Tribeca Flashpoint students make a study out of marketing for non-profits.

Through social media, games, video PSAs, and live events, each student-led team enrolled in Production-In-Action created a professional-caliber marketing campaign to encourage contributions to their cause.  Adrienne Lentz, the faculty advisor of Team Music Saves Lives, fills us in on their achievements.

Spring January 2012 is the third time I’ve participated in Production-In-Action as a faculty advisor. With each new production it becomes apparent how creative and motivated our students are. Clearly, they are unsure of the process involved at first, but no matter — they embrace the project with enthusiasm. This time, in particular, they seem to have connected to the theme of PIA: awareness campaigns for charitable organizations.

My group is representing Music Saves Lives (MSL) — an organization that focuses on blood donations and the bone marrow registry, specifically to fight leukemia. The theme of the campaign is “Listen To Your Heart” relating it to the organization’s connection to the music and entertainment industries.

The students have tackled the challenge by organizing into specific action groups, each creating a deliverable for the campaign. The theme and design committee created a logo specifically for this campaign, which incorporates the official MSL logo. The social media and live event groups joined forces to promote the project using testimonials from blood donors and MSL supporters.

The live event team recorded the group It Starts with Lights performing the song "Honey Marrow" in a live session at Gravity Studios in Chicago. Students worked with the industry professionals to record and film the event, and the social media team created a presence on Facebook to spread the word. The PSA team has crafted a public service ad around the idea that one blood donation can save up to three lives. The social media team used Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Google+, and of course the Crowdrise site. Finally, in an effort to expand the population of donors, a group of gamers created a video game that specifically appeals to a younger audience ages 14-25 in the hope that a younger demographic will become aware of the need to donate blood.

All in all, the teams’ efforts are aimed at action and public awareness in the name of this terrific cause.

Today we are nearing the final event, a competition between all five teams to present their campaigns.In conversations with the students over the last two weeks, I realize that this is a project that proves the Tribeca Flashpoint essentials of learning: learn by doing, problem solving, critical thinking, collaboration, and professionalism. Students learned to think on their feet, solving unanticipated logistical problems and interference due to technology. Long hours of hard work seem to energize the teams, proving that they are truly professionals who can step up to the plate.

As a group, TFA students see that their work is relevant to the world-at-large and clearly, they can help to raise consciousness globally. Undoubtedly, “change is possible” is an underlying slogan running through the entire process of this Production in Action. Just Listen to Your Heart and you’ll hear it tell you that Music Saves Lives.

"Honey Marrow" by It Starts With Lights from Emily Feller on Vimeo.

Visit the Music Saves Lives page on Crowdrise to learn more about what our students have been up to and make your contribution today!

This blog was crossposted from the TFA.edu blog.

For more about Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy, including information on our two-year Associate Degree programs in Film & Broadcast, Recording Arts, Game & Interactive Media, or Animation & Visual Effects, please visit www.tribecaflashpoint.com.