October 13, 2024 • 53 mins
Text Beyond the Threshold w/ your thoughts or questions!
In this episode of Beyond the Threshold, host Sidney Evans is joined by Melisa D. Monts, a NW Arkansas native who is a writer, producer, audiobook director, CEO of Diamond MPrint Productions and Co-Founder of Sister Sign Productions.
In this episode they discuss:
- Her early aspirations growing up in Arkansas that resulted in a move to LA.
- The key experiences that shaped her transition from writer to producer.
- The natural shift that resulted in her working on audiobooks and podcasts.
- Lessons on seizing opportunities, negotiations, and her creative process.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Melisa D. Monts (00:01):
Ask for what you want, because I just ask for
things and if people say no,okay, but if they say yes, great
.
Getting my foot in the door forthe entertainment industry was.
I just called up schools andasked if I could work on their
student films and they were likewe don't really get people
asking that, but sure.
Sidney Evans (00:20):
Tune in as we give flowers to Black men and women
making waves in the audioindustry.
I'm your host, sidney Evans,and this is Beyond the Threshold
.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcometo Beyond the Threshold.
(00:44):
I'm your host, sidney Evans, anaward-winning audio editor,
mixer and producer.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcometo Beyond the Threshold.
I'm your host, sidney Evans, anaward-winning audio editor,
mixer and producer.
For those of you who don't know,on this show I interview Black
men and women working in theaudio industry, highlighting the
lessons and experiences ittakes to achieve success in the
field.
As always, we got another greatepisode in store for today.
(01:04):
Field as always, we got anothergreat episode in store for
today.
And speaking of experiences,today's guest has quite a few of
them, so I can't wait to hearthe background regarding those
experiences.
And when a guest agrees to comeon the show, I actually send
them a link to fill out theirbio and a couple of other
questions as well.
And usually that's where peoplereally are excited about
(01:25):
sharing the roles they held andthe productions and projects
that they worked on.
And in today's guest she didshare her roles, but she I felt
like she went kind of modest onthe productions, and you know
the shows and you know namedropping all the the people that
she's been involved with, soI'm'm going to make sure she
does share some of thatthroughout the course of the
(01:46):
interview.
To give a little background onher, she's a native of Northwest
Arkansas and currently residesin Los Angeles.
She's a TV and film writer andproducer, a podcast host and
producer, audio book directorand a novel writer and, for
those who are familiar withsports and the triple double or
baseball, the triple crown Idon't know, we need to come up
with some type of term forsomebody who writes, produces,
(02:10):
is talent and directs, but I'mgoing to think about that off
air and I'm going to get back toyou on that.
She's also the CEO of DiamondImprint Productions and
co-founder of Sister SignProductions.
So, without further ado, I'dlike to introduce Melisa D.
Monts guest, .
Welcome to the show, melissa.
Melisa D. Monts (02:28):
Thank you.
Thank you for having me.
I'm so excited to be here.
Sidney Evans (02:31):
Yes, I appreciate you coming on.
As she said off air she doesn'tdo a lot of podcast interviews
recently but, as you learnedthroughout today's episode, she
is in front of the mic quite abit, so hopefully it'll come
back, you know, immediately.
But yeah, I don't have too muchother than kind of just getting
into your story and yourupbringing.
(02:53):
What was your inspiration, Iwould assume, out of all of
these, out of all that'shappened in your illustrious
career?
I just wanted to sayillustrious.
So did you start off withwriting like the foundation for
you?
Melisa D. Monts (03:12):
So growing up I actually wanted to be an
orthodontist.
You know, my undergrad degreeis in biology, but I took
writing classes for fun.
Well, I thought they were justfor fun and I really enjoyed
them and I excelled in them.
And a screenwriting classpresented itself my senior year
in college and I was I just Itook the class and I really
(03:33):
liked it and then I was likemaybe I should.
I really wasn't feeling thedentistry field anymore.
I took a dental class for thefirst time and I was like I
don't know if this is actuallywhat I want to do.
Let me see this other thingthat I've been really excited
about this.
When I was in elementary schoolI used to write like little
(03:55):
scripts based on Power Rangersthat I would have my classmates
act out during recess.
So it was always something thatwas there.
But my parents were pushing meto be a doctor.
But then when I told them thatI was interested in the
entertainment field, they werestill like completely on board
with that.
So they've always beensupportive.
Sidney Evans (04:16):
Okay, that's cool.
Well, you definitely had me atPower Rangers and I'm glad you
mentioned that, like whetheryour parents were supportive or
not, because I was going to ask,like, were you encouraged to
kind of take a more traditionalroute as far as career?
It's kind of either one extremeor the other, as either you're
encouraged to, you know, be adentist or a doctor, go to
(04:36):
school, do all those things avery linear way, or you have
parents who are like supercreative themselves, whether it
be like musicians or a dancer orsome type of artist, and that
kind of obviously just rubs offon the child.
So I'm glad you shared that.
So, college I guess you tookthe class in college and
realized that's more what youwanted to do, or maybe it was
(04:57):
even just from taking thedentistry courses what you
didn't want to do.
But what was the moment whenyou decided that you were
actually going to pursue andtake it seriously and dedicate a
lot of time to it?
Melisa D. Monts (05:09):
So I was in, like I said, I was in college
taking the writing classes and Itook a playwriting class and
then a screenwriting class, youknow, just for fun.
They didn't add anything to mybiology degree.
I actually went into collegewith already 30 hours, so like
(05:31):
from taking classes at communitycollege while I was in high
school and so my senior year Ireally didn't have to be there,
but why would I go into the realworld?
Sidney Evans (05:43):
Yes, let's delay that process a little bit longer
.
Melisa D. Monts (05:46):
Yeah, so I was taking I took screenwriting,
playwriting, golf, gymnastics,like just fun classes.
I really, really enjoyed thewriting and I like got to a
point where I was like I don'tknow what I want to do.
So I went and talked to mycounselor and she was like, well
, you've taken these classesthat you do enjoy and you don't.
(06:08):
You haven't enjoyed like thedental class that you take.
Why don't you explore this?
And me being in Arkansas?
Now there's like theBentonville Film Festival and
Arkansas has like a greatprogram for kids, like for film.
But at that time there reallywasn't anything film related
(06:29):
that was going on that I knewabout and so I hadn't really
thought about it as a career.
So then when I started lookinginto it, that next year I went
and just kind of called upschools in California and was
like in Los Angeles and I waslike, hey, can I come work on
some student films?
(06:49):
And they said, sure, we don'treally get this request, but you
can PA.
So they connected me withstudents, worked on things at
UCLA, usc and AFI and I really,really enjoyed it.
So I shadowed would come backto Arkansas.
I was working in the healthlike using my degree working in
(07:10):
the health field, saved up somemoney, and then once I really
you know, was really cemented inthis is what I wanted to do, I
moved out to LA.
I went to UCLA's program thatthey have, where I studied
entertainment studies, tvwriting and as well as directing
(07:31):
and producing.
So that's how I got my foot inthe door.
Sidney Evans (07:35):
Yeah, that's kind of well.
That's very ambitious.
Coming from Arkansas, did yougo to college in Arkansas?
Melisa D. Monts (07:41):
Yeah, I went to the University of Arkansas.
I mean, I was born in Arkansas,I lived in they call it like a
corporate America brat my momworked for Kraft Foods for most
of my childhood and we movedaround a lot, so I've lived in
numerous different states andthen we wound up back in
Arkansas during when I was ineighth grade, and so then I and
(08:04):
my mom also went to theUniversity of Arkansas.
So you know legacy in that way,and so I had always, no matter
where we lived, I had alwaysplanned on going to the
University of Arkansas.
Sidney Evans (08:14):
Okay, cool.
So so, from Arkansas to LA.
So when you got to LA and gotthat experience, those first
initial experiences, did you?
Did it become clear to you,Like when you started, I guess,
like how did it kind of happen?
Like it seemed like you werekind of doing a little bit of
everything, Like when did youdiscover that, like writing was
(08:36):
either your thing or it might bethe path of least resistance,
or did like a specific idea cometo you and you were like nobody
else is doing anything likethis, Like I want to work on
something you know in this styleor in this vein, and it wasn't
presented.
So you're like well, I just gotto write it in order to do it.
Like how did that kind of work?
Melisa D. Monts (08:56):
I mean I would say my first there's no one.
There's no new ideas.
There's no new ideas, it's justdifferent executions of the
same things that have alreadyexisted.
But I wrote several things andwith early writers, nothing that
you write in the beginning isactually good, but you get it on
paper and it's a learningprocess from that.
(09:19):
But I knew when I made the move, I knew that I would be working
in the entertainment industryand I didn't.
There's, there was no likesecond thing, there wasn't
anything else.
I knew when I moved.
Sidney Evans (09:34):
OK.
So you went through thatprocess of just getting it out
on paper, writing, perfectingthe craft.
When was the moment where yourealized you had something like
this is really good, and wasthat the first thing that other
people agreed was good or likedid you does?
There are ongoing process ofyou just people like you know,
(09:57):
taking you serious as a writeror someone wanting to like,
invest or give you anopportunity to like okay, this
is, this is solid.
Let's try to actually dosomething with this, because I
know the the process for gettingstuff made is is a long process
and even though you might get a, you know, a deal to write it,
you might write it they couldprobably just buy it from you
(10:21):
and then change it up a littlebit.
Or did they come back to youlike okay, we like the initial
idea, let's present it tosomebody.
Make changes.
What was that like?
Melisa D. Monts (10:31):
Well, with the writing.
I would say that has alwaysbeen the long-term goal, but I
kind of got off that path.
So I've always been writing butproducing kind of became the
main thing.
So after I finished school, Idid a few intern while I was in
(10:52):
school and then, after I did acouple internships, then I got a
job working for a companycalled Indomal, which is big in
reality TV, where I was anoffice production assistant.
And then after that I went onto work for a writer, director,
producer as their assistant and,you know, kept my head down
(11:15):
really learning more from thepeople that I was surrounded by.
And then I went on to produce aseries and got into podcasting.
And then I will say likerecently, during the pandemic, I
really refocused myself onwriting and I did Stowe's
writing program.
(11:35):
I was accepted to that lastyear and I've placed in several
like competitions for writing.
And so I was like okay, melissa, you were out of it for a while
, now you're back in it.
And so now I'm writing a shortform drama series for a company.
I can't talk too much about itbecause things are a little bit
(11:57):
under wraps right now, butshould learn more soon but
writing a short form dramaseries series that's two parts.
Each one will have about 40 to50 two-minute episodes for that,
and then also for a companycalled Riddick.
