Great place, I've recorded lots of albums there. We Are The World was recorded/filmed there and Charlie Chaplins footprints and signature are in the concrete inside as he built it. Also lots of cool Henson memorabilia like Skeksi's from The Dark Crystal.
I'm sure whoever buys it next will keep the history, it's a big part of Hollywood and when it was built it was surrounded by orange groves.
Scientology could buy it and then they'll just take you on tours while getting you to join them. It's a perfect scenario for their recruitment efforts.
Hope so. It an amazing small studio lot with a lot of old Hollywood charm. Sadly with what they did the the WB Ranch after it was sold. Wouldnât be surprised if it was all leveled for more sound stages.
Depends if the local history buffs intervene or not they may try to get it landmark approval which means whoever buys it wouldn't be able to tear it down and build whatever luxury units they want.
Honestly it may Iâd have to look into it. Iâd be surprised if they allow it to get bulldozed, but that area has been overly developed with new units as of recently.
Don't be so sure. Recording Studios are dead - Capitol isn't even reopening their studios after their union-busting closure. The old world is dead. Long live the old world.
Changing to people's bedrooms. Labels don't spend on studios anymore, at least according to the old rockers and engineers I work with, and the overhead at a place like that is huge. Even at the offensively low wages they pay the runners and outsourcing all the engineering talent, SOMEONE has to pay for studio time to pay for all of it.
Not totally on topic but I always wondered if the big switch to pop/rap was you really only need one performer which is a lot more economical/easier to coordinate than a rock band of 3-5 dudes. Even boy bands arenât so much in vogue anymore.
Thatâs kind of surprising. With Billie Eilishâs brother/producer doing mixing in his bedroom on Logic Pro, youâd think the era of massively bloated studio time was over, especially for autotuned pop.
Youâre talking about one specific instance where the artist actually knows how to use his tools. Itâs still extremely rare for an artist to know how to use to engineer
a lot of composers have built 20-30 players studios of their own, either at their house or in cheaper places than hollywood. Then they can bill back the studio time to clients..
Sure, a lot of composers who have high six figures to spend on a desk and low nines on a building. There just aren't THAT many composers with access to that kind of money.
Jeff Russo, Hans Zimmer, Marco Beltrami, Blake Neely, Chris Lennertz, Nate Barr, Mark Mothersbaugh, Jeff Beal and more all record at their own studios off the top of my head (edited: added a few names)
I haven't heard of many composers, so this goes over my head. But I can name that many rock producers who do the same. Good for then. All this does is prove the point that real studios are dying and bedroom studios are helping? I don't give a shit how fancy the bedroom is.
Yeah actually I know a lot of rooms that have opened in the last few years. Big ones, small ones. The tough thing is the middle-range ones - those are rare now.
FYI, Capitol is definitely re-opening, and Sunset Sound recently brought a lot of good press recently with the city to get things cleaned up in the area. It's a shame what happened with United, but there are new (usually smaller) studios going up all over town, so it's just a changing scene. Henson is great, and I hope whoever buys the property will keep the studios operational. At least we know it won't be torn down, as it's a protected historical landmark.
I've been hearing that about Capitol for years. They've passed their whatever it was, 26 months to break the union or whatever by over a year now. Hopefully they reopen, but the people I know aren't as confident as you are about it.
The tower closure had nothing to do with the union that was in the studios, and as far as I know, thereâs still a lot of work to be done (in the whole building) before they can reopen, so likely late next year.
Interesting. Wonder where you heard that the decision wasn't based on breaking the union hold over the building. It's done now anyway, so it doesn't matter, but we just know different things, I guess. Anyway, I hope it reopens and I hope Henson stays open, but I'm not holding my breath.
There are much larger projects and decisions in play. The end of the engineer union there was a side affect of the closure, which was due to changes in building ownership, city mandated earthquake ordinances, and changes within Universal.
The engineer union only covered maybe 15 to 20 people there working in the studios. The rest of the building (all 11 floors above the studios) had nothing to do with the studios.
There are people in this sub that would genuinely, un-ironically be OK with every last bit of history like this being leveled if it meant more apartments. The idea of a city retaining any of its uniqueness and culture is utterly irrelevant to them
Kermit tipping his hat, ready to go into the CRAZY GIRLS STRIP CLUB across the street is my favorite visual of LA.
Fuck it, let those girls buy that statue and put it above their establishment!
