One of the great values of 3D animation, as taught in the Media Arts and Science program, IU School of Informatics and Computing, is the ability to make complex issues easier to understand. That’s been the longtime mantra of Albert William, an IUPUI research associate. To that end, a health-related animation project created by William is featured in an important series of broadcasts on public television stations across Indiana.
Mastering Your Health is a new half-hour television program aimed at educating the public on how to take control of their health. An episode about diabetes treatment and prevention includes an animation of views of anatomic structures and cellular processes involved with, and related to, diabetes. William, who teaches 3D stereoscopic animation at the School of Informatics and Computing at IUPUI, is the animation’s creator.
“This episode of Mastering Your Health utilizes animation as a tool to help people understand the ‘unseen’ aspects of the disease,” explained William. “We are using these visualizations to help people understand the structures in the body that are at risk for diabetes, and to give a simplified description of how the body creates and processes insulin.”
The first two segments, which will air on eight public broadcasting service (PBS) stations in Indiana in April, May, and June, will focus on diabetes and skin health, respectively. Each of the Mastering Your Health segments will include information on nutrition and physical activity. Plans call for contacting the other 49 states, inviting them to participate in this integrated TV/radio programming project.
Content for the Mastering Your Health segments was developed with input from IUPUI, Ball State University, Butler University, Purdue University, Chef Academy, and Indiana Medical Group. Each episode features a variety of experts including well-known accredited chefs, chiropractors, clinical nutritionists, medical doctors, physical therapists, and psychologists.
“Our access to nationally recognized medical experts, our affiliations with leading university researchers, and our inter-disciplinary approach will allow us to deliver and explore medical topics from all perspectives in order to offer both sound medical solutions and unique natural alternatives,” explained Shawn Benzinger, DC, DACBO; CEO and president, Mastering Your Health in a news release.
The first two episodes of Mastering Your Health will appear on the following PBS stations in the state:
WTIU-TV, Bloomington
WNIT-TV, Elkhart
WNIN, Evansville
WFWA-TV, Fort Wayne
WFYI-TV Indianapolis
WYIN-TV, Merrillville
WIPB-TV, Muncie
WVUT-TV, Vincennes
A Web site, Mastering Your Health, showcases cooking recipes, exercise programs, and extended health-related interviews.
Media Contact
Joanne Lovrinic
jebehele@iu.edu
317-278-9208