I am writing a web novel forthem which is about werewolves.
(12:21):
It's available now.
It's the number one hottestnovel right now on the website.
That I'm really excited about.
And then I'm also with mymanager.
She's also a producer and soshe has the rights to a novel
called Jane Anonymous and askedme to adapt that, so I'm working
on that as well.
Sidney Evans (12:41):
Okay.
So you, I wasn't cause I, uponpreparing for this episode, I
saw obviously I mentioned you,you did all those things, but I
wasn't sure of the timeline, soI had kind of knew that it would
be jumps and twists and turns.
So but you did mentionpodcasting and this is obviously
a platform to highlight peopleworking in audio.
So like how, how did thepodcasting thing happen?
(13:04):
I know you said you got intothat and then eventually,
obviously you started your owncompany.
So like what were your firstexperiences with that?
And then when you're like, okay, I've kind of perfected that
skill or I kind of know what todo.
So I kind of want to, you know,be at the helm and start my own
company.
Melisa D. Monts (13:22):
So with the audio and podcasting.
So one of the internships thatI did I had it was with a
director that I had seen thatthey were crowdfunding for a
film that they were working on,and so I reached out to see if
he needed work or an assistantto work on that film.
(13:43):
And that film didn't end upgoing.
But he reached out and he waslike hey, I need an assistant to
work on that film.
And that film didn't end upgoing.
But he reached out and he waslike hey, I need an assistant
editor for another project.
And I was like I've neveredited in my life and he asked
me.
He said well, I'll teach you.
And so I learned how to editfrom him and the main editor
(14:05):
that were working on thatproject and it gave me like very
basic skills.
I was mostly just doing stringouts where I was laying out the
footage, but it gave me thebasics for working in editing
software.
And then when I was working forthat producer director, when I
was his assistant, he wasalready working on the first
(14:28):
podcast that I worked on, whichis Not Too Deep, with Grace
Helbig, and that was somethingwe were doing in addition to the
other TV film projects that wewere working on, and so I was
like an assistant, working as aPA on that podcast.
And then one week the editorhad gone out of town and so the
(14:50):
producer asked me.
He said would you be interestedin editing this?
I remember you saying that youcould edit and I was like I said
I was an assistant editor, Iwasn't really like editing, but
it was going to be extra moneyso and I was assistant at that
time could use extra money.
So I was like, yeah, I can dothat.
So I went home and I reallyjust learned how to edit by
(15:13):
watching videos on YouTube andgot good at it.
And I got so good that theproducer eventually was just
like you can just edit thesefrom now on.
So I did that and because ofthat and then the skills that I
was getting while I wasshadowing and just learning,
like I said, I was absorbing somuch information Then I
(15:35):
eventually moved up to being aproducer at that company and so
we were producing Not Too Deepand then other shows, just kind
of naturally.
I never really advertised that Iwas a podcast producer.
People would just naturallycome and ask like, hey, would
you produce this show, or theyhad been guessed on what we were
(15:56):
doing on Not Too Deep, and sothat's really how I got into
podcasting.
The company came about becausewhen we were working on Mr
Student Body President, which isa digital series that ran for
four seasons, I had to because Iwas working.
It was a company called Go90that no longer exists.
(16:17):
It was Verizon's company, butit was a phone app.
And so when I was working withthem there and I was no longer
working under that producer thatI had been an assistant for,
but I was still working with him, and they needed me to have a
loan out, so that's an S Corp,llc, etc.
And so I just made my companyso that they could pay me.
(16:40):
And then, as more projects camealong and I moved away from
working with that producer, allthe things that I worked on
eventually became part of thecompany.
Then I hired an assistant, Ihired an editor, hired you know
things.
Just as things came along, Iwould hire more people and the
(17:02):
company grew from there.
Sidney Evans (17:04):
I guess from the early stages of podcasting, like
there was no really I don'tknow pipeline of people who were
just doing a podcast and theywere kind of like coming from
other industries.
So it made sense to notinitially be like, oh, I'm a
podcast producer.
It was like no, I kind of doyou know other things TV, film,
radio, whatever it is and thenyou just apply that skillset to
(17:26):
podcasting and then you become apodcast producer and those
became like the blueprint andthen it eventually became like a
title in itself.
So that makes sense.
So we covered your writing,producing, editing as well, but
you also under that under theumbrella of your company, direct
(17:47):
audio books.
So and I've said this a coupleof times during the interview
already, but how did that comeabout?
Melisa D. Monts (17:54):
So everything really comes from the writing.
I was at a writer's retreat itwas a screenwriting retreat that
was in Palm Springs over aweekend and I was there just to
you know, meet other womenwriters and we were just having
fun and working things out anddoing different workshops was a
(18:22):
audiobook producer from PenguinRandom House, and so she asked
me when we were talking she knewthat I worked in podcasting.
She asked me had I ever thoughtabout directing audiobooks and
I was like I didn't even knowaudiobooks had a director.
But you seem like you have theexperience and she's also a
(18:45):
black woman and she was sayingthat they were increasing like
diversity at the company.
And she asked me if I wouldwant to come and um shadow a
producer while or a directorwhile they were um doing an
audio book.
And I said sure.
So I went to the office andshadowed and I really enjoyed it
(19:05):
, and this was at the end of2019.
They were like it'll take acouple months to get you on your
first book, but we think youhave the right mindset to direct
, and so I directed my firstbook in March of 2020.
(19:26):
So that was when the pandemichit.
Everything had shut down and somy first book I didn't have
anybody there with me to help mereally, because and if this had
been normal times, then I wouldhave been in the studio and
somebody would have been thereto help guide me but I was doing
(19:47):
this virtual and this is at atime where people weren't really
understanding virtual, so therewas a lot of kinks to work out.
I was one of the first peopleto do an audio book virtually,
but I did that.
And then my best friend, whoalso I co-host my podcast, most
of my podcasts with Megan Rinks.
She also had a book that wascoming out at that same time
(20:09):
that she had written and she wassupposed to go in studio to
record that, but then and thatwas actually at a different
company, that wasn't Penguin,and so, but then because of the
pandemic, they were just likewe're not sure how to go about
this.
And then Megan was like well, myfriend, she's an audio book
director.
(20:29):
Again, at that time I had doneone book and I think it was a
children's book actually, and soshe was like she can do it.
And they were like OK, so I didher book and then after that I
did more with Penguin, did herbook, and then after that I did
more with Penguin.
And now, since then I've donelast week I directed my 50th
(20:51):
book, I believe so, which waswith another friend, so that was
great, but I directed 50 booksI had.
I directed Amanda Gorman's book, call us what we carry, which
was nominated for a Grammy.
So things have been good in theaudiobook space.
Sidney Evans (21:07):
Okay, speak to audiobooks.
I'm trying to get into them.
I list recently, recentlylistened to Will Smith's book
via audio because I couldn'tphysically read it as much as
like I got into it, so I was, Icouldn't read it as fast as I
could listen to it, or whatever.
But the thing about audiobooksthat's interesting is that and
(21:28):
maybe this is your experience aswell like the narrator is very
important because I prefer oneswhere, like because I listen to
a lot of stuff or consume a lotof stuff, where they're like
autobiographical or you knowit's like a memoir or something,
so they have a somebody has aconnection to it, and I prefer
them to voice it becauseobviously there's a direct
(21:51):
correlation, but sometimes, like, if you're doing it, obviously
if it's like fiction orsomething like that, it's made
up, so it has to be somebody youknow, random and just I'm not
to say that they're good or bad,but just like their tone or how
they deliver or whatever cankind of take you, it can bring
you into the story or it cantake you out.
(22:13):
Um, and I was assumed that y'allspent a lot of time trying to
like, get tonality andinflection and obviously when
you just have audio you don'thave a visual to to it, those
things are much more important.
But like what would you saykind of was the biggest?
Based off of what I'm hearing,like this was probably the thing
that was kind of the most outthe blue or random, maybe, you
(22:36):
know, you didn't foresee itcoming.
So like what was the, I guess,kind of like the biggest
challenges in regards to doingthat, outside of your initial
challenge of not being able tobe in studio?
Melisa D. Monts (22:47):
Yeah, one thing is that with audio books I am
there as part of like the hiringphase.
I'm there like at the end, soI'm not involved in hiring the
talent or anything, or evenpicking the talent.
They're already booked and thenI get booked.
So I don't have as a director,you don't have any control of
(23:12):
who the narrators are.
But the companies do a reallygood job of training.
If they're not already workingin voices and voice acting,
there's a lot of training.
I mean, penguin Random Househas a wonderful program that
they have where new narratorscan sign up and get the
(23:35):
experience that they need.
But yes, the first I'd say like10, 15 minutes we're really
trying to nail what the tone forthe rest of the book is going
to be.
Talking through it, I'm askingquestions.
I also have already read thebook and I've already prepped it
, looking up words, making surewe've got the correct
(23:55):
pronunciations and things likethat.
But then when we get to thestudio it's usually I'll have
them read the first chapter andif the tone isn't right then
we're going to, you know,workshop it a little bit and
then go back and redo the firstchapter.
But I'm also stopping, in thesame way that a film director is
(24:16):
doing.
I'm cutting and giving notes,and then we can continue on.
Sidney Evans (24:21):
Okay, cool.
So I do want to move forward alittle bit.
Thanks for sharing that.
But before we move forward, Iwant to back up for a second,
because obviously yourfoundation is writing, which is
we have made very clear.
But I'm curious to know likeyour like your creative process
for writing.
Like, do you seclude yourselflike, do you like to be isolated
(24:43):
?
Do you like to like go out andkind of be amongst the people,
maybe go to like a coffee shop,maybe just to I don't know
whether it's really gettingmaybe just getting the idea down
and then secluding yourself toflush it out?
Is it something that you Idon't know like you'd like to do
activities non-related towriting, so like the ideas can
(25:04):
kind of come and flow, to removeyourself from the pressure of
having to to have an idea atthat moment?
I know there are a lot ofdifferent ways people do things
to ultimately get to the endresult, to have something that's
well written.
So I'm curious to what thatprocess looks like for you.
Melisa D. Monts (25:21):
I'm constantly writing down ideas as they come
to me.
So if I have like a littleinkling of something, I'll write
it down and just put it away.
It might not be the thingthat's forefront.
Like, right now I'm working,I'm writing three different
projects, but they're not thingsthat I actually had the initial
idea for, because I've beenhired to write these things.
(25:43):
But I have like a storage bankof ideas.
But if it's something that Ihave an idea for, then I'll take
it.
