I Walked Into Offices & Started Filming In 1982
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- Опубликовано: 16 фев 2024
- I have got to say that this was a fun job. Just going into the Chicago Sears classic skyscraper in the early 1980s and knocking on tenets doors and asking them if we could film what they were doing at that moment, was surprisingly interesting. Most people's jobs were interesting and people seemed involved. The jobs were probably more interesting then than they are today if I had the same responsibility to knock on people's doors in any skyscraper in America. I was making this documentary for the Building Systems Division of United Technologies Corporation when "smart buildings" were new and exciting.
Chicago's history with skyscrapers is deeply intertwined with its identity as a city. As the birthplace of the modern skyscraper, Chicago has been at the forefront of architectural innovation and urban planning since the late 19th century.
The history of Chicago skyscrapers began after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, that destroyed a vast portion of the city. The reconstruction efforts that followed provided an opportunity to utilize new building technologies and designs. The Home Insurance Building, completed in 1885 and often considered the world's first skyscraper, was a significant milestone. It was the first building to use a steel skeleton structure, allowing it to rise to a then-unprecedented height of 10 stories (later expanded to 12), which marked a fundamental shift in urban architecture.
The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw the emergence of the Chicago School of architecture, a group of architects known for their innovative designs that emphasized height and the use of steel-frame construction. This period was characterized by buildings that featured large windows, flat roofs, and minimal ornamentation, focusing on functional design and the use of modern materials to support taller structures.
Throughout the 20th century, Chicago continued to be a laboratory for architectural innovation and skyscraper construction. The city's skyline expanded with notable additions like the Tribune Tower (1925), the Merchandise Mart (1930), and the Willis Tower (originally known as the Sears Tower, completed in 1973).
The Sears Tower, renamed the Willis Tower in 2009, is one of the most iconic skyscrapers not just in Chicago but in the world. When it was completed in 1973, it was the tallest building in the world, a title it held for nearly 25 years. The tower reaches a height of 1,450 feet (442 meters), not including its antenna.
The building's design features a bundled tube structure, a novel architectural technique at the time that supported the tower's record-breaking height and provided economic advantages by reducing the amount of structural steel needed. The Sears Tower was commissioned by Sears, Roebuck & Co., once the world's largest retailer, to consolidate its thousands of employees in one building.
The tower's black aluminum and bronze-tinted glass facade is segmented into nine tubes of varying heights, creating a step-like design that has become an architectural landmark.
The Sears Tower's construction marked a pinnacle in the era of skyscraper rivalry, showcasing advancements in engineering and architectural design. It has remained a symbol of Chicago's architectural heritage and innovation. Today, the Willis Tower continues to be a major tourist attraction, featuring the Skydeck observation deck on the 103rd floor, where visitors can experience breathtaking views of Chicago and beyond.
LOL at how careful he was telling the guy bringing the bulb down to be just to break it himself
Times certainly have changed. The loud pop of the exploding light bulb was pretty much ignored. Today, the result would be 1,000 panicky calls made to 911 reporting an active shooter or terrorist bomb.
@@revolutionaryhamburgerIt is weird.
Hilarious. Freaking Bob.
"Wake up man" 😂
I just want to add this perspective here: He had a pretty lady talking to him, calling his attention to genitalia (ie restroom etc), and he still managed to catch that rod!
Could make a whole sitcom based on Bill and Bob’s bulb changing adventures.
I just commented the same thing! That would totally be comedy series or movie! I bet they had too much fun together 😂
Yeah, or a comic book.
@@ultraali453 Bill n' Bob's Book o' Bulbs
bollb
2 1/2 bulbs
I like the contrast between the people running around fixing things, investigating reports of smoke, and calling to collect money. Then you have two guys taking pictures of corn flakes all day.
I went to college with people who were there to study how to take pictures of cornflakes; I overheard a conversation between two such people who agreed that photographing ice cream is much more challenging.
@@klafong1I can imagine ice cream is pretty hard. Think about how you have to manipulate it to get a good picture without the very malleable substance looking touched or doctored.
@@lackedpuppet9022 I believe these days they simply replace the food with props that look exactly like the food to make it easier.
Nowadays they want every one of those maintenance people to go get degrees along with the $100K in debt, so they can talk about your neighbors forgiving that debt ad nauseum.
