Ep.5: From Arkansas to Hollywood w/ Melisa D. Monts

• Transcript

  [00:00:00] Melisa D. Monts: Ask for what you want because I just asked for things and if people say no, okay, but if they say yes, great. Getting my foot in the door for the entertainment industry was, I just called up schools and asked if I could work on their student films. And they were like, we don't really get people asking that.

  [00:00:20] Sidney Evans: Tune in as we give flowers to black men and women making waves in the audio industry. I'm your host, Sidney Evans, and this is Beyond the Threshold.

  [00:00:42] Sidney Evans: Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Beyond the Threshold. I'm your host, Sidney Evans, an award winning audio editor. I'm Mixer and producer for those of you who don't know on this show, I interviewed black men and women working in the audio industry, highlighting the lessons and experiences it takes to achieve success in the field.

  [00:01:01] Sidney Evans: As always, we got another great episode in store for today. And speaking of experiences, uh, today's guest has quite a few of them. So I can't wait to, to hear the, uh, the background regarding those experiences. And when a guest agrees to come on the show, I actually send them a link. To fill out their bio and a couple other questions as well.

  [00:01:22] Sidney Evans: And usually that's where people really are excited about sharing the roles they held and the productions and projects that they worked on. And, and today's guest, she did share her roles, but she, I felt like she went kind of modest on the productions and, you know, the shows and, you know, name dropping all the, the.

  [00:01:42] Sidney Evans: People that she's been involved with. So I'm going to make sure she does share some of that throughout the course of the interview to give a little background on her. She's a native of Northwest Arkansas and currently resides in Los Angeles. T she's a TV and film writer and producer, a podcast host and producer, audio book director and a novel writer.

  [00:01:59] Sidney Evans: And for those who are familiar with sports and the triple double or baseball, the triple crown, I don't know. We need to come up with some type of term for somebody who writes, produces, is talent and directs. But I'm going to think about that off air and I'm going to get back to you on that. She's also the CEO of Diamond Imprint Productions and co founder of Sister Sign Productions.

  [00:02:21] Sidney Evans: So without further ado, I'd like to introduce today's guest, Melisa D. Monts. Welcome to the show, Melissa. 

  [00:02:28] Melisa D. Monts: Thank you. Thank you for having me. I'm so excited to be here. 

  [00:02:31] Sidney Evans: Yes, I appreciate you coming on. As she said off air, she, uh, she doesn't do, she hasn't done a lot of podcast interviews recently. But as you learned throughout today's episode, she is in front of the mic quite a bit.

  [00:02:42] Sidney Evans: So hopefully it'll come back, you know, immediately. But, um, yeah, I don't have, I don't have too much other than kind of just getting into your story. And. Your upbringing, what was your inspiration? I would assume out of all of these, out of all that's happening, you're illustrious career. I just wanted to say illustrious.

  [00:03:01] Sidney Evans: Um, so did you start off with writing like the foundation for you? 

  [00:03:05] Melisa D. Monts: So, uh, growing up, I actually wanted to be a orthodontist. You know, my undergrad degree is in biology, but I took writing classes for fun. Um, well, I thought they were just for fun and I really enjoyed them and I excelled in them. Um, and a screenwriting class presented itself my senior year in college.

  [00:03:28] Melisa D. Monts: Um, I was, I just, I took the class and I really liked it. And then I was like, maybe I should, I really wasn't feeling the dentistry field anymore. I took a dental class, um, for the first time. And I was like, Ooh, I don't know if this is actually what I want to do. Let me see this other thing that I've been really excited about this.

  [00:03:49] Melisa D. Monts: When I was in, um, elementary school, I used to write, uh, Like little scripts based on Power Rangers that I would have my classmates act out during recess. It was always something that was there, but my parents were pushing me to be a doctor. But then when I told them that I was interested in, in the entertainment field, they were still like completely on board with that.

  [00:04:14] Melisa D. Monts: So they've always been supportive. 

  [00:04:15] Sidney Evans: Okay, that's cool. Well, you definitely had me at Power Rangers. Laughter. And I was, I'm glad you mentioned that, like, whether your parents were supportive or not, because I was going to ask, like, were you encouraged to kind of take a more traditional route as far as career?

  [00:04:29] Sidney Evans: It's kind of either one extreme or the other, as either you're encouraged to, you know, be a dentist or a doctor, go to school, do all those things, the very linear way, or you have parents who are, Like super creative themselves, whether it be like musicians or a dancer or some type of artist and that kind of obviously just rubs, rubs off on the child.

  [00:04:49] Sidney Evans: So, um, I'm glad you shared that. So college, I guess you took the class in college and realize that's more what you wanted to do. Or maybe it was even just from taking the dentistry courses, what you didn't want to do. But what, what was the moment when you decided that you were actually going to pursue and take it seriously and dedicate a lot of time to it?

  [00:05:09] Melisa D. Monts: Um, so I was in, like I said, I was in college, um, taking the writing classes and I took a playwriting class and then a screenwriting class, you know, just for fun. They didn't add anything to my, um, biology degree. I actually, um, went into college with already 30 hours. So, um, like from taking classes, um. At community college while I was in high school.

  [00:05:36] Melisa D. Monts: And so my senior year, I really didn't have to be there, but why would I go into the real world? 

  [00:05:43] Sidney Evans: Yes. Let's delay that process a little bit longer. 

  [00:05:46] Melisa D. Monts: Yeah. So I was taking, I took screenwriting, playwriting, golf, gymnastics, like just. fun classes. Um, I really, really enjoyed the writing and I like got to a point where I was like, I don't know what I want to do.

  [00:06:01] Melisa D. Monts: So I went and talked to my counselor and she was like, well, you've taken these classes that you do enjoy and you don't, you haven't enjoyed like the dental class that you take. Why don't you explore this? And me being in Arkansas at the, now there's like, Um, the Bentonville film festival and Arkansas has like a great program for, uh, kids like for film, but at that time there really wasn't.

