In the relatively short three years since The Onion uprooted its New York offices and moved to Chicago, the media company started two new networks and Onion Productions to produce video content for its growing networks.
To accommodate its increasingly busy production side, Onion Productions, headquartered in River North, expanded its production facilities, says George Zwierzynski, VP/productions for Onion Inc.’s content production division.
“The space is open to rentals for anything producers might need to shoot their projects here, and our offices are also for rent. We have a talented staff that can accomplish all these needs.”
The new Onion White Stage is 1,900-sq. ft. (55×34) with an 18-foot ceiling on the first floor of the three storey building at 2155 W. Hubbard St. that was a barrel-making factory when it was built 100 years ago.
The space encompasses a white cyc, a massive room devoted to art, props and wardrobe, two edit suites, offices, access to a full inventory of equipment and a kitchen.
It has both secure parking and street parking.
The building was known as Space Stage Studios for many years before it was sold in 2013 to real estate developers and transformed into Hub Studios, “a creative hub for its permanent tenants.”
The Onion moved into the first floor in July and spent nearly three months remodeling the space.
Onion headquarters is a 7,000-sq. ft. space at 730 N. Franklin, which includes a green screen stage. The company has approximately 120 full-time employees.
Zwierzynski has been with Onion Productions for a year, since he returned from LA where he was a TV doc series editor and indie film director. He was one of the producers on the popular Chicago-produced webseries, “Guys Book Club.”
