Writers strike costly for Queens

With two major film studios in Queens, Kaufman Astoria and Silvercup, the end of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike could mean more for the borough than having new television viewing material.
The strike that began on November 5, 2007 officially came to an end Tuesday night after members of Writers Guild East and West met to vote on ending it following a tentative deal being reached, although the new contract still has to be voted on. There was a 92.5 percent approval in favor of ending the strike.
“The decision to begin this strike was not taken lightly and was only made after no other reasonable alternative was possible. We are profoundly aware of the economic loss these 14 weeks have created not only for our members but so many other colleagues who work in the television and motion picture industries,” guild presidents Michael Winship and Patric M. Verrone state in a letter on WGA’s web site.
“Nonetheless, with the establishment of the WGA jurisdiction over new media and residual formulas based on distributor’s gross revenue (among other gains) we are confident that the results are a significant achievement not only for ourselves but the entire creative community, now and in the future.”
Kaufman Astoria Studios, which first opened in 1920, remained active during the strike, according to President Hal G. Rosenbluth. He attributed it to the studio’s reputation and said that movies, a game show and “Sesame Street” were still being shot there.
However, Rosenbluth said that he is still looking forward to the end of the strike.
“We’re thrilled to death that it looks like they’ve reached an agreement so we can get some normalcy back for the second half of the year,” Rosenbluth said.
Writer, producer and director Rick Korn, who lives in New Jersey, described the situation as being very frustrating for him personally. At the time the strike began, he was in the process starting production on a feature film and was working on a development deal with a major network for a television show.
Due to a decrease in income, Korn said he had to get creative with how to make up for it, and began using his writing skills for side work for places such as advertising agencies. Korn said that the strike was important for the future because of distribution of materials through emerging forms of media.
During the more than three-month-long strike, businesses that work with the studios in the “Hollywood on the Hudson” area were impacted on varying levels by the lack of filming.
Silvercup Studios in Long Island City has television shows such as “30 Rock” and “Gossip Girls” filmed at its facility. According to published reports, although rent was still being paid on studios, revenue was lost on other services typically supplied, such as lighting equipment.
“In recent years, New York City has enjoyed a resurgence as a location for film and television production, with our neighborhoods, studios and support facilities enjoying the economic benefits,” said Silvercup Studios President Stuart Match Suna. “We are looking forward to getting everyone - writers, producers, actors and crew - back to work, so that we can all get back to doing what we love most - filming in New York.”
Carl Paolino, in business for about 30 years, owns a studio based in Whitestone that does special effects work for television commercials. He said that production is definitely down because, since new shows are not being produced, new commercials are not being made.
“There’s nothing going on,” said Paolino, who also teaches and recently completed the feature film ‘The Sickness.’ “The phone doesn’t ring.”
Based in Long Island City and in business since 1985, Something’s Cooking Catering does work with television shows like soap operas, “Saturday Night Live,” “The Daily Show,” “The Colbert Report” and commercial shoots.
“During the three months our business was considerably off, especially with the television commercials,” said owner Jon Peters.
In order to off set the loss in business, Something’s Cooking Catering did more events and parties and cut down on their staff.
“After a month or two we will start seeing work begin to come back,” Peters said of the strike’s end.
Joe Lupo, the owner of Cinema Paradiso Italian Restaurant in Astoria, said that he was only slightly impacted by the strike, mainly affecting his lunch business. Although he said the lunch crowd had died down somewhat, Lupo said that it had picked up a little recently when a new movie began filming at the studio. He also said that, regardless of the strike, he would still be working to build his business, which he opened about a year ago.
In business in Astoria for 15 years, S’Agapo Taverna owner Barbara Lambrakis also said that she saw a slight impact on her business. Prior to the announcement of the strike’s end, she said fewer people were coming for lunch and that she was considering discontinuing lunch services, adding that S’Agapo initially begun serving lunch because of the studio. However, after finding out it ended, she said she would remain open for lunch.
Located a few blocks from Silvercup in Long Island City, Sunoco gas station manager Devindra Persaud said that there was a “huge decline in business” during the strike.
“They would buy gas on a daily basis,” he said, estimating that profits had declined 25 percent. “I know we lost a lot of business because we have contracts with them.”
“Now that a tentative agreement has been reached between the Writers Guild and the producers, the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theatre and Broadcasting is eager to see all productions back to work with cameras rolling as soon as possible,” said Commissioner Katherine Oliver. “The film and television industry employs 100,000 New Yorkers and plays a vital role in our economy. Businesses from hardware stores to catering services and dry cleaners to rental trucks will benefit as productions get back to work.”