  [00:06:27] Melisa D. Monts: anything film related that was going on that I knew about. And so I hadn't really thought about it as a career. So then when I started looking at, into it, um, that next year I went and just kind of called up schools in California and was like in Los Angeles. And I was like, Hey, can I come work on some student films?

  [00:06:50] Melisa D. Monts: And they said, yeah, sure. Sure. We don't really get this request, but you can PA. So they connected me with students, worked on things at UCLA, USC and AFI. And, um, I really, really enjoyed it. So I shadowed would come back to Arkansas. I was working, um, in the health, like using my degree, working in the health field, um, saved up some money and then.

  [00:07:13] Melisa D. Monts: Once I really, you know, was really cemented in this is what I wanted to do. I moved out to LA. I went to, um, UCLA's program that they have, um, where I studied entertainment studies, TV, writing, and, um, as well as directing and producing. So that's how I got my foot in the door. 

  [00:07:35] Sidney Evans: Yeah, that's kind of, uh, well, that's, that's very ambitious coming from Arkansas.

  [00:07:39] Sidney Evans: Did you go to college in Arkansas? 

  [00:07:41] Melisa D. Monts: Yeah, I went to the University of Arkansas. I mean, I was born in Arkansas. I lived in, I call it like a corporate America brat. My mom worked for Kraft Foods, um, for most of my childhood. And we moved around a lot. So I've lived in numerous different states and then we wound up in back in Arkansas during, um, when I was in eighth grade.

  [00:08:02] Melisa D. Monts: And so then I, and my mom also went to the University of Arkansas. So, you know, legacy in that way. And so I had always, no matter where we lived, I had always planned on going to the University of Arkansas. 

  [00:08:14] Sidney Evans: Okay. Cool. So, so from Arkansas to LA. So when you got to LA and got that experience, um, those first initial experiences, did you, uh, did it become clear to you?

  [00:08:26] Sidney Evans: Like when you started, I guess, right. Like, how can, how did it kind of happen? Like, it seemed like you were kind of doing a little bit of everything. Like when did you discover that like writing was either your thing or it might be the path of least resistance, or did like a specific idea come to you and you were like, nobody else.

  [00:08:44] Sidney Evans: It's doing anything like this, like I want to work on something, you know, in this style or in this vein and it wasn't presented. So you're like, well, I just got to write it in order to do it. Like, how did that kind of work? 

  [00:08:56] Melisa D. Monts: I mean, I would say my first. There's no one. There's no new ideas. There's no new ideas.

  [00:09:02] Melisa D. Monts: It's just different executions of the same things that have already existed. But, um, I wrote several things. And with early writers, nothing that you write in the beginning is actually good, but you get it on paper. And, um, it's a learning process from that. But I knew when I made the move, I knew that I would be working in the entertainment industry and I didn't, there's, I, there was no like second thing.

  [00:09:30] Melisa D. Monts: There wasn't anything else. I knew when I moved. 

  [00:09:34] Sidney Evans: Okay. So you, you went through that, uh, that process of just getting, getting it out on paper, writing, perfecting the craft. When was the moment where you. Realized you had something like, this is really good. And was that the first thing that other people agreed was good?

  [00:09:51] Sidney Evans: Or like, did you, does there are ongoing process of you just people like, you know, taking you serious as a writer or someone wanting to like invest or give you an opportunity to like, okay. This is, this is solid. Let's try to actually do something with this. Cause I know the, the process for getting stuff made is, is a long process.

  [00:10:13] Sidney Evans: And even though you might get a, a, you know, a deal to write it, you might write it. They could probably just buy it from you and then change it up a little bit. Or did they come back to you? Like, okay, we'd like the initial idea. Let's present it to somebody, make changes. Like, what was that? What was that like?

  [00:10:31] Melisa D. Monts: Well, with the writing, I would say, um, that was all it, that has always been the long term goal, but I kind of got off that path. So I, um, was, I've always been writing, but producing kind of became the main, you know, So after I finished school, I did a few intern, well, while I was in school, and then after I did a couple of internships, then I got a job working for a company called Indemol, which is big in reality TV, where I was an office production assistant.

  [00:11:05] Melisa D. Monts: And then after that, I went on to work for a writer, director, producer as their assistant. And, um, You know, kept my head down, really learning more from the people that I was surrounded by. And then I went on to produce a series and got into podcasting. And then I will say like recently during the pandemic, I really, Refocus myself on writing and I did Stowe's writing program.

  [00:11:36] Melisa D. Monts: Um, I was accepted to that, uh, last year and I've placed in, um, several like competitions for writing. And so I was like, okay, Melissa, like you were out of it for a while. Now you're back in it. And so now I'm writing a short form drama series for a company. I can't talk too much about it because, uh, things are a little bit under wraps right now, but, um, should.

  [00:11:59] Melisa D. Monts: Learn more soon, but I'm writing a short form drama series. That's a two parts. Each one will have about, um, 40 to 52 minute episodes for that. Um, and then, um, also for a company called Riddick, I am writing a, uh, web novel for them, which is about werewolves. It's available now. It's the number one hottest, uh, novel right now on the website that I'm really excited about.

  [00:12:28] Melisa D. Monts: Um, so, and then I'm also with my manager, she's also a producer. And so she has the rights to a novel called Jane Anonymous. Asked me to adapt that. So I'm working on that as well. 

  [00:12:41] Sidney Evans: Okay. So you, uh, I wasn't, cause I, upon preparing for this episode, like I saw, obviously I mentioned you, you did all those things, but I wasn't sure of the timeline, so I had kind of.

