West Milford They brought home the gold and the silver for West Milford High School, winning two Costello Awards at the Passaic County Film Festival in April. They took first and second place and honorable mention for their outstanding, original video productions and their teacher, Michael Padilla, could not be happier. The trophies given to the student teams (see box below) are residing in Padilla’s Communication Arts and Media (also known as TV Science) classroom, giving all the students the opportunity to celebrate with their classmates. According to Padilla, the students formed their teams and came up with a story line. Once approved, they went on to cast and produce their videos. They submitted their film and competed against 32 other entries in the festival held at the Fabian 8 Cinema in Paterson, the first time the festival was held at a theatre. “Everybody felt it was a great experience to see the videos on a big screen,” Padilla said. Steve Kuchenreuther, a 17-year old junior, was part of the winning team for the film “The Magic Glass,” a spoof on infomercials pitching the sale of a drinking glass with some very funny “but wait” moments at the end. “We viewed all the infomercials on air now, funny as they are, and took what we saw and mimicked them just to make it over the top,” Kuchenreuther said. Filmed at his home, Kuchenreuther said they had a great time on the project and the team was shocked when they won. His career goals definitely include television production. Olivia Maltempi, 16, a sophomore, was a member of the second place team whose video, “Face Down,” was a darker film about teenage physical and mental abuse. “You see some relationships with teens and you know something is going on. You hear rumors and people shrug it off but it’s an issue that needs to be addressed,” Maltempi said. Maltempi said it was a project very worthy of their time. The feedback has been tremendous. Padilla, 29, is currently in his fourth year teaching at the high school. He has found his niche in the West Milford community after working in production at an NBC affiliate in Florida and teaching at Ramapo High School. “I really knew it was what I wanted to do. The students here are awesome, really interested in doing something,” he said. He currently has about 95 students under his tutelage studying various means of communication, from public speaking to creating a finished video. This year’s winners, all in their first year of Padilla’s class, completed their videos within three months of learning how to edit. Honorable mention certificates were awarded to the team which produced a compelling video about drunk driving, dedicated to a friend who died in an accident. Both Kuchenreuther and Maltempi agree that their teacher has opened up opportunities for them in a most enjoyable atmosphere. Or, as one student responded to the question “Who is Mr. Padilla?” on a promotional video for the class - “He’s the TV science teacher and the man.” First place winner - “The Magic Glass” Steve Kuchenreuther Jake Korinko Doug Hervey Mike Vigorita http://albums.phanfare.com/1095254/4489814#imageID=88888854 Second place winner - “Face Down” Olivia Maltempi Kelsey Peck Kailey Ostlund Theresa Fingado http://albums.phanfare.com/1095254/4550678#imageID=92330374 Honorable Mention Keith Popp Brandon Margroff Ryan Hanenbury http://albums.phanfare.com/1095254/4403140#imageID=84818527