My name is Melissa but many people in the Miami hip-hop community know me by Melly Starz. I am originally from Chicago, Illinois and moved to Miami, Fl in 2001. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Arts and a Master of Science in Entertainment Business.
During my undergraduate studies, I became well versed in several different areas of the entertainment industry. I focused on TV production however and that is where I have learned several different skills. I learned video editing using Final Cut Pro 7 which is one of my biggest tools in the field. I also learned photography, camera operations, audio engineering, teleprompter, and blogging. I was also a producer, social media coordinator, and a reporter while at St. Thomas University.
I also did an internship at Telemundo Networks in Hialeah, Fl. I was a news intern for Al Rojo Vivo. My duties as an intern included researching stories, logging tapes, promotions, and interviewing Hispanic experts for stories. During my time there I also worked on the rundown of the show and helped with control room procedures.
I later joined and did a lot of work under the Thinking Cap Entertainment name. Through Thinking Cap, I started my website where I interviewed local artists and featured them on my site. I edited my own interviews as well as any other videos that came our way. I also directed and edited music videos. I have also done voice-overs and voice drops on several projects. Thinking Cap had its first event for my graduation and I planned the entire thing. At the event several of the artists who have been featured on the site performed.
Among my freelance work, I have also participated in the 24-hour film race. For this project, I wore many hats including director, editor, creative director, camera operator, scriptwriter, and actress.
For my postgraduate degree, I ventured to Full Sail University where I learned the business side of the entertainment industry. At the end of the program, we had to write a business plan. This was one of the biggest projects I have ever worked on but I gained a tremendous amount of knowledge from it. I even earned an award for my business plan.
For a couple of years, I was the Brand Ambassador and User Experience Analyst for a small company based out of Medley, Fl. Later on, I was living life as a freelance writer working on various websites. I then worked for a tiny digital marketing company where I was the content manager and editor for a team of legal writers.
On this website, you will find a lot of my work and if you would like to contact me for any freelance or business opportunities click here. Welcome to Mellsville, enjoy your stay.
Melly Starz 