  [00:12:51] Sidney Evans: Knew that it would be jumps and twists and turns. So, um, but you did mention podcasting and this is obviously a platform to highlight people working in audio. So like how, how did the podcasting thing happen? I know, um, you said you got into that and then eventually, obviously you started your own company.

  [00:13:08] Sidney Evans: So like, what were your first experiences with that? And then when were you like, okay, I've kind of perfected that skill or I kind of know what to do. So I kind of want to, you know, be at the helm and start my own company. 

  [00:13:22] Melisa D. Monts: So, um, with the audio and podcasting, uh, so one of the internships that I did, um, I had, it was with a director that I had seen that they were crowdfunding for a film that they were working on.

  [00:13:36] Melisa D. Monts: And so, um, I reached out and to see if he needed work or an assistant to work on that And, um, that film didn't end up going, but he reached out and he was like, Hey, I need an assistant editor for another project. And I was like, I've never edited in my life. And he asked me, he said, um, well, I'll teach you.

  [00:13:59] Melisa D. Monts: And so I've learned how to edit from him. And, uh, the main editor that were working on that project, and it gave me like very basic skills. I was mostly just doing string outs where I was laying out the, um, the footage. But, um, it gave me the basics for working in editing software. And then when I was working for.

  [00:14:22] Melisa D. Monts: that producer director when I was, um, his assistant, he was already working on the first podcast that I worked on, which is, uh, not too deep with grace Helbig. And that was something we were doing in addition to the other TV film projects that we were working on. And so I was like an assistant working as a PA on that podcast.

  [00:14:42] Melisa D. Monts: And then one week, the, uh, you know, The editor had gone out of town. And so the producer asked me, he said, would you be interested in editing this? I remember you saying that you could edit. And I was like, well, I said I was an assistant editor. I wasn't really like editing, but it was going to be extra money.

  [00:15:02] Melisa D. Monts: So, um, and I was assistant at that time could use extra money. So I was like, yeah, I can do that. Uh, so I went home and I really just. Learned how to edit by watching videos on YouTube and got good at it and um, I got so good that The producer eventually was just like you can just edit these from now on so I did that and that's and Because of that and then the skills that I was getting while I was shadowing and just learning like I said It was absorbing so much information Then I eventually moved up to Being a producer at that company.

  [00:15:39] Melisa D. Monts: And so we were producing not too deep. And then other shows just kind of naturally, I never really advertised that I was a podcast producer. People would just naturally come and ask like, Hey, would you produce this show or they have been guest on. What we were doing on not too deep. And so that's really how I got into podcasting.

  [00:16:01] Melisa D. Monts: Um, the company came about because when we were working on, um, Mr. Student Body President, which is a digital series that ran for, uh, four seasons, I had to. Because I was working, it was a company called Go90, um, that no longer exists. Um, it was Verizon's company, but it was a phone app. And so, um, when I was working with them there and I was no longer working under that producer that I had been an assistant for.

  [00:16:29] Melisa D. Monts: But I was still working with him and I, they needed me to have a loan out. So that's an S Corp LLC, et cetera. And so I just made my company so that they could pay me. And then, um, as more projects came along and I moved away from working with that producer, all the things that I worked on eventually became part of the company.

  [00:16:53] Melisa D. Monts: Then I hired an assistant, I hired an editor, um, hired, you know, things, just as things came along, I would hire more people and the company grew from there. 

  [00:17:04] Sidney Evans: I guess from the early stages of podcasting, like, there was no really, I don't know, a pipeline of people who were just doing a podcast and they were kind of like coming from other industries.

  [00:17:14] Sidney Evans: So it made sense to not initially be like, Oh, I'm a podcast producer. It was like, no, I kind of do, you know, other things, TV, film, radio, whatever it is. And then you just apply that skillset to podcasting and then you become a podcast producer and those became like the blueprint. And then it eventually became like a title in itself.

  [00:17:34] Sidney Evans: So that makes sense. Um, so we covered your writing. Producing editing as well, but you also under that, under the umbrella of your company, uh, direct audio books. So, and I've said this a couple of times during the interview already, but how did that come about? 

  [00:17:54] Melisa D. Monts: So everything really comes from the writing. I was at a writer's retreat.

  [00:18:00] Melisa D. Monts: It was a screenwriting retreat that was in Palm Springs over a weekend. And I, um, was, there just to, you know, meet other women writers. And we were just having fun and working things out and doing different workshops. And one of the people that was there that was helping with the event, was a audio book producer from Penguin Random House.

  [00:18:26] Melisa D. Monts: And so, She asked me, she, like, when we were talking, she knew that I worked in podcasting. She asked me, um, have, had I ever thought about directing audio books? And I was like, I didn't even know audio books had a director. Um, but you know, you seem like you have the experience and that she's also, um, a black woman.

  [00:18:46] Melisa D. Monts: And she was saying that they were. Increasing, like, diversity at the company, and she asked me if I would want to come and, um, shadow a producer while, or a director while they were, um, doing an audiobook and I said, sure. So I went to the office and shadowed and I really enjoyed it. And this was at the end of 2019.

  [00:19:10] Melisa D. Monts: They were like, it'll take a couple months to get you on your first book, but we think you have the right mindset to direct. And so, um, I directed my first book in March of 2020. So that was when the pandemic hit. Everything had shut down. Um, and so my first book, I didn't have anybody there with me to help me really, because and, and if this had been normal times, then I would have been in the studio and, uh, somebody would have been there to help guide me, but I was doing this virtual.

  [00:19:49] Melisa D. Monts: And this is at a time where people weren't really understanding virtual. So there was a lot of kinks to work out. I was one of the first people to do an audio book virtually, but I did that. And then my best friend who also, um, I co host, um, my podcast, most of my podcasts with Megan Rinks, she also had a book that was coming out at that.

