The following is a verbatim interview with Michelle Valentine, Producer of “Offstage,”
a local cable television program about local musicians.

How did you first become involved with cable television?

I got started when I got out of high school. I have always done arts and crafts projects and I came up with the idea of having an arts and crafts TV show, to show people what it was that I do. Although I thought it was kind of far-fetched, I wrote a proposal and sent it to the station and lo and behold, a little while later they said they loved the idea – and that was the beginning of Michelle’s craft show.

Then, while I was in college I did another show called ‘Pet’s On Parade.’ On this show I worked with animal shelters attempting to find homes for hard to
place animals. This only lasted for two shows and then it was cut.

After I graduated from college, I happen to graduate at a time when there
weren’t any jobs out there. One of the things I always wanted to do was be in a
rock and roll band. Since I had time on my hands, I joined a rock and roll band. I figured before I get into the real world, with a real job and stuff, I’m going to have some fun. And so I did.

Being involved in music and going to the clubs was a completely new scene for me. I wasn’t really ever exposed to much of this type of thing, mostly because everyone in this scene were men. Everyone I dealt with in the scene were male.

There was just the band and myself. I was a back-up vocalist. I was with the guys all the time and had to put up with all their centerfold pictures on the
wall, and you know, talking about girls as they passed by.

They did treat me as an equal, which was great, because I got to see how the guys really are. In a way that was good, and in a way that was not so good.  All
in all, the guys were really great. To this day, we’re all really good friends.

Having been exposed to the music scene, I came to find out there were really no exposure for local bands. There is print, radio (even radio does not do a lot
for local groups) and I realized the local bands were working so hard to do so
much for the community, and were not getting anything in return.  As a result of
this revelation, I came up with another idea for a cable show, wrote another proposal and it took off.

I got swamped with phone calls from bands and everybody is just looking for exposure.  In working with the bands, I’ve gotten involved in doing other production work, like promo videos for clubs, and things of that nature.

I eventually would like to start moving into demo videos and would like to help bands out by not charging them an astronomical fee. It would be more to help
them get their foot in the door. Thanks to MTV, if you don’t have a video you’re
not anything.

It was really quite difficult trying to make the right contacts with people and the endless phone calls to the club owners for filming arrangements. Dealing
with the bands alone, some of who are so ambivalent about talking to me, has not
been easy. However, as I’m talking to them, they come to realize that I know what I’m doing. It’s tougher, in my opinion, because of my gender. You have to prove yourself ten times over than what a man would have to in order to gain recognition.

The show has been airing probably over one year. In the last year we’ve
probably done 18 or 19 shows. We’re currently working on a new set. The show’s
done very well. We’ve won Best Detroit Public Access TV Show (Detroit Metro Times), 1993, which is really great! We’re all very excited about it.

The station wants to make the show L.O. which means it would involve
sponsorship and advertising. I would like to do a lot with the show, but my main goal is syndication.  I’d like to get the programming on a major network, I don’t care if it’s Channel 62 at 4a.m.

Of course, we would stick to our current format of featuring just local bands. We have filmed and done some work with national bands, but it doesn’t mean I’m being disloyal to local bands. It’s just that it kind of helps in obtaining viewers. When it comes time for sponsorship and advertisers, it’s going to be very difficult to do, dealing with just local bands. Sponsors are concerned who there bands are, that they never heard of, and want to know where they are touring. Hopefully, my goal of taking the show further will get as many bands exposure as possible.

So far, the show is syndicated in 9 cities in Southeastern Michigan. We’re waiting on some tapes to send to United Artists which would mean 12 more cities, including Ferndale/Royal Oak area, then there’s Booth, which includes Birmingham and Bloomfield areas. MacLean-Hunter is willing to air the show, they cover most of the downriver area.

The stations seem willing, it’s just a matter of finding individuals who can
submit these tapes to the stations on a weekly basis. It must be done steadily to
be successful. Our goal is to gain access to as many cities in Michigan as possible. I’ve taken calls from bands form Ohio, Grand Rapids, etc., all who want to be included in the show.

It’s a weekly show and we try to feature two to three bands per show. I would like to expand this, but currently it’s chaotic enough having just two bands in
the studio.

What happens during the course of the show?

I have the band come into the studio and interview them, in an informal,
talkative manner. I do not work with a script. Prior to the show, I review their bios and go over material which is sent previous to the interview.

Whatever strikes me as interesting is what I base the interview on. I don’t
even use notes. We just have an informal conversation, we usually talk about stupid stuff. We’ll do that for a little bit (about 10 minutes, but this depends on how well the conversation is going.)

Some bands are very talkative until the camera starts to roll, then they have nothing to say. When this occurs, I say we’re going to take a break and when we return we’ll look at a tape of them playing live, like at say Harpos. We shy away from studio performances because they do not look as good, visually, as the tapes. The stapes include the audience and light, and are therefore more exciting.

After the tape, we’ll do some more interviewing and that about sums it up. The bands love it and keep in touch with me long after the show has been aired.

Some of the bands have gone through at least twenty band members and each time they change a player, they ask me to come out and hear what they sound like now. It’s pretty hard, because it’s not possible to see all the bands I would like to
within the course of one week-end. I have a really great crew, that work with me
on the show, and I couldn’t do it without them. That’s for sure.

