Cinespace Chicago Film Studios Stationed in North Lawndale Community

Cinespace

Cinespace Chicago Film Studios are stationed on Ogden between Western Avenue and California.

Contrary to the where the studios are located, much of the filming does not specifically occur on site, but rather in buildings that surround Cinespace. These building seemed to have been designed with filming in mind. Each building holds a key component to the creation of movies and TV shows. This particular building has a variety of activities happening on each floor.

There are two sets of doors on the first floor. The first door is where visitors, employees or tenants gain entrance by keying in their pass code. Without a valid pass code entrance is unattainable. This is because there is sensitive information on the upper floors that the company wishes to keep out of the hands of one who would not know how to properly use it.

A number of floors contain paperwork concerning dates on filming, actors, extras, and information about their payment, including tax papers.

Not every floor consists of paperwork. One floor is where visual and sound work takes place. There are soundproof rooms for actors to record their voices for film projects. There are also multiple rooms with soundboards. Each soundboard contains millions of sounds ranging from baby giggles to war explosions.

Although there are many floors in the Cinespace building, it cannot contain everything needed to complete a professional film. Next door to Cinespace is an extension of the company where movies are produced.

There are several buildings containing multiple sets. Only Cinespace employees know the contents of each location. Refusing to give information to outsiders about what happens inside each building is perhaps a tactic used by the company to ensure that no information is leaked out before films are available for public consumption.

Even the area outside the buildings is seemingly off-limits to anyone who may want to see where props are held.

During past encounters, security surrounding Cinespace regularly try to prohibit people from taking pictures of anything in the area. However, after noting the first amendment, “The News School” crew was able to take pictures as long as they stayed on public property i.e, the streets and sidewalks.

Cinespace has produced a number of successful television shows such as “Empire” and “Shameless.” For those interested parties that live in or are visiting the North Lawndale area, Cinespaces advertises open auditions for any show or movie they produce.

By Trinity Oglesby
Edited by D. Chandler

Featured and Top Images Courtesy of Dwayne Mcclain- Used with Permission

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