Meet Renee Hambley | Property Production Management for filming

We had the good fortune of connecting with Renee Hambley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Renee, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
My husband and I were living at the Eastern Columbia building. In 2009, a TV show was set to film on Broadway right in front of our building. They wanted to close down the street which would have affected all of Eastern’s residents since the entrance to our parking garage would have been blocked. The building manager at the time called me since he knew I had production experience, and asked if I would help him navigate through the process of negotiating with the show’s Location Department on building impact, any late night filming and making sure our residents could get in and out of the building. The manager said this is too much to handle and we don’t have the staff. After the show wrapped, I realized that there were a lot of buildings that could use a production manager for filming and so I put together a business plan and really made up my job description. I wanted to be the liaison between the location manager and the building or property who would do all the scouts, be there during the filming and make sure after the production wrapped, everything was just as they found it. I would also negotiate the location fee. It grew from 1 building to what it is today. For the first couple of years, I did everything by myself and as my company grew, I hired site reps I trusted and trained to handle all the shoots coming my way.

What made me different from location agencies was that I represented the building, yet, my job was also to protect the crew while they were on the property and make sure they had a successful shoot. It was important to me that I was not only looking out for the property I represented, but also the production crew, so I was always on site to make sure they got what they needed. I made sure I was always fair and honest with both production and the buildings. If a building manager or HOA wanted an enormous amount of money for filming, I let production know and then I wouldn’t work with that building any longer. I didn’t believe it was fair to gouge production and I didn’t let production take advantage of residents or customers. I set the bar very high for the site reps I hired, making sure they were a constant presence on shoots, making sure everyone was happy with the way the shoot was going. Honesty and integrity is paramount in how we deal with production and the properties we represent.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My production background in television prepared me for this job. I started out in Denver, went to St. Louis, then San Francisco and ended up in New York at WWOR where I met my husband. He was the technical director on a show I co-hosted with Richard Bey and Matt Lauer (who was always a gentleman with me). John and I moved to Los Angeles in 1991 where I continued producing and some on-air work. I even did weather at KCOP Channel 13 for a stint. Along the way I was blessed with 6 Emmys, a Golden Mic & a Film Advisory Board Award of Excellence. I was working for a production house in the valley, producing shows for HGTV and several other networks and I got laid off. I had no idea what I was going to do next. I had never wanted to own my own business because it was too scary to think I could ever handle all that responsibility. But as they say, that door closed and the TV show needed to close down Broadway and that was the door that opened for me. I went through that open door like a storm trooper. I loved the job I created for myself and for the first time I was free to do anything I wanted. I could make decisions for myself. It was so liberating. I loved each day I woke up and went to work. It was up to me now on whether I would succeed or fail. I rented out a little office on 9th St. and with that one little decision, I felt like I could succeed. No one else was doing what I was doing. And I believe my age worked to my advantage. When I started my business in 2009, I was 58 years old. I was the Jewish grandmother on the set; who’s going to yell at me? I found out a few would, but most of the time, the crews were kind and they trusted that I was there to make their jobs easier.

The greatest lesson I learned was never to be motivated by money. Success to me is having a good reputation for honesty when dealing with clients. If you’re motivated by money, you will make decisions that aren’t good for the property you’re representing. Don’t cut corners to save money. You’re going to need those corners one day.

Another lesson is that you’re going to piss somebody off if you have to say no. Productions always have a lot of needs and requests. Sometimes the answer has to be no because you’ve been entrusted to protect your client. People may not like the decisions you make, but they’ll respect you if you treat them with respect and explain why you can’t say yes to their request.

My hope is that after a shoot, the production people say they were happy with the shoot & grateful that The Renee’s were there … and the building says that they’re glad they did the shoot and look forward to the next one.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Remember, I’m Jewish, so there’s going to be a lot of food involved here… The Wood Spoon on 9th St. is a must for anyone who loves good food. The chicken pot pie is a spiritual experience. I’d throw in coffee & pastries at Il Caffe on Broadway. Its always a good way to start any day. And of course you have to stick Canter’s on Fairfax in there. When you’ve got some downtime from eating you should go the Griffith Observatory. I love sitting back in those chairs, looking up at the stars and hearing how I come from stardust. LACMA is also a must-do. The exhibits are always wonderful and it’s fun to see what other people think is art. I once saw a canvas filled with dead sparrows all lined up with little tiny sweaters the artist had knitted for them. You don’t get much better than that! If it’s people watching you like, you must go to The Farmer’s Market and The Grove. You will walk away with new standards on what is normal and what is not.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My first Shoutout goes to my husband of 35 years, John Bidstrup. I started this company with no money but no matter if I had good months or bad months, he was always there to cheer me on and remind me just how far I had gotten. My other Shoutout goes to Eric Teves, who was the manager at Eastern, who believed if I could do this job for one building I could do it for a bunch of properties. He helped me set up meetings with other building’s general managers so my “stable of buildings” was always growing. Lastly, to John Profitt, wherever you are, who gave me my first producing and hosting job on television in 1980. I thank all 3, who helped me create a beautiful life.

You don’t truly appreciate all the twists & turns life has until you look back and recognize the moments that were critical to where you are now. There have been so many people who have encouraged me, opened a door for me, or allowed me into their world to get a better understanding of things.

Website: therenees.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.renees/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-renees/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/therenees

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