But finding studio space in the city has never been easy, so developers had to get a little creative.

In the 1960s, Andy Warhol turned his studio into "The Factory." In Queens, with the help of Alan and Stuart Suna, the opposite has occurred: the factories have been turned into studios.

In 1983, the brothers converted what had been the Silvercup Bread Bakery into a television and movie studio. Since then films such as "When Harry Met Sally," Broadway Danny Rose, "Ransom," and "Private Parts" have been filmed at Silvercup studios, as well as HBO’s "The Sopranos," and "Sex and the City."

Along with Kaufman Astoria Studios, which is home to "Cosby" and "Sesame Street," and arguably where the American film industry began, Silvercup and several other smaller studios have helped transform Queens into Hollywood East.

This month the brothers announced that they would be expanding Silvercup’s capacity with a new studio only a few blocks away. Built from what was once a steel mill, and dubbed "Silvercup East," the new space would add five larger studios to the company’s arsenal. "With our largest studios running at nearly full capacity, it now makes sense to undertake this expansion," said Alan Suna, Silvercup’s CEO.

Unlike the oddly shaped original studios, which had to be built around the anomalies of the bread factory, the $20 million Silvercup East construction will be far more straight forward. In fact, said Suna, they are already booking the studios for this summer.

The new facility, which is designed more like a traditional Hollywood lot, is a 200,000 square foot, self-contained, gated complex. Intended for larger scale productions, the site offers extensive prop and wardrobe complexes, as well as parking for as many as 300 cars. It was announced the same week as plans were put forth to construct a mega-studio complex in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, a project that if funded will be completed in 2002.

"They have done fabulously for Queens," said Councilman Walter McCaffrey. "The studios provide a great commercial anchor."

The Architecture Of Film

But while Alan and Stuart run one of the largest studio complexes in the city, neither of them had any background in filmmaking, nor were they particularly great movie fans.

Raised in Kew Gardens, the Suna brothers were both trained as architects.

"First we were simply looking for a way in which to use this great space," said Alan Suna, referring to the abandoned Silvercup factory. "We considered several options before deciding upon movie studios."

When asked if the fact that they grew up in the borough influenced their decision to build Silvercup here, the two replied, in unison, "Absolutely not." Laughing, they added "But we do love Queens, and its Borough President Claire Shulman."

The studio business in which walls, floors, and tables are constructed and demolished daily, seems appropriate for the two architects who enjoy life on the perpetual drawing board.

"We have always been fond of finding new uses for old buildings," said Stuart. "Here in New York, it is a way of life."

"We are always changing," added Alan. "There are always offices to reconfigure, and we are constantly rebuilding to serve our clients."

Tuning In To Demand

The Sunas attribute the impact of cable television and new media to the dramatic growth of their industry. A revolving door’s worth of commercials comprise a large portion of their business.

"But even as more work is done digitally, there is still a great demand for studios," said Alan. "Even if an actor is standing in front of a blue screen and a mirror, he still needs an appropriate space to work in."

But even the shows that are filmed regularly out of Silvercup only really use the facilities six months out of the year.

"The world of television is a 26 week world," said Alan, adding that as a result even regular clients are fairly irregular.

Among some of the new shows to be filmed out of Silvercup is "Avenue," a USA soap opera which will take place in large part in Queens.

Queens Logic

Beginning with "All in the Family," Queens has a long history of being the setting for television shows, while not the location of the set. "All in the Family" was shot in Los Angeles, as were other New York shows such as "Seinfeld" and "The King of Queens."

However, as a result of increased studio space, and a concerted effort on the part of the city to be friendlier to filmmakers, more productions are shooting on location.

This is one more selling point of Silvercup, said Stuart.