And when I'm ready to write itbecause I just kind of let
things come to me as they do,naturally I'll sit on it and
just like kind of just thinkabout ideas.
(26:03):
I just like to sit and let itmarinate and then I'll write
down just like plot points thatI have for different things that
would happen in the story andthen I'll craft my characters
around, how I want them tobehave in certain situations and
(26:24):
then really do character workon each of those individuals,
like imagine them in certainsituations, right?
Maybe if I'm having troublewith something, I'll write them
into a short story where they'refiguring something out, and
then I'll outline what I'mactually doing and then sit down
and write and the first draftit's like a dump, it's not
(26:47):
really good.
But then after I write thefirst drive, I'll sit with it
for a minute and then put itaway and then come back to it
and during this time, like thecharacters are kind of just
talking to me in my head andthen I can really sit down and
write it.
Sidney Evans (27:06):
Okay.
So that's interesting.
It kind of puts me.
It kind of reminds me ofsomething that I watched.
It's been a while now, but Iwatched, like behind the scenes
documentary on Boys in the Hood.
For those who don't know, youknow John Seagal wrote it,
directed it.
He would say that onceeverybody got on set and before
they actually started shooting,just to prepare or whatever,
obviously you have the scriptfor the film film, but then you
(27:35):
also they would do things towhere they would have the actors
be the characters and actsituations that didn't have
anything to do with the moviebut it had to do with the
character.
So you can figure out thecharacter.
So I would assume that's alittle bit different with your
(28:06):
own writing, but that's the samething.
Though I were to like, I feellike, the ideal and maybe the
scenes and general general ideas, I might be okay yet, but
actually getting the charactersin the scene and writing the
dialogue and using it to kind ofconnect the dots is, uh, would
be very difficult, you know, inmy opinion.
(28:28):
So how do you go about writinggood dialogue?
Melisa D. Monts (28:43):
So for when I'm writing, sometimes like I know
what I want them to say, but I'mnot sure how I want to say it.
So I'll write just like dummydialogue to go in the spot.
Or I'll put like or I know howthe person's going to respond,
but I don't know what the thingis that's going to trigger the
response yet.
So I'll just have just holdwords or hold phrases in or
writing down the general idea ofwhat I want.
(29:04):
But it's important to me justto get everything down on the
page.
And then I go back and refinethe dialogue and then also I
read it out loud, usually withmy assistant, who's also my
sister, so we sit down and readthrough everything.
I mean, even I had this onescript that had like a
(29:29):
10-year-old girl and I have a10- 10 year old niece and so I
had her read the dialogue forthat and like made sure that it
sounded like how a 10 year oldwould speak.
So just going back and forth, Imean.
And then I know professionalwriters deal with this too.
But you get notes back from thestudio and sometimes, like I
(29:53):
recently got a note back thatwas just like this is like
really good, but we need to makeit more simplistic for the
audience.
So so I had to I have to goback in and make it more plain
language and not the flower, butthat's like a studio specific
(30:14):
note If it was something andagain, this is a project that I
didn't have the idea for, so,like if it was something that
was my own idea, I would fightharder against that.
Um, because I think you shouldtrust your audience.
Um, but I'm going to appeasethe people that are paying.
Sidney Evans (30:35):
Speaking of speaking of pay, and we're going
to move on from the writingstuff, but I just wanted to.
It's such an important skill tohave, so I really wanted you to
dive deep in regards to that,because it can be the foundation
for everything, as it was foryou, and just lead to a lot of
other things.
But we're not gonna spend toomuch time on, like being
compensated in money and thingslike that, and I'm not gonna get
(30:56):
too specific.
But I just kind of know you'rea general approach to like when
you're getting paid to do things, like, do you go in, you know,
having a specific number in mindand then you go up and down
from there.
Do you go into situations?
You know, okay, I know peoplewho are interested in hiring me.
(31:17):
They have more of a biggerbudget, so I know I'm going to
shoot higher.
I know this.
May you know, this company overhere may have a smaller budget,
but the stuff that they do Ilove and I would really like to
work on something like this, soI'm more willing to negotiate.
Or do you just go in and youknow you're hard and firm and if
(31:39):
they're able to meet it, theycan.
If they're not, you know youthank them and you move on to
something else.
So just kind of want to knowyour general approach as opposed
to like specific numbers andthings of that nature.
Melisa D. Monts (31:53):
Yeah, so for podcasting, I've been doing this
for years.
I've been doing it since 2015,I think.
So I've been in it, like I'mseasoned in podcasting and I've
been working in it for a whileand my skills are vast, from
like actually writing shows forhosts to being on the microphone
(32:16):
.
Um to editing Um, I don'treally edit that much anymore.
I have um, a team now, um,mostly Coco shout out to Coco,
um, that edit, Um, but um.
But I know what my rate is forpodcasting.
I don't go any lower than whatmy actual rate is and if people
(32:39):
like have people coming to mepitching me stuff all the time,
and if it's not worth what myrate is, then I won't take it.
I'm just like, like you said,thank you.
Like I said earlier, withpodcasting I've never sought out
(33:17):
anyone to work with.
It's always come to me and thencome back to me and be like we
actually need your skill set,and I've also been.
I've also like worked withbigger companies like Stitcher,
where they have specificallywhere I've worked my podcasts
(33:38):
are part of their like programsthat pay out, but I don't work
for the company, and they'vealso they've brought me shows on
their own or asked me to fillin when they're down a producer
or something, so it's very setfor that.
With audiobooks, there's a setrate for everything.
So I'm not I work with withmostly with Penguin, Random
(34:04):
House and Harper Collins, andthere's a set rate for both of
those.
There's no negotiating with it.
With writing, I'm more flexibleon that, just depending on what
the project is.
If it's something that I reallywant to work on, then I might
have a lower rate, but it'salways a negotiation.
Sidney Evans (34:26):
Right, okay, that makes sense and I really did
want to touch on it because alot of times in media or people
who are in the creative industry, like those, you're going to
get to that at some point.
So you gotta kind of beknowledgeable, knowledgeable
about it.
But usually people who arecreatives aren't, like I would
say, like the I don't know.
They're not as capitalisticlike you know.
(34:47):
They're kind of more like I'mdoing it for the art and to a
certain point.
But you do have to cross thatbarrier to.
Sometimes it's like okay,ultimately it's going to end up
you have to make a businessdecision at the end of the day.
So you want to be well-versedas far as to, obviously you know
charging what you're worth, butthen also being flexible
(35:07):
depending on the project andthings like that.
So I did want to touch on that.
Okay, so we're getting close tothe end here, but I did want to
touch on you actually being infront of the mic and you know
being a host on showsconsistently.
So I thought your concept waswas interesting for how you have
a show for every day of theweek.
(35:30):
So I'll let you kind of explain, like the idea behind that, how
that came about and itobviously share the name of the
shows, because we want topromote all the things that
you're involved in and, to behonest, the friday one, I don't
want to say it.
I'll let you say it because youhave to.
There's gonna have to be adisclaimer, some type of
explanation going along withthat.
Yes, so this is a this issomewhat of a a family friendly
(35:53):
podcast, so I'll, I'll let youexplain it the best way you can
even this, the tuesday one.
Melisa D. Monts (35:59):
If you really think about it, it actually
isn't what you think.
It is, um, but um.
So me and my friend, megan um,well, it started off of
producing her podcast Don'tBlame Me, it was before we were
actually like really close, butwe started doing that in 2017.
And she was the host.
(36:22):
She's a digital creator, soshe's the host of that show and
then it got to the point wheresometimes people ask questions.
It's a call and advice showpoint where sometimes people ask
questions.
It's a call and advice show,and sometimes people would call
in and they would have likequestions that she might not
have experience in.
Then me, as the producer, Iwould chime in to add in, you
(36:45):
know, just some flavor, and wewould have guests on the show.
And we would have guests on theshow and then, as the show went
on, we were still having guests, but people were asking for
more of me on the microphone,and so then it would be every
other week it would be her and I, and then having the guests on
(37:09):
the off weeks.
But then when we were likeleaning for us, we were like we
don't really need the guestsanymore.
It gets fun with just the twoof us.
And then when the pandemic hit,it was just like okay, this
makes it easy.
We were like we'll just have it, just be the two of us going
(37:31):
forth, and our audience reallylikes that like really likes it
a lot.
And since then since we startedit in 2017, she's become like
my best friend and so peoplereally like our friendship.
And then we were like thinkingabout what we would want our
next thing to be for our brand.
(37:51):
So you mentioned Sister SignProductions earlier.
That's her, my company with her.
And so then we were doing Ithink we were doing one call and
somebody said something likebut would I be wrong to do this?
And we were like wait, that'slike we both had this like
moment where we just looked ateach other and was like let's
(38:13):
now do, but am I wrong as a show?
And so with that one, it's likewe say it's like people that
didn't take our advice fromdon't blame me.
And um, we yes, and and so like.
And so now they're asking werethey wrong in this situation?
And so that's where but am Iwrong?
(38:33):
Came about.
And then the other shows seeyou next Tuesday.
I will say that I haven'tupdated my website yet, but last
week we actually changed theorder of how we, how the shows
come out.
Now, um, but am I wrong?
Is on Monday.
See you next Tuesday is onTuesdays, but it you actually?
(38:57):
I'm just going to skip it andjust say what see you next
Tuesday is.
See you next Tuesday is, um,now, um, where we read the
results from, but am I wrong?
So we'll post, like, people'sthoughts on if they were wrong
in the situation, and so we'lldo it on our Instagram and then
people will vote and thenthey'll write in and share their
(39:18):
own experience with that orgive their own thoughts, and so
that's what See you Next Tuesdayis.
And then Thursday is Don'tBlame Me, and then Friday,
fisting Friday.
It was a joke, okay, it was ajoke that we were like we don't
know what to call this show, andit was.
(39:39):
We were just like people writein, like give us some ideas, and
no one had anything else.
They like we actually love this, uh, so it stuck.
Um, it stuck, and so, uh,that's where we're just talking,
doing catch-ups with each other.
Um, uh, because we were cuttingout like 30, 40 minutes of when
(40:06):
we were doing Don't Blame Meand we like had mentioned it to
our audience, and we also have aPatreon, which is like the
people that we like know, know,because we do live streams with
them twice a month and like theyget, we know them like on a
personal basis, like I consider,like some of them, my friends
now, and so they were like, well, we want to hear the
(40:28):
conversations y'all are havingthat you're cutting out.
And so now we specifically justhave an episode of us just
talking and catching up.
And then Just Between Us is aseparate podcast with Allison
Raskin and Gabe Dunn and that isa variety show that deals with
mental health and has guestexperts on and talking about
(40:51):
topical shows, and so at the endof that show I come on and rate
the shows.