  [00:20:08] Melisa D. Monts: same time that she had written. And, um, she was supposed to go in studio for, uh, to record that. But then, and that was actually at a different company that wasn't penguin. And so, um, but then because of the pandemic, they were just like, We're not sure how to go about this. And then Megan was like, well, my friend, she's, she's, an audio book director again.

  [00:20:30] Melisa D. Monts: At that time, I had done one book and I think it was a children's book, actually. And so, um, she was like, she can do it. And they were like, okay. So I did her book. Um, and then after that, I did more with Penguin. Um, and now since then I've done last week, I directed my fifth book. 50th book, I believe. So, um, which was with another friend.

  [00:20:53] Melisa D. Monts: So that was great, but I directed 50 books. I had, I directed, um, Amanda Gorman's book, um, call us what we carry, what, which was, um, nominated for a Grammy. So things have been good in the audio book space. 

  [00:21:07] Sidney Evans: Okay. Speak to audio books. I, uh, I'm, I'm trying to get into them. Um, I list recently, recently listened to Will Smith's book.

  [00:21:16] Sidney Evans: Uh, via audio because I couldn't physically read it as much as like I got into it. So I wasn't, I couldn't read it as fast as I could listen to it or whatever. But the thing about audio books is interesting is that. And maybe this is your experience as well. Like the narrator is very important because I prefer ones where like, if it's a, cause I listen to a lot of stuff or consume a lot of stuff where they're like autobiographical or, you know, it's like a memoir or something.

  [00:21:45] Sidney Evans: So they have a, somebody has a connection to it and I prefer them to voice it. Because obviously this is a direct correlation, but sometimes like if you're doing it, obviously, if it's like fiction or something like that, it's made up. So it has to be somebody, you know, 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 can kind of take you, it can bring you into the story or it can take you out.

  [00:22:13] Sidney Evans: Um, and I was assumed that y'all spend a lot of time trying to like get tonality and inflection. And obviously we just have audio. You don't have a visual to, to assist it. Those things are much more important, but, um, like, what would you say kind of was the biggest based off of what I'm hearing? Like this, this was probably the thing that was kind of the most.

  [00:22:35] Sidney Evans: Out the blue or ran or maybe, you know, you didn't foresee it coming. So like, what was the, I guess, kind of like the biggest challenges in regards to doing that outside of your initial challenge of not being able to be in studio? 

  [00:22:47] Melisa D. Monts: Yeah. Um, one thing is that with audio books, I am there as part of like the hiring phase, I'm there like at the end.

  [00:22:57] Melisa D. Monts: So I'm not. involved in, um, hiring the talent or anything, or even picking the talent. I, they're already booked and then I get booked. So, um, I don't have, as a director, you don't have any control of who the narrators are, but, uh, the companies do a really good job of, um, of like training, if they're not already working in voices and voice acting, there, there's a lot of training.

  [00:23:26] Melisa D. Monts: I mean, Penguin Random House has, um, a wonderful program that they have where, um, new narrators can, You know, sign up and get the experience that they need. But yes, uh, the first, I'd say like 10, 15 minutes, we're really trying to nail what the tone for the rest of the book is going to be, um, talking through it.

  [00:23:47] Melisa D. Monts: Um, I'm asking questions. I also have already read the book and I've already prepped it, looking up words, making sure we've got the correct pronunciations and things like that. But then when we get to the studio, um, It's usually I'll have them read the first chapter and if the, um, tone isn't right, then we're gonna, you know, workshop it a little bit and then go back and redo the first chapter.

  [00:24:12] Melisa D. Monts: Um, but I'm also stopping in the same way that a film director is doing. I'm cutting and giving notes and then we can continue on. 

  [00:24:21] Sidney Evans: Okay, cool. So, um, I do want to move forward a little bit. Thanks for sharing that. But before we move forward, I want to. Back up for a second, because obviously your foundation is writing, which is, we have made very clear, but I'm curious to know, like, you're like your creative process for writing.

  [00:24:38] Sidney Evans: Like, do you seclude yourself? Like, do you like to be isolated? Do you like to, like, go out and kind of be amongst the people, maybe go to like a coffee shop, maybe just to, I don't know whether it's really. Getting maybe just getting the idea down and then secluding yourself to flush it out. Um, is it something that you, I don't know, like you'd like to do activities non related to writing.

  [00:25:02] Sidney Evans: So like the ideas can kind of come and flow to remove yourself from the pressure of having to, to have an idea at that moment. I know there are a lot of different ways people do things, um, to ultimately get to the end result, to have something that's well written. So I'm curious to what that process looks like for you.

  [00:25:21] Melisa D. Monts: I'm constantly writing down ideas as they come to me. So if. I have like a little inkling of something, I'll write it down and just put it away. It might not be the thing that's forefront. Like right now I'm working, I'm writing three different projects, but they're not things that I actually had the initial idea for because I've been hired to write these things.

  [00:25:43] Melisa D. Monts: Um, but I have like a storage bank of ideas. Um, but, um, if it's something that I have an idea for, then I'll, you know, I'll take it. And when I'm ready to write it, cause I just kind of let things come to me as they do naturally. I'll sit on it and just like, kind of just think about ideas. I just like to sit and let it marinate.

  [00:26:06] Melisa D. Monts: And then I'll, um, write down Just like plot points that I have for different things that would happen in the story and then I'll craft my characters around how I want them to behave in certain situations and then really do character work on each of those individuals, like imagine them in certain situations, right?

  [00:26:31] Melisa D. Monts: Maybe if I'm having trouble with something, I'll write them into a short story where they're fine. And then I'll outline what I'm actually doing and then sit down and write. And the first draft, it's like a dump. It's not, it's not really good. Um, but then, um, after I write the first drive, I'll sit with it for a minute.

  [00:26:54] Melisa D. Monts: Um. And then put it away and then come back to it. And during this time, like the characters are kind of just talking to me in my head and then I can really sit down and write it. 

