HONOLULU (KHON2) — Two Kauaʻi high school students, Aubrey Bechard and Rachel Chidester, sat down to talk story with KHON2.com about their recent achievement: winning first place in the Public Service Announcement (PSA) category at the ‘Ōlelo Youth Xchange 2024.
Their award-winning video, titled “Vape Free is the Way to Be”, was a collaborative effort also involving their classmate, Stella Blanchard.
Bechard, with a beaming smile, began by introducing herself and her passion for filmmaking.
“Ever since I was young, I was making my own little films on my mom’s old phone and bossing my cousins around to do little play productions that I created and wrote. In high school, it’s just a great outlet for me to continue that passion and it’s created a space for me to continue to explore this avenue of film,” she shared.
Chidester echoed Bechard’s sentiments, recalling her own early forays into filmmaking. “I started when I was really young, I’d make my sisters make different videos with me. Whether it be entertaining or telling an important story, I feel like filmmaking is such a great outlet for that. And there’s so many, there’s endless possibilities for film,” she said.
Their PSA focused on the dangers of vaping, particularly targeting younger generations. “Our PSA was about vaping and what you are putting into your body every time that you choose to vape,” Chidester explained.
The video creatively illustrated the harmful ingredients in vapes, using bright colors to mirror the marketing tactics of the vaping industry aimed at youth.
“We showed each of the different parts—nickel, lead, battery acid—with bright colors because that also connects to the vaping industry and how they market to children with bright colors,” Bechard added.
The climax of their PSA featured a liquid turning a black-brown color to symbolize the toxic substances entering the body through vaping.
“By the end of the video, the water or the liquid ended up like a black-brown color to symbolize, you know, that’s what you’re actually putting into your body,” Chidester explained.
Their inspiration for the PSA stemmed from personal motivations. Bechard mentioned her younger siblings, saying, “I just wanted to make sure that they understand how bad vaping is in a way that they can understand it. So it’s important to us that we made it simple, clean, and just easy to comprehend.”
Chidester agreed, emphasizing the importance of clear communication, especially for teenagers with short attention spans.
Their approach to filmmaking was validated by feedback from peers and family.
“I showed my younger sister, and she learned a lot. She was like, ‘Oh, that looks really gross. I don’t want to vape. I don’t want to put that in my body.’ So I thought that was really good that she got that from the video,” Bechard shared proudly.
As they look to the future, both students have ambitious plans. Chidester plans to attend Iowa University to pursue a degree in film, aiming to create more narrative pieces. “I’m really looking forward to creating a bunch of different films. I really want to do more like short film or even long-form,” she said.
Bechard and Chidester also touched on their exploration of AI in filmmaking, albeit in a limited capacity.
“Maybe when we’re coming up with like little catchphrases at the end, we’ll stick it into ChatGPT and it’ll like, give us some inspiration,” Bechard said. They acknowledged that while they haven’t extensively used AI in their projects, it’s a tool they’re curious to explore further.
The interview concluded with an invitation from their interviewer to follow up at the end of the semester, to discuss the importance of student involvement in filmmaking programs like the ‘Ōlelo Youth Xchange.
Bechard and Chidester eagerly agreed, looking forward to sharing more of their experiences and inspiring other students to explore the world of film.
Their journey highlights the power of youth in creating impactful messages through film, and the importance of clear, engaging communication in addressing critical issues like vaping.
Their award-winning PSA stands as a testament to their creativity, dedication, and the potential of young filmmakers to influence positive change.