Work-in-Progress. Excited. Hopeful. Don't take things personally. Be a professional…read more Being a NON-UNION extra can be tough when there are 300 extras working in one day for one show. The less number of EXTRAS, the better the experience. However, the working experience now compared to 3 years ago is a LOT better. I am told by another extra that, CHICAGO NON-UNION EXTRAS are treated a lot better than LA. Long hours on set is a WEIGHT LOSS initiative for Non-Union Extras. You will be standing a lot. Sometimes, they forget to give you a meal after 7 hours. Plenty of junkie snackies that you must snack on when possible as you don't know the next break. PAs occasionally distributes bottled water to keep you hydrated so you don't pass out. Be smart and realistic about weather temperatures as it is hardly comfortable, either it's too hot/no air or you are cold outside and freezing. It was an honor and privilege to work on the set of EMPIRE seeing Hollywood Stars in the flesh that is beyond People Magazine: Alicia Keys (I almost died when she said "Hi, how are you?"), Terrence Howard, Taraji Henson, Taye Diggs, Lee Daniels, Brian Grazer, Danny Strong, Rumer Willis and Demi Moore. A special treat to see the fabulous Ms NAOMI CAMPBELL who was less than 5 feet away and she didn't throw her cell phone at me nor was I removed from looking at her. *LOL* It was interesting to see Ms Campbell work -- retouch in every cut and every minute with her own makeup artist who straps the entire cosmetic brush to his body and a big bag for Other Things (easy 5-10 lbs). Poor guy. When LA Production people drops by, you can tell. They have serious communication issues and likes to yell. Chicago Production is much more organized and civilized. Through it all, the complaints that we all make... We find solace in our camaraderie. WE LAUGH A LOT! We sometimes keep a head count as to how many passed out. Gossips. Drama. Clique. Stolen Voucher. Plenty of dedicated extras. No pain, no gain? We do it again the next day. A Telenovela. NOTE: A stage number is not the same as Entrance/Gate number. No map. When you ask the security, they are as clueless as you. So... GOOD LUCK! :-D NO ELEVATORS on sets, just stairs. A secret... when you see a group of people with luggages walking in a certain direction, more likely, that's the group you need to be with. Ask. Follow.

Chicago has not been so fortunate since Oprah. Here we are with some of the DePaul and Columbia…read moreCollege students showing the studios and the potential of what they can be about. The whole structures are about 58 acres of steel buildings and warehouse space that is now the Cinespace movie studio located off of Ogden avenue. If you are a make up artist, actor or student of film, than this a must to show up and see the productions. It's a bit chilly in some parts of the halls but considering that the lights heat up the space really quickly, enjoy it. On any given day you may see some of the actors in Chicago Fire or maybe Chicago hope. And a little bit of Chicago filming: "BOSS" season 1 and 2 were filmed here and yet no one ever knew! You may pass the studio up and never know what's going on inside or you can actually see one of the actors walking to Ogden getting a hot dog at the seasonal stand. Some of the Bollywood film "Doom 3" was filmed here also and that's a big source of revenue for the city. Pat Quinn and the former Mayor Daley, made sure that Chicago would also be on the map when it came to Hollywood filming, and sources tell me that a new sitcom is underway, but shhhhh! You didn't hear it from me. So if your not a student it may be difficult to check the place out, but wow the memories thy are being created here should e interested! Walking Dead perhaps?