  [00:27:05] Sidney Evans: Okay. So that's interesting. It kind of puts me, it kind of reminds me of something that I watched. It's been a while now, but I watched a like behind the scenes documentary on boys in the hood.

  [00:27:15] Sidney Evans: For those who don't know, you know, John Cena wrote it, directed it, he would say that like once everybody got on set and before they actually started shooting just to prepare or whatever, obviously you have the script for the film, but then you also they would do things to where they will have the actors be the characters and act situations that didn't have anything to do with the movie.

  [00:27:39] Sidney Evans: But it had to do with the character so you can figure out the character. So I would assume that's a little bit different with your own writing. But 

  [00:27:47] Melisa D. Monts: it's the same thing though. 

  [00:27:48] Sidney Evans: It is the same. Okay. Um, the thing that's most impressive about writing for me is like getting good dialogue, like organic, realistic dialogue.

  [00:27:57] Sidney Evans: Because, um, I'm a decent writer just in a general sense, but, you know, I have a, uh, a reverence for people who write for media because I don't think it's something I could do. But if I were to, like, I feel like the ideal and maybe the scenes and. General, general ideas, I might be okay yet, but actually getting the characters in the scene and writing the dialogue and using that to kind of connect the dots is, uh, would be very difficult, you know, in my opinion.

  [00:28:28] Sidney Evans: So how do you go about writing good dialogue? 

  [00:28:33] Melisa D. Monts: So for, um, when I'm writing, sometimes, like, I know what I want them to say, but I'm not sure how I want to say it. So I'll write just like dummy dialogue to go in the spot, or I'll put like, or I know how the person's going to respond, but I don't know what the thing is that's going to trigger the response yet.

  [00:28:57] Melisa D. Monts: So I'll just have just hold words or hold phrases in or writing down the general idea of what I want, but it's important to me just to get. Everything down on the page. And then I go back and refine the dialogue. Um, and then also I, um, read it out loud, usually with, um, my assistant, who's also my sister.

  [00:29:19] Melisa D. Monts: Um, so, uh, we sit down and read through everything. Um, I mean, even I had. There's one script that had, um, like, a 10 year old girl and they have a 10 year old niece. And so I had her read the dialogue for that and, like, made sure that it sounded like how a 10 year old would speak. Um, so just going back and forth.

  [00:29:42] Melisa D. Monts: I mean, and then I know professional writers deal with this too, but, um, You get notes back from the studio and sometimes like I recently got a note back that was just like this is like really good, but we need to make it more, uh, simplistic for the audience. So, um, um, so I had to, I have to go back and, and, um, make it more, Plain language and not the flow, but that's like a studio specific note if it was something.

  [00:30:15] Melisa D. Monts: And again, 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 fight harder against that. Um, because I think you should trust your audience. Um, but I'm going to appease the people that are paying. 

  [00:30:33] Sidney Evans: Right. Um, speaking of speaking of pay and, uh, we're going to move on from the writing stuff, but I just wanted to.

  [00:30:40] Sidney Evans: It's such an important skill to have. So I really wanted you to dive deep in regards to that, because it's, it can be the foundation for everything as it was for you and just lead to a lot of other things, but, um, we're not gonna spend too much time on like being compensated and money and things like that.

  [00:30:55] Sidney Evans: And I'm not going to get too specific, but I just kind of know, want to know your, a general approach to like, when you're getting paid to do things like you, do you go in, you know, having a specific number in mind and then you go up and down from there. Do you go into situations, you know, okay. I know people who are interested in hiring me, they have a more of a bigger budget.

  [00:31:20] Sidney Evans: So I know I'm going to shoot higher. I know this may. This company over here may have a smaller budget, but the stuff that they do, I love it. And I would really like to work on something like this. So I'm more willing to negotiate or you just, do you just go in and, you know, you're hard and firm and if they're able to meet it.

  [00:31:40] Sidney Evans: They can if they're, if they're not, you know, you thank them and you move on to something else. So just kind of want to know your general approach as opposed to like specific numbers and things of that nature. 

  [00:31:53] Melisa D. Monts: Yeah. So for podcasting, I've been doing this for years. I've been doing it since 2015. I think so.

  [00:32:03] Melisa D. Monts: I've been in it like I'm seasoned in podcasting and I've been working in it for a while. I might. My skills are vast from actually writing shows for hosts to being on the microphone, um, to editing. Um, I don't really edit that much anymore. I have, um, a team now, um, mostly Coco, shout out to Coco, um, that edit.

  [00:32:26] Melisa D. Monts: Um, but, um, I know what my rate is for podcasting. I don't go any lower, um, than what my actual rate is. And if people like have people coming to me, pitching me stuff all the time, and if it's not worth what my rate is, then I won't take it. I'm just like, like you said, thank you. Um, with, like I said earlier with podcasting, um, I've never sought out.

  [00:32:54] Melisa D. Monts: anyone to work with, it's always come to me. So I'm not like, you have more leverage. Yeah. Uh huh. Um, and I've had people, a lot of people that have pitched me things and then when they find out my rate, um, this has happened three times specifically, they'll find out my rate, go work with someone else that has a lower rate and then come back to me and be like, We actually need your skill set.

  [00:33:25] Melisa D. Monts: So, um, and I've also been, I've also like worked with bigger companies like Stitcher, um, where they have specifically, where I've worked. My podcasts are part of their like, um, programs that pay out, but I don't work for the company. And they've also, they've brought me shows on their own or asked me to fill in when they need me.

  [00:33:50] Melisa D. Monts: They're down a producer or something. So, um, it's very set for that. Um, with audio books, it, there's a set rate for everything, everything. So I'm not, I work with, um, with mostly with Penguin Random House and, um, Harper Collins. And there's a set rate for both of those. Um, there's no negotiating with it. Um, With writing, I'm more flexible on that.

