Russ Fega knows how to give your home the Hollywood treatment.
"I was a location manager for 15 years," Fega said, "and I decided about eight years ago to start this company because I have a lot of friends in Altadena who asked 'how can i get filming at my house?'"
The company is Home Shoot Home. Starting with just 30 houses, Fega's Altadena business now represents 800 homes that are available for films and television.
Fega represents homes in Altadena, Pasadena, South Pasadena, and other areas around the San Gabriel Valley. "There's really nobody else who specializes in areas," Fega said. "I like to have it very specifically in [the San Gabriel Valley]. I go to the jobs to make sure everything's OK -- it's a much more personal approach for me."
Home Shoot Home "has really grown through word of mouth, rather than anything else," said Fega, who has contacts with 500 scouts and location managers.
Pictured: Russ Fega
House goes Hollywood
How do you get your home on his list? "People call me all the time. What I do is send them out a very concise email that tells them generally what I do and how it works. Then they send me the address, I drive by to assess the home and the neighborhood, and if I'm interested I book an appointment.
"What I look for is a home that has enough room for a crew, the equipment, the actors, all the things that are in there." About 85% of the shoots are for commercials, Fega said.
It doesn't cost anything to be listed with Home Shoot Home, Fega said. "I get paid a percentage of what I negotiate for the homeowner, but I always clear the rates with the homeowner."
"All-American homes" are usually what producers are looking for. "Palm trees are a bad thing," Fega said, although sometimes there are calls for a specific look, such as Spanish-style homes for "CSI: Miami" that look like Florida.
Giving back
After the success of his business, Fega has started a new project: "The Altadena Community Chest is something I decided to put together to benefit a large segment of people from Altadena who don't benefit from shooting."
The Altadena Community Chest is a 501 (c)3 organization that collects voluntary donations from the general public, altho' "I hope that a significant amount of support will come from production companies that film in Altadena," Fega said. "For years, Altadena has been host to many film projects. Production companies enjoy the wide variety of architecture and landscapes here, as well as the film-friendly environment.
"As a unincorporated community, however, Altadena does not benefit directly from the filming that takes place here," Fega said. "Other than those fortunate residents who rent out their homes and businesses, the community, at large, does not get a lot in monetary terms for its cooperation."
Fega said that the Altadena Community Chest plans to make grants to qualified Altadena-based charitable organizations. Some of the organizations that are listed on the website include Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy, Friends of the Library, Five Acres, Altadena Heritage, Altadena Elementary School, and the Altadena Library Foundation.
"[Home Shoot Home] has been a good business for eight years, and now there's a chance to give something back to the community," Fega said.
Home Shoot Home: 626-794-1616, homeshoothome.com
Altadena Communty Chest: altadenacommunitychest.org/