@@lackedpuppet9022 What I remember hearing in the conversation was that getting the ice cream to be textured in the way that clients want to see it requires careful sculpting. The most challenging part is that the photographers only have a very limited amount of time to photograph the ice cream before it starts to look shiny due to it melting. Once the ice cream turns shiny, they have to start all over again. I felt horrible imagining this has to be for people who do food photography for a living.
Videos like this are some of the best things about RUclips.
Yes!!!
Agreed love it
The comic timing on that lightbulb break! 💀
“Whaddya doin’!” 😅
This whole job was really well filmed and edited. What a great slice of life
"Wake up man" haha
@@ddogg14the whole production was quite well made and holds up
The whole docu feels scripted. Pretty cringe.
I worked in the Prudential Building (off and on) for a decade from 1977 to 87 for 4 different companies on two different floors. I was in advertising photography, and I worked with the guy photographing the corn flakes, but I can't recall his name. I'll bet I worked with 1000 different people in advertising in Prudential. I worked with the Kelloggs people at Leo Burnett (they had over 15 floors of the building) while I worked for Hoover and Kern Studios, Feldkamp/Malloy, Phase II and Chicago Photo.
I had no idea how particular corn flake photography is!
Was the pack film used as a preview before the final image was shot?
@@erikfry5887 Exactly
@@trishhobbsphillips3478 That's how all of these shoots are, for any product really, in commercial advertising. It takes hours for this kind of product modeling. Brutal.
Love the background in your thumbnail, it seems cornflake photography-- or similar-- worked out well for you.
This video really captures the 70’s vibe of the Chicago area so well. The accents. The blue collar vibe. The executive vibe of the boss watching a television on his desk, the whole thing. I worked at a machine shop at this time in Rosemont, a nearby suburb close to O’Hare Airport. It was just like this only the factory version. I made a lot of photographs of all my coworkers. Guys you wouldn’t see anymore. Old European guys. Smoking like crazy. Playboy centerfolds on the walls and inside toolboxes. Lots of swearing. (All good natured, not mean spirited) But most of all the greatest sense of absurdity I’ve ever experienced. So many amazing characters. Most of these people are all long gone and you’ll never see their kind again. I made videos in the early eighties and after seeing this, I realize for the sake of history I’ve got to get them up on RUclips. This is a vanished era.
I'm not in Chicago, but your comment took me back to when I first began my office career. I had to spend a some time throughout each year working in the warehouse. Inside the warehouse, there was smoking, drinking, swearing, offensive but playful banter of every type you can imagine, and a whole large wall adorned with centerfolds and pinup girls. They called me the kid. Anyway, I just had some fun remembering those characters, and missing them. Yes, post your videos!
@@ivehearditalibefore3721 Yeah, the smoking was just crazy. Everyone smoked at that place except me. I was never offended though about their absurdities. Having a major sense of the absurd myself, I just laughed. We all laughed a lot. I always wondered how anything got done, but it did. These were precision parts with close tolerances. But most took their jobs very serious. I always thought all the insane wisecracking was to burn off the stress of it all. Yeah, many fond memories. I’m going to see what I can do. It really does need to get up there because it is a slice of history and a real inside look. I’m also going to go through my old slides and check out the portraits I did of all the machinists. I’ll see if I can make something interesting out of that.
The guy drinking coffee was definitely thinking "she wants me, I'm such a stud" 😂
I know I would. God, she was a fox, and that tight fitting dress. So how you doin' Linda, you're next, lol :) Oh yes.
She left him speechless after she set him up. “Wild night last night?” “I should say so.” “On a Monday night?” Then walks away 😂
So how are you linda?@@lambtoon
@@charlesedwards4160 men and women shouldnt work together
That lightbulb scene! Documentary gold!!
It is amazing how white collar offices buildings went downhill over the decades. We went from everyone having offices or cubicles with high walls, to everyone working in a open floor and talking over each other.
Now we all have desks and use them 3 days a week haha
Could be because we don’t talk on the phone as much. Not as necessary to have sound barriers.
That and tables are definitely cheaper than cubicles :/
@@k80_It’s the myth of the open floor plan. Companies bought into nonsense from “consultants” that people want to socialize when the exact opposite was true. They do need common spaces but also a sense of personal space.
@fractalelf7760 Agreed, I worked in both settings. Open floor plans creates more of a "us vs. Management mentality" it's bad for DEI , retaining talent, and creates privacy issues. Also while phone use is down in business, zoom/teams calls are up. Nothing is more unpleasant and unprofessional to clients than having multiple people talking in the background while doing a presentation for 20 people online.
