With six internationally released, made-in-Pittsburgh films premiering, a new project will connect Pittsburgh entertainment technology with Hollywood.

As three big-budget feature films shot in Pittsburgh premiered this past fall, the Pittsburgh Technology Council, Idea Foundry, the Pittsburgh Film Office and Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center are launching the Pittsburgh Entertainment Technology (PET) Project.

Now showing or coming soon are “Unstoppable” starring Denzel Washington, “The Next Three Days” starring Russell Crowe and “Love and Other Drugs” starring Jake Gyllenhaal, all of which had major portions shot at various locations in the greater Pittsburgh area. More titles, including “I Am Number Four,” “One for the Money” and “Abduction,” starring Taylor Lautner, are slated to be released in 2011.

With these recent movies as evidence of the region’s growing stature among film producers, the PET consortium will showcase new innovations, products and companies in Pittsburgh’s entertainment technology cluster with the objective of introducing those capabilities to Hollywood and attracting additional film and entertainment projects to the region. Those capabilities include 3-D computer graphics and visual effects, music composition, non-traditional viral marketing, branded gaming, online fan community building and a wide variety of other applications.

In addition, the PET will spotlight the region’s talent, especially as it relates to the southwestern Pennsylvania’s top-tier universities.

To that end, plans include a comprehensive inventory of regional assets, a coordinated marketing initiative aimed at Hollywood decision-makers and a trade mission contest, in which companies with the most attractive market-ready products will be awarded a trip to Los Angeles to pitch their work to industry executives.

Previously, the Pittsburgh Technology Council, in partnership with the PET partners, hosted a one-of-a-kind talk with Mk Haley, entitled “Incenting Innovation with New Media.” Haley currently serves as the associate executive producer at Carnegie Mellon University’s Entertainment Technology Center and a leader at The Walt Disney Company’s new research lab at CMU’s Collaborative Innovation Center.

For more information on the Pittsburgh Entertainment Technology Project, visit:

www.pghentertainmenttech.org

For more information on:

The Pittsburgh Technology Council, visit www.pghtech.org

The Idea Foundry, visit www.ideafoundry.org

Pittsburgh Film Office, visit www.pghfilm.org

The Entertainment Technology Center, visit www.etc.cmu.edu

Pittsburgh Filmography

From “The Perils of Pauline” made in 1914 through the soon-to-be-released “Abduction” starring Taylor Lautner, Pittsburgh has been the location for more than 127 motion pictures and television productions. See the complete list at:

www.pghfilm.org/about/about_filmography.jsp

SOURCE Pittsburgh Technology Council   http://www.pghtech.org