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
• Other: https://share.google/UIew04MHQwQ5He62L