On our regular shows, on thevariety shows, I come in and
rate it at the end as theproducer.
But then they started asking melike to be part of the last
segment called Topics, wherewe're talking about current
events or just any topic really,and so I started doing that as
(41:17):
a regular part.
And then every other week wehave another show called Too
Long Did Read it, where we'relooking into things on reddit
and discussing that, and theywanted me to be a part of the
full episodes for those.
So that's what wednesday isokay.
Sidney Evans (41:35):
So I one thing that I'm noticing is that, um, I
figured out the cheat codebecause y'all, y'all, y'all are
using, like other people, likeyou're, you're you're coming
with the content ideas withouthaving to come up with it
yourself.
Like you're sharing otherpeople, like you're, you're
you're coming with the contentideas without having to come up
with it yourself.
Like you're sharing otherpeople's stories, like what you
just mentioned, you're, um goingdown like the reddit rabbit
hole, which you know, if you'recareful, you'll get stuck
(41:57):
forever.
Um.
So I think that, and I wasalready.
Melisa D. Monts (42:00):
Yeah, I mean every other day.
Sidney Evans (42:02):
Whether people want to admit it or not, every I
think everybody has took thatroute somewhat.
That's pretty cool.
Like I said, I love the idea,so I'm glad you shared the
backstory on all of those, andespecially Friday.
Thank you for clearing that up.
Melisa D. Monts (42:19):
I mean, did I really clear it up though the
name is not really.
Yeah, I mean it does, it's justalliteration.
Sidney Evans (42:27):
The story behind it is the story behind it, you
know, um?
So, given all the yourexperiences for someone cause?
So because on this platform,not only do I want to, you know,
share the experiences of thepeople that I have on, I also
wanted this to be an inspirationand a resource for people who
would like to get into theindustry.
So you could probably get a tonof advice based on you know,
(42:51):
what you've seen.
But what would be like the topthing that you would share for
someone looking to break intoaudio or in the media industry
in general?
Melisa D. Monts (43:02):
My top thing is that ask for what you want,
because I've just I just askedfor things and if people say no,
okay, but if they say yes,great.
So I like I told you in thebeginning me like getting my
foot in the door for theentertainment industry was I
just called up schools and askedif I could work on their
(43:24):
student films and they're likewe don't really get people
asking that but sure.
And so I met a lot of peoplethat way and I got hands on
experience.
And then once I got here, youknow I would.
I did a bunch of internshipsand this was they've changed the
laws since then, but at thattime it was they were unpaid
(43:45):
internships and you can't dothat anymore unless it's for
credit for schools.
But I did a lot of internshipsthat weren't specifically in the
field that I was like I said Iwas specifically here for
writing, but I learned how to doeverything.
I learned how to produce, Ilearned how to edit and
producing became my main way tomake money for most.
(44:06):
Even right now, producing isthe main way that I make money
and so, because I had all thoseskills to fall back on that I
had learned, I asked to work onthat short film that I
eventually learned how to editon.
I asked to now like for thiswriting job that I have now with
(44:28):
the company I.
They were hiring for an editoreditor for the screenplays, like
to go through and edit them.
I didn't want to do that butthey weren't hiring for a writer
.
I just put my resume in but Imade it very clear that I was a
writer and they're like we'rehiring someone else for the
editor, but would you beinterested in a writing position
(44:49):
?
And so then it was there.
And then, like for the novel Ijust I asked.
I was like, do y'all, you know,need anybody else to like write
one of these novels?
And they said yes.
So ask for what you want, butalso have the skills to back it
up.
So make sure that you're donethe work already.
(45:09):
Constantly, yes, like you'reconstantly adding things to your
education, to your background,so that you know how to do
things.
So, the working on the studentfilms I had no experience, but
you don't need to experience forthat, so, but then that laid
the foundation for everythingthat I've done up until now.
Sidney Evans (45:29):
Okay, that's solid advice and that's something
that seems to be prettyconsistent, maybe not
specifically like ask what youwant, but how you connected that
to like being able to do a lotof different things, like kind
of getting around the thingdoing what you have to do to get
around the thing that you wantto do, learning those skillsets,
absorbing those skillsets.
(45:49):
And you know, maybe youinitially want to be a writer In
your case you still want to,but sometimes, like, you get
introduced to something elsethat's closely related and then
you just it just takes a slightpivot and you know you have
something like sustainable andyou're still in within that same
sphere and you still have that.
You still have that same levelof satisfaction.
(46:10):
So I agree completely, allright.
So, uh, for the last portion ofthe show we're just going to,
um, let's ask you a fewquestions to kind of, uh, get
your take on certain things.
Usually they are audio related,um, but because you have made
it clear that you are a writeras well, I'm going to make an
adjustment specifically for you.
(46:32):
So, the first question is goingto be who has been your biggest
inspiration as a writer?
Melisa D. Monts (46:40):
Shonda Rhimes.
I really like working in thesoap opera space.
That is.
My long-term goal is to work onthe daytime soap opera, but she
does nighttime soaps, she'sprimetime soaps and you know
she's a screenwriter, she's atelevision writer, she has a
podcast network, she wrote anovel for Bridgerton, so like
(47:04):
she does all the things that I'mdoing too, just on a bigger
scale, and so that's who Ireally am aspiring, you know,
not to be the next Shonda Rhimes, be the next Melissa D Montz,
but like she's a big inspirationfor me.
Sidney Evans (47:19):
Okay, makes a lot of sense, and I actually hadn't
thought about, like what yourresponse would be, but if I
would have, I probably wouldhave put my money on saying it
would be her.
So, um, okay.
So next is your favorite albumof all time, your favorite, your
favorite.
Melisa D. Monts (47:37):
I.
I used to listen to a lot ofmusic, like a lot of different
types of music, and I will say,in my older I'm in my thirties,
but in my older age I havereally just listened to specific
artists, um I but I would saylike I guess it's not
technically an album but is asoundtrack and it's the waiting
(48:01):
to exhale soundtrack.
Sidney Evans (48:02):
Okay, um, I knew you were going to say that once
you started going that way, Ihonestly I would have to agree
with that Probably think it'sthe best movie soundtrack ever.
And I recently I like to go to,like you know, record stores
and when I was with mygirlfriend and it was the CDs,
it was like one of the firstplaces I actually sold CDs and
(48:25):
they had like a big collection.
I would be like you know itwould be, it would be gold if we
could uh find that way toexhale soundtrack and we got
worked our way over to the W'sand went through was the first,
very first one, so I was like itwas there, it was there um yeah
, I don't know how many peoplecarry that, but yeah, uh, that's
definitely a classic.
All right, um next, well, I'llskip it.
(48:47):
I don't know.
I'll probably skip this fromfavorite music producer because
you'll probably say, likebabyface, because he produced
the way to excel soundtrackstuff I do love babyface, but uh
, missy elliott would be myfavorite music producer.
Melisa D. Monts (48:58):
I think that she makes music that um.
Her stuff that she made in the90s still sounds new today.
She makes very like.
Her music is always relevant.
So Missy Elliott.
Sidney Evans (49:11):
Yeah, timeless and even it was super, it was
progressive for the design andit still holds up, which is kind
of crazy.
And I'm trying to find thesuper duper fly vinyl without
actually just going on theinternet and ordering it, but
I'm having trouble.
Um, okay, next last two.
What, uh favorite film score?
Melisa D. Monts (49:32):
that's hard for me because it's not really
something I pay attention muchto.
Um, but, uh, and I watch moretelevision than I watch movies,
but, um, but I would say like,if we're talking like tv, I
would go with Scream Queens thefirst season.
I think that they the way thatthey use music to tell the story
(49:53):
.
It was like an additionalcharacter to the show and the
way that they use music reallywas.
It was fun, like it added tothe, even though, like they're
killing people left and right ontheir show, they're using the
most off the wall songs to likebe the soundtrack to these
deaths.
Um, and the score too, um, andI think I thought that was.
(50:14):
It was a brilliant yeah, thatis brilliant.
Sidney Evans (50:15):
Like you said, it's like it's like adding
another character.
Very cool, um, all right.
Melisa D. Monts (50:20):
Last one favorite tv theme song Favorite
TV theme song, the Young and theRestless song, and then how
Mary J took it and made it asong too.
Sidney Evans (50:33):
Oh yeah, I remember the Mary J version
because I was actuallystruggling to remember because
it was etched in my brain atsome point, but it's been so
long since I've heard it, butnow that when you made the Mary
J reference, it came back to me,so that's pretty cool.
Okay, interesting.
Solid answer.
Solid answers Some things I wasexpecting some things I wasn't
expecting, all right.
(50:54):
So, yeah, I think that bringsus to the end, but can't let you
go without giving you a momentallowing you to share.
I know you shared a few thingsthat you're working on now, but
how can people you know checkout some of the stuff that you
worked on, what to be on the eyefor new things that you have in
the works and how they canconnect with you if they like to
(51:18):
do so?
Melisa D. Monts (51:19):
Yeah, you can follow me on Instagram.
She is not Melissa.
There's links to both mybusiness and my professional but
personal website in both.
Those links are in the links inmy bio, or you can just go to
Diamond M-P-R-I-N-T dotproductions is my business
(51:40):
website and then my personalslash business website is
Melissa M-E-L-I-S-A-D-M-O-N-T-Sdot com and you can check out my
podcast.
Don't Blame Me.
Well, I'll just say the sistersign slate of podcasts are all
on one feed, so you can.
(52:00):
If you type in Don't Blame Me,it should come up wherever you
get your podcast.
You type in Don't Blame Me, itshould come up wherever you get
your podcast.
You can read my web series Inthe Dead of Night on the
R-E-A-D-I-C-T app on your phoneand then just be on the lookout
for other projects that I'mproducing and writing coming out
(52:24):
within the next year.
Sidney Evans (52:27):
Okay.
So y'all, make sure you takeheed and make sure you go and
support Melissa.
Thank you, melissa.
This was a great conversation.
I reached out to you and we'resuper responsive and we made it
happen really quickly.
Melisa D. Monts (52:42):
That doesn't always happen that way, so I was
waiting on notes back on myscript, so I had a little
downtime.
Sidney Evans (52:49):
I got in where I got in where I could fit in.
Yeah, thank you for coming on.
I appreciate you and foreverybody listening.
Thank you for tuning in.
Thank you for joining us ontoday's episode.
Please don't forget tosubscribe to the show and leave
us a review.
If you'd like to work with meor connect, connect.
Please go to soundbossitcom andschedule a call there.
