Rebecca Mueller/Winonan

While most Winona State University students were in Winona learning from college professors, advertising/film student Alexander Natalizio was in Los Angeles, Calif., learning from a YouTube celebrity.

The 18-year-old Pewaukee, Wis. native is one of three winners of the Take Your Shot contest created by AT&T and ISAtv, a concert events company. He is working with YouTube celebrity and filmmaker Freddie Wong to make his short film idea,“Weight of Love,” a reality.

Natalizio arrived in Los Angeles on the afternoon of Sunday, Aug. 15. Over the next two days, he met the stars of his short film and was involved in meetings and rehearsals.

“Weight of Love” was filmed in just two days, Aug. 18 and 19. The filming process involved stunts using wires and green screens, and was filmed entirely with Nokia Lumia smartphones instead of traditional video cameras.

“I didn’t quite know what to expect since it was my first time directing this big of a production, but everyone was very easy going, and it went very well,” Natalizio said about the experience.

The short film is a silent film about the relationship between average-guy Adam and a mysterious, floating girl named Aria.

It will star Jimmy Wong as Adam, Wendy Nguyen as Aria and Nathan Moore as Kai.

Since arriving in Los Angeles, Natalizio has enjoyed working with Wong, the actors and the entire production crew.

“He has taught me so much in such a short amount of time,” Natalizio said of his mentor. He has learned about lighting, directing techniques and camera work, among other elements of filming.

He discovered his passion for making videos in his freshman year of high school during a video project assignment. He has continued making short videos with his friends, with the goal of improving with each video.

Natalizio first learned about the contest through a friend who saw a promotional video for the contest on Freddie Wong’s YouTube channel, “freddiew.”

Choosing a contest winner was a three-part process beginning with the contest’s launch on July 30. First, participants submitted 300-character pitches for a short film. Judges chose the top 50 pitches out of nearly 3000 submissions.

Second, participants sought out as many votes as possible for their submissions through Facebook. The top ten ideas would then continue to the third phase. Natalizio earned fourth place during the voting.

Third, the remaining participants spoke with the judges and the hosts of ISAtv during an online Google Hangouts interview. Natalizio was chosen as one of the three winners.

The other two contest winners are Brian Zhang, a student at the University of Michigan, and Robynne Guillermo, who studies at Hawaii Pacific University. Zhang is working with the independent production company Wong Fu Productions, and Guillermo’s mentor is director and screenwriter Jon M. Chu.

Natalizio’s short film will premiere on the website www.takeyourshotfilms.com. The website currently features behind-the-scenes videos and updates about the release date for both the trailer and the short film.

The short film is currently expected to premiere during the week of Oct. 21, and the trailer will premiere a week before.

Contact Rebecca at [email protected]