Arts, Entertainment, Living 6 Degrees From Batman Rising to the Animated Batman, al...
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BLOGGING AT THE CORNER OF STEEL CITY & TINSELTOWN: After more than two decades in Hollywood as a screenwriter ("St. Elmo’s Fire") and TV writer/producer ("Saved By The Bell"), Carl Kurlander returned to his hometown to teach at the University of Pittsburgh - a serendipitous journey that landed him as a guest on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and inspired a documentary, “My Tale of Two Cities,” a funny and hopeful Pittsburgh comeback story which has played in theaters in more than 20 cities across North America. Carl has been a passionate advocate for developing a vibrant and sustainable entertainment industry in Western Pennsylvania, which began when he wrote his first oped, "Pittsburgh's Next Industrial Revolution: Entertainment," for the PG and led to the formation of the nonprofit Steeltown Entertainment Project, for which Carl now serves as executive producer. Carl can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Related links:
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According to Barb Vancheri's recent Post-Gazette article, over 9000 have lined up for the 3000 jobs which come with being the place where Batman is filming. (http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11171/1154956-60.stm)
But one man who has written the Animated Batman many grew up here watching has come home to Pittsburgh for a job of his own-- to become an Assistant Professor at the emerging Point Park University Film program. Allderdice grad Steve Cuden started off interested in theater and went on to have a diverse career in Hollywood which included writing over 90 scripts for such animated shows as X-Men, Iron Man, Batman, and more... (www.stevecuden.com)
Through the serendipity which is Pittsburgh, the CLO is presenting the musical version of Jekyll & Hyde this week which Steve conceived for the stage. You can listen to a podcast of Steve talking with PG theater critic Chris Rawson about the play and why he came home here....
http://www.post-gazette.com/podcast/detail.asp?id=11
But it should be noted that Steve coming home is part of an increasingly happy trend who entertainment professionals who have been able to come home and use their talents in this region which include Heide Waldbaum who was a special effects producer on such films as AVATAR and SPIDERMAN and Lisa Smith who produced THE PEOPLE SPEAK with Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman among other illustrious projects.
And though he did not grow up here, CMU professor Jesse Schell had formerly worked for Disney in L.A., but now runs Schell Games on the South Side of Pittsburgh which is one of the great success stories of this region's emerging entertainment industry. (see www.schellgames.com)
Jesse is on the board of the Toonseum which is one of only three museums in the world to celebrate cartoon art run by cartoonist Joe Wos. (www.toonseum.org)
And then you have such innovative houses as Animal which has been responsible for everything from the talking Taco Bell Chihuahua to the multi-platinum Owl City Fireflies video and recently opened an L.A. office. (www.animaleast.org)
And talented animators who are increasingly populating the area doing innovative work like this Pinburgh video by CMU professor Doug Cooper.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmUdtDGg6Xg
Years ago when Pittsburgh's own Michael Keaton (who began working on stage crew for "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood"), starred in Tim Burton's Batman movie, few could probably envision Pittsburgh standing in for Gotham, or that the Bat signal shining over this city, would be signalling the arrival of talent and jobs. But Holy ^&(@ Batman! It's happening!
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