(53:13):
You can also check out the fulllist of productions I've worked
on.
If you'd like to connect onsocial media, my handle is
soundbossitcom on twitter andinstagram and I'm sydney evans
on LinkedIn.
Don't forget to follow Beyondthe Threshold on Instagram as
well.
I'll catch you on the nextepisode.
Ask for what you want, because I just ask for
things and if people say no,okay, but if they say yes, great
.
Getting my foot in the door forthe entertainment industry was.
I just called up schools andasked if I could work on their
student films and they were likewe don't really get people
asking that, but sure.
Sidney Evans (00:20):
Tune in as we give flowers to Black men and women
making waves in the audioindustry.
I'm your host, sidney Evans,and this is Beyond the Threshold
.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcometo Beyond the Threshold.
(00:44):
I'm your host, sidney Evans, anaward-winning audio editor,
mixer and producer.
Ladies and gentlemen, welcometo Beyond the Threshold.
I'm your host, sidney Evans, anaward-winning audio editor,
mixer and producer.
For those of you who don't know,on this show I interview Black
men and women working in theaudio industry, highlighting the
lessons and experiences ittakes to achieve success in the
field.
As always, we got another greatepisode in store for today.
(01:04):
Field as always, we got anothergreat episode in store for
today.
And speaking of experiences,today's guest has quite a few of
them, so I can't wait to hearthe background regarding those
experiences.
And when a guest agrees to comeon the show, I actually send
them a link to fill out theirbio and a couple of other
questions as well.
And usually that's where peoplereally are excited about
(01:25):
sharing the roles they held andthe productions and projects
that they worked on.
And in today's guest she didshare her roles, but she I felt
like she went kind of modest onthe productions, and you know
the shows and you know namedropping all the the people that
she's been involved with, soI'm'm going to make sure she
does share some of thatthroughout the course of the
(01:46):
interview.
To give a little background onher, she's a native of Northwest
Arkansas and currently residesin Los Angeles.
She's a TV and film writer andproducer, a podcast host and
producer, audio book directorand a novel writer and, for
those who are familiar withsports and the triple double or
baseball, the triple crown Idon't know, we need to come up
with some type of term forsomebody who writes, produces,
(02:10):
is talent and directs, but I'mgoing to think about that off
air and I'm going to get back toyou on that.
She's also the CEO of DiamondImprint Productions and
co-founder of Sister SignProductions.
So, without further ado, I'dlike to introduce Melisa D.
Monts guest, .
Welcome to the show, melissa.
Melisa D. Monts (02:28):
Thank you.
Thank you for having me.
I'm so excited to be here.
Sidney Evans (02:31):
Yes, I appreciate you coming on.
As she said off air she doesn'tdo a lot of podcast interviews
recently but, as you learnedthroughout today's episode, she
is in front of the mic quite abit, so hopefully it'll come
back, you know, immediately.
But yeah, I don't have too muchother than kind of just getting
into your story and yourupbringing.
(02:53):
What was your inspiration, Iwould assume, out of all of
these, out of all that'shappened in your illustrious
career?
I just wanted to sayillustrious.
So did you start off withwriting like the foundation for
you?
Melisa D. Monts (03:12):
So growing up I actually wanted to be an
orthodontist.
You know, my undergrad degreeis in biology, but I took
writing classes for fun.
Well, I thought they were justfor fun and I really enjoyed
them and I excelled in them.
And a screenwriting classpresented itself my senior year
in college and I was I just Itook the class and I really
(03:33):
liked it and then I was likemaybe I should.
I really wasn't feeling thedentistry field anymore.
I took a dental class for thefirst time and I was like I
don't know if this is actuallywhat I want to do.
Let me see this other thingthat I've been really excited
about this.
When I was in elementary schoolI used to write like little
(03:55):
scripts based on Power Rangersthat I would have my classmates
act out during recess.
So it was always something thatwas there.
But my parents were pushing meto be a doctor.
But then when I told them thatI was interested in the
entertainment field, they werestill like completely on board
with that.
So they've always beensupportive.
Sidney Evans (04:16):
Okay, that's cool.
Well, you definitely had me atPower Rangers and I'm glad you
mentioned that, like whetheryour parents were supportive or
not, because I was going to ask,like, were you encouraged to
kind of take a more traditionalroute as far as career?
It's kind of either one extremeor the other, as either you're
encouraged to, you know, be adentist or a doctor, go to
(04:36):
school, do all those things avery linear way, or you have
parents who are like supercreative themselves, whether it
be like musicians or a dancer orsome type of artist, and that
kind of obviously just rubs offon the child.
So I'm glad you shared that.
So, college I guess you tookthe class in college and
realized that's more what youwanted to do, or maybe it was
(04:57):
even just from taking thedentistry courses what you
didn't want to do.
But what was the moment whenyou decided that you were
actually going to pursue andtake it seriously and dedicate a
lot of time to it?
Melisa D. Monts (05:09):
So I was in, like I said, I was in college
taking the writing classes and Itook a playwriting class and
then a screenwriting class, youknow, just for fun.
They didn't add anything to mybiology degree.
I actually went into collegewith already 30 hours, so like
(05:31):
from taking classes at communitycollege while I was in high
school and so my senior year Ireally didn't have to be there,
but why would I go into the realworld?
Sidney Evans (05:43):
Yes, let's delay that process a little bit longer
.
Melisa D. Monts (05:46):
Yeah, so I was taking I took screenwriting,
playwriting, golf, gymnastics,like just fun classes.
I really, really enjoyed thewriting and I like got to a
point where I was like I don'tknow what I want to do.
So I went and talked to mycounselor and she was like, well
, you've taken these classesthat you do enjoy and you don't.
(06:08):
You haven't enjoyed like thedental class that you take.
Why don't you explore this?
And me being in Arkansas?
Now there's like theBentonville Film Festival and
Arkansas has like a greatprogram for kids, like for film.
But at that time there reallywasn't anything film related
(06:29):
that was going on that I knewabout and so I hadn't really
thought about it as a career.
So then when I started lookinginto it, that next year I went
and just kind of called upschools in California and was
like in Los Angeles and I waslike, hey, can I come work on
some student films?
(06:49):
And they said, sure, we don'treally get this request, but you
can PA.
So they connected me withstudents, worked on things at
UCLA, usc and AFI and I really,really enjoyed it.
So I shadowed would come backto Arkansas.
I was working in the healthlike using my degree working in
(07:10):
the health field, saved up somemoney, and then once I really
you know, was really cemented inthis is what I wanted to do, I
moved out to LA.
I went to UCLA's program thatthey have, where I studied
entertainment studies, tvwriting and as well as directing
(07:31):
and producing.
So that's how I got my foot inthe door.
Sidney Evans (07:35):
Yeah, that's kind of well.
That's very ambitious.
Coming from Arkansas, did yougo to college in Arkansas?
Melisa D. Monts (07:41):
Yeah, I went to the University of Arkansas.
I mean, I was born in Arkansas,I lived in they call it like a
corporate America brat my momworked for Kraft Foods for most
of my childhood and we movedaround a lot, so I've lived in
numerous different states andthen we wound up back in
Arkansas during when I was ineighth grade, and so then I and
(08:04):
my mom also went to theUniversity of Arkansas.
So you know legacy in that way,and so I had always, no matter
where we lived, I had alwaysplanned on going to the
University of Arkansas.
Sidney Evans (08:14):
Okay, cool.
So so, from Arkansas to LA.
So when you got to LA and gotthat experience, those first
initial experiences, did you?
Did it become clear to you,Like when you started, I guess,
like how did it kind of happen?
Like it seemed like you werekind of doing a little bit of
everything, Like when did youdiscover that, like writing was
(08:36):
either your thing or it might bethe path of least resistance,
or did like a specific idea cometo you and you were like nobody
else is doing anything likethis, Like I want to work on
something you know in this styleor in this vein, and it wasn't
presented.
So you're like well, I just gotto write it in order to do it.
Like how did that kind of work?
Melisa D. Monts (08:56):
I mean I would say my first there's no one.
There's no new ideas.
There's no new ideas, it's justdifferent executions of the
same things that have alreadyexisted.
But I wrote several things andwith early writers, nothing that
you write in the beginning isactually good, but you get it on
paper and it's a learningprocess from that.
(09:19):
But I knew when I made the move, I knew that I would be working
in the entertainment industryand I didn't.
There's, there was no likesecond thing, there wasn't
anything else.
I knew when I moved.
Sidney Evans (09:34):
OK.
So you went through thatprocess of just getting it out
on paper, writing, perfectingthe craft.
When was the moment where yourealized you had something like
this is really good, and wasthat the first thing that other
people agreed was good or likedid you does?
There are ongoing process ofyou just people like you know,
(09:57):
taking you serious as a writeror someone wanting to like,
invest or give you anopportunity to like okay, this
is, this is solid.
Let's try to actually dosomething with this, because I
know the the process for gettingstuff made is is a long process
and even though you might get a, you know, a deal to write it,
you might write it they couldprobably just buy it from you
(10:21):
and then change it up a littlebit.
Or did they come back to youlike okay, we like the initial
idea, let's present it tosomebody.
Make changes.
What was that like?
Melisa D. Monts (10:31):
Well, with the writing.
I would say that has alwaysbeen the long-term goal, but I
kind of got off that path.
So I've always been writing butproducing kind of became the
main thing.
So after I finished school, Idid a few intern while I was in
(10:52):
school and then, after I did acouple internships, then I got a
job working for a companycalled Indomal, which is big in
reality TV, where I was anoffice production assistant.
And then after that I went onto work for a writer, director,
producer as their assistant and,you know, kept my head down
(11:15):
really learning more from thepeople that I was surrounded by.
And then I went on to produce aseries and got into podcasting.
And then I will say likerecently, during the pandemic, I
really refocused myself onwriting and I did Stowe's
writing program.
(11:35):
I was accepted to that lastyear and I've placed in several
like competitions for writing.
And so I was like okay, melissa, you were out of it for a while
, now you're back in it.
And so now I'm writing a shortform drama series for a company.
I can't talk too much about itbecause things are a little bit
(11:57):
under wraps right now, butshould learn more soon but
writing a short form dramaseries series that's two parts.
Each one will have about 40 to50 two-minute episodes for that,
and then also for a companycalled Riddick.
I am writing a web novel forthem which is about werewolves.
(12:21):
It's available now.
It's the number one hottestnovel right now on the website.
That I'm really excited about.
And then I'm also with mymanager.
She's also a producer and soshe has the rights to a novel
called Jane Anonymous and askedme to adapt that, so I'm working
on that as well.