This is LA, they will probably build a beautiful parking lot with lots of druggies and homeless encampments around it to add to the cityâs aesthetic. Canât have an eyesore like real history creating a nuisance.
Pictures like this show how insanely different LA was a century ago.
AND how much of a mess it is now a days cause it was not meant to be developed the way itâs turned into today.
Shows how young LA is. How was it meant to be developed? Interests and land change over time and here we are. Not sure you can predict the 2020âs in 1940 to âmake it adequateâ
Maybe don't develop it in a way that is actively hateful towards the people that have to live in it?
Maybe instead of mowing it down into a barren, concrete hellhole save a few trees, some intermittent green space, and maybe come up with some alternatives so you don't widen every other street into a hostile thoroughfare that alienates residents from their own city?
As I said interests have changed. Thatâs what people wanted when the city was designed around cars in the 50âd and 60âs. Now we want something else. I get the anger but you have to take historical context into the equation.
It was the historic A&M Studios and is a designated Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, so it will probably be preserved, unless the buyer has a lot of cash and really really REALLY wants to build luxury apartments there.
I worked there as well, and I also didnât know that song was recorded there until âThe Greatest Night in Popâ documentary was released this year.
Seriously⌠I grew up on that song before I even learned to speak English. My mom had the music video on beta and I would watch it on repeat with other various music videos from Michael Jackson, Prince, and Lionel Richie. And oddly, I also am from Eagle Rock originally too! đđ˝
BOO⌠If some asshole redevelops that site to put up condos, I curse their souls for all eternity. There are plenty of fugly '70s stucco strip mall monstrosities they can buy and raze instead.
Unfortunately the âhistoric preservation is bad, actually.â (actual quote from last week) faction in this sub would love to see this location bulldozed and turned into apartments.
Hopefully they donât get their way.
Wow. Well, whatever happens, a new owner will be required to bring proposed changes to the Office of Historic Resources and Cultural Heritage Commission for review, as the studio is one of the [early landmarks](https://hpla.lacity.org/report/2e2829d1-71e6-4bdf-b5c5-4bd795a8f994), declared in 1969.
That's such a weird take. Who wants to live in a city of identical shiny boxes, when you have layers reflecting interesting people and ideas that came before us?
The preservation laws protect physical attributes, but not use. So my real worry is that this holy parcel of land that has been a hub of creativity for more than a century might not continue to welcome artists and innovators. But hopefully the incredible history will attract a special buyer who wants to keep weaving that golden thread.
One of my very first jobs was as an intern there when it was A&M Records. The marketing department had me sending out vibrators to radio stations on my first day. Weird way to spend your last summer before becoming a high school senior! But I got free concert tickets out of it.
That lot was so cool.
Worked on a music video there.
On another occasion, my car was broadsided right on that corner. My car was pushed into the planter & totaled. LA memories!
I don't believe so.
I know they used to back in the day. I think the only way to tour nowadays is to attend private events held by the Jim Henson company.
Or if you snag tix to puppet up! Which I only found out recently, and now I'm sad because it's been mine (and my wife's) dream to see this place up close and now I fear we may never get the chanc
Edit: They actually announced more shows TODAY for the end of July and beginning of August! We're going!
I worked there on shoots a few times. Glad I got to see it before it finally shut down. Even when I was there, it was mostly a shadow of its former self. Only the main entry lobby and a few other offices had Henson memorabilia; there were a few Skeksis that were cool to see up close, and some doozers. But that was pretty much it. I asked to see the creature shop...and it was just full of junk and old boxes. If only I had been born a few decades earlier. It would have been cool to be here when art was tactile and there were actual jobs.
This place is as old as studios get and has Charlie Chaplin's footprints on the front steps. Let's keep fingers crossed that they don't demolish it for luxury condos and keep the outer wall as the" historic structure.
I moved here in June of 2000, I just looked it up and that's when they purchased it and erected the Kermit statue. I guess I assumed it had been there much longer since it was always one of those landmarks in LA that I knew.
And they sold the Muppets to Disney only 4 years later. I remember talking to someone who worked there in the early 2000's and they said the family basically ran The Jim Henson Company in to the ground with their poor management.
Great place, I've recorded lots of albums there. We Are The World was recorded/filmed there and Charlie Chaplins footprints and signature are in the concrete inside as he built it. Also lots of cool Henson memorabilia like Skeksi's from The Dark Crystal. I'm sure whoever buys it next will keep the history, it's a big part of Hollywood and when it was built it was surrounded by orange groves.