THE PROBLEM WITH GENTRIFICATION!…read more I set up an appointment to check out their available offices for rent. Mind you, this place is in PILSEN, a culturally diverse area that is known for its rich Mexican heritage. Well...I get there and the receptionist clearly does not know anything about pricing. She first tells me pricing is not her thing, then she says something about a credit check...I should have picked up on where she was going then...THEN she says something about it being negotiable. Turns out, the guy I was supposed to meet with, Patrick, didn't even make himself available to meet with me during my scheduled appointment to answer my questions. Then, Patrick comes in, doesn't say hello, doesn't even make eye contact but the receptionist tells me he'll be with me in a minute. So, after about 5 minutes he comes in and asks me what I do. I tell him I'm a psychotherapist...he doesn't seem to have a CLUE what that is, neither did the receptionist. I explain..."I'm a licensed clinical professional counselor. I see clients for depression and anxiety...blah blah blah". He says he still doesn't understand AND he's worried about safety! SAFETY?! He then goes on to tell me that the other tenants need to be comfortable and that tenants have access to the entire floor (kitchen, waiting room, etc.) so he's "concerned" about who will be coming in for appointments. Hmmmm.... I try to explain again...this time at a kindergarten level. I try the term "couples counseling"...he gets it. FINALLY! But, then he goes back to the safety issue. Hmmmm...THEN....THEN he goes into.."I'll have to run your credit"...of course...duh! I simply said, "Patrick, I have great credit". I thanked him, shook his hand, and got the F outta there! Now, as a black woman, I'm used to this kind of tom foolery but I would expect that in the heart of downtown NOT in Pilsen. I'm a professional...TREAT ME LIKE A PROFESSIONAL! I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND THIS SPOT. Not to mention the people that I did see renting space there WERE ALL WHITE....NO DIVERSITY. THIS IS THE PROBLEM WITH GENTRIFICATION PEOPLE. SO SAD!

LUXURY AT HALF THE COST…read more I am a Hispanic female licensed real estate broker, and I am a tenant at Lobi space. My partner and I have shared a suite at Lobi for almost seven months and our experience has been excellent from the very beginning. When we first met Patrick the on site property manager and his partner Bernard we knew we were in the right place. Their professional, friendly, approachable, welcoming and in our case accommodating to the smallest detail. For example, neither my partner or I are the most tech savvy people and we can at times be "needy" when it comes to assistance with our tech issues. Both Patrick and Bernard have always come to our rescue when we have our tech meltdowns. Mind you their property managers, not IT guys or crisis prevention staff. I can't emphasize enough what helpful, kind gentlemen they are. They not only accommodate all the Lobi tenants like this but they go out of their way to create a family friendly, safe, and pleasant work environment for all. Meanwhile giving us the most beautiful space to work out of, we love showing off our office and the Lobi space to our clients. Lobi space is a perfect refection of the Pilsen neighborhood, in fact it is adorned with art work by local Pilsen artists. Additionally, their admin assistant Kathy has been a God sent since she came on board. She is right in sync with Patrick & Bernard's philosophy of creating a comfortable yet professional work space. Every client I've had come in comments on how friendly and accommodating she is. Lastly if your looking for a professional, chic, affordable, friendly and DIVERSE office space where the majority of the Lobi tenants are MINORITY OWNED BUSINESSES come visit our space. I guarantee you'll love coming to work everyday, I know I do. P.S. Our office space comes with WIFI, copier, fax and scanning services, security system, and private parking.

Great space, easily adapted to whatever your needs are. I've been to 2 events hosted here, and the…read moreset-up is customized to what you want. Catering is allowed, and the West Loop neighborhood is great and easy to access (CTA Green Line). And the talent, just amazing. I had a professional headshot taken here. Jimmy was very accommodating and professional. Lexi also worked on the work-up, and I got the final product within 24 hours, such a quick turnaround. They offer other services, and work with companies, film at events, and even non-profit work. I can wholeheartedly recommend Jimmy and co, excellent at what they do, and faster than you'd expect.

If you want to put the perfect finishing touch on your LinkedIn profile, any professional…read morepresentations, or any personal branding materials, you need to have a fantastic headshot. And if you want a fantastic headshot, you make the investment and go with the best-Jimmy Fishbein & Chicago Corporate Photography. Now more than ever, professionals of ALL experience levels need the right visuals to show off who they are to prospective employers, clients, and business partners. I am so happy with how my photos turned out after working with Jimmy. He and his partner made me feel relaxed and comfortable, and the experience was painless even for the camera shy. I worked with CCPV and Jimmy to have them take photos of 25 students and staff at Northwestern. He was great to work with in terms of coordinating the shoot, setting up payment, and going over all logistic details. Look no further for all of your photo and headshot needs.

Video Production Chicago has worked with my company for a couple years now. We have a great…read morerelationship and have been able to help one another grow. How we started doing business... We needed a local and reliable Chicago Videographer who could shoot and edit videos for us at the drop-of-a-dime. Irwin is a skillful productions ninja, he always has the right solution. We are a local marketing company, so you see how we need someone who will make us look good. The team at Video one productions are the best of all the video editors we've worked with thus far. If you want it done right, these are your go-to!

