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YouTube's NYC Space Will Make You Want To Quit Your Day Job

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Photo: Courtesy of YouTube.
Tech companies are known for having offices that challenge the white-walled cubicle norm. You've heard about the cafeterias with free food galore, but what about the streamer-decorated corners created for photo ops and spaces for building LEGO kingdoms? In this recurring series, we'll take you inside the ridiculously fun rooms at start-ups and mega tech companies that will make you want to submit your résumé, stat.
When YouTube started turning ordinary people into beauty vlogging stars and viral comedians, the common perception was that these creators were sitting in their parents' basements, filming alone in front of a computer. While that might have been the case back in 2005, a lot has changed since then. The people who grow and sustain a large following are the ones who put time into filming, know how to edit their videos, and even stage elaborate scenery.
That's where YouTube Space New York comes into play. The 20,000 square-foot space, which first opened on the sixth floor of New York's Chelsea Market in 2014, is a full-on production facility where YouTube creators can go to take production classes, attend panels, and, most importantly, film segments. To facilitate those segments, sound stages throughout the space are regularly transformed into Hollywood-like sets, from a realistic-looking submarine and subway car to the more recent Oval Office. There, creators can dream up a storyline that fits the setting and reserve the space to bring their scenes to life.
"Once we’ve decided to move forward with a set concept, we aim to have it fully designed and up within a few weeks," says Adam Relis, the head of YouTube Space New York. "The installation is usually quick, generally three to five days, because most of the build is done in advance at a builder’s warehouse."
Here's the catch: If you want to quit your day job and hole up in a submarine you have to meet a few requirements, including having a channel with at least 10,000 subscribers and actively uploading material. But for creatives, the space is paradise on earth. Plus, you could find yourself alongside Nelly Furtado one day and Complex the next.
Click through to take a look at some of the sets that have occupied 75 Ninth Avenue. Then, start filming.
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