Sidney Evans (12:41):
Okay.
So you, I wasn't cause I, uponpreparing for this episode, I
saw obviously I mentioned you,you did all those things, but I
wasn't sure of the timeline, soI had kind of knew that it would
be jumps and twists and turns.
So but you did mentionpodcasting and this is obviously
a platform to highlight peopleworking in audio.
So like how, how did thepodcasting thing happen?
(13:04):
I know you said you got intothat and then eventually,
obviously you started your owncompany.
So like what were your firstexperiences with that?
And then when you're like, okay, I've kind of perfected that
skill or I kind of know what todo.
So I kind of want to, you know,be at the helm and start my own
company.
Melisa D. Monts (13:22):
So with the audio and podcasting.
So one of the internships thatI did I had it was with a
director that I had seen thatthey were crowdfunding for a
film that they were working on,and so I reached out to see if
he needed work or an assistantto work on that film.
(13:43):
And that film didn't end upgoing.
But he reached out and he waslike hey, I need an assistant to
work on that film.
And that film didn't end upgoing.
But he reached out and he waslike hey, I need an assistant
editor for another project.
And I was like I've neveredited in my life and he asked
me.
He said well, I'll teach you.
And so I learned how to editfrom him and the main editor
(14:05):
that were working on thatproject and it gave me like very
basic skills.
I was mostly just doing stringouts where I was laying out the
footage, but it gave me thebasics for working in editing
software.
And then when I was working forthat producer director, when I
was his assistant, he wasalready working on the first
(14:28):
podcast that I worked on, whichis Not Too Deep, with Grace
Helbig, and that was somethingwe were doing in addition to the
other TV film projects that wewere working on, and so I was
like an assistant, working as aPA on that podcast.
And then one week the editorhad gone out of town and so the
(14:50):
producer asked me.
He said would you be interestedin editing this?
I remember you saying that youcould edit and I was like I said
I was an assistant editor, Iwasn't really like editing, but
it was going to be extra moneyso and I was assistant at that
time could use extra money.
So I was like, yeah, I can dothat.
So I went home and I reallyjust learned how to edit by
(15:13):
watching videos on YouTube andgot good at it.
And I got so good that theproducer eventually was just
like you can just edit thesefrom now on.
So I did that and because ofthat and then the skills that I
was getting while I wasshadowing and just learning,
like I said, I was absorbing somuch information Then I
(15:35):
eventually moved up to being aproducer at that company and so
we were producing Not Too Deepand then other shows, just kind
of naturally.
I never really advertised that Iwas a podcast producer.
People would just naturallycome and ask like, hey, would
you produce this show, or theyhad been guessed on what we were
(15:56):
doing on Not Too Deep, and sothat's really how I got into
podcasting.
The company came about becausewhen we were working on Mr
Student Body President, which isa digital series that ran for
four seasons, I had to because Iwas working.
It was a company called Go90that no longer exists.
(16:17):
It was Verizon's company, butit was a phone app.
And so when I was working withthem there and I was no longer
working under that producer thatI had been an assistant for,
but I was still working with him, and they needed me to have a
loan out, so that's an S Corp,llc, etc.
And so I just made my companyso that they could pay me.
(16:40):
And then, as more projects camealong and I moved away from
working with that producer, allthe things that I worked on
eventually became part of thecompany.
Then I hired an assistant, Ihired an editor, hired you know
things.
Just as things came along, Iwould hire more people and the
(17:02):
company grew from there.
Sidney Evans (17:04):
I guess from the early stages of podcasting, like
there was no really I don'tknow pipeline of people who were
just doing a podcast and theywere kind of like coming from
other industries.
So it made sense to notinitially be like, oh, I'm a
podcast producer.
It was like no, I kind of doyou know other things TV, film,
radio, whatever it is and thenyou just apply that skillset to
(17:26):
podcasting and then you become apodcast producer and those
became like the blueprint andthen it eventually became like a
title in itself.
So that makes sense.
So we covered your writing,producing, editing as well, but
you also under that under theumbrella of your company, direct
(17:47):
audio books.
So and I've said this a coupleof times during the interview
already, but how did that comeabout?
Melisa D. Monts (17:54):
So everything really comes from the writing.
I was at a writer's retreat itwas a screenwriting retreat that
was in Palm Springs over aweekend and I was there just to
you know, meet other womenwriters and we were just having
fun and working things out anddoing different workshops was a
(18:22):
audiobook producer from PenguinRandom House, and so she asked
me when we were talking she knewthat I worked in podcasting.
She asked me had I ever thoughtabout directing audiobooks and
I was like I didn't even knowaudiobooks had a director.
But you seem like you have theexperience and she's also a
(18:45):
black woman and she was sayingthat they were increasing like
diversity at the company.
And she asked me if I wouldwant to come and um shadow a
producer while or a directorwhile they were um doing an
audio book.
And I said sure.
So I went to the office andshadowed and I really enjoyed it
(19:05):
, and this was at the end of2019.
They were like it'll take acouple months to get you on your
first book, but we think youhave the right mindset to direct
, and so I directed my firstbook in March of 2020.
(19:26):
So that was when the pandemichit.
Everything had shut down and somy first book I didn't have
anybody there with me to help mereally, because and if this had
been normal times, then I wouldhave been in the studio and
somebody would have been thereto help guide me but I was doing
(19:47):
this virtual and this is at atime where people weren't really
understanding virtual, so therewas a lot of kinks to work out.
I was one of the first peopleto do an audio book virtually,
but I did that.
And then my best friend, whoalso I co-host my podcast, most
of my podcasts with Megan Rinks.
She also had a book that wascoming out at that same time
(20:09):
that she had written and she wassupposed to go in studio to
record that, but then and thatwas actually at a different
company, that wasn't Penguin,and so, but then because of the
pandemic, they were just likewe're not sure how to go about
this.
And then Megan was like well, myfriend, she's an audio book
director.
(20:29):
Again, at that time I had doneone book and I think it was a
children's book actually, and soshe was like she can do it.
And they were like OK, so I didher book and then after that I
did more with Penguin, did herbook, and then after that I did
more with Penguin.
And now, since then I've donelast week I directed my 50th
(20:51):
book, I believe so, which waswith another friend, so that was
great, but I directed 50 booksI had.
I directed Amanda Gorman's book, call us what we carry, which
was nominated for a Grammy.
So things have been good in theaudiobook space.
Sidney Evans (21:07):
Okay, speak to audiobooks.
I'm trying to get into them.
I list recently, recentlylistened to Will Smith's book
via audio because I couldn'tphysically read it as much as
like I got into it, so I was, Icouldn't read it as fast as I
could listen to it, or whatever.
But the thing about audiobooksthat's interesting is that and
(21:28):
maybe this is your experience aswell like the narrator is very
important because I prefer oneswhere, like because I listen to
a lot of stuff or consume a lotof stuff, where they're like
autobiographical or you knowit's like a memoir or something,
so they have a somebody has aconnection to it, and I prefer
them to voice it becauseobviously there's a direct
(21:51):
correlation, but sometimes, like, if you're doing it, obviously
if it's like fiction orsomething like that, it's made
up, so it has to be somebody youknow, random and just I'm not
to say that they're good or bad,but just like their tone or how
they deliver or whatever cankind of take you, it can bring
you into the story or it cantake you out.
(22:13):
Um, and I was assumed that y'allspent a lot of time trying to
like, get tonality andinflection and obviously when
you just have audio you don'thave a visual to to it, those
things are much more important.
But like what would you saykind of was the biggest?
Based off of what I'm hearing,like this was probably the thing
that was kind of the most outthe blue or random, maybe, you
(22:36):
know, you didn't foresee itcoming.
So like what was the, I guess,kind of like the biggest
challenges in regards to doingthat, outside of your initial
challenge of not being able tobe in studio?
Melisa D. Monts (22:47):
Yeah, one thing is that with audio books I am
there as part of like the hiringphase.
I'm there like at the end, soI'm not involved in hiring the
talent or anything, or evenpicking the talent.
They're already booked and thenI get booked.
So I don't have as a director,you don't have any control of
(23:12):
who the narrators are.
But the companies do a reallygood job of training.
If they're not already workingin voices and voice acting,
there's a lot of training.
I mean, penguin Random Househas a wonderful program that
they have where new narratorscan sign up and get the
(23:35):
experience that they need.
But yes, the first I'd say like10, 15 minutes we're really
trying to nail what the tone forthe rest of the book is going
to be.
Talking through it, I'm askingquestions.
I also have already read thebook and I've already prepped it
, looking up words, making surewe've got the correct
(23:55):
pronunciations and things likethat.
But then when we get to thestudio it's usually I'll have
them read the first chapter andif the tone isn't right then
we're going to, you know,workshop it a little bit and
then go back and redo the firstchapter.
But I'm also stopping, in thesame way that a film director is
(24:16):
doing.
I'm cutting and giving notes,and then we can continue on.
Sidney Evans (24:21):
Okay, cool.
So I do want to move forward alittle bit.
Thanks for sharing that.
But before we move forward, Iwant to back up for a second,
because obviously yourfoundation is writing, which is
we have made very clear.
But I'm curious to know likeyour like your creative process
for writing.
Like, do you seclude yourselflike, do you like to be isolated
(24:43):
?
Do you like to like go out andkind of be amongst the people,
maybe go to like a coffee shop,maybe just to I don't know
whether it's really gettingmaybe just getting the idea down
and then secluding yourself toflush it out?
Is it something that you Idon't know like you'd like to do
activities non-related towriting, so like the ideas can
(25:04):
kind of come and flow, to removeyourself from the pressure of
having to to have an idea atthat moment?
I know there are a lot ofdifferent ways people do things
to ultimately get to the endresult, to have something that's
well written.
So I'm curious to what thatprocess looks like for you.
Melisa D. Monts (25:21):
I'm constantly writing down ideas as they come
to me.
So if I have like a littleinkling of something, I'll write
it down and just put it away.
It might not be the thingthat's forefront.
Like, right now I'm working,I'm writing three different
projects, but they're not thingsthat I actually had the initial
idea for, because I've beenhired to write these things.
(25:43):
But I have like a storage bankof ideas.
But if it's something that Ihave an idea for, then I'll take
it.
And when I'm ready to write itbecause I just kind of let
things come to me as they do,naturally I'll sit on it and
just like kind of just thinkabout ideas.
(26:03):
I just like to sit and let itmarinate and then I'll write
down just like plot points thatI have for different things that
would happen in the story andthen I'll craft my characters
around, how I want them tobehave in certain situations and
(26:24):
then really do character workon each of those individuals,
like imagine them in certainsituations, right?