I dont know, I still spend about 12 hours a week on the phone or teams meetings.
10:04 A man walking out of an elevator with a cigarette. I already forgot something like this was once possible 😁
I'm fortunate enough to remember people having an ashtray on every desk... and fortunate enough to live in a time where that doesn't happen anymore.
Grew up after this time when things were switching to non smoking inside during the 90's and 00's. But I had a dream a few years ago where I worked in advertising in the Seagram Building in NYC in the 1970's - basically everyone was smoking. Especially during a meeting with execs in the boardroom.
No kidding! I tell young people that at one time people smoked *on elevators* and they stare at me like I am totally insane!
Smoking used to be everywhere. It was common in most indoor public spaces.
It’s still possible
8:46 The sheer amount of analog telephone conversations going on before email and the internet as we know it today has always intrigued me. The evolution of the Public Switched Telephone Network is impressive in its own right.
I used to spend a good part of the day on the phone. A good office phone was a nice perk, so it was wise to make friends with the phone techs. Now, I barely use a phone. I've found I start losing my voice after a lot of talking, as it doesn't get much exercise.
I was born in 1983 so I remember the late 80s before the internet 🛜
I used to be on the phone basically all day. Was a lot more tiresome than now. I barely use the phone. 🎉
💯
@@Gr8thxAlotlol so true!
The last 12 seconds leaves me with a deep sense of melancholy. We’ve lost so much in such a short period of time.
No thanks. I'll take all the technological advancements in health and medicine any day. And I no longer commute to work. Thank god. And cars run beautifully well and everything comes with air conditioning, I have temperature controlled seats, and my car is way more safe then any car made in the 80's. My computer is my lifeblood and can outdo anything one from the 80s can. Technology today makes my life way easier and I'll take all of it.
Good riddance. Back then it made sense to be in a physical office, not anymore. WFH was already becoming more and more common before the pandemic forced it. I remember sitting in my office wondering why I needed to be there, everything I did could've been done from my home.
Nope brain washed GOP supporters especially biz owners and faux news watchers believe we should all be in building together for eight hour and more at least five days a week without ppe. THANK YOU SOCIAL MEDIA on MOBILE DEVICES. #Rubyfreeman # toomanyhumans # white southern American boomers #majorityreport
@@ch-yq5yn you sound insufferable
@@ch-yq5yn you sound like fat losers. Hope you’re not going burden of the rest of us with your lazy immoral attitude for much longer.
Everyone is so relaxed and up beat.
Nobody's worried about pronouns!
@valdivia1234567 sure, pal, it's the pronouns and not the insane cost of living and flat wages. Besides, something tells me you don't bother yourself too much treating others respectful.
@@valdivia1234567I’m worried about the fact that I’ll never be able to own a house. But yeah it’s the fault of them thar queers
@@elbowache You should look into the economy in the 70s and early 80s in America.
@@McVaioI’ve seen it, what’s your point. I lived it
I want my life to be as chilled as the guy’s shooting the cornflakes, lol
2 million computers
and speculating how many more there would be
1982....I joined a computer company out of college
1990 joined a consulting firm and became an industry analyst
A lot of reports were written about adoption rate and computer and ....the paperless office
2006 I turned my filing cabinet into a Snack Repository
I became very popular
And fat
Get a treadmill desk like the ones from LifeSpan, walk slowly to start while at your pc, changed my life, eat snacks without getting fat
I love the brief excerpts of the two guys painstakingly arranging flakes of cereal
I was actually doing that, in the 80s, in Chicago.
We used small droplets of glass covered in Nivea lotion for milk.
There were trays of flakes everywhere to help find the exact prettiest flakes to photograph.
This piece beautifully presents the life within a Chicago office building in the early 1980’s. I recognize it from my NY office temp jobs in that period. It always felt to me like a hive. All of these people from different companies, each with his/her own agenda for the day. The important questions were, “Where do I stop for my bagel/lox for breakfast?” “Where to go for lunch?” “Where are we meeting for drinks from 5:00-6:30ish until the subway rush hour subsides?” At 23 years old, I absorbed these questions from workers many years my senior who did “office” work, many commuting from NJ, for life.
Lol i thought i was the only weirdo who dont rush to subway at 5pm.