I had Video One create a point of sale video for my company. I dealt with Irwin who was very…read morehelpful and creative offering ideas to present the products in a way that I did not think of. The process was good and the product was amazing. I was shocked as to the professional feel and look of the end product was for the price. I thought I would have spent tens of thousands for the kind of video product that I received. Very happy with them and would use them again in the future!

Every time I worked with John he has been very professional and efficient. You can definitely feel…read morehis passion in the sessions. Only book him if you are ready for a high quality experience. Highly recommended!

John Johnson of Captured Productions videotaped our daughter's wedding at Chicago's Carnivale in…read moreAugust of 2018. We found him to be professional, personable, prompt, and his services very reasonably priced. Mr. Johnson did an excellent job of communicating with us prior to the wedding to ensure that he met our needs and knew the order of events; communicating with the venue to arrange set-up location and times; and he discussed the ceremony order again prior to the beginning of the wedding in case we made changes (which we did), and he easily adapted to the changes. During the wedding and ceremony, he and his assistant were unobtrusive in getting a record of all the events, and everyone responded happily to him when asked to give advice or feedback on video . We're so glad we had him do the video because there were so many things that we missed seeing while we engaged with guests. We have watched the video numerous times since the wedding and it feels like that day all over again!!! Well done, Mr. Johnson!!!!

They had a fair price and recorded a nice video for us! They were on time, friendly and delivered…read morethe edited version! Great customer support, thank you!

Great experience with Laurentiu and MiB team for our traditional Romanian wedding. Very…read moreprofessional, prompt, and organized team. They take the time to understand your expectations and are able to deliver amazing video memories. Thank you!!!

OUTSTANDING. Ben came prepared with lots of soft lighting options. He took outstanding portraits of…read moreour teenage daughter on her special occasion, and also portraits of our whole family. I've ordered a bunch of framed prints to hang on our walls and to send to relatives. Ben was extremely easy to work with. He was especially great at getting our wiggly 7 year old son to smile nicely for the camera.

Ben not only shot the most amazing wedding photos and videos, but he and his team did everything in…read moretheir power to make our day run smoothly, especially when our bus didn't show up. I could not speak more highly of Ben, the quality of the product and person. When our usb was later corrupted, Ben saved the day by providing a whole new set of photos and videos. Our family still talks about how great Ben and his team were and how amazingly he corralled both families seamlessly so it did not take forever to take group photos. Do not look further, he and his team will be the perfect addition to your wedding.

Film Fidele rocks! On our list of top 3 best wedding decisions - thank you so much…read more We got our wedding video and couldn't be happier. Especially love the intro. Creative, cool, and captured exactly what we were looking for. Private message me if you want any more info. Happy to give a reference. Keep up the great work, Film Fidele, and especially at your wonderfully reasonable prices. We were so lucky to find you. Thanks again!

I was on the fence about getting a videographer at first for my November wedding. We had a very low…read morebudget wedding and I was worried about spending the money. Then one of my friends posted their own highlight video online and I knew I had to have that and I would have regretted not having the ability to see those moments again. One of my friends who was also getting married was researching videographers and thought I would like film fidele. I decided I would meet with them and get some prices and see if I could fit it in my budget. From our first meeting I was totally smitten with Sarah & Kurt. I felt they totally got my wedding vision. I wanted fun, unique and memorable. I felt the prices were reasonable and I liked that they offered different packages. Sarah & Kurt were a joy to work with, very friendly and professional. To tell you the truth on our wedding day I barely noticed them, but from seeing the footage they got every moment. After the wedding many of the guests kept talking about how awesome Kurt & Sarah were and how they couldn't wait to see the final video. After watching the final edited footage, we were amazed at how perfect it was. They captured our day even better then I could have hoped for. I left the music choices up to them, and there is no way anyone could have picked better music that fit us and our wedding day. I really can't say enough good things about them, I think all in all if you're on the fence about getting video, just do it! You'll be so happy and excited when you get to relive that day that went by way too fast. I highly recommend film fidele, definitely one of the best wedding vendors we had!