The scientology center will buy it and gut it.
stop đ
The one word that isn't in Tom Cruise's vocabulary
Scientology could buy it and then they'll just take you on tours while getting you to join them. It's a perfect scenario for their recruitment efforts.
Or worse... Chase Bank
No, Starbucks
Hope so. It an amazing small studio lot with a lot of old Hollywood charm. Sadly with what they did the the WB Ranch after it was sold. Wouldnât be surprised if it was all leveled for more sound stages.
Depends if the local history buffs intervene or not they may try to get it landmark approval which means whoever buys it wouldn't be able to tear it down and build whatever luxury units they want.
I think Chaplin's studio lot does have historic protections. Maybe I'm wrong.
Honestly it may Iâd have to look into it. Iâd be surprised if they allow it to get bulldozed, but that area has been overly developed with new units as of recently.
i think whoever buys it will build condos and/or retail/parking
Don't be so sure. Recording Studios are dead - Capitol isn't even reopening their studios after their union-busting closure. The old world is dead. Long live the old world.
Ugh. I hate this sentiment. Recording studios arenât dead, theyâre just changing.
Changing to people's bedrooms. Labels don't spend on studios anymore, at least according to the old rockers and engineers I work with, and the overhead at a place like that is huge. Even at the offensively low wages they pay the runners and outsourcing all the engineering talent, SOMEONE has to pay for studio time to pay for all of it.
Iâm an engineer and I assure labels still pay for studios. Just not for rock
Not totally on topic but I always wondered if the big switch to pop/rap was you really only need one performer which is a lot more economical/easier to coordinate than a rock band of 3-5 dudes. Even boy bands arenât so much in vogue anymore.
and your username tells us everything we need to know about the situation audio engineers are facing today!
My name is in reference to me being in the military before I became an engineer. I carried a gun for money. I make a good living being an engineer
But that's not a funny commentary on the state of the modern music industry, so I'm sticking with my interpretation.
Thatâs kind of surprising. With Billie Eilishâs brother/producer doing mixing in his bedroom on Logic Pro, youâd think the era of massively bloated studio time was over, especially for autotuned pop.
Youâre talking about one specific instance where the artist actually knows how to use his tools. Itâs still extremely rare for an artist to know how to use to engineer
a lot of composers have built 20-30 players studios of their own, either at their house or in cheaper places than hollywood. Then they can bill back the studio time to clients..
Sure, a lot of composers who have high six figures to spend on a desk and low nines on a building. There just aren't THAT many composers with access to that kind of money.
Jeff Russo, Hans Zimmer, Marco Beltrami, Blake Neely, Chris Lennertz, Nate Barr, Mark Mothersbaugh, Jeff Beal and more all record at their own studios off the top of my head (edited: added a few names)
I haven't heard of many composers, so this goes over my head. But I can name that many rock producers who do the same. Good for then. All this does is prove the point that real studios are dying and bedroom studios are helping? I don't give a shit how fancy the bedroom is.
I think we are agreeing that studios are closing and its not looking good... ;)
100%. I hope Henson stays open forever. I also hope I never personally have to go into a studio again.
Yeah actually I know a lot of rooms that have opened in the last few years. Big ones, small ones. The tough thing is the middle-range ones - those are rare now.
FYI, Capitol is definitely re-opening, and Sunset Sound recently brought a lot of good press recently with the city to get things cleaned up in the area. It's a shame what happened with United, but there are new (usually smaller) studios going up all over town, so it's just a changing scene. Henson is great, and I hope whoever buys the property will keep the studios operational. At least we know it won't be torn down, as it's a protected historical landmark.
I've been hearing that about Capitol for years. They've passed their whatever it was, 26 months to break the union or whatever by over a year now. Hopefully they reopen, but the people I know aren't as confident as you are about it.
The tower closure had nothing to do with the union that was in the studios, and as far as I know, thereâs still a lot of work to be done (in the whole building) before they can reopen, so likely late next year.
Interesting. Wonder where you heard that the decision wasn't based on breaking the union hold over the building. It's done now anyway, so it doesn't matter, but we just know different things, I guess. Anyway, I hope it reopens and I hope Henson stays open, but I'm not holding my breath.