But instead grab a drinks/eat some meal/waste some time on internet wifi. Till its 6h30, and the insane rush hours in subway and bus are over 😂
Then the transport back home get way more comfortable and faster 😆
@@mathewvanostin7118 yeah, but I learned pretty quickly to put the swizzle stick from each martini in my shirt pocket. When I had 3 sticks, it was time to go.
Was there on a school trip in 1962, I was impressed with the top floor view. A fun day for 12 year old kids. Thanks for the video
My family visited the Prudential Building circa 1965, and were asked out of the blue to watch some prototype tv ads for cereals and give our reactions. The ad agency for all the cereal makers is in the building. That’s evidently where the photographing of the flakes in the bowl is happening.
As for the skyscraper making workers feel like robots, naw. I worked in a 1-story building doing statistical research for 24 years, and we felt like mindless robots everyday.
Could have watched a feature-length version of this doc. Frederick Wiseman would be proud. Would love to hear more about how you got this gig. Bravo!
My god look at those enormous computers and keyboards. This was the year I was born. Amazing how the world has changed.
Thank you so much for this! An era that I wasn't alive during, but am pretty fascinated by. I love how you showcased both the traditional office workers and also the blue collar types that keep the building alive. What a fantastic time capsule.
I was there. Started in office in 82. Wish you had caught glimpse of a few typewriters. Great film. Makes me wish I had done this every year on my career.
We had those "electronic" IBM red typewriters with a small display on it for correction.
Brings back memories. People dressed better and were more social. I got a chuckle seeing everybody smoking on the job and in their offices but honestly am glad to leave that sort of thing in the land of long ago.
That lightbulb moment is gold.
This is the good side of RUclips - quality content that is difficult to find anywhere else, educational, entertaining...
4:35 "...now would you do me a favor and get off your *ring tone*, send me some money..."
Great choice of sound for censorship. LOL
“a building” what an epic title
David needs more exposure! Even though I'm not from the States, what you filmed is a piece of history and must be preserved.
How much. I can't seem to beat the fact that so many young people today don't like long form and watch a few minutes of a much longer video that I have posted.
David Hoffman
@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker I would easily watch half an hour or more about this stuff, I'm pretty sure other people would as well, so maybe try that. I really love these time capsules, thank you for making them accessible
@@DavidHoffmanFilmmakerI watch!
What's even more interesting to me is the comments on this video..... polite, on topic, with humor, informative and inquisitive.
Even the replies within the comments are respectful.
So is everyone here just older or more intelligent than the average RUclips video? What's the deal? Refreshing and Interesting stuff.
Congrats. Only saints and angels can access this video which means you made the cut! Everyone else is a heathen or a Republican and shall be oblivious to this insightful look at the past...
This video has been posted a few times, and the comments on some of the other posts are about the insurance guy Burt Spitz. I decided to look him up, just to see how old he is now, but he died in 1985. But I found in comments that many others looked him up, and his family appreciates this video because they can see footage of him and hear his voice. Interesting! ruclips.net/video/f021EEy9B08/видео.html
Quit yer yappin nerd
Shut up
I'm 35 and I watch old stuff, like the Hong Kong movies from the 80s or Marlon Brando from the 50s. Sure, IMAX quality is great, but nothing compares with older film cameras. And I haven't had Netflix till yesterday. The selection is okay, but I know I'll be watching something like Heat from 1995 than anything new from today.
Omg remember when people SMOKED in the office?! 😂
They smoked in hospitals even!😮
@@1timbarrett and airplanes! Remember there was a “smoking section” and no curtain between smokers and non smokers?! 😂
@@1timbarrett Yes in the 70's all the Admin department staff ( all older Firemen) at the Fire Brigade all smoked. One of my placements after I left school.
"If the work isn't being done here, Where is it being done?" It's amazing how Remote work has turned this philosophy on its head.
Its smart really, you think your home is a safe comfortable place for you, nope now its the office. You cant escape.
@@derrikc9961”make a profit for my shareholders, wagie!”
@@derrikc9961 Just a matter of learning to keep the two separate. I'd rather learn to do that than waste nearly a day commuting each week.
@@loganmedia1142much better than my hour commute.
It was an emergency measure, now it’s time to get off the old ass and get back to work with other people. Professionalism and the quality of work and accountability has ABSOLUTELY suffered as a result; it’s all around us.
