Filmmaker Makes Important Impact at One of the Largest Community-Based Blood Centers in the U.S.

When Melinda Nanassy ’20 started her marketing internship at New York Blood Center (NYBC), she immersed herself in the world of podcasting, researching the equipment needed for a podcasting studio the organization wanted to build. Ultimately, though, it was her contributions in video marketing that enabled her to make the greatest impact at the organization.

NYBC wanted to use video to promote its Redi-Kit Sample Shipping Program, a service that manages and facilitates the transportation of patient blood samples from area hospitals to the organization’s testing facilities. Nanassy was tasked with taking the lead on creating two videos, and she oversaw all aspects of the creative process.

"My favorite part was the collaboration," said Nanassy, who graduated with degrees in communication and marketing in December. "Getting a competent crew together who got along and who I trusted was a great experience. We worked together seamlessly."

Nanassy and her team created a commercial for Redi-Kit, as well as a video explaining how to use the service. Working closely with her team, she served as scriptwriter, producer, and director.

"My favorite part was the collaboration."Melinda Nanassy ’20

"As we were conducting interviews for the summer intern position, Melinda stood out from her peers with her resume, her online representation, and in her video conference interview," said Elisabeth Radaker, marketing manager for comprehensive cell solutions at NYBC. "She was the perfect fit to make our vision come to fruition. Our team achieved our goal with the help of Melinda’s knowledge, support, resilience, and adaptability."

The organization has shown Nanassy’s work at its largest conference, and, Radaker says, their stakeholders "loved it." The organization also features the videos on its website, social media, and in emails to clients.

"When you have access to a creative talent like Melinda, you use it for the benefit of communicating your messaging to key stakeholder targets," said Rich Miller-Murphy ’91 MBA, executive director of marketing at NYBC and chair emeritus of the University’s College of Business Advisory Board. "We are proud of Melinda’s unique ability to develop and execute an idea and to create copy, direct, and produce incredible, entertaining, and useful videos that are easily accessible."

Nanassy says working on the videos was challenging, as she needed to build on her knowledge of the blood center and learn about the products and services that would be featured in the videos. She decided that incorporating humor would help make the concepts easier to understand.

"Melinda was quick to grasp our very complex organization, and she presented creative ideas to modernize and lighten the tone of our current content," said Dorian Deschesne-Walsh, administrator of CRM and marketing platforms at NYBC. "She offered the right balance between informative and humorous to really grab the attention of our clients, while also providing relevant information."

Although she has completed her internship, Nanassy continues to do contract work for NYBC, and she is pleased the organization will be able to continue to use the videos in their marketing endeavors.

"I’m proud the work I did can be used in a positive way," said Nanassy, who hopes to eventually work on film sets. "I find satisfaction in knowing I completed these videos despite the challenges of the subject matter. It was very rewarding."