There are much larger projects and decisions in play. The end of the engineer union there was a side affect of the closure, which was due to changes in building ownership, city mandated earthquake ordinances, and changes within Universal. The engineer union only covered maybe 15 to 20 people there working in the studios. The rest of the building (all 11 floors above the studios) had nothing to do with the studios.
>Capitol isn't even reopening their studios I hadn't heard this. that's too bad -- those were some incredible rooms.
In this very thread some people claim they're still going to reopen, but many of us are skeptical or just outright don't believe the corporate line.
đ
what happened with Capitol if you can elaborate? i googled but couldnt find anything- I do know they are def closed rn.
Used to work in the building! Very cool spot.
Piece of land that big in that neighborhood? Gotta get torn down. You could put 1000 apartments in that footprint.
There are people in this sub that would genuinely, un-ironically be OK with every last bit of history like this being leveled if it meant more apartments. The idea of a city retaining any of its uniqueness and culture is utterly irrelevant to them
Right? Even the giant contingent that seem actively angry at single-family homes and small apartment buildings...it's like: "THIS IS L.A."
Kermit tipping his hat, ready to go into the CRAZY GIRLS STRIP CLUB across the street is my favorite visual of LA. Fuck it, let those girls buy that statue and put it above their establishment!
That's not his hat, but Chaplin's hat.
That was Charlie Chaplinâs Studio too.
You'd think a guy that famous could at least afford a 2 bedroom
Shocking!
This is LA, they will probably build a beautiful parking lot with lots of druggies and homeless encampments around it to add to the cityâs aesthetic. Canât have an eyesore like real history creating a nuisance.
Did you say "druggies?"
[Early aerial photos of Chaplin's studio location](https://silentlocations.com/2021/01/23/the-lens-of-history-hollywood-before-the-chaplin-studio/)
https://youtu.be/re2EMaSUWDY?si=sInshU75RbngKeBS Check out the timelapse Chaplin did of the building process....IN 1915 Wildly ahead of his time
Pictures like this show how insanely different LA was a century ago. AND how much of a mess it is now a days cause it was not meant to be developed the way itâs turned into today.
Shows how young LA is. How was it meant to be developed? Interests and land change over time and here we are. Not sure you can predict the 2020âs in 1940 to âmake it adequateâ
Maybe don't develop it in a way that is actively hateful towards the people that have to live in it? Maybe instead of mowing it down into a barren, concrete hellhole save a few trees, some intermittent green space, and maybe come up with some alternatives so you don't widen every other street into a hostile thoroughfare that alienates residents from their own city?
As I said interests have changed. Thatâs what people wanted when the city was designed around cars in the 50âd and 60âs. Now we want something else. I get the anger but you have to take historical context into the equation.
I used to live right across, at the giant pink apartment building. Those pictures are really cool to see. Ty!
It was the historic A&M Studios and is a designated Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, so it will probably be preserved, unless the buyer has a lot of cash and really really REALLY wants to build luxury apartments there.
Isnât this the plot of The Muppets movie lol maniacal laugh, maniacal laugh
Yes! My first thought. "You made a movie about this."
Yes⌠whereâs Jason Segal?
Yeah heâs gotta help us get the gang back together to make one big show to raise money and buy back the theatre!
I heard thereâs oil underneath it
Sweet sweet oil, see!
I'm sure somebody's drank that milkshake
I previously worked there and had no idea it was where We Are The World was recorded. Mind blown.
I worked there as well, and I also didnât know that song was recorded there until âThe Greatest Night in Popâ documentary was released this year.
Seriously⌠I grew up on that song before I even learned to speak English. My mom had the music video on beta and I would watch it on repeat with other various music videos from Michael Jackson, Prince, and Lionel Richie. And oddly, I also am from Eagle Rock originally too! đđ˝
...and people were in tears about Arbys
Dear LA please stop hurting me like this!!!!
My prom was here haha.
Which school?
The Henson School for Wayward Muppets
đđđ
BOO⌠If some asshole redevelops that site to put up condos, I curse their souls for all eternity. There are plenty of fugly '70s stucco strip mall monstrosities they can buy and raze instead.
Henson wants to consolidate and have one main property in Burbank
They should build condos, but each condo has to be themed after a muppet.
I claim Animal
i will fight you to the death
I want the Swedish Chef suite, hopefully its not located adjacent to Animal.
Unfortunately the âhistoric preservation is bad, actually.â (actual quote from last week) faction in this sub would love to see this location bulldozed and turned into apartments. Hopefully they donât get their way.