I have family in Chicago, I lived & worked there on & off back in the late 1990s, and was always memorized by the city's "skyscrapers!" I've not been there in years now, though one thing I still miss is all of the incredible food!!! 😉✌
Best pizza in the United States, hands down.
I meant "mesmerized"👍
@@spiritualhammer392 💯% Agreed!🍕🍕🍻✌
I have always wanted to know how they replaced those lightbulbs. That was a brilliant comedic moment.
4:22 Just feels like some scene from a movie
Late 80s / early 90s this hungover aesthetic existed in England and is such an inner comfort to me now at 40. Each generation says the next is worse but to me things have definitely gone down such a different route now. I could watch warming films like this all day - thank you
Well in the US we always made fun of Europe being a decade or two behind the times on everything. But then the internet came along, and now everyone, everywhere, is the same. Very boring if you ask me.
There should be more of this, RUclips would be a great place for it. It's interesting to see other's jobs and lives like this.
9:46 "...And in the next generation of office buildings individual tenants will be able to tailor climate and lighting to their particular needs." Offices have certainly not become more comfortable, aside from the removal of smoking. One thing I do not see here is the open office plan, which is what you do when you decide your employees are cattle, not people, but try to disguise it by saying this open work plan creates a more collaborative environment... yes, it does let you collaborate on hearing your neighbor smack their lips when eating their lunch at their desk, and collaborate by looking over your shoulder when you need to get up so you don't hit your back-neighbor's chair. I only started working in offices in 2004, but I can tell you that they became progressively worse even as my career advanced. I am glad to be working from home now... and employers wonder why people don't want to come back to the office? Maybe make them more like this.
The modern open plan office is an absolute nightmare. Plus there is the time and stress involved in commuting.
I like seeing those old mechanical rooms. It’s cool to see all that ancient equipment looking brand new.
4:21 That guy is like something out of a movie.
4:24 Dang. I feel like if you fall out of favor with this guy, you end up with a pair of cement shoes at the bottom of Lake Michigan.
Sadly, the chap on the phone here died of AIDS just a couple of years after this was filmed. Burt Spitz.
It’s Bernie!
That was a cool glimpse into office buildings and workers. I went to the Sears Tower in '97 with a friend. We went up to the observation deck and looked out over the city. That was quite a view! Thanks, David 😊
I love that building! I made sure to point it out and tell people about it when I used to give street photography workshops in Chicago. I'm floored at the amout of work you produced in your life. Now I'll sit back and watch the rest!
Even when I was a smoker I always hated smoking inside but there is something appealing about seeing people just casually smoking wherever they want. I guess it overall gives a more relaxed vibe to things. I miss it but at the same time I'm glad it's gone too.
im in my late 50s, and from chicago. i remember when mom was working as a secretary in this office type environment. the buildings were so alive with activity and people. the world seems so lonely nowadays
This is exactly the way I remember it.
This is so cool to watch, especially since I am only 19 it’s like stepping back in time. My mom would have only been 6 in 1976, and my grandpa would have still been a marine around this time. We just found footage that my grandfather took in 1972 when on an aircraft carrier and this made me even more excited to see it!! I also think it would be really cool if you went to an office this year and filmed with the same style for a comparison. It would be even more cool if you went into that same building!
David Hoffman, I must say you being a filmmaker and cameraman you have had some very interesting jobs assignments over the years, if you ever decide to do an interview on your life as a filmmaker I am sure it would be far from boring, I can see it now "Beyond the camera lens with David Hoffman Filmmaker."
David says he created this film in 1976 in the intro to the video, but he seems to have corrected the date to 1982 in the title and description. If anyone has doubts to which date is correct, the computer seen at 9:26 is an IBM 6580 which was not available until late 1980/early 1981.
Love your work, David!
You are correct. I was wrong in my presentation. 1982 is the date when I made this film.
David Hoffman filmmaker
The film is very nice and well done, it's a great window into the past, thank you for posting!@@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker
Thanks, I got confused with that.
2:55 Man, look at that large format camera fit to accommodate Polaroid Peel-Apart film, this way those guys can see their results right away and not wait for a photo lab. There were versions of polaroid film that also gave you a working negative along with the picture, so they may just directly use that. Either way, as a film photography guy thats sweet.
