The first thing you notice about the studio is its size. Its dimensions are no larger than a typical city garage, probably smaller.

          Against one wall is a funky graffiti-strewn mural with letters that somehow configure into the word “Offstage.”  In front of this mural four young men are sprawled across the studio couch taking music, girls, dreams.

           Their friendly interrogator is Michelle Valentine, and they are guests on “Offstage,” Hamtramck’s music video and interview program on Omnicom Cablevision. As they laugh and caroled on the set, the videotape rolls and the bright lights blaze. MTV-style television is in high gear on Jos. Campau.

           “Offstage” is Valentine’s entertainment baby, a locally produced show seen in nine communities across the Detroit area. The weekly program mixes lively, spontaneous conversation with clips of musicians performing in nightclubs around the city. Valentine, a native Hamtramackan, is the show’s producer and host.

           “My idea here is to help local bands, to help them get some good exposure,” Valentine said. “We’re always out scouting (for bands), looking for alternative rock, to country to whatever else is out there.”

           “Offstage” has been on the air since last April, and dozens of bands have already been featured on the program. Valentine’s goal is have the show syndicated all across Michigan. She said a cable station in Chicago has expressed in interest in “Offstage.”

           Valentine, who also works as a model, began her public access production work at Omnicom in 1985, when she hosted “Michelle’s Craft Show.” Her next project for the station was “Pets On Parade,” which aired in 1989.

           “We had animals all over the studio. But they were just too hard to handle,” she laughed. “I don’t think I would ever do that again.”

           She said her interest in producing and hosting a music video show came out of her own experience as a musician.

           “I used to sing in a rock ‘n’ roll band, and still do some (club) bookings for other musicians,” she said. “I have a good idea of what their professional needs are like.”

           The show is taped every Wednesday in the studio and is always four weeks ahead of the broadcast date. This allows Valentine and her video crew to film the bands in the club setting and edit the footage well before scheduled air time.

           Last Wednesday the band sprawled on the studio couch was a downriver outfit known as the Nameless. Members of the band describe themselves as “basically a rock ‘n’ roll band touring Detroit and its suburbs for the past year.”

           After the taping, Mike Schultz and Shawn Munday of the Nameless said that their “Offstage” experience was a memorable one.

           “The whole thing was really cool,” said Schultz, “ and as professional as it could possibly get.”

           Munday said Valentine made him and his bandmates feel at ease on the set.   

           “There was no script to follow, which I thought was really great,” he said. “(Valentine) was a lot of fun and, God, I thought she was beautiful.”

           “Offstage” airs on Omnicom Cablevision’s channel 15 on Wednesday’s at 7:30p.m., Thursday’s at 8 p.m. and Saturday’s at 3 p.m.