Interview with Melody Austin

I spoke with Melody Austin a Show Producer in the Themed Entertainment industry. We talked about representation, how the processes work, and what she does as producer. Below is the video and audio as well as the transcript.

[00:00:18] Bradford: Melody, who are you? Can you introduce yourself to my audience, both of the listeners?

[00:00:25] Melody Austin: Sure, hey, Bradford. My name is Melody Austin. I am a Creative Producer, Project Manager, and we have formerly worked together on a very big project. I’m just happy to be here. I’m happy to be here and spend some time with you.

[00:00:48] Bradford: I’m looking forward to it. Now comes the harder part. Everyone can describe themselves by their job. Who are you, not using your job?

[00:01:00] Melody: That is actually a really good question. Because I especially think in this industry, our jobs are so intertwined with our lives that, I will say, being at a break between projects has really gotten me back in touch to, not being so work centered. [laughs] It’s been really nice. I liked that question.

I would say that I am a very discerning and fun person, which, there’s where the lighting tends to kind of throw in there, but I do really find the fun in things. I like being a nerd. I’ve been very blessed to have some really fun jobs. It all comes from because I like being curious.

I just had this natural ability and it’s always been in my personality just to figure things out about people, and read the room and read the sign sorts of things. I would just say that, that just adds to my level of just finding fun and wonder in the everyday and then an escapism. An escapist, is probably the best word to say. I’m a true escapist. I love being a nerd.

[00:02:19] Bradford: Sweet. What’s your nerdom? What’s your jam? Are kids still saying that?

[00:02:29] Melody: [laughs] I’m sure some of them are. I’ve had to ask. I recently worked on a project over the holidays where I was around people, much younger than I, and I had to get a couple of things explained to me. I think they still say jam, Bradford. I think that’s still a thing, but, oh man. See, I’m on the collectic nerd too, which is horrible. I really love some anime. I cannot stop with the anime love. I can’t stop with the Pokemon love. The Pokemon love is pretty hardcore. I just really like fun interesting little things here and there.

[00:03:14] Bradford: I was going to ask what’s your job, but I have a hunch you’re probably in that lovely pause, now that our project has been paused. As Melody said, we worked together for 18 months on the same project that got an indefinite pause. We’ve both been doing other things. I know over the holidays, you did some work. What do you do, when you do?

[00:03:41] Melody: I am usually hired to be a producer on projects. I have tried to build my skillset more in the project management side, because, as you know, different projects call for different things. Producer and project manager fall together pretty closely, depending on what kind of project you have and what kind of company. I was really fortunate, I got to work with a smaller company here in town, BMR productions. Brian is a really interesting, creative because he’s a great businessman and I do not know anyone else who’s quite as busy in the theme entertainment industry as them. [laughs]

We knew each other from back in the SeaWorld days and I was his executive producer, of the holiday project, that he had over at the Gaylord Palms with the Snow Factory. It was great. It was [inaudible 00:04:42] operations, so we ran it. Which was really fun.