I work in a building like this today, and it just so happens the work I do often relates to the fact that their owners can't afford to repay or refinance their loans. Not surprising given the few people I see in the building every day, the empty offices, and the tenants consolidating and giving up floors when their leases are up. It will be interesting to see the future of these buildings in a world of remote work. Thank you for this glimpse into their past.
Any chance these buildings can be converted for use as residential properties? 🤔
I worked in the Prudential Building in that era. I remember the fire drills. My bosses hated the imposition on workers’ time.
Me too!!! I also was in the Amoco building next door on the 61st floor on 9/11, we had to evacuate down the stairs and walk to the train, it was mayhem. They thought a plane was headed to Chicago that day if you recall before the flight crashed in PA.
This is such an interesting slice of life! The film points out how far we've come since the 1880s. Makes me wonder what viewers from the 2080s will think when they see this film.
Um, there will not be equipment or video to watch. If anyone is around in 2080, they'll be looking for food, not viewing RUclips videos. Doesn't this video prove we're going backwards fast?
Lol
My parents worked in the 80s. Back then, people showed up on time. Actually, 5-10 minutes before their shifted started. People were also dedicated to their jobs. Knowing that they they got paid enough (even fast food workers) came home to a place they own and enough money to spend money for leisure. The 80s was a wonderful decade. Folks who worked really hard and developed more than just fundamentals of a hard worker should be.
People were naive back then, now they are cynical.
Maaan, I can't stress enough how important it is what you've done, and what you're still doing. Thanks for this, for ALL of this.
Thank you.
David Hoffman filmmaker
i love the quality of the narrators voice , you dont get that sort of sound quality today..its like a crispy analogue recording with a different vocal cadence from todays narrators, most 70's and 80's documentaries had this
20% of what I hear today sounds
like mush. Closed Captions
would seem to help; but,
it can't figure it out either.
Always love your videos, David! I’m about to be 26 and man, I wish I could’ve been alive during these times. These kind of videos give me a sense of nostalgia that I don’t actually have.
I took the day off today and decided to stay home, so I could lay in bed and watch a video about going to the office.
If you went into my office on any given day, you’d find 3/4 of the cubes empty, and the rest occupied by people silently staring at a screen and clicking a mouse for hours on end. No phones ringing. No water cooler conversations with coworkers. No radios. No mail cart roaming the halls. Just… silent, solitary computer work.
That sounds like heaven, only not nearly as good as work from home. I hate being social at work just to survive, I'd rather work in silence if I had the choice. Where do you work?
That's why the country is in trouble. We've become a land of isolationists unto ourselves. I've heard many reasons for this ranging from shyness to SAD to not wanting to bother ones self with small talk and idle chatter. The last one is the one that sticks out like a rusted nail. As if these people have such elevated thoughts that no one would be able to understand them or because it's just so physically taxing putting up a front just to appear to be social and fake it.
No one greets one another, knows about another persons family or where they came from and how they got there.
We've become hollowed from the inside out and it's largely due to people shunning interactions for whatever reason they ascribe to it.
Silence sounds like bliss to me. I work next to a guy who POUNDS his keyboard like he was writing a cheating partner. It drives me nuts!
@@vondahehaha I used to have a desk that was connected to another guy's (yay open office) who would pound his keyboard and shake my desk. Drove me nuts. He also chewed with his mouth open and made a bunch of sounds when he ate. God I hated that office and working next to that dude
@@kingtrav It’s terrible. Worst thing in my experience, is that these noise makers are usually nice people so you don’t want to tell them because you like them (otherwise).
This makes me appreciate remote work all the more. I can't imagine working in an old school office like that every day for decades.
It would have been awesome.
@@Cincy32 Going back to 1982 would be awesome. I did the office thing, never again.
This is incredible! Great job and thank you for sharing your hard work!
I worked in advertising as a Copywriter in Chicago in 1982. Home interest rates were 13%. The big, new technology was the fax machine. We specked our own type, sent it out to the typesetter (separate business) at night and the next morning, all the typeset copy galleys for all the agency’s jobs would be in a stack of 9x12 envelopes at the front door. If we did it right (and often we didn’t) the type would go to “paste-up” where somebody with a drawing table and a T-square and a pot of rubber cement would follow our hand-drawn layout and glue the type into position. Then, it would route through “traffic” to all the people who had to sign off. It would always have changes. So at the end of the day, another revised copy (we never said “deck”) and layout with specked type would go back out to the typesetters, and around and around we would go. And don’t get me started about photostats…. Everything ran according to the train schedules and ad people worked until the last train. We were nervous as hell most of the time. lol.
