The Jetsons, Big Bang Theory, Fringe, Lost, Eureka, CSI, Bill Nye - Science Guy, Star Trek, Discovery Channel, National Geographic Channel, Armageddon, The Right Stuff, Contact, Numb3rs - years of creative content and programming are all monetized to build our industry. Broadband service providers are delivering all-digital and high definition video, fiber optics, mobile DTV signals, and high-speed Internet streaming globally as satellites whiz overhead in space and 3-D movies are created. Jobs as software engineers, senior developers, Java developers, network engineers, interaction designers, and a myriad of others are converging SET so that stories, documentaries, ads, public service announcements and special content can be created and delivered to an audience. Again, these are all monetized to grow the entertainment industry and create an economy.

There is an intrinsic connection between the entertainment industry and the latest in SET breakthroughs. For years, writers, producers and directors have adapted these innovations to create intricate stories, characters and plots to entertain the American viewing public. This is a connection that goes beyond plot and characterization, as technology has driven and built the industry as we know it today due to the vast contributions of SET. Where would we be as a creative community without such developments as cost-effective digital editing and effects, high definition video, lowlight cameras, steadi-cams, computer animation, computerized pre-visualizations, budgeting and writing software, DVD burners, stunt and pyrotechnic engineering applications, and myriad other developments made possible by a focus on science, engineering and technology.

The movie camera is the perfect example of how the intersection between SET helped to build and monetize one of the most important sects of the entertainment industry: the motion picture industry. The original film camera itself is a masterwork of engineering and technology, as a spring wound mechanical device precisely regulates how quickly the film is exposed to light and just how much light the film receives. This innovative process created the film industry, with a 2008 worldwide box office of $28.1 billion dollars.

Get Ready, Get SET, Go! The call to action is the positioning of SET education programs and encouragement of children and youth to develop interest and pursue careers in science, engineering and technology. There is a need to debunk stereotypes of technology professionals and engineers, support support inquisitive scientific investigation and promote mathematics as an integral means to an end… first place in the future competitive global market place. Global economy aside, our challenge is to train and preserve workers in these fields as they relate to content distribution and technology and the convergence shaping the entertainment industry. There are clearly foreign competitors (India, China, Korea and Brazil) vying for our place. We can highlight those career priorities and opportunities critical to our ability to compete in the future. Our industry is not alone in facing this challenge. We must align with other vested industries such as aerospace, telecommunications, automotive, pharmaceutical, oil and gas, environmental, energy and others reliant on scientific discoveries and advancements in engineering and technology.

We must work together to target all levels of education, extensive community outreach and all forms of entertainment media. The Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. (EIC) has partnered with Boeing to jump-start this effort and we clearly need entertainment industry-wide involvement and support. A major objective is to rekindle excitement and interest in these fields for students. We need to find a way to engage and develop the next generation of scientific and mathematical thinkers who will lead the way for the U.S. to compete globally in the future.

Entertainment can be a powerful tool. The challenge to the creative community is to help audiences discover the mystery, drama, comedy and romance of SET not unlike what has occurred over the past fifteen years in telling stories about substance abuse and mental health (over 2500 productions have been recognized by our annual PRISM Awards*), and the romantic intrigue of space exploration 50 years ago. Contemporary examples include the many procedural shows that have increased interest in the medical (House), social (Lie to Me, Criminal Minds), and forensic sciences (CSI, SVU, Numb3rs, etc.).

I encourage all facets of the entertainment community to join us in committing to the opportunity presented by this effort to develop the workforce and skills needed to reposition the U.S. for global competition and to lead toward the next generation of technological revolutionaries providing us with new software and hardware “toys” to help bring our creative visions to life.

Communication Institute (E&MCI), the research and strategy division of EIC. The mission of the E&MCI is to foster developmental interdisciplinary activities in health, education and social sciences; communications research and theory; cultural studies; environmental strategies; and technology. E&MCI activities address media opportunities to promote the wellbeing of the public and enhance the pro-social impact of entertainment and other media. I encourage you to give of your time and talent to this important project by simply contacting EIC (please visit www.eiconline.org).

*PRISM Awards
The Entertainment Industries Council, Inc. (EIC) annually presents, in collaboration with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), FX Network, and News Corporation, the PRISM Awards™, a nationally-televised awards show recognizing the accurate depiction of drug, alcohol and tobacco use and addiction in film, television, interactive, music, DVD, and comic book entertainment. Established in 1997, the PRISM Awards honor productions that are not only powerfully entertaining, but realistically show substance abuse and addiction, as well as mental health issues.