Maybe if I'm having troublewith something, I'll write them
into a short story where they'refiguring something out, and
then I'll outline what I'mactually doing and then sit down
and write and the first draftit's like a dump, it's not
(26:47):
really good.
But then after I write thefirst drive, I'll sit with it
for a minute and then put itaway and then come back to it
and during this time, like thecharacters are kind of just
talking to me in my head andthen I can really sit down and
write it.
Sidney Evans (27:06):
Okay.
So that's interesting.
It kind of puts me.
It kind of reminds me ofsomething that I watched.
It's been a while now, but Iwatched, like behind the scenes
documentary on Boys in the Hood.
For those who don't know, youknow John Seagal wrote it,
directed it.
He would say that onceeverybody got on set and before
they actually started shooting,just to prepare or whatever,
obviously you have the scriptfor the film film, but then you
(27:35):
also they would do things towhere they would have the actors
be the characters and actsituations that didn't have
anything to do with the moviebut it had to do with the
character.
So you can figure out thecharacter.
So I would assume that's alittle bit different with your
(28:06):
own writing, but that's the samething.
Though I were to like, I feellike, the ideal and maybe the
scenes and general general ideas, I might be okay yet, but
actually getting the charactersin the scene and writing the
dialogue and using it to kind ofconnect the dots is, uh, would
be very difficult, you know, inmy opinion.
(28:28):
So how do you go about writinggood dialogue?
Melisa D. Monts (28:43):
So for when I'm writing, sometimes like I know
what I want them to say, but I'mnot sure how I want to say it.
So I'll write just like dummydialogue to go in the spot.
Or I'll put like or I know howthe person's going to respond,
but I don't know what the thingis that's going to trigger the
response yet.
So I'll just have just holdwords or hold phrases in or
writing down the general idea ofwhat I want.
(29:04):
But it's important to me justto get everything down on the
page.
And then I go back and refinethe dialogue and then also I
read it out loud, usually withmy assistant, who's also my
sister, so we sit down and readthrough everything.
I mean, even I had this onescript that had like a
(29:29):
10-year-old girl and I have a10- 10 year old niece and so I
had her read the dialogue forthat and like made sure that it
sounded like how a 10 year oldwould speak.
So just going back and forth, Imean.
And then I know professionalwriters deal with this too.
But you get notes back from thestudio and sometimes, like I
(29:53):
recently got a note back thatwas just like this is like
really good, but we need to makeit more simplistic for the
audience.
So so I had to I have to goback in and make it more plain
language and not the flower, butthat's like a studio specific
(30:14):
note If it was something andagain, this is a project that I
didn't have the idea for, so,like if it was something that
was my own idea, I would fightharder against that.
Um, because I think you shouldtrust your audience.
Um, but I'm going to appeasethe people that are paying.
Sidney Evans (30:35):
Speaking of speaking of pay, and we're going
to move on from the writingstuff, but I just wanted to.
It's such an important skill tohave, so I really wanted you to
dive deep in regards to that,because it can be the foundation
for everything, as it was foryou, and just lead to a lot of
other things.
But we're not gonna spend toomuch time on, like being
compensated in money and thingslike that, and I'm not gonna get
(30:56):
too specific.
But I just kind of know you'rea general approach to like when
you're getting paid to do things, like, do you go in, you know,
having a specific number in mindand then you go up and down
from there.
Do you go into situations?
You know, okay, I know peoplewho are interested in hiring me.
(31:17):
They have more of a biggerbudget, so I know I'm going to
shoot higher.
I know this.
May you know, this company overhere may have a smaller budget,
but the stuff that they do Ilove and I would really like to
work on something like this, soI'm more willing to negotiate.
Or do you just go in and youknow you're hard and firm and if
(31:39):
they're able to meet it, theycan.
If they're not, you know youthank them and you move on to
something else.
So just kind of want to knowyour general approach as opposed
to like specific numbers andthings of that nature.
Melisa D. Monts (31:53):
Yeah, so for podcasting, I've been doing this
for years.
I've been doing it since 2015,I think.
So I've been in it, like I'mseasoned in podcasting and I've
been working in it for a whileand my skills are vast, from
like actually writing shows forhosts to being on the microphone
(32:16):
.
Um to editing Um, I don'treally edit that much anymore.
I have um, a team now, um,mostly Coco shout out to Coco,
um, that edit, Um, but um.
But I know what my rate is forpodcasting.
I don't go any lower than whatmy actual rate is and if people
(32:39):
like have people coming to mepitching me stuff all the time,
and if it's not worth what myrate is, then I won't take it.
I'm just like, like you said,thank you.
Like I said earlier, withpodcasting I've never sought out
(33:17):
anyone to work with.
It's always come to me and thencome back to me and be like we
actually need your skill set,and I've also been.
I've also like worked withbigger companies like Stitcher,
where they have specificallywhere I've worked my podcasts
(33:38):
are part of their like programsthat pay out, but I don't work
for the company, and they'vealso they've brought me shows on
their own or asked me to fillin when they're down a producer
or something, so it's very setfor that.
With audiobooks, there's a setrate for everything.
So I'm not I work with withmostly with Penguin, Random
(34:04):
House and Harper Collins, andthere's a set rate for both of
those.
There's no negotiating with it.
With writing, I'm more flexibleon that, just depending on what
the project is.
If it's something that I reallywant to work on, then I might
have a lower rate, but it'salways a negotiation.
Sidney Evans (34:26):
Right, okay, that makes sense and I really did
want to touch on it because alot of times in media or people
who are in the creative industry, like those, you're going to
get to that at some point.
So you gotta kind of beknowledgeable, knowledgeable
about it.
But usually people who arecreatives aren't, like I would
say, like the I don't know.
They're not as capitalisticlike you know.
(34:47):
They're kind of more like I'mdoing it for the art and to a
certain point.
But you do have to cross thatbarrier to.
Sometimes it's like okay,ultimately it's going to end up
you have to make a businessdecision at the end of the day.
So you want to be well-versedas far as to, obviously you know
charging what you're worth, butthen also being flexible
(35:07):
depending on the project andthings like that.
So I did want to touch on that.
Okay, so we're getting close tothe end here, but I did want to
touch on you actually being infront of the mic and you know
being a host on showsconsistently.
So I thought your concept waswas interesting for how you have
a show for every day of theweek.
(35:30):
So I'll let you kind of explain, like the idea behind that, how
that came about and itobviously share the name of the
shows, because we want topromote all the things that
you're involved in and, to behonest, the friday one, I don't
want to say it.
I'll let you say it because youhave to.
There's gonna have to be adisclaimer, some type of
explanation going along withthat.
Yes, so this is a this issomewhat of a a family friendly
(35:53):
podcast, so I'll, I'll let youexplain it the best way you can
even this, the tuesday one.
Melisa D. Monts (35:59):
If you really think about it, it actually
isn't what you think.
It is, um, but um.
So me and my friend, megan um,well, it started off of
producing her podcast Don'tBlame Me, it was before we were
actually like really close, butwe started doing that in 2017.
And she was the host.
(36:22):
She's a digital creator, soshe's the host of that show and
then it got to the point wheresometimes people ask questions.
It's a call and advice showpoint where sometimes people ask
questions.
It's a call and advice show,and sometimes people would call
in and they would have likequestions that she might not
have experience in.
Then me, as the producer, Iwould chime in to add in, you
(36:45):
know, just some flavor, and wewould have guests on the show.
And we would have guests on theshow and then, as the show went
on, we were still having guests, but people were asking for
more of me on the microphone,and so then it would be every
other week it would be her and I, and then having the guests on
(37:09):
the off weeks.
But then when we were likeleaning for us, we were like we
don't really need the guestsanymore.
It gets fun with just the twoof us.
And then when the pandemic hit,it was just like okay, this
makes it easy.
We were like we'll just have it, just be the two of us going
(37:31):
forth, and our audience reallylikes that like really likes it
a lot.
And since then since we startedit in 2017, she's become like
my best friend and so peoplereally like our friendship.
And then we were like thinkingabout what we would want our
next thing to be for our brand.
(37:51):
So you mentioned Sister SignProductions earlier.
That's her, my company with her.
And so then we were doing Ithink we were doing one call and
somebody said something likebut would I be wrong to do this?
And we were like wait, that'slike we both had this like
moment where we just looked ateach other and was like let's
(38:13):
now do, but am I wrong as a show?
And so with that one, it's likewe say it's like people that
didn't take our advice fromdon't blame me.
And um, we yes, and and so like.
And so now they're asking werethey wrong in this situation?
And so that's where but am Iwrong?
(38:33):
Came about.
And then the other shows seeyou next Tuesday.
I will say that I haven'tupdated my website yet, but last
week we actually changed theorder of how we, how the shows
come out.
Now, um, but am I wrong?
Is on Monday.
See you next Tuesday is onTuesdays, but it you actually?
(38:57):
I'm just going to skip it andjust say what see you next
Tuesday is.
See you next Tuesday is, um,now, um, where we read the
results from, but am I wrong?
So we'll post, like, people'sthoughts on if they were wrong
in the situation, and so we'lldo it on our Instagram and then
people will vote and thenthey'll write in and share their
(39:18):
own experience with that orgive their own thoughts, and so
that's what See you Next Tuesdayis.
And then Thursday is Don'tBlame Me, and then Friday,
fisting Friday.
It was a joke, okay, it was ajoke that we were like we don't
know what to call this show, andit was.
(39:39):
We were just like people writein, like give us some ideas, and
no one had anything else.
They like we actually love this, uh, so it stuck.
Um, it stuck, and so, uh,that's where we're just talking,
doing catch-ups with each other.
Um, uh, because we were cuttingout like 30, 40 minutes of when
(40:06):
we were doing Don't Blame Meand we like had mentioned it to
our audience, and we also have aPatreon, which is like the
people that we like know, know,because we do live streams with
them twice a month and like theyget, we know them like on a
personal basis, like I consider,like some of them, my friends
now, and so they were like, well, we want to hear the
(40:28):
conversations y'all are havingthat you're cutting out.
And so now we specifically justhave an episode of us just
talking and catching up.
And then Just Between Us is aseparate podcast with Allison
Raskin and Gabe Dunn and that isa variety show that deals with
mental health and has guestexperts on and talking about
(40:51):
topical shows, and so at the endof that show I come on and rate
the shows.
On our regular shows, on thevariety shows, I come in and
rate it at the end as theproducer.
But then they started asking melike to be part of the last
segment called Topics, wherewe're talking about current
events or just any topic really,and so I started doing that as
(41:17):
a regular part.
