Hollywood on the Hudson, We ARE Upstate NY

We Are Upstate NY With the Founders of 6 O’clockLOCATIONS

By inside + out | January 18, 2023

Inside+Out Upstate NY is pleased to introduce Upstate New Yorker’s Richard Hall and Mimi Young, founders of 6oclockLOCATIONS, a business catering to retail and advertising clients with a focus on places to shoot in the Hudson Valley. Back in 2020, their clientele were looking for locations close to NYC so they could be in and out relatively quickly, without flying. With a keen desire to live full-time Upstate NY and service their clients, 6oclockLOCATIONS came to life.

“We love exploring every corner of the Hudson Valley,” explains Richard, “as we scout new homes and meet all the homeowners.” We asked Richard how he came up with the name, “we chose 6oL as a name for a couple of reason, 6 AM is a common call time for crews on location AND 6 PM is a good time for cocktails.”

With that…let’s get to know Mimi and Richard and more about their background, their passions and their unique upstate NY business.

Mimi in front of a house

INSIDE+OUT: Where are you from and how did you wind up in the Hudson Valley?

Mimi Young: I grew up in New York City (NYC) and lived there until I moved to Olivebridge. I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts in drawing from Pratt and have had a long, amazing career as a fashion stylist. Since 1988, I’ve been fortunate to have had a second home in various towns in Upstate NY. Richard and I have been in Olivebridge for six years and moved here full-time right before COVID in 2020. Our prior homes felt very remote, here in the Hudson Valley it is very rural yet there is the sense of still being connected to the things that interest us and more.

Richard Hall: I grew up in Dorset County in Southwest England. During my 20s, I lived in Bristol and London. In 1987, I moved to New York State inspired by several visits during my touring years as a musician. After living in New York City for 34 years, I moved up to the Hudson Valley full-time with Mimi.

Mimi and Richard being silly

Tell us about your business- 6oclockLOCATIONS: How you got your start, the meaning behind the name, and what was your journey?

6oclockLOCATIONS (6oL) was born when we were looking for ways to enhance our fashion photography backgrounds and be able to use Olivebridge as our base. We of course recognized the beauty of the area and knew that it would appeal to our advertising and fashion clients. We decided to start a location business just focusing on the Hudson Valley. In 2020, more and more clients were looking for places to shoot close to NYC so they could be in and out relatively quickly – and safely without flying. We chose 6oL as a name for a couple of reasons, 6 AM is a common call time for crews on location AND 6 PM is a good time for cocktails.

Who are some of your clients?

Our clients are mostly retail and advertising clients predominantly print and digital.

What are the most challenging and the most rewarding aspects of running a location company?

We don’t think of this as being a challenging business. Handling the calendar, controlling risks in private homes, and rolling with changing creatives are probably the things that keep us on our toes. All things we have done for the last 30 years as producers and fashion stylists have been far more challenging. We love exploring every corner of the Hudson Valley as we scout new homes and meet all the homeowners. house in the woods

If someone has a fabulous or unique property, how do they get on your radar if they want to be considered for a paid location?

We are always looking for and considering new properties. People can contact us through our website 6oclockLOCATIONS, Instagram account @6olocklocations, or email us at [email protected]

We also track new properties that we see on Instagram and contact the homeowners through that. If they follow us, we will see them.

What is one question you’re constantly asked or what’s the biggest misconception about your work?

Nothing really, it can just take a bit of explaining to owners that have had no involvement in the advertising world. Properties are selected by clients for projects based on specific needs. A property may be requested all the time or never.

Do you leverage social media to get work and how is that working for you?

We utilize Linkedin and Instagram as promotional tools, pretty successfully. This is our primary method of promotion other than word of mouth.

How do you grow your business and how do your clients find you?

On average, we see 4-6 new properties a month, and not all have the right elements. We reach out to our clients directly with new listings, promote on social, and have a lot of word of mouth. Laurent at the Hudson Valley Film Commission has also been helpful.

What are you working on now that you’re excited about?

We have recently added video teasers that add a new dimension to a location. We have a separate video company called, l.ittle.bit, where the focus is creating portraits of artists and creatives. The location videos are handled with the same aesthetics.

What is it about the Hudson Valley that makes it unique to live + work here?

Proximity to NYC, creative community, the beauty of light, the Catskill Mountains and the Hudson River.

What impact does your business have on your community?

We enable homeowners to monetize their property in a low-impact short-term way. Shoots are typical during the week and the crews are upward of ten people bringing in revenue during off-peak times for hotels, restaurants and the like.

What local businesses do you rely on to be successful?

We have a local list of businesses that we send to our clients with suggests for accommodations such as: Hotel Kinsley, Hasbrouck House, Inness, Hotel Dylan, The Maker, Hutton Brickyards and The Graham & Co. Caterers like Blue Mountain Bistro to Go and restaurants such as Silvia, Westwind Orchard, Lola Pizza, Foxfire Mountain House and The Pines. Because of the rural nature of so many homes, we recommend portable toilet companies as well!

What is missing in the area that you wish we had?

Warm winters.

In addition to running 6o’clockLocations, you are both creative dynamos. Tell us about your work as an artist, Mimi. And Richard, your advertising background – do you still take on creative projects? How do you juggle it all?

Mimi: Yes, we have full plates! I am a painter and sculptor, www.mimiyoung.com. In a nutshell, my work is abstract pulling from my environment. I work in a multitude of mediums and am always in a whirlwind! I am also a Fashion Stylist, working delightfully in the business for a long time on photo shoots. We are passionate gardeners and are constantly expanding and renovating our naturalistic garden. You can follow along on Insta @tongoreacres. As l.ittle.bit, Richard and I concept, shoot and edit videos for artists and creative types. We think of them as portraits and love getting to know the people we present.

Richard: I see myself as a musician first and foremost with a career that spanned the late 70s and through the 80s before I moved to NYC. I still write music with a contemporary left-of-center pop vibe. Here is one of my projects: SkewTronic:

After 34 years of producing retail fashion advertising shoots, I have decided to move on and focus on 6oclockLOCATIONS. I am really excited about this change that allows me to spend more time in this area and move away from the endless traveling of production! In addition to the l.ittle.bit, the concept that Mimi talks about, I also edit music videos.

We are both VERY keen gardeners and have a modern style of gardening that mixes formality with a naturalistic meadow vibe. Check out our garden on Instagram Tongore Acres

Which places in Upstate NY do you most frequent?

Woodstock and Kingston, but that’s mainly for shopping. We drive around a lot to all corners of the Hudson Valley and that is one of the great things about finding new homes to scout. We love exploring.