With production on the decline in Chicago, Backyard Productions has moved its production operations to Venice, Calif., maintaining only a sales office in Chicago. Meanwhile, Two Olives, another Chicago-based production company, is in the midst of a restructuring, with director Ron Lazzeretti and executive producer Ed Amaya leaving the company, and the shop’s other helmer, Rino Liberatore, contemplating whether or not to keep the production house open. (Lazzeretti and Liberatore formerly directed as a team, but are now going their separate ways.)
These developments beg the question: Is it possible that Chicago-based The Story Companies will shutter or downsize their Windy City office, Chicago Story, given the current state of production? "No," says executive producer Mark Androw. "We have an office in Los Angeles, which is a great place to work out of, but we like having a base in Chicago."
And, he notes, the slowdown in production in Chicago hasn’t significantly impacted the bottom line of The Story Companies. "For our company, things are relatively stable," Androw says.
In fact, the company’s Chicago-based director, Laurie Rubin, who also has a thriving career as a still photographer, has helmed several spots in Chicago within the last year, including "Plaid" for Dinty Moore via BBDO Minneapolis, and "Soup" for Subway out of Publicis & Hal Riney, Chicago. Rubin has also directed numerous spots in Chicago for department store chain the May Company, such as "Labor Day," through Doner, Southfield, Mich.
That’s not to say that Rubin hasn’t hit the road. She has gone on several location shoots in the past year. While she recently ventured only an hour outside of Chicago for one commercial shoot, she was about to embark on a shoot in Amsterdam at press time.
In the end, Androw says, it isn’t necessarily Chicago Story’s aim to have Rubin shooting in Chicago. "It is in the agency’s and the client’s best interests to shoot in the place that makes the most sense for each project, wherever that is," Androw says. "Oftentimes, I find myself bidding a project in multiple cities and in multiple ways, and then we decide what makes the most sense. Sometimes it is Chicago. Sometimes it is Canada. Sometimes it is North Carolina. It’s whatever fits the job."
Being a native of Chicago, Androw can cite many reasons why advertising agencies ought to shoot commercials in the Windy City. "Chicago is certainly cost effective compared to New York and Los Angeles," he says. "It’s not as expensive, and the agencies that come here to shoot find that they can get good value for their dollars."
Plus, there is a deep talent pool in Chicago. "Chances are you can cast a job in Chicago without having to bring talent in, and you can’t really say that about a lot of other areas, including Toronto and Vancouver," explains Androw. "I think Chicago has a much bigger talent pool than either of those cities, and it’s largely because there is a lot of theater that goes on in town."
