• Thursday, May 1st, 2003, STATEN ISLAND SOURCE 

PROFILE ON "PROFILES"

Joe Montana	Mick Fleetwood	Isaac Hayes	Maya Angelou

Big names, one and all.

And each one a guest on "Profiles".

"Profiles" is the island's unique one on one interview  show   that  is  quickly  approaching its 100th episode. It is hosted by Mickey Burns, whose television roots can be traced back to Fox 5 News where back in the day he helped produce the 10 p.m. newscast, "The McCreary Report" and "Sports Extra". A member of two Emmy Award-winning specials he helped produce, Burns also hosted, anchored and starred in numerous television programs.

Recently, we asked him about "Profiles" and the upcoming milestone for the show.

Mickey Burns chats with Mick Fleetwood at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City.

"Profiles" is in its fourth season and coming up on its 100th episode, How did all of this start? Who came up with the idea? When will the 100th episode air?

I got the idea to produce "Profiles" four years ago as an  offshoot of  another  show  we  were producing  at  the time,  a  news magazine show called "Special Edition". Many of  the stories were celebrity-driven.

These stories ran approximately 7-8 minutes. Our interviews with major celebrities were always difficult to edit down to 7 or 8 minute features, and myself and Gary Huminy, the editor; were always torn when we had to cut interesting portions of our interviews with these celebrities.

These stories ran approximately 7-8 minutes. Our interviews with major celebrities were always difficult to edit down to 7 or 8 minute features, and myself and Gary Huminy, the editor; were always torn when we had to cut interesting portions of our interviews with these celebrities.

It  was  here that  I developed  an  interest in doing a long form, comprehensive profile of celebrities.

At about the same time Gary and I were considering launching "Profiles", I spoke with Wayne Miller; then marketing director at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center; about producing such a show. Mr. Miller thought the concept was great and suggested that we use the Snug Harbor Music Hall as a set for the show.

Additionally, he thought "Profiles" would be a great  vehicle to promote and  bring attention to the historic music hall, which at the time was in a fundraising mode for future renovation.

The stage of  the music hall did become our  set  for a  majority of  the  episodes  "Profiles". This location has been a favorite for celebrities!

Currently the music hall is in the final stage of restoration and will soon be the gem of Staten Island theaters.

 During the music hall's final stage of restoration, we have been using the Center for the Arts at the College of Staten Island as our primary set. As a secondary set we use Planet Hollywood in the heart of  New York City in Times Square and Ashford and Simpson's Sugar Bar.

Our 100th episode is scheduled for this June. We are now  working to book  either actor Elliott Gould or singer Tom Jones to celebrate our milestone episode.

Why do you think "Profiles" has been so successful?

I think "Profiles" has been so successful because it is exceptionally produced, has a unique feel and look,  and  has  established  a  roster  of guests that have been interesting, inspiring and entertaining.

We have made being prepared a priority for the show. We do an extensive amount of research in preparing for each interview. This approach is always appreciated by the celebrities, who, in turn, are very responsive. This combination usually results in a great show.

Quest Media crew with Emmy-award winning actor Jay Thomas.

Additionally, much of the success of "Profiles" should be credited to Gary Huminy, our executive producer, Moe Monty, our editor; and Andrea Vadala, our current co-host and marketing consultant.

All three work tirelessly week after week in writing, researching and editing.

How do you find your guests? What do you look for when booking someone for the show?

Acquiring our guests is a constant, ongoing endeavor as well as the life blood of our show. We acquire our guests through a variety of ways, such as relationships with theatrical agents and publicists, also through relationships we've developed with people in show business.

However, Gary Huminy is always researching celebrities who are releasing new books, plays, CD's, videos, movies, etc., who are seeking publicity and exposure for themselves and their projects.

When "Profiles" first started, it was very difficult to book major guests, even more difficult to get them to come to Staten Island. However, once we established a reputation as a quality production it became much easier to book celebrity guests.

Today, we get calls all the time from many sources pitching their celebrities and projects for consideration to be a guest.

When booking someone for the show, foremost we look for a celebrity with national recognition; one who has a unique story to tell, and one who has the potential to attract a wide audience demographically.

How long do you spend preparing for an interview, and what is the purpose of the interview - to cover general information, to get the guest to reveal something he or she hasn't stated publicly before?

