By Jenn Hoegg

NovaNewsNow.com

Matt Noiles is excited that his class project. “Matt’s Commercial” has gone much further than he expected.

The Avon View High School senior’s short film was chosen by the Aliant Get Green Student Video Contest as the Nova Scotian finalist and was awarded $500 prize for his school’s environmental endeavours. “I feel pretty blown away.’ Matt says, “I mainly sent my video in for fun.”

A beautifully shot commercial, criticizing the use of large, inefficient cars, the video is competing with New Brunswick and Newfoundland finalists for votes online. The top video team, to be announced Nov. 15, will attend an international symposium on business and the environment, ecoRevolution, in Moncton, New Brunswick Nov. 27. While there, the students will get to see their winning video featured at the conference.

Robyn Tingley, Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs for Aliant, says that “high school students from across Atlantic Canada have responded to the [contest] with their ideas and creativity on how businesses and communities can work together to be more sustainable.”

Excited by the success of the piece, Matt is quick to thank his fellow students. His brother, Josh Noiles, camera operator Kate Mackay and Jake Begin, who helped with the software, contributed to the success of the piece.

It was the only the second piece Matt, also Co-Prime Minster of the students’ council, made for the Avon View course Film and Video Production 12.

“I wanted to entered the contest, just for fun, and we had to create a commercial for class, so I decided to go with the environmental theme,” Noiles said. “We brainstormed and, under my direction, we filmed it.”

Both film and winning seems to run in the Noiles’ family. Two years ago, Matt’s brother Josh won Aliant’s Garage Band Video contest, also using skills from Film and Video Production 12. “My brother took the class two years ago and Kate took it last year. I really like the idea of the class and I think quite highly of (teacher) Mr. Van Zoost.”

Matt’s teacher, Steven Van Zoost, is thrilled with his student’s efforts, from storyboarding the piece to the finished product. “What strikes me about Matt’s work, in general, is his use of a variety of camera angles to tell the story.

“His commercial communicates easily to a wide range of audiences and leaves viewers with a simple message by using humour,” Van Zoost said. “I am already looking forward to what he and his classmates will produce next.”

See Matt’s video and vote for your favourite at www.ecorevolutionca