And then every other week wehave another show called Too
Long Did Read it, where we'relooking into things on reddit
and discussing that, and theywanted me to be a part of the
full episodes for those.
So that's what wednesday isokay.
Sidney Evans (41:35):
So I one thing that I'm noticing is that, um, I
figured out the cheat codebecause y'all, y'all, y'all are
using, like other people, likeyou're, you're you're coming
with the content ideas withouthaving to come up with it
yourself.
Like you're sharing otherpeople, like you're, you're
you're coming with the contentideas without having to come up
with it yourself.
Like you're sharing otherpeople's stories, like what you
just mentioned, you're, um goingdown like the reddit rabbit
hole, which you know, if you'recareful, you'll get stuck
(41:57):
forever.
Um.
So I think that, and I wasalready.
Melisa D. Monts (42:00):
Yeah, I mean every other day.
Sidney Evans (42:02):
Whether people want to admit it or not, every I
think everybody has took thatroute somewhat.
That's pretty cool.
Like I said, I love the idea,so I'm glad you shared the
backstory on all of those, andespecially Friday.
Thank you for clearing that up.
Melisa D. Monts (42:19):
I mean, did I really clear it up though the
name is not really.
Yeah, I mean it does, it's justalliteration.
Sidney Evans (42:27):
The story behind it is the story behind it, you
know, um?
So, given all the yourexperiences for someone cause?
So because on this platform,not only do I want to, you know,
share the experiences of thepeople that I have on, I also
wanted this to be an inspirationand a resource for people who
would like to get into theindustry.
So you could probably get a tonof advice based on you know,
(42:51):
what you've seen.
But what would be like the topthing that you would share for
someone looking to break intoaudio or in the media industry
in general?
Melisa D. Monts (43:02):
My top thing is that ask for what you want,
because I've just I just askedfor things and if people say no,
okay, but if they say yes,great.
So I like I told you in thebeginning me like getting my
foot in the door for theentertainment industry was I
just called up schools and askedif I could work on their
(43:24):
student films and they're likewe don't really get people
asking that but sure.
And so I met a lot of peoplethat way and I got hands on
experience.
And then once I got here, youknow I would.
I did a bunch of internshipsand this was they've changed the
laws since then, but at thattime it was they were unpaid
(43:45):
internships and you can't dothat anymore unless it's for
credit for schools.
But I did a lot of internshipsthat weren't specifically in the
field that I was like I said Iwas specifically here for
writing, but I learned how to doeverything.
I learned how to produce, Ilearned how to edit and
producing became my main way tomake money for most.
(44:06):
Even right now, producing isthe main way that I make money
and so, because I had all thoseskills to fall back on that I
had learned, I asked to work onthat short film that I
eventually learned how to editon.
I asked to now like for thiswriting job that I have now with
(44:28):
the company I.
They were hiring for an editoreditor for the screenplays, like
to go through and edit them.
I didn't want to do that butthey weren't hiring for a writer
.
I just put my resume in but Imade it very clear that I was a
writer and they're like we'rehiring someone else for the
editor, but would you beinterested in a writing position
(44:49):
?
And so then it was there.
And then, like for the novel Ijust I asked.
I was like, do y'all, you know,need anybody else to like write
one of these novels?
And they said yes.
So ask for what you want, butalso have the skills to back it
up.
So make sure that you're donethe work already.
(45:09):
Constantly, yes, like you'reconstantly adding things to your
education, to your background,so that you know how to do
things.
So, the working on the studentfilms I had no experience, but
you don't need to experience forthat, so, but then that laid
the foundation for everythingthat I've done up until now.
Sidney Evans (45:29):
Okay, that's solid advice and that's something
that seems to be prettyconsistent, maybe not
specifically like ask what youwant, but how you connected that
to like being able to do a lotof different things, like kind
of getting around the thingdoing what you have to do to get
around the thing that you wantto do, learning those skillsets,
absorbing those skillsets.
(45:49):
And you know, maybe youinitially want to be a writer In
your case you still want to,but sometimes, like, you get
introduced to something elsethat's closely related and then
you just it just takes a slightpivot and you know you have
something like sustainable andyou're still in within that same
sphere and you still have that.
You still have that same levelof satisfaction.
(46:10):
So I agree completely, allright.
So, uh, for the last portion ofthe show we're just going to,
um, let's ask you a fewquestions to kind of, uh, get
your take on certain things.
Usually they are audio related,um, but because you have made
it clear that you are a writeras well, I'm going to make an
adjustment specifically for you.
(46:32):
So, the first question is goingto be who has been your biggest
inspiration as a writer?
Melisa D. Monts (46:40):
Shonda Rhimes.
I really like working in thesoap opera space.
That is.
My long-term goal is to work onthe daytime soap opera, but she
does nighttime soaps, she'sprimetime soaps and you know
she's a screenwriter, she's atelevision writer, she has a
podcast network, she wrote anovel for Bridgerton, so like
(47:04):
she does all the things that I'mdoing too, just on a bigger
scale, and so that's who Ireally am aspiring, you know,
not to be the next Shonda Rhimes, be the next Melissa D Montz,
but like she's a big inspirationfor me.
Sidney Evans (47:19):
Okay, makes a lot of sense, and I actually hadn't
thought about, like what yourresponse would be, but if I
would have, I probably wouldhave put my money on saying it
would be her.
So, um, okay.
So next is your favorite albumof all time, your favorite, your
favorite.
Melisa D. Monts (47:37):
I.
I used to listen to a lot ofmusic, like a lot of different
types of music, and I will say,in my older I'm in my thirties,
but in my older age I havereally just listened to specific
artists, um I but I would saylike I guess it's not
technically an album but is asoundtrack and it's the waiting
(48:01):
to exhale soundtrack.
Sidney Evans (48:02):
Okay, um, I knew you were going to say that once
you started going that way, Ihonestly I would have to agree
with that Probably think it'sthe best movie soundtrack ever.
And I recently I like to go to,like you know, record stores
and when I was with mygirlfriend and it was the CDs,
it was like one of the firstplaces I actually sold CDs and
(48:25):
they had like a big collection.
I would be like you know itwould be, it would be gold if we
could uh find that way toexhale soundtrack and we got
worked our way over to the W'sand went through was the first,
very first one, so I was like itwas there, it was there um yeah
, I don't know how many peoplecarry that, but yeah, uh, that's
definitely a classic.
All right, um next, well, I'llskip it.
(48:47):
I don't know.
I'll probably skip this fromfavorite music producer because
you'll probably say, likebabyface, because he produced
the way to excel soundtrackstuff I do love babyface, but uh
, missy elliott would be myfavorite music producer.
Melisa D. Monts (48:58):
I think that she makes music that um.
Her stuff that she made in the90s still sounds new today.
She makes very like.
Her music is always relevant.
So Missy Elliott.
Sidney Evans (49:11):
Yeah, timeless and even it was super, it was
progressive for the design andit still holds up, which is kind
of crazy.
And I'm trying to find thesuper duper fly vinyl without
actually just going on theinternet and ordering it, but
I'm having trouble.
Um, okay, next last two.
What, uh favorite film score?
Melisa D. Monts (49:32):
that's hard for me because it's not really
something I pay attention muchto.
Um, but, uh, and I watch moretelevision than I watch movies,
but, um, but I would say like,if we're talking like tv, I
would go with Scream Queens thefirst season.
I think that they the way thatthey use music to tell the story
(49:53):
.
It was like an additionalcharacter to the show and the
way that they use music reallywas.
It was fun, like it added tothe, even though, like they're
killing people left and right ontheir show, they're using the
most off the wall songs to likebe the soundtrack to these
deaths.
Um, and the score too, um, andI think I thought that was.
(50:14):
It was a brilliant yeah, thatis brilliant.
Sidney Evans (50:15):
Like you said, it's like it's like adding
another character.
Very cool, um, all right.
Melisa D. Monts (50:20):
Last one favorite tv theme song Favorite
TV theme song, the Young and theRestless song, and then how
Mary J took it and made it asong too.
Sidney Evans (50:33):
Oh yeah, I remember the Mary J version
because I was actuallystruggling to remember because
it was etched in my brain atsome point, but it's been so
long since I've heard it, butnow that when you made the Mary
J reference, it came back to me,so that's pretty cool.
Okay, interesting.
Solid answer.
Solid answers Some things I wasexpecting some things I wasn't
expecting, all right.
(50:54):
So, yeah, I think that bringsus to the end, but can't let you
go without giving you a momentallowing you to share.
I know you shared a few thingsthat you're working on now, but
how can people you know checkout some of the stuff that you
worked on, what to be on the eyefor new things that you have in
the works and how they canconnect with you if they like to
(51:18):
do so?
Melisa D. Monts (51:19):
Yeah, you can follow me on Instagram.
She is not Melissa.
There's links to both mybusiness and my professional but
personal website in both.
Those links are in the links inmy bio, or you can just go to
Diamond M-P-R-I-N-T dotproductions is my business
(51:40):
website and then my personalslash business website is
Melissa M-E-L-I-S-A-D-M-O-N-T-Sdot com and you can check out my
podcast.
Don't Blame Me.
Well, I'll just say the sistersign slate of podcasts are all
on one feed, so you can.
(52:00):
If you type in Don't Blame Me,it should come up wherever you
get your podcast.
You type in Don't Blame Me, itshould come up wherever you get
your podcast.
You can read my web series Inthe Dead of Night on the
R-E-A-D-I-C-T app on your phoneand then just be on the lookout
for other projects that I'mproducing and writing coming out
(52:24):
within the next year.
Sidney Evans (52:27):
Okay.
So y'all, make sure you takeheed and make sure you go and
support Melissa.
Thank you, melissa.
This was a great conversation.
I reached out to you and we'resuper responsive and we made it
happen really quickly.
Melisa D. Monts (52:42):
That doesn't always happen that way, so I was
waiting on notes back on myscript, so I had a little
downtime.
Sidney Evans (52:49):
I got in where I got in where I could fit in.
Yeah, thank you for coming on.
I appreciate you and foreverybody listening.
Thank you for tuning in.
Thank you for joining us ontoday's episode.
Please don't forget tosubscribe to the show and leave
us a review.
If you'd like to work with meor connect, connect.
Please go to soundbossitcom andschedule a call there.
(53:13):
You can also check out the fulllist of productions I've worked
on.
If you'd like to connect onsocial media, my handle is
soundbossitcom on twitter andinstagram and I'm sydney evans
on LinkedIn.
Don't forget to follow Beyondthe Threshold on Instagram as
well.
I'll catch you on the nextepisode.
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