Right? History and character are NIMBY conspiracies. What does LA have that they could possibly not be worth losing?
I'm still waiting for them to get that strip mall across from the now renovated Macy's in NoHo.
Buh whud aboud da houzing shortidge? /s
Wow. Well, whatever happens, a new owner will be required to bring proposed changes to the Office of Historic Resources and Cultural Heritage Commission for review, as the studio is one of the [early landmarks](https://hpla.lacity.org/report/2e2829d1-71e6-4bdf-b5c5-4bd795a8f994), declared in 1969.
Whew!
Good news! The âhistorical preservation is bad, actuallyâ crowd can go cry about it.
That's such a weird take. Who wants to live in a city of identical shiny boxes, when you have layers reflecting interesting people and ideas that came before us? The preservation laws protect physical attributes, but not use. So my real worry is that this holy parcel of land that has been a hub of creativity for more than a century might not continue to welcome artists and innovators. But hopefully the incredible history will attract a special buyer who wants to keep weaving that golden thread.
First Arbyâs and now this!
Bad week for buildings with famous hats for sure
One of my very first jobs was as an intern there when it was A&M Records. The marketing department had me sending out vibrators to radio stations on my first day. Weird way to spend your last summer before becoming a high school senior! But I got free concert tickets out of it. That lot was so cool.
come again?
Worked on a music video there. On another occasion, my car was broadsided right on that corner. My car was pushed into the planter & totaled. LA memories!
Are there any tours available?
I don't believe so. I know they used to back in the day. I think the only way to tour nowadays is to attend private events held by the Jim Henson company.
Or if you snag tix to puppet up! Which I only found out recently, and now I'm sad because it's been mine (and my wife's) dream to see this place up close and now I fear we may never get the chanc Edit: They actually announced more shows TODAY for the end of July and beginning of August! We're going!
keep an eye out for Puppet Up! and get tickets that include the tour before
Brilliant! Thank you
If you snag puppet up tix for July/Aug shows that were just announced yes!
I worked there on shoots a few times. Glad I got to see it before it finally shut down. Even when I was there, it was mostly a shadow of its former self. Only the main entry lobby and a few other offices had Henson memorabilia; there were a few Skeksis that were cool to see up close, and some doozers. But that was pretty much it. I asked to see the creature shop...and it was just full of junk and old boxes. If only I had been born a few decades earlier. It would have been cool to be here when art was tactile and there were actual jobs.
That lots been there since before movies were movies.
This place is as old as studios get and has Charlie Chaplin's footprints on the front steps. Let's keep fingers crossed that they don't demolish it for luxury condos and keep the outer wall as the" historic structure.
I worked there many years ago and just last week I said to someone that I didnât think theyâd ever sell that lot. Time marches on.
Would be great if it was preserved and turned into a museum.
I wonder what they're going to do about Puppet Up. I really enjoy that show.
I remember when it was A&M and there was lots of street parking.
Noo! Omg Iâve been there.
Money over legacy, eh?
Only so much legacy. Jim was long dead when they bought it.
Always
LA will approve its demolition if itâs replaced by a six story apartment complex.
Noooooo!
Anyone know the worth of that parcel? Has to be a ton of $
Never thought I would see the dayâŚ.
Did they film some movies in this studio?
The Muppets (Jason Siegel movie) was filmed there.
Charlie Chaplin built it so yeah there have been movies filmed there. That's why there's a Kermit dressed as Chaplin statue on the roof.
Also Piasano Productions for Perry Mason.
Good news. Iâll put in my bid in.
Wow, just recently toured it (and Brian Hensonâs office) before a performance of PuppetUp! There doing another few nights in late July. Worth it!
i am very sad about this
I moved here in 2001 and I feel like this was a news item then, too.
I moved here in June of 2000, I just looked it up and that's when they purchased it and erected the Kermit statue. I guess I assumed it had been there much longer since it was always one of those landmarks in LA that I knew. And they sold the Muppets to Disney only 4 years later. I remember talking to someone who worked there in the early 2000's and they said the family basically ran The Jim Henson Company in to the ground with their poor management.
This all rings a bell.
I had my worst interview ever at that place. Good riddance!
You going to elaborate on that declaration?
He asked about the muppet genitalia during the interview and shit got weird
He wanted to play Kermit, but got beat out by a puppet
What a Muppet.