I remember when fax machines came out. I was a kid and overseas visiting my grandfather in France. He had just gotten a fax machine and was so excited to show it off. Everyone was amazed at being able to fax a letter across the ocean in minutes. LOL.
Growing up in NYC with my grandfather being a chief fire inspector and repairman on 584 Broadway and 588 I used to go to work with him as a kid and this was great memories
This is neat to see David thank you ❤
Not the usual thing I find in my feed. I started watching and watched the whole thing lol very well made. Just grabbed my interest. Great narration too. 😊
Hoffman is a master of the subtle . it appears not much is going on until you realize you just watched the entire thing and can't understand how your attention was captured .
Thank you.
David Hoffman filmmaker
it's funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back everything is different...
that is how apes changed into humans
3:41 Poor Bob 😅 @David Hoffmann. Do you remember the events after Bob's mishap?
Fuckin Bob, get it together man
Oh, come on...we know you were hoping that would happen.
"WAKE UP MAN "lol
@@MrCaryGrant59 kinda sounds like Tommy Chong 😂
I'm glad you existed to record historic time pieces. I will never again question why someone points the camera at seemingly pointless activities.
In the 80's and 90's i work in office buildings. Miss those days.
Damn. Hearing them talk about the miseries of office buildings in the beginning and people being inefficient and miserable hit hard.
I LOVE having the choice to work from home or in the office when I want and so too does everyone I work with. Having the freedom to not feel owned by a company you're helping to earn a profit is a thing of beauty.
Warms my heart to see so many office buildings filled to barely half capacity, there being less traffic, and employees finally getting some basic things they should've had long ago.
We have a long way to go but fortunately the craptastic treatment of employees is slowly becoming a thing of the past.
You might be getting a little ahead of yourself here. I think we have further to go now than we did back then.
The 80’s - 00’s were probably the best times to be working at an office. It changed sadly.
Suddenly I feel a need to rewatch Dolly Parton et al in ‘9 to 5’.😂 ⏰ ❗️
@@1timbarrett For Real.
In 2021 I had an internship with a gas company. They moved offices and was walking around the old one. Was like the Backrooms nobody there, carpet and beige walls. Even in the new office, it wasn’t really anyone in it because they all work at home which sucks for newcomers.
Seemed so fun.
I could watch these documentary type films over and over. Looking back at recent history really can teach us a lot about where we just came from and where we're going to.
This was wonderful, thank you, David!!
When RUclips recommends me videos like these I praise the algorithm
8:37 Andy never recovered from her getting bored and switching to Linda.
Poor Andy. I don’t she was impressed by him not behaving himself on a Monday night ;-)
I'm getting vibes that she was asked not to alter her routine except to talk it up a little for the camera before going into the break area.
Hello David, I am writing to you from Chile. Thank you very much for your records, every minute will be part of our history as human beings. The time will come when we will not be here and these records will be a jewel in the middle of our history. Thank you...!!!!
Thank you. Best wishes to Chile.
David Hoffman filmmaker
🙏@@DavidHoffmanFilmmaker
I worked in a downtown Houston high rise on the 42nd floor from 1995 to the early 2000s. It was a great experience. I loved bringing clients and friends up to enjoy the view.
I've been to Chicago in 2006 I took the Sears Tower tour it was to take you all the way up in the elevator it makes your ears pop. I had to chew gum lol they have the timeline of the years on the wall like a map.i went to the cheese cake factory restaurant that's the best with my brother and his friend. My grandma on my mom side was from Chicago she all Irish. I like this documentary u have on its history. My mom grew up in Columbia Missouri but her dad was from New Orleans met his wife in Chicago going to 4 year college. That was years ago in the 1930s. Thanks David for sharing this. Have a nice evening.📸🤓👍
As a high school grad, it was inspiring and enjoyable to work at a large office building in CT America. It encouraged me to go to college and return for a career of 35 years with respect for people and government. America. Free and democratic. Lets try to keep it that way.
Congrats to everyone born before 1980.
@@planetvegan7843 It was the golden years for sure. No one under 40 today even has a clue how great America used to be...
