Warwick Valley High School student films montage of a reading of the Gettysburg Address

WARWICK — Nov. 19 marked the 150th anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.

Inspired by the director and producer of documentary films, Ken Burns, Austin Hays, a ninth grader at Warwick Valley High School, gathered 27 of his fellow students and teachers to film a montage of the a reading of the Gettysburg Address.

Hays had previously visited the Learn the Address Website where Burns challenges Americans to recite the Gettysburg Address.

The site features all the living presidents, along with comedians, TV personalities and hundreds of ordinary Americans.

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Gettysburg Address, Burns has launched an effort to encourage Americans to record a video of themselves reading or reciting the speech and many will be selected for Burn's next film, "The Address," which will air on PBS in the Spring of 2014.

Hays produced the film with the help of his study hall teacher James O'Brien, who helped him organize the project.

He also had help from students Alexa Castellano and Evan Timony along with communications teacher Patrick Dool who did the filming and editing in the high school media room

Each of the students involved read a line from the address, which was then edited to form one continuous speech. The speech was played over the public address system during morning announcements and will be posted on the Burns Website.

Hays said that he selected this project to encourage the students of Warwick to read, recite and discuss the Gettysburg Address for its anniversary.

Burns is trying to get as many people as possible to record themselves or family members reciting the Address and submitting it online at www.learntheaddress.org

He also plans to feature the Greenwood School in Putney, Vermont, where students ages 11-17 are required to memorize and recite the speech.

Read the address: Lincoln's speech appears on page 13.