Media studies students at Tallwood High School hope to see their public service announcement on television soon. With the public's help, that could happen.

Leslie Allman's 11th- and 12th-graders recently created a TV commercial. Titled "Cyber Nightmares," it was selected as one of three finalists in the Virginia Youth Internet Safety Contest.

The contest was sponsored by ProjectSafetyNet VA, and led by Attorney General Bob McDonnell, to raise awareness and educate children and parents about Internet dangers.

The Tallwood students' commercial and others can be seen online at ProjectSafetyNet's Web site, where viewers may cast votes for their favorite.

About 200 videos from 84 schools were submitted.

In "Cyber Nightmares," students Shannon Martin, 17, Sean Delgado, 18, Nate Driver, 16, and Ryan "Rayne" Clinton, 16, donned masks and followed student Megan Gregg, 17, through the school's hallways.

"If you're the victim of cyber bullying, your life is like a nightmare," said Rayne, whose voice is heard along with haunting horror-flick music.

Near the end of the 30-second clip, student Brandy Joles, 15, is sitting at a computer as Rayne says, "In fact, the only worse nightmare is if you're caught being a cyber bully."

Allman said the students were excited that they had made it this far in the competition.

"We had talked about entering for a couple of months and then the deadline came," said Allman. "They came up with the idea in one day, opened up the prop cabinet and pulled stuff out."

"Even though it's everything I teach them not to do, because I want them to plan with a story board, props and location lists, it's a beautiful example of how 28 creative teenage minds can make something happen."

Student Kyle Windley, 17, even filmed with a broken camera, Allman said.

During the recent spring break, Allman, Rayne and his mother, Kenyette Higgs attended a press conference in Richmond for the naming of the finalists. "It was very Hollywood," said Allman.

The other video finalists are from Robert E. Lee High School in Staunton and Sussex Central Middle School in Sussex.

Online voting ends May 1. The winning video, which will air on cable TV throughout Virginia, will be announced May 13, according to ProjectSafetyNet officials. Prizes for second- and third-place winners will also be awarded.

Sandra Jill Pennecke, pennecke@cox.net