  [00:34:16] Melisa D. Monts: Um, just depending on what the project is. Um, if it's something that I really want to work on, then I might have a lower rate, but it's always a negotiation. 

  [00:34:26] Sidney Evans: Right. Okay. That makes sense. And I really did want to touch on it because a lot of times the media or people who are in the creative industry, like those, you're going to get to that at some point.

  [00:34:36] Sidney Evans: So you gotta kind of. Be knowledgeable, knowledgeable about it. But usually people who are creatives aren't like. I would say like the, I don't know, they're not as capitalistic. Like, you know, they're kind of more like I'm doing it for the art and to a certain point, but you do have to cross that barrier to sometimes it's like, okay, ultimately it's going to end up is that you have to make a business decision at the end of the day.

  [00:34:59] Sidney Evans: So you want to be well versed as far as to obviously, you know, charging what you're worth, but then also, uh, being flexible, depending on the project and things like that. So I did want to touch on that. Okay, so we're getting close to the end here, but I didn't want to touch on you actually being in front of the mic and, you know, being a host on shows consistently.

  [00:35:22] Sidney Evans: So I thought your concept was was interesting for how you have a show for every. Day of the week. Um, so I'll let you kind of explain like the idea behind that, how that came about. And it obviously share the name of the shows because we want to promote all the things that you're involved in. And to be honest, the Friday one, I don't want to say it.

  [00:35:43] Sidney Evans: I'll let you say it because you have to, there's going to have to be a disclaimer or some type of explanation going along with that. 

  [00:35:50] Melisa D. Monts: Yes. 

  [00:35:50] Sidney Evans: So this is a, this is a somewhat of a, a family friendly podcast. So I'll, I'll let you explain it the best way you can. 

  [00:35:58] Melisa D. Monts: Even the Tuesday one, if you really think about it, it actually isn't what you think it is.

  [00:36:03] Melisa D. Monts: Um, but, um, so me and my friend Megan, um, well, it started off of producing her podcast, Don't Blame Me. It was before we were actually like really close, but we started Um, doing that in 2017, um, and, uh, she was the host, um, she's a digital creator. So she's the host of that show. And, um, then it got to the point where sometimes people ask questions.

  [00:36:33] Melisa D. Monts: It's a call and advice show. And sometimes people would call in and they would have, um, like questions that she might not have experience in than me as the producer, I would chime in to, um, add in, you know, just some flavor and we would have guests on the show. Um, and then as the show went on, um, we, uh, we were still having guests, but, um, people were asking for more of me on the microphone.

  [00:37:01] Melisa D. Monts: And so then it would be every other week, it would be, um, her and I, and then having the guests on the, the off weeks. Um, but then when We were like leaning for us. We're like, we don't really need the guest anymore. It's, it's fun with just the two of us. And then when the pandemic hit, it was just like, okay, this makes it easy.

  [00:37:25] Melisa D. Monts: Um, we were, we were, uh, like, we'll just have it just be the two of us going forth. And our audience really likes that, like really likes it a lot. Um, and since then, since then, You know, we started it in 2017. She's become like my best friend. And so people really like our friendship. And then we were like thinking about what we would want our next thing to be, um, for our brand.

  [00:37:51] Melisa D. Monts: So you mentioned Sister Sign Productions earlier. That's her, my company with her. And so, um, then we were doing, I think we were doing one call and somebody said something like, but would I be wrong to do this? And we were like, Wait, that's like, we both had this like moment where we just looked at each other and was like, let's now do, but am I wrong as a show?

  [00:38:15] Melisa D. Monts: And so with that one, it's like, We say it's like people that didn't take our advice from Don't Blame Me. And, um, we, yes. And, and so, like, was, and so now they're asking, were they wrong in this situation? Um, and so that's where But Am I Wrong came about. And then the other shows, um, See You Next Tuesday, um, I will say that I haven't updated my website yet, but last week we actually changed the order of how we, how the shows come out now.

  [00:38:50] Melisa D. Monts: Um, But Am I Wrong is on Monday, See You Next Tuesday is on Tuesdays, but it, you, actually I'm just going to skip it and just 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's thoughts on if they were wrong in the situation.

  [00:39:12] Melisa D. Monts: And so, um, we'll do it on our Instagram and then people will vote and then they'll write in and share their own experience with that or give their own thoughts. And so that's what see you next Tuesday is. Um, and then Thursday is don't blame me. And then Friday. Fisting Friday. It was a joke. Okay. It was a joke that we were like, we don't know what to call this show.

  [00:39:37] Melisa D. Monts: Um, and it was, we were just like people write in, like, give us some ideas. And, um, No one had anything else. They were like, we actually love this. Uh, so it's stuck, um, it's stuck. And so, uh, that's where we're just talking, doing catch ups with each other. Um, uh, because we were cutting out like 30, 40 minutes of.

  [00:40:06] Melisa D. Monts: When we were doing Don't Blame Me, um, and we, like, had mentioned it to our audience and we also have a Patreon, which is, like, the people that we, like, know know, because we do live streams with them twice a month and, like, they get, we know them, like, on a personal basis, like, I consider, like, some of them my friends now.

  [00:40:26] Melisa D. Monts: And so, um, they were like, well, we want to hear the conversations y'all are having that you're cutting out. And so now we specifically just have an episode of us just talking and catching up. And then, um, just between us is a separate podcast with, um, Allison Raskin and Gabe Dunn. Um, and that is a variety show that deals with mental health and has guests as experts on and talking about topical shows.

  [00:40:53] Melisa D. Monts: Um, and so. At the end of that show, I come on and rate the shows on our regular shows, on the variety shows. I come in and rate it at the end as the producer. But then, um, they started asking me, like, to be part of the, the last segment called Topics, where we're talking about current events or, um, just any topic really.

