ichelle Flynn has been dazzling audiences her
entire life. The 25-year-old professional theater
and film actress continues to wow hometowners
as the original host of burghTV—a social media
platform that shares the Pittsburgh experience.
Growing up, Flynn enjoyed studying music,
theater and film. She went to Mars Area High School and was
very active in the school’s music and theater programs. Outside of
school, she participated in plays at Comtra Theatre in Cranberry
and sang for her local church. “My favorite memory from high
school was becoming characters that my peers never expected me
to play,” says Flynn. “It was always fun showing up for school on
Monday morning following the opening weekend of our spring
musical.”
She continues, “I’m grateful for the strong music and acting
teachers I worked with in Mars—both in school and in my
community programs. Being able to explore the Cultural
District downtown at
a young age certainly
helped me to discover
my passion for theatre
and film.”
She went on to attend
Kent State University’s
School of Theatre
and Dance where she
earned a Bachelor of
Fine Arts in Theatre
Studies. Having grown
up in the home of an
entrepreneur, Flynn
always had an interest
in new development—
like seeing a story idea
come to life on stage or
the screen. “That’s what
I enjoy focusing on now,” she says. “I look to how can I help
produce strong productions on stage or screen.”
Following college graduation, Flynn returned to Pittsburgh
and connected with Justin Mastrangelo, a digital marketing
specialist and president of JA Interactive. “He wanted to start
Pittsburgh’s Snapchat Story, but needed someone to host the
stories,” she recalls. “At first, I was hesitant because I wasn’t that
interested in social media. I found it to be a distraction and not
a means of truly connecting people.”
Flynn did some research and followed a few popular
Snapchat accounts. “As I watched other snapchatters share
their life experiences—oftentimes exploring their home
city—I began to see how I could help launch burghTV
and the impact it would have on the community,” she says.
“There’s a reason why I chose to stay in Pittsburgh and not
move to New York or Los Angeles—I wanted to share that
reason with others.”
Flynn and Mastrangelo launched their first Snapchat story on
Oct. 24, 2015. Followers responded within minutes. Flynn was
wowed and pleased with the results. “I began to recognize the
impact of burghTV when we would receive snaps from followers
saying things like, ‘I’ve lived here my whole life and you’re showing
me things I’ve never seen before,’” she notes.
burghTV is for anyone interested in learning more about the
Pittsburgh experience. In its first year, Flynn shared 52 Snapchat
stories showing off the city’s unique offerings. Stories have ranged
from local Pittsburgh artists to entrepreneurs, restaurants and
sports and Steelers bars, including The Irish Exit—New York
City’s #1 Steelers Bar.
Flynn’s favorite memory is, without a doubt, her interactions
with Pittsburgh’s music man, Frank LaVelle. “Frank can often be
found strolling throughout downtown Pittsburgh singing classic
tunes,” she explains. “After serving 40 years as a music teacher for
the Pittsburgh Public School District, he now chooses to spend his
time adding a spontaneous
spark to the streets of
Pittsburgh. He does just
that and more! Frank is not
one to ask for promotion,
but the burghTV team
kept crossing paths
with him. In November
2016, we met with Frank
in Market Square and
created a Snapchat story
on this Pittsburgh musical
treasure! We still stay in
touch with him today.”
After one year, burghTV
was named Pittsburgh’s
2017 PR Disruptor of
the Year by the Public
Relations Society of
America (PRSA) Pittsburgh Chapter. The award is given to those
in the community who challenge the status quo of traditional PR
methods.
“Many disregarded Snapchat as an effective tool to share
information,” says Flynn. “We saw the stories function as a great
way to quickly showcase the city. I’m looking forward to the
channel’s growth, as we expand to the other mediums, making it
easier for those who prefer certain social apps over others—like
Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.”
Flynn plans to continue to host stories and train new hosts
to help grow the channel. “I’d ultimately like to take story
experiences from burghTV and produce them in a full-length
feature film someday,” she says. “It would be great to see even more
film work produced in the ‘burgh!”
For more information, you can find burghTV on Facebook,
Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter, or connect with Flynn @
flynnfootage on Instagram and Twitter. ■
Mars Area | Winter 2017 | icmags.com 23