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Finding the Inspiration

When actor and Pittsburgh native Michael Keaton visited Entertainment Technology Center Professor Ralph Vituccio’s class in 2016, it was part reunion — Keaton and Vituccio had been friends since childhood — and part crash course for both the actor and the students.

Keaton, who holds an honorary doctor of arts degree from CMU, spent the day viewing virtual reality applications built by Vituccio’s students and later sitting down for a Q&A session with Vituccio. Keaton’s advice to the students? Balance practicality and passion.

Michael Keaton served as a visiting scholar for the Entertainment Technology Center starting in 2015. The Pittsburgh native and CMU alumnus would visit when his schedule allowed, meeting with students, checking out their projects and interactive games, and giving them feedback or insight.

“I really enjoyed seeing how these students are using new technologies in creative ways to entertain and educate,” he said. “This is the future.”

The universal question for everyone is what do I want? Always drop back to that question. The problem is, in the creative world it ain't easy. And it changes and shifts so fast now. You gotta just keep asking, what's going to make me happy? And on a practical level, what's going to keep food on the table? And as a creative person, am I going to be fed by this? Is it going to keep me inspired?

During an insightful and entertaining Q&A, Vituccio prodded his childhood friends, telling tales of their shared history. Keaton shared anecdotes from the set of “Batman,” explanations for why he did and didn’t accept a variety of different work, and offered career advice and his philosophy on life.