8/29/2011

Going Far Beyond With Much Bigger Sound Stages New York

By George Harris


Sound stages New York where a lot more and even larger commercials are filling up a lot more and greater soundstages. Happy days are here once more from top executives at New York's soundstages. With demand for their facilities meeting and sometimes exceeding supply, these managers are daring to hope that '80s-style prosperity is coming back to their neck of the media woods. Some facilities, particularly Silvercup Studios, in Long Island City, N.Y. have expanded pending an ongoing upswing in business. Others have come into existence atop the ever rising tide of production activity.

A fad for large-scale TV commercials that required thousands of feet of on-camera production space has been part of the reason behind this upsurge. Movies have led the trend, yet series pilots, commercials, music videos as well as home shopping programs have followed suit. And then there's the most sensational of soundstage tenants: the depraved television talk show or "shout show." An increasing number of the shows gravitated to The Big Apple, in part to attract studio audiences from the city's ever-increasing pool of yelling psychotics. All of the above have added to the present wave of studio construction. But a few executives say there's a hazard to the present situation. If in fact it's the go-go '80s once more, they note, the market should likewise keep in mind the chance of another economic collapse in its wake.

Tucked away on top an old warehouse atop of one of Broadway Stages' several production facilities, is a 6,000 sq. ft. urban farm. Brooklyn-based Broadway Stages is among one of New York City's biggest full-service movie as well as television, music video production and business studio establishments. Aside from employing lots of people, and creating hundreds of local work opportunities they are home to the first solar powered sound stage as well as the first organic rooftop farm in The Big Apple.

Now in its third growing season Eagle Street Rooftop Farm is a collaboration between Broadway Stages and the green roof design and installation firm Goode Green. The farm likewise manages a small community supported agriculture (CSA) program, and an onsite green market, and serves area dining establishments even going so far as to bring the produce by bicycle. In addition, in partnership with Growing Chefs, the rooftop farm hosts a variety of educational and volunteer programs designed to bring city-dwellers much closer to their food source. They invite the local community to compost on-site and for many of the school groups visiting, it's their first time visiting a farm or putting their hands and fingers in the earth.

Sound stages New York is a good illustration of going far beyond in greening efforts and creating distinctive joint ventures. It makes sense as food and art so frequently seem to come together in the building of neighborhoods. Just like Arcola Theatre in London with its green roof, vegetarian organic caf and community potlucks the Eagle Street Rooftop Farm has turned into a community hub as well as meeting place for its neighborhood.




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