The Yellow House in Half Moon Bay
by Tammy Massa
I remember the first day I saw the little gray house back in the summer of 2005. Peeling paint on the outside; old musty carpets, spider webs and garbage on the inside. It was beautiful. This little house was going to play a big role in my future as a producer.
Renovation process. Photo courtesy of Tammy Massa.
At the time, I had recently left a career in technology to pursue a career as an actor, but I was quickly becoming more interested in what was happening behind the camera. So I began to make plans for the house. I envisioned it as a set for movies, commercials and music videos. But I had a lot of work to do first.
The space needed opening up, so the first to go were some walls. Let me tell you, there is nothing better after a frustrating day than taking a sledgehammer to a wall. Try it sometime. It is truly cathartic.
Next to go was the “cottage cheese” ceiling. After squirting a little patch of ceiling with a water bottle, then scraping with a putty knife and getting nowhere fast, it seemed like a good idea to pull the garden hose in through the window and hose the ceiling down. It worked out perfectly, until I had to remove a carpet that was full of heavy, wet, cottage-cheesy ceiling. I cut the carpet into manageable strips, rolled the strips up, and shoved them out the window. This is when I heard it. Highway 1. If I was ever going to film in here, I needed new soundproof windows. 
With a small budget, I couldn’t afford to hire someone to do all of this work, so I was on my own. I had a tough time trying to get someone to sell me the windows without insisting on installing them as well. Finally, I found someone who would come out and measure, sell me the windows, then set me loose.
Next came painting, then laying the floors. Eventually a new deck was added and the front yard was landscaped. Finally, last fall, the gray house got the finishing touches on its face-lift. With some help from my friends, and more scraping, sanding and painting, “The Gray House” became “The Yellow House.” No longer was it the little run-down shack on Highway 1 next to BK Motors.
So indeed it has been a set for movies, commercials and music videos. People have taught classes and held meetings there. As the agent of record for “The Yellow House,” I believe this little star will be working for years to come.
On the Web:
“The Yellow House” after extensive remodeling. Photo courtesy of Tammy Massa.
Tammy Massa’s production company, Left Coast Entertainment, is dedicated to the entire production process: script selection, lighting, camera angles, editing, music composition, packaging and distribution. She can be reached by phone at 510-368-6708 or tammy@LCEcompany.com.
