Tenney's movie Witchtrap was partially filmed in Fairfield, California,
where he and his family moved after his father retired from the U.S. Air Force. Before that, his family had been stationed in Hawaii, Bermuda, and various areas of Northern California. He attended three separate grade schools, two separate middle schools, and two separate high schools before moving to Los Angeles to attend U.S.C. film school. Tenney's father was stationed in Saigon, Viet Nam during the Tet Offensive.