Little is known about Bruner's early life. In 2005, he began his career in the entertainment industry by making an appearance in the short film Slinky, in which he portrayed a character named Peter. Four years later, he wrote an episode of the TV series Criminal Minds. Then, Bruner began working as a script coordinator for the shows Entourage, Law & Order: LA, The River, and Under the Dome. In 2012, he executive-produced Excision.