Preparing for an interview varies from guest to guest. Some guests provide comprehensive press packages that we can use as the nucleus for the interview. We also turn to various sources to research information about the celebrity, such as articles, reviews, quotes, etc. After we gather all of this information, we prioritize the information and then format the structure and direction of how we would like the interview to go.

Keeping in mind that we are usually covering a celebrity's entire career, we need to be conscience of the time frame for accomplishing our interview goals. This interview preparation process can take anywhere from one week up to a month.

The purpose of the interview is to present an overview of the celebrities' lives. Also to uncover what the celebrities consider to be the keys to their success, and to show how they overcame some of their trials and tribulations along the way.

One of our goals going into an interview is to create an environment that quickly develops trust and comfort. In doing so, we hope the guest will open up and will share information that will be sensitive and personal and, when revealed, make for a special interview.

The ultimate goal of our episodes is to present interviews that are informational, inspirational and entertaining.

How long does it take to put a show together from start to finish? There is a lot more to it than simply sitting down and talking to someone. Clips, photos, etc., are used.

The first step is to book the guest. That process can take from one phone call to a publicist or agent or up to two years, as it took us to finally interview Issac Hayes. Celebrities' schedules are extremely busy. Finding a window that fits for everyone's schedule is sometimes a difficult task.

Then there is also the celebrity who is resistant to the interview and requires follow-up and tenacity to make it happen.

Once we book a guest and set a date for shooting we then must do the following:

A)   Prepare for the interview (research can take from one week to a month).

B)  Book the interview location - the music hall and the Center for the Arts are our two main locations, however many times we are required to go on location, such as when we interviewed Teddy Pendergrass, we traveled to his home in Pennsylvania, and when we interviewed Joe Montana we traveled to his hotel suite in New Jersey. Other times we need a location in Manhattan when schedules do not permit time to travel to Staten Island. Currently we are using Planet Hollywood and Ashford and Simpson's Sugar Bar for this need.

C)   Arrange limousine transportation for the celebrity too and from the interview.

D)  Conduct the interview (usually takes a few hours for  crew  from setup to breakdown).

E)   Post-production - after the interview begins the editing process, which includes researching vintage photos and video clips that are relevant to what the celebrity discussed during the interview. This process usually takes two weeks.

F)   Co-host stand ups - the final stage of the process is our co-host's on-camera stand ups for the show, which include opening and closing of the show, and getting us in and out of commercials. This process takes approximately two hours.

 Is there one guest or interview that stands out as especially memorable?

I think there were two -- my interviews with Joe Montana and with Dr. Maya Angelou. In both cases I knew I was interviewing people who have reached greatness and have achieved extraordinary accomplishments in their respective fields.

Both have touched and inspired millions through their careers in many different ways. Joe Montana as one of the greatest NFL Quarterbacks of all time, and Maya Angelou as one of the most accomplished authors and poets of our time.

During the interviews, I knew everything they both had to say would be meaningful to our listening audience.

You don't have to mention names here, but was there one interview that was especially difficult to do? Ever book someone who had virtually nothing to say? If so, how did you handle it?

Yes, comedian Pat Cooper: His publicists and agents provided very little information prior to the interview, and, in our research, we were equally unsuccessful. Ultimately I went into this 30-minute interview of Pat Cooper's life with approximately one paragraph of general information to work with.

On top of that, when the interview started, Mr. Cooper spoke angrily about people he was unhappy with in show business over the course of his career.

In my opinion what saved the interview was when I turned the questioning away from the anger and started asking him questions about many of the stars he worked with over the years, such as Jackie Gleason, Bobby Darin, and Sammy Davis Jr.

It was here that Mr. Cooper was at his best, sharing personal stories and insight about some of the show business legends he had worked with and who were his friends.

In the end, the interview turned out great. In fact, many feel it was one of our best shows.

What is the future of the show?

The ultimate  goal of the show  is to have it syndicated worldwide. Currently, "Profiles" is represented for worldwide syndication by TVS (The Television Syndication Company, Inc.) It has been successful in syndicating "Profiles" to such places as Japan and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Locally, "Profiles" can currently be seen on Time Warner Cable, Inc. in Staten Island (Ch. 76) and in Manhattan (Ch. 35).

Later this spring, "Profiles" will be expanding to Brooklyn and the Bronx on Cablevision, and in the fall of 2003, "Profiles" will further expand throughout the state of New Jersey on the ComCast Cable System.

Additionally, we look forward to producing the next 100 episodes of "Profiles"!