Google’s YouTube service has just launched it’s third Creator Space studio, this time in Playa Del Rey, Los Angeles.
The 41,000-square-foot aircraft hangar was formerly used by the US Army for making helicopters in the Vietnam years, and it was the assembly point for the famous Hughes H-4 Hercules transport plane in World War II.
Renovations to the facility have been extensive, with Google adding:
– professional-grade equipment
– green-screen stages
– motion-capture rooms
– screening room
– editing labs
..and more!
Have a look at the video from the UK version of YouTube’s Creator Space:
As you can see, this is a huge boon for aspiring entertainers, actors, producers, and even editors who want to learn the craft.
In fact it reminds me of the library in my Elementary school which had a full VHS recorder, camera, TV, and space to set up a stage. We would take the time to write scripts (bad jokes), dressup (do giant paper chipmunk teeth and thick rimmed glasses count as costumes?), and perform for camera.
While nobody ever watched what we recorded (this was during the advent of VHS), the recording was a popular affair and students would flock to the library when we were doing a show over lunch.
Likewise YouTube is hoping that they will encourage creators to mingle and ‘hang out’ in this space, granting them free reign to come and go as they please for the time period they are allotted.
Signing up for the UK space is done via this customized Google Docs sign up sheet.
There doesn’t appear to be any such sheet for the new California location, but the Creator Hub Website should handle all your inquiries.
The LA Times did a nice job of gathering some photos of the LA Creator Space into a gallery:
Interestingly enough the same channel also has a really well polished video on YouTube Analytics that I’ve personally never seen previously:
Ernie Coombs / Mr.Dressup’s 85th Birthday
November 26th would have been Ernie Coombs’ 85th birthday, and Google Canada celebrated with a Google Doodle.
It’s very amazing what one man, a puppet boy named Casey, a magical storage box full of costumes, and a puppet dog named Finnegan can do to engage an audience. When I was young I always wanted a tickle trunk, which really means I still want a tickle trunk because I’ve never grown up. 😉
Mr.Rogers on the other hand always seemed like a strange show, and I never really watched it, favoring our Canadian version, Mr.Dressup.
It’s interesting now to learn that Ernie Coombs, a US citizen, actually worked with Fred Rogers in Canada to debut ‘Misterogers’ which later on became the US children’s TV show, “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood”.
In fact many of the “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” set pieces, such as the Trolley, Eiffel Tower, the ‘tree’, and ‘castle’, were created by CBC designers during the initial 3 year run in Canada.
Mr.Dressup stayed in Canada, and became one of the longest running Canadian TV shows, running between 1967 and 1996 for a span of 29 years.
The actor may have passed on but our memories will linger for generations to come.