David, I appreciate your sharing your talent with us! Takes me back to a better time in my life ❤
2:50 lmfao he sounds like beavis getting excited about cornflakes xD
David, I think you should update it to read "David Hoffman - AWESOME Filmmaker"
Back When Life didn't suck as much
Oh look: Someone whinging on RUclips about how much better life was before RUclips existed. 🤦♀️🤦♀️🤦♀️
@@halfsourlizard9319this just in life seems worse as you get older 🙃
You must be German. Always complaining.
I want hours of this!
“to the architect, developer, and builder-“ lol imagine if there was just one of each on a building like this
that was very prudential work, david! **lousy rimshot**
Good ole Smoking in offices 😁👍🏻
Err, no wonder fire drills seemed such a good idea. 👨🚒
Burt's bits is that sales guy who is always one big deal away from "the big time baby" but can never seem to close.
The Lady takes the Elevator to inspect a fire alert... She didnt look as if she could use the stairs, but the Elevator is a no-go zone in case of a fire!
The first settler in Chicago was a was a negrow, named Bapsiste Point de Sable, whose log hut was built whose dwelling was built on the present sight of Chicago. The first permanent settle was John H. Kinzie, who came with his family, from St. Joseph. across the lake in 1803. Fort Dearborn was built on the South Bank of the river. for a quarter of a century, the place was no more than a frontier post. This is just an early history of Chicago with more history and how it was built up.
Thank you, David, again.
My how that city has grown with architecture. 🙏❤️🌏🌿🕊🎵🎶🎵
Chicago wasn't built up by what we consider traditional European colonists. The skyscrapers were air shops ports that transported grain in by rail and then to other parts of the world way before G. Washington was around. They told us we built them but they were converted into fake office buildings around the time of the second world war.
Is 'negrow' an antiquated term for a farmer with African heritage or something?
I feel bad for Bill. He goes to work and his boss tells him to “Hit the hole, Bill!” and then he comes home after a long day and his wife demands the same thing. Bill knows what he’s supposed to do in both circumstances. He doesn’t need the nagging. 🤷🏻♂️
Its interesting seeing this after working at home
I was born in '88 - as a kid I knew I was growing up in the last vestiges of what city life was like for most of the 20th century. My mom worked in an office in the Bronx, much like the Prudential building's cubicle floors. She'd take me with her sometimes when I was a toddler. This video brought back a lot of those memories - those personalities, styles, mannerisms, although updated to the early 90's by that point.
Thank you for this, David. We often don't think about the little snippets and moments we catch during the mundanity of our lives. But here we are. Forever imprinted on the digital spectrum, for whatever that's worth in our human history. Let's hope it remains tangible for a long, long time.
@luke5100 I specifically recall the IHOP (back when it was International House of Pancakes) in Union City, NJ. The old lady who called out "Smith, party of 5... smoking or non-smoking?"
And seeing the cloud of smoke wafting through the entire restaurant. Bygone Era haha.
👍
Thank God for remote working. For me personally, I have more energy and productivity has gone way up and also way less interruptions!
Remote work is a hellscape. It has doomed us.
You’re in denial. I bet your boss wonders where you are when you’re doing laundry or playing with the kids.
Thanks for another great upload Dave. Always an excellent add on to an otherwise mundane afternoon.
Boy do I miss the ’80s.
Man I'm old😂
Ah, I understand now. It seems like you're expressing a sentiment of feeling older than expected, perhaps due to a specific situation or realization. Would you like to share more about what's making you feel that way?
@@whitemailprivilege2830 is this a joke? Did the laughing emoji not tell you anything. Do you need to share more about why you feel the need to intrude on people's lives?
@@randybloomfield5090 I apologize if my response seemed insensitive. I respect your boundaries and am here to engage in meaningful conversation based on your preferences. If there's anything specific you'd like to discuss or if you have any concerns, feel free to let me know.
@@whitemailprivilege2830 there is one thing that's really bringing me down. It's yer name. I feel violated by yer racist name
@@randybloomfield5090 I'm sorry to hear that you feel this way, but your accusation that my name is racist is completely unfounded and unjustified. My name is has no inherent racial connotations or discriminatory intent. Jumping to conclusions and labeling something as racist without any evidence or understanding of its context is not only irresponsible but also disrespectful. Making baseless accusations only perpetuates negativity and division. If you have legitimate concerns or grievances, I encourage you to express them constructively and respectfully. Let's engage in a meaningful dialogue rather than resorting to unfounded attacks.