  [00:41:14] Melisa D. Monts: And so, I started doing that as a regular part. And then every other week we have another show called, um, too long did read it where we're like looking into things on Reddit and discussing that and they wanted me to be a part of the full episodes for those so that's what Wednesday is. 

  [00:41:35] Sidney Evans: Okay so I one thing that I'm noticing is that um, I figured out the cheat code because y'all y'all y'all are using Like you're, you're, you're coming up with the content ideas without having to come up with it yourself.

  [00:41:48] Sidney Evans: Like you're sharing other people's stories. Like what you just mentioned, you're, um, going down like the Reddit rabbit hole, which, you know, if you're careful, you'll, you'll get stuck forever. Um, so I think 

  [00:42:00] Melisa D. Monts: And I was already on it. 

  [00:42:02] Sidney Evans: Whether people want to admit it or not. I think everybody, you know, has, has took that route somewhat.

  [00:42:07] Sidney Evans: That's pretty cool. Like I said, I love the idea. So I'm glad, I'm glad you shared the backstory on all of those. And, uh, especially Friday. Thank you for, for sharing. Thank you for clearing that up.

  [00:42:18] Melisa D. Monts: I mean, did I really clear it up though? 

  [00:42:20] Sidney Evans: I mean, the name is not really Yeah, I mean It has nothing to do It's just alliteration.

  [00:42:25] Sidney Evans: The story behind it is the story behind it, you know. Yeah. Given all the your experiences for someone, because so, because on this platform, not only do I want to, you know, share the experiences of the people that I have on, I also wanted this to be an inspiration and a resource for people who would like to get into the industry.

  [00:42:47] Sidney Evans: So, uh, You could probably get a ton of advice based on, you know, what you've seen, but what would be like the top thing that you would share for someone looking to, uh, break into audio or in the media industry in general? 

  [00:43:02] Melisa D. Monts: Um, my top thing is that, um, ask for what you want, because I've just, I just asked for things and if people say no, okay, but if they say yes, great.

  [00:43:13] Melisa D. Monts: So I, like I told you in the beginning. Me like getting my foot in the door for the entertainment industry was I Just called up schools and asked if I could work on their student films and they're like we don't really get people asking that but sure and so I met a lot of people that way and I got hands on experience and then once I got here, you know, I would I did a bunch of internships and this was they've changed the laws since then But at that time it was, um, they were unpaid internships and you can't do that anymore unless it's for, um, credit for schools.

  [00:43:50] Melisa D. Monts: But I did a lot of internships that weren't specifically in the field that I was, like I said, I was, I was specifically here for writing, but I learned how to do everything. I learned how to produce. I learned how to edit and producing became my main way to make money. for most, even right now, producing is the main way that I make money.

  [00:44:10] Melisa D. Monts: And so, um, because I had all those skills to fall back on that I had learned, um, I asked to work on that short film that I eventually like learned how to edit on. I asked to. Now, like for this writing job that I have now with the company, I, they were hiring for an editor, editor for the screenplays, like to go through and edit them.

  [00:44:37] Melisa D. Monts: I didn't want to do that, but they weren't hiring for a writer. I just put my resume in, but I made it very clear that I was a writer and they're like, we're hiring someone else for the editor, but would you be interested in a writing position? And so then it was there. And then like for the novel, I just, 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, but also have the skills to back it up So make sure that 

  [00:45:08] Sidney Evans: You've done the work already.

  [00:45:09] Melisa D. Monts: Constantly. Yes, like you're constantly adding things to your education to your background so that you know how to do things that working on the student films, I had no experience, but you don't need to experience for that. So, but then that laid the foundation for everything that I've done up until now. 

  [00:45:29] Sidney Evans: Okay. That's, that's, that's solid advice. And that's something that, uh, seems to be pretty consistent, maybe not specifically like ask what you want, but how you connected that to like being able to do a lot of different things, like kind of getting around the thing, do doing what you have to do to get around the thing that you want to do.

  [00:45:45] Sidney Evans: Learning those skills that absorbing those skill sets and, you know, maybe you, you initially want to be a writer in your case. You still want to, but sometimes like you get introduced to something else that's closely related. And then you just, it just takes a slight pivot and, you know, you have something, you know.

  [00:46:04] Sidney Evans: Like sustainable and you're still in the within that same sphere and you still have that you still have that same level of satisfaction. So I agree completely. All right, so, uh, for the last portion of the show, we're just going to ask a few questions to kind of, uh, get your take on certain things.

  [00:46:22] Sidney Evans: Usually they are audio related, but because. You have made it clear that you are a writer as well. I'm gonna, I'm gonna make an adjustment specifically for you. Okay. So the first question is going to be, um, who, uh, who's your, who has been your biggest inspiration as a writer? 

  [00:46:40] Melisa D. Monts: Shonda Rhimes. I really like working in the soap opera space.

  [00:46:45] Melisa D. Monts: Um, that, that is my longterm goal is to work on the daytime soap opera, but she does nighttime soaps. She's his primetime soaps. And, um, You know, she's a screenwriter. She's a television writer. She has a podcast network. She wrote a novel for Bridgerton. So like, she does all the things that I'm doing too, um, just on a bigger scale.

  [00:47:07] Melisa D. Monts: And so that's who I really am aspiring, you know, not to be the next Shonda Rimes, to be the next Melissa. But like, she's a, a big inspiration for me. 

  [00:47:18] Sidney Evans: Okay. Makes, makes a lot of sense. And I actually hadn't thought about like what your response would be, but if I would have, I, I probably would have put my money on, on saying it would be her.

  [00:47:27] Sidney Evans: So, um, okay. So next is your favorite album of all time. Your favorite, your favorite. 

  [00:47:36] Melisa D. Monts: Uh, I. I used to listen to a lot of music, 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 have really just listened to specific artists. But I would say like, I guess it's not, Technically an album, but is a soundtrack and it's the waiting to exhale soundtracks.

