▁started ▁in ▁Chicago ▁and ▁expanded ▁to ▁include ▁a ▁San ▁Francisco ▁studio . ▁H - G un ▁began ▁as ▁a ▁collect ive ▁of ▁students ▁from ▁The ▁School ▁of ▁The ▁Art ▁Institute ▁of ▁Chicago ▁and ▁Columbia ▁College ▁in ▁Chicago ▁who ▁were ▁involved ▁with ▁making ▁art , ▁film , ▁and ▁music . ▁Origin ally , ▁UN G H ! ▁was ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁the ▁band ▁formed ▁by ▁found ers ▁Eric ▁Z imm ermann ▁and ▁Benjamin ▁Sto kes . ▁The ▁band ▁nearly ▁got ▁signed ▁to ▁major ▁recording ▁label , ▁but ▁the ▁group ▁dis band ed . ▁Once ▁they ▁began ▁making ▁visual s ▁or ▁music ▁videos ▁for ▁the ▁music ▁they ▁were ▁producing , ▁and ▁for ▁other ▁recording ▁artists , ▁they ▁created ▁H - G un ▁Cor p . ▁The ▁name ▁was ▁lo os ely ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁" The ▁Lab " ▁or ▁" H - G un ▁L abs ." ▁ ▁The ▁H - G un ▁family ▁of ▁friends , ▁collabor ators , ▁fine ▁artists , ▁studio ▁techn icians , ▁mus icians ▁consisted ▁of ▁core ▁group ▁of ▁employees ▁and ▁many ▁fre el ance ▁and ▁independent ▁contract ors . ▁H - G un ▁gained ▁attention ▁by ▁being ▁a ▁Chicago - based ▁music ▁video ▁company ▁when ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁industry ▁was ▁domin ated ▁by ▁East ▁Coast ▁and ▁West ▁Coast ▁production ▁companies . ▁ ▁Their ▁early ▁videos ▁included ▁work ▁for ▁their ▁own ▁band , ▁Un gh ! ▁and ▁led ▁to ▁comm issions ▁for ▁the ▁following ▁recording ▁artists : ▁Ministry , ▁La T our , ▁N ine ▁In ch ▁N ails