Brendan Walsh, a film student at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, entered an Internet contest with a video about a guy trying to fly using strapped-on feathered wings because he's too cheap to buy an airline ticket.

The creative endeavor by the Carnegie resident won him $50,000 worth of airfare that will enable him to fly around the world to make videos that will help an orphanage in Haiti, a mission in Mexico and other worthy causes.

Mr. Walsh, a New Jersey native, said he makes at least one video each month. Some are just for fun while others fulfill course requirements for school, where he's a third-year student majoring in digital film and video production.

The inspiration for his video came from his girlfriend, Jennifer Beisel, who was searching the Internet for cheap airfares for a family visit to Las Vegas.

She found the CheapTickets.com website announcing the "We're Too Cheap to Advertise" contest, which invited consumers to submit 30-second video ads illustrating "how good it feels to save on travel with CheapTickets."

One hundred videos were entered in the company's first-time contest, according to publicist Alisha Moore.

Mr. Walsh won first prize with his video, titled "Fishing Season." It aired last month on the Travel Channel.

He performed in his own video with his friend, Jim Wockenfuss of Baltimore, who who wore the feathered wings as he tries to fly to a fishing trip in Maine.

The two video stars also are partners in a fledgling business venture, Cornerbrook Studios. The plan is to fly to missions around the world, filming documentaries and hosting photo shoots to provide online exposure for missions and other worthy causes as well as raising donations for the projects.

Efforts to get Cornerbrook Studios off the ground had stalled -- until now -- because the two had not been able to raise money to cover travel expenses.

Mr. Wockenfuss finished third in the same contest and won $2,500 in airfare with his video, "The Hotel Pregnant."

"I have to admit, I thought Jim's video would beat mine," Mr. Walsh said with a chuckle.

A trip to Haiti and a video shoot at an orphanage are planned for late December or early next year, he said. Then, the two hope to travel to a mission in Mexico with a "dream team" of supporting players.

Mr. Walsh has done well in contests.

In 2008, he won two video contests and received a year's supply of free food from Arby's and $10,000 from ForRent.com, an Internet listing service for apartment seekers.

He starred in his own Arby's video, playing a man running through parts of Steubenville, Ohio, searching for a guy about to bite into an ordinary burger.

"I'm just a regular guy trying to make a difference in the world," he says to the camera.

In the ForRent.com video, apartment furniture plays a speaking role. The closing line mimics an insult, with furniture stating, "Eh, your mother's a lawn chair."

Mr. Walsh also writes and sings his own songs and occasionally performs live.

Information: www.brendanwalshmusic.com.

Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.