  [00:48:02] Sidney Evans: Okay. Um, I knew you were going to say that once you started going, going that way, I honestly, I would have to agree with that. Probably think it's the best movie soundtrack ever. And I recently, I like to go to like, you know, record stores and. Um, and I was with my girlfriend and they were, it was the CDs, it was like one of the first places I actually sold CDs.

  [00:48:24] Sidney Evans: Um, and they had like a big collection. I would be like, you know, it would be, it would be gold if we could, uh, find that way to exhale soundtrack. And we worked our way over to the W's and went through, it was the first, very first one. So I was like, it was there. It was there. It was there. Um, I don't know how many people carry that, but yeah.

  [00:48:43] Sidney Evans: That's definitely a classic. All right. Um, next. Oh, I'll, I'll skip it. I don't know. I'll probably skip this one. My favorite music producer. Cause you'll probably say like Babyface cause he produced a way to exist on track. So 

  [00:48:53] Melisa D. Monts: I do love Babyface, but Missy Elliott would be my favorite music producer. I think that she makes music that, um, her stuff that she made in the nineties.

  [00:49:05] Melisa D. Monts: Like still sounds new today. She makes very, like her music is always irrelevant. So Missy Elliot. 

  [00:49:11] Sidney Evans: Yeah. Timeless. Um, and even it was super, it was progressive for the time and it's, and it's still, it still holds up, which is kind of crazy and I'm trying to, I'm trying to find the super duper fly vinyl without actually just going on the internet and ordering it, but I'm having trouble.

  [00:49:27] Sidney Evans: Um, okay. Next, last two. Favorite film score? 

  [00:49:32] Melisa D. Monts: That's hard for me because it's not really something I pay attention much to, um, but, uh, and I watch more television than I watch movies, but, um, but I would say like if we're talking like TV, I would go with, um, Scream Queens the first season. I think that they, the way that they use music to tell the story, it was like a, uh, an additional character to the show and the way that they use music really was.

  [00:50:00] Melisa D. Monts: It was fun, like it added to the, even though like they're killing people left and right on this show, they're using the most off the wall songs to like be the soundtrack to these deaths, um, and the score to, um, and I think I thought that was, it was a brilliant. 

  [00:50:15] Sidney Evans: Yeah, that is brilliant. Like you said, it's like, it's like adding another character.

  [00:50:19] Sidney Evans: Very cool. Um, all right. Last one. Favorite TV theme song. 

  [00:50:24] Melisa D. Monts: Favorite TV theme song, um, the Young and the Restless song. And then how, uh, uh, Mary J took it and made it a song too. 

  [00:50:33] Sidney Evans: Oh yeah. I see. I remember the Mary J version. Cause I was actually struggling to remember cause it was etched in my brain at some point, but it's been so long since I've heard it.

  [00:50:42] Sidney Evans: But now that when you made the Mary J reference, it came back to me, so that's, that's pretty cool. Okay. Appreciate it. Interesting. Solid answer. Solid answers. Some things I was expecting, some things I wasn't expecting. Um, all right. So, yeah, I think that, uh, I think that brings us to the end, but, uh, can't let you go without, uh, giving you a moment allowing you to share.

  [00:51:05] Sidney Evans: I know you shared a few things that you're working on now, but how can people. You know, check out some of the stuff that you worked on, what to be on the eye for new things that you have in the works and how they can connect with you. If they like to do so. 

  [00:51:19] Melisa D. Monts: Yeah, you can follow me on Instagram. She is not Melisa.

  [00:51:23] Melisa D. Monts: There's links to both my business and my, um, But personal website, um, in both those links are in the links in my bio. Um, or you can just go to, um, diamond M P R I N T dot productions is my business, uh, website, and then my personal. Slash business website is Melissa, M E L I S A D Monts, M O N T S dot com.

  [00:51:50] Melisa D. Monts: And, uh, you can check out my podcast. Don't blame me. Um, well, I'll just say the sister, sister sign slate of podcasts are all on one Uh, feed so you can, uh, if you type in don't blame me, it should come up, um, wherever you get your podcast. Um, you can, uh, read my web series, um, in the dead of night on, uh, the R E A D I C T app on your phone.

  [00:52:17] Melisa D. Monts: Um, and then just be on the lookout for other projects that I'm producing and writing coming out within, uh, the next year. 

  [00:52:27] Sidney Evans: Okay, so y'all, y'all make sure you take heed and make sure you go and support Melissa. Um, thank you, Melissa. This is, this is a, this is a great conversation. I reached out to you and we're super responsive and we made it happen really quickly.

  [00:52:40] Sidney Evans: That doesn't always happen that way. So, 

  [00:52:44] Melisa D. Monts: I was waiting on notes back on my script. So I had a little downtime. 

  [00:52:48] Sidney Evans: I got in where I got in, where I could fit in. But, um, yeah, thank you for coming on. I appreciate you and for everybody listening. Thank you for tuning in.

  [00:52:59] Sidney Evans: Thank you for joining us on today's episode. Please don't forget to subscribe to the show and leave us a review. If you'd like to work with me or connect, please go to soundbysit. com and schedule a call there. You can also check out the full list of productions. If you'd like to connect on social media, my handle is soundbysay.

  [00:53:21] Sidney Evans: com on Twitter and Instagram, and I'm Sidney Evans on LinkedIn. Don't forget to follow Beyond the Threshold on Instagram as well. I'll catch you on the next episode.

Welcome to Beyond the Threshold. Today, 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 we discuss:

- Her early aspirations growing up in NW Arkansas that resulted in a move to LA.
- The key roles & 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.

How to follow or connect with Melisa:

Website: https://melisadmonts.com/

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/melisadmonts/

Instagram: www.instagram.com/sheisnotmelissa/

Tiktok: www.tiktok.com/@sheisnotmelissa