Laurel grad advances to finals in anti-meth video contest
August 01, 2016 - Billings GazetteConnor Ludwig had a goal in mind when he started working on a video contest for the Meth Project, an anti-drug group.
“I’ve seen, like, all the meth commercials in the past, and I’ve always kind of been intrigued,” he said. “They’re kind of scary, almost, but they send a message.”
The recent Laurel High graduate is one of three finalists in the national #LifeOrMeth contest, which received more than 120 entries.
Ludwig doesn’t have personal experience with meth, but he said he’s seen the effect of drugs on family members. He geared his video toward a teenage audience.
“Of course they’ve probably heard of meth before, but they may not know what effects it can have,” he said.
Ludwig focuses on only one effect in his commercial, which shows a teenage girl narrating her death.
“(It’s) the darkest out of the 10 that made the finals, I believe,” he said. “I think that’s what makes the strongest impact of people. If this drug can cause death, I think myself personally I wouldn’t attempt to do it.”
Filmmaking is a hobby for Ludwig, who plans to study computer science at Montana State University next year. He worked on the video at home and school, finishing up before the end of May.
Ludwig advanced to a round of 10 finalists before the field was narrowed to three. The overall winner, judged by a celebrity panel, will be announced in September and receive a $20,000 prize.