Message
1Michael
ust about anyone who watches tele-
vision has a favorite show. Some pre-
fer the edge-of-the-couch excitement
on "ER," while others like to kick
back and catch the classic re-runs of
"Bewitched" and "M*A*S*H." Like-
wise for news broadcasts. In Detroit,
some prefer Carmen Harlan, others
watch Guy Gordon or Rich Fisher. But of-
tentimes viewers tune in because they've
been previously exposed to an enticing pro-
motion.
Michael Charach of Southfield is one of
the people behind those quick and catchy
promos, also referred to as teasers in the
television business. Charach, a topical
news producer in the promotions depart-
ment at WJBK-TV Fox 2, produces pro-
mos for sitcoms, news broadcasts and
more. He knows what piques curiosity and
how to cause goose bumps.
What goes into those attention-grabbing
teasers? A lot, for a mere 30 seconds of air
time. "You write the piece, pick the video,
work with a graphic artist and an editor
from the idea stage to execution," said the
25-year-old producer, whom his Fox cronies
call "topical boy" and "the tape scavenger."
Recently, he created a 30-second teaser
for "Late Night Classic TV" that was nom-
inated for a Michigan Emmy, an award
that's part of local television's annual com-
petition.
Charach's 30-second Emmy nominee
covers the late-night lineup, including
"Cheers," "M*A*S*H" and "Who's the
Boss?"
"It's a classic TV kind of thing ... you
know," he explains. Then, in a deep, boom-
ing voice, he bellows: "At 11 it's `Cheers,'
at 11:30 it's `M*A*S*H.' Find out who's re-
ally the boss on TV the way it's meant to
be!
"It's fun campy, something people could
LU identify with," he said of the nominated
= promo, which features shows from the '80s.
0 , "I wanted to put a classic
spin on them," said Michael Charach:
Charach of the shows that The man behind
are "now as classic as 'I those quick and
3 Love Lucy." catchy promos.
Charach's team used
neon colors, clips from the shows, '50s mu-
Li , sic, Scott Chapin's (formerly of WCSX ra-
= dio's Chapin and McBean) voice and more
to create the catchy item. "I chose music
from The Perfect Wife.' The whole thing
is a take-off on a classic era," said Charach.
Although his entry didn't win ("The
j
,
..
Uj
81
Fresh Prince of Bel Air" on Channel 50
beat me"), he was still proud to be a part
of this year's program. "I took my father
[Joel Charach] to the awards ceremony, so
it was great," he said.
He's also excited that his station, which
features such popular series as "The X-
Files," "The Simpson," "Melrose Place"
and "Beverly Hills 90210," won six Em-
mys. "Just to be nominated is a big deal
for me. I was up against some really cre-
ative people who've been in the business
a lot longer than I have," he noted.
Most of those creative people possess a
good sense for news. "You have to know:
Is a story promotable? Is it something an
audience will respond to? And you don't
have a lot of time to figure that out," ex-
plained Charach.
Some of his recent 10 o'clock news
teasers promoted murder and health sto-
ries (Stay tuned for information on "an
Michael Charach produces teasers for
television. Want to meet him?
Stay tuned ... er ... read on.
MEGAN SWOYER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
Oakland County murder. The weapon? Po-
lice say it was the hand of a karate champ."
Or "No, it's not a breath spray, it's the lat-
est way to take your vitamins. But does it
work? Find out...")
Teaser writers also need a creative sense
of timely humor ... throughout the year.
"Last February I did a promo for Valen-
tine's Day called 'Stupid Cupid' week," said
Charach.
Television teasers, explained Charach,
are like scenes from a movie or cover blurbs
on a magazine. "You don't want to give the
message away, you want to draw in view-
ers for a longer ride."
Charach, a graduate of Oakland Uni-
versity's communications program, start-
ed his career as an intern and then an
employee at WXYZ-TV, where he wrote
teasers for the "Company" show. He also
interned and worked at September Moon
Production Network, a corporate video
company based in Southfield. At Septem-
ber Moon he worked on a Holocaust docu•
mentary called "When Restraints Are
Removed."
Then it was off to WJBK-TV to work in
a part-time promotions position. "I was do-
ing 'baby relief work," he said, referring
to the various maternity leaves at the sta-
tion. Now he's a full-time staffer who also
is charged with overseeing the station's
Web site.
What's next? Charach, a voracious
movie buff, wants to write a book about
world cinema that includes highlights from
the Thai, Filipino and Chinese movie in-
dustries.
And like any enthusiastic producer, he
wants to become a senior producer and cre-
ative services director. "I love being in the
promotions area. It touches news. I'm down
in the newsroom a lot, but that's as close
[to news] as I want to be." ❑