Something Out of Nothing follows a group of at-risk teenagers as they learn about improv comedy through an after-school arts program in Chicago, Illinois. They succeed and struggle during the summer program that culminates in a show. The documentary examines how race and comedy relate to each other and how youth see race in Chicago. By putting a spotlight on misconceptions about inner city Chicago youth, the general public sees through their eyes the hopes, dreams and fears sometimes lost in the shuffle by the national media landscape.