Who are your staff?

                Aside from myself, there’s Andrea, the production assistant, and usually I have two camera persons within the studio. On location I have one to three camera
people, plus an assistant assigned to each camera person. I always have a technical director and a director, sometimes a floor manager, it all depends on how much is going on the night we are shooting. And then there are the graphics people, who work on the credits for the show, an editing person, and anything left over is added to the work load of the people already mentioned. For example, the director will occasionally do graphics, or the producer’s assistant will sometimes edit.

Back to the staff, I’d like to say we have a woman who is a publicist, and a woman designs my clothes. It takes a lot to put a show together. Roughly, it takes ten or fifteen people to do the show. I have the greatest crew in the world and everyone’s heart is really into the show.

How did you acquire such a superior staff?
Some of them are through the cable station, some are volunteers and others are students who answered an ad I placed in the South End asking for students who are majoring in film, and want to get production experience. I don’t always have the same staff, sometimes I have people from other cable stations come out and help me with the show. I had a camera man that I lost, to a better offer. He’s now the camera person for a new dance show. He’s very good.

Outside the studio, it all depends on where we’re going, in regard to the
person I choose. For instance, if we go to Harpo’s or the Ritz I try to bring camera people who’s personalities are suited to these venues. They’re apt to get better shots, because they just really get into it.

It’s a lot of hard work, but it’s fun, too. I work a lot of the week-ends, but
it’s worth it.          

                Do you think this will be a profitable venture in the long run?

Well, it could be profitable, but personally I’m not ready for it, yet. The
station is pushing for it, but I’m not quite ready. Once I get this other business I just purchased set up, then we’ll go heavy into the advertising, sponsorship direction.

So far, there’s been no profit margin. I’ve even taken money out of my own
pocket to continue on occasions. But I don’t mind, it has been worth it. Eventually, once sponsorship is obtained it may be possible to pay the bands for their time on the show, which I’m sure will swamp my mailbox. No income is involved in public access.

On TV I’ve only seen my show twice. I see it so often in the editing room I’m no longer interested by the time it runs.

Also, please mention, anyone interested in seeing the show, call their cable station and ask them to air it. I’m also interested in bartering with band
members in exchange for work which could be done on the show. We have several
arrangements such as this.

 

        From the cramped office in the back of her Grosse Pointe Woods boutique, Michelle Valentine is redefining home shopping in Michigan. 

          The St. Clair Shores resident, who owns L’Vogue nail and clothing boutique on Mack Avenue, recently kicked off her creation: the Michigan Shopping Network. The cable television program is shown in six Oakland county cities and offers merchandise solely from retailers in Michigan.

           “I came up with the idea by owning my own store,” Valentine said. “This is the only show where local retailers can reach local people.”

           The Michigan Shopping Network, part of L’Vogue Productions Inc., is what Valentine calls interactive television. Viewers call stores directly, rather than a warehouse in some other part of the country, to order merchandise they see on the program.

           “If you like that bracelet, you’re calling the store,” she said, adding that it encourages people to visit the actual stores.

           The program is produced through Booth Communications in Birmingham. The show has potential audience of 23,000 in Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, Birmingham,  Beverly Hills, Bingham Farms and Franklin. The median annual income of the audience is $73,275.

           Retailers do not have to be located within the network’s viewing range to be considered for advertising, Valentine said. In fact, she encourages retailers from all over the state to participate.

           “We’re trying to stimulate the Michigan economy by promoting retail in Michigan,” she said. 

          John Patrick of Booth communications said Valentine’s program is the first of its kind for Booth, and it is the only local shopping network he knows of in the area.

           “I think the show is ideal. There is no other outlet (like it) for local businesses,” said Patrick, the show’s production manager.

           Valentine and her crew have taped the half-hour pilot of the show, which currently airs at 6:30p.m. Tuesdays and as one of Booth’s six non-stop rotating programs on weekends. Valentine hosts the show, introducing the retailers and their products.

           “I think it’s real close to what she wanted, but like anything else, there’s work that needs to be done,” Patrick said.

           “She’s got to build up a following, like any show,” he added.

           A date has not yet been set to tape subsequent programs, but soon Valentine hopes to get on a schedule of taping a new show each week. She set up the program to showcase four non-competing retailers, giving them five-minute segments to do with what they want.

          “We own 30 minutes of air time, so we sell 30 minutes of air time,” she said. Valentine charges $1,300 for a five-minute spot.

          “If they can’t afford to be on the show, they can buy a commercial.”

           Commercials, sold in minimum packages of five, run $150 for 30 seconds – more if L’Vogue Productions also produces the spot.

           Valentine asks potential advertisers to fill out a questionnaire answering certain things like the business’ return policy, what credit cards it takes and what, if any action, it will take if a customer receives a product that has been damaged during shipping. 

          “If it’s a store I don’t feel would represent us well, I don’t want it,” Valentine said.

           “I’m trying to promote upscale, quality merchandise because what’s on the show is a direct reflection on my company.”

           The Michigan Shopping Network is not limited just to the display of merchandise. If a company or an individual wants to promote a service, or even if, say, a band wants to promote itself, Valentine said she’ll accommodate. 

          “It’s basically endless,” she said.