GREENFIELD — In the short, 30-second video, Hannah Burkhart lies on the ground, unresponsive, as an EMT tries to revive her.
Burkhart, a student in Greenfield-Central High School’s radio and TV program, is shown in a flashback taking pills offered to her by a classmate. The video was chosen as a runner-up in the #KickRxAbuse public service announcement video challenge, cohosted by the Indiana Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Task Force of the Indiana Attorney General’s office and the Indianapolis Colts.
Jonathan Hudson, who teaches radio/TV at Greenfield-Central along with Bill McKenna, said he’s proud of the students’ work and their recognition on the Colts’ website. Cooper Hanson, Bryce Ratliff, Hannah Burkhart and David Anderson, students in the class, were the main actors in the video, and three other students in the class performed as extras. Hudson played the role of the teacher, and Hannah’s father, Brian Burkhart, who is a firefighter for the Lawrence Fire Department, played the EMT, Hudson said.
The class watched previous and current entries in the contest and noticed most followed a similar plot structure, in which a teen is given or sold prescription drugs, takes them and faces the consequences.
“I really challenged the kids to come up with a concept that was way out of the box but relatable and really showed the dangers of prescription drug abuse,” Hudson said.
So the students flipped the concept and showed the consequences first, then a flashback of what led to the student’s death.
“The line, ‘If you could see how it ends, what would you change?’ I think shows that many who abuse prescription drugs never realize or consider the dangers before taking the drugs, and if they could glance into the immediate future or look back after they passed away, they would immediately change course,” Hudson said.
After the students finished their video and submitted it to the contest, they posted it to YouTube, and school officials encouraged everyone to watch it. The video had the third-most views, with about 1,800 at the time, he said.
Entering in the contest was part of a continuing effort to use media skills to benefit the community, Hudson said — last May, the class produced promotional videos for seven local nonprofit organizations.
“Media is such a powerful tool and can be used to positively make an impact on our society,” he added. “I was proud of their commitment to excellence before we were recognized by the state, and the recognition just confirms publicly how dedicated and talented these students really are.”
To see the videos, including the winning video by a 10th grade health class from The Kings Academy in Jonesboro, colts.com/fanzone/contests-and-promotions/kickrxabuse.html.
