ODU Professor’s Work Plays on Times Square Jumbotrons

March 05, 2014

Christopher Free

Visitors to New York City's Times Square and Grand Central Station through March 15 have the opportunity to learn more about colorectal cancer through a commercial, edited by Old Dominion University adjunct instructor of film Christopher Free, which is being shown on the city's iconic Jumbotron screens.

The 30-second commercial showcases the organization Fight Colorectal Cancer and features Grammy Award-winning performer Sheryl Crow. The video encourages people to get screened for the disease, which is the second-leading cause of death from cancer in the United States, and requests support to help in the fight.

Free teaches video editing in the ODU College of Arts and Letters' communication and theatre arts department.

The Fight Colorectal Cancer commercial is airing intermittently on NASDAQ Tower signage and in Grand Central Station from March 1-15.

"It's an honor to have the work showcased," Free said. "Drew Lewis, who is in the commercial, lost his life to colorectal cancer and I'm sure he would want his legacy to serve as a very loud reminder that this type of cancer is highly preventable and highly treatable. I hope this honors his legacy."

If you can't make the trip to New York City, the commercial can be seen, without sound, on live streaming webcams at the NASDAQ and Times Square websites. To view the full commercial, visit the Fight Colorectal Cancer YouTube Channel.