OHCHS student's, teacher's PSA gets Emmy nomination

OXFORD HILLS — A Public Service Announcement created in part by OHCHS senior Jesse Newcomb and teacher Tim Ouillette was recently nominated for a regional (Boston-New England) Emmy® Award in the public service category.

The winner of the award will be announced on the evening of June 2 at the Westin Copley Hotel in Boston. 

The 30-second PSA, "My Life, My Choice," by Boston Video Producer Chuck Green, was aired on Boston's ABC affiliate WCVB-TV from December 15, 2011 to December 2012. It was produced by filmmakers of the New England Media Coalition (NEMC), of which Ouillette, the Advanced Communications and Multimedia Instructor at OHCHS, is a member.

This year, "My Life, My Choice," took first place in the second annual Boston 7DayPSA Contest, which is designed to help small, non-profit human service organizations get the media attention they deserve, but can't afford.

At the same time, the contest allows filmmakers the opportunity to showcase their talents and receive media exposure on WCVB-TV Channel 5 Boston for a year.

Newcomb, who is a senior at OHCHA, scored the PSA's music, while Ouillette did the graphics. 

"It's still being aired right now," said Newcomb. "Ours won, miraculously."

At first, he said, "it seemed kind of hokey. Then I was like, 'okay, I will do it anyway.' Turns out, a lot of people liked it. It's kind of exciting. A lot of it, for me, is being in the right place at the right time."

According to Ouillette, the video is aimed at getting young women out of the commercial sex industry, and is based on the My Life, My Choice Project — a nationally recognized initiative designed to reach adolescent girls most vulnerable to commercial sexual exploitation.

The video was nominated for "excellence in announcements that effectively focus interest in and marshal support for worthy community or area causes," said Ouillette.

"It's always something you can put on your resumé," said Ouillette, who has been teaching a video class at the high school for nine years. He also teaches a special effects class at the University of Southern Maine.

Ouillette said that he was approached by other NEMC members about participating in the PSA project one day while he was in Boston.

"I accepted, and basically, it was part of a seven-day contest to come up with a PSA, and so we decided as a group to enter. I suggested that Jesse score the piece, and quite honestly, I had no idea this was going to happen," said Ouillette."It's a huge surprise to all of us; especially to Jesse and I."

According to Green, who produced the video, NEMC was assigned to the My Life, My Choice non-profit,  and had seven days to meet them and produce three PSA videos — a 20-second, 30-second, and a 60-second version. 

"I got a call early in the morning ... from this group in Boston, My Life, My Choice. They have the wonderful but painful charter from the state to take care of girls up to age 18, that are either currently working in or susceptible to falling into the sex trade," said Green.

"I really had my eyes opened up," he said. "They [My Life, My Choice] told us the average age of entry to the commercial sex trade in New England, and it's 13-15 years old. I am absolutely appalled."

Green said that he was particularly impressed with Newcomb's work because he not only wrote the music himself, but "turned it around in less than 12 hours. He had it [done] so phenomenally quickly." 

Newcomb said that he enjoys writing music on his free time.

And, while he is not sure what his major will be in college, he said he plans to continue writing music. "I plan on writing music all my life. I don't know if I will go anywhere with it or not, but I would like to," he said.

One thing Newcomb learned about the project he said, is that "opportunities can show up whenever."

"This is fun," he added.

"I was just amazed," said Green. "He does have talent, clearly."

Work by the Advanced Communications class was presented at Flagship Cinemas in Oxford on May 15, including some of Newcomb's short films.

Photo: Kayla Collins

TALENTED — Jesse Newcomb, a senior at OHCHS, scored the music for a PSA that was recently nominated for a Boston-New England Regional Emmy®.