Trash talk
July 2, 2008
By J.B. Wogan
Anti-littering ad nets Sammamish student time on TV
Anti-littering ad nets Sammamish student time on TVCJ Best, a rising senior at Eastlake, had a brush with television stardom this summer.
It came in the form of a commercial he and classmate Matt Villenueve produced for a contest conducted by DECA and the Washington Department of Ecology.
As part of the “Litter and It Will Hurt” campaign, the department challenged students across the state to submit a 30-second spot condemning littering.
Best and Villenueve’s commercial – filed under Best’s name – focused on workers piling up cardboard boxes on the back of a pickup truck, just to speed out of a parking lot and fling the boxes out onto the road.
“Doesn’t make sense, does it? Driving with an unsecure load is a crime,” flashes on the screen just as the spot ends.
The concept was to hone in on the “secure your load” aspect of the anti-littering message, said Villenueve, who will attend the University of Oregon next year. Protecting the environment is a cause close to Villenueve’s heart, he said.
“It’s something I’ve been following in the political world. It’s something that our generation, we’re a little more versed in it,” he said. “To be able to take part in it is awesome.”
Villenueve said his background in film – he took summer classes at the New York Film Academy in Boston, and has produced clips for his Eastlake DECA chapter - helped enhance the quality of the commercial.
Best, on the other hand, described the experience as new and different.
“I’ve never been into acting that much,” said Best. His mother is a film producer though, and his success as a character in the 30-second spot has encouraged him about acting prospects in the future.
“She has a lot of opportunities for extras, so I might jump into some of those,” he said.
“We liked the humor, and yet, we also liked the literal depiction of the incident itself,” said Megan Warfield, a spokesperson for the Department of Ecology. Warfield served as a judge for the contest.
“CJ and Matt’s video was a very clear winner,” added fellow contest judge Cynthia Hartwig.
The commercial’s high production value, combined with a concise and amusing premise, made for an easy choice, Hartwig explained. “Nothing was as strong as this one.”
The original commercial, which won the contest’s grand prize, is available for viewing at www.litteranditwillhurt.com.
A Comcast crew revamped the original spot, with Best starring as one of two workers loading a statue onto the back of a truck. Once again, the unsecured load falls out once the vehicle starts moving.
That professional reproduction, which aired on local Comcast channels such as Comedy Central, Discovery and MTV, can be seen at www.litter.wa.gov.
Best and Villenueve submitted a second commercial for the contest under Villenueve’s name, which won first place – just behind the grand prize.
They each received $500 educational scholarships, and earned a $1,250 scholarship for their DECA chapter. While Best had the pleasure of watching his commercial air on television, Villeneuve received a free party for his friends.
Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com.
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