Names You Need to Know In 2011: Comcast’s Steve Burke (Forbes)

...He’s months away from redefining what can – or can’t – be done when you marry the pipes of the country’s largest cable system with the offerings of a content giant behind shows like 30 Rock, The Biggest Loser and The Real Housewives franchise. In his new position, Burke has the opportunity to (re)shape the entertainment landscape, making pivotal decisions on topics ranging from retransmission consent to video-on-demand to the business of online viewing.

Yes, it's yet another list from Forbes. This one is "Names You Need to Know in 2011." But this quick summary of Steve Burke's household-name-worthiness is right on target -- I'm with the author in thinking we'll be hearing his name constantly next year.

Read the full article here.

Hollywood's Most Overpaid Actors 2010 (Forbes)

If you're a star and your movie flops, it looks that much worse when you're earning a paycheck north of $15 million.

That's what happened to Will Ferrell with Land of the Lost. The big-budget film based on the '70s kiddies cartoon was supposed to be a big hit. But with an estimated $100 million budget, it earned only $69 million total at the global box office. That flop puts Ferrell at the top of our list of Hollywood's Most Overpaid Actors. For every $1 Ferrell was paid, his films returned an average $3.35.

Poor Will Ferrell. Or should I say undeservingly-rich Will Ferrell? Either way, he's been at #1 on this particular list two years running. Ironically, a blog post titled "‘Megamind’ Shows Why Will Ferrell Still Earns the Big Bucks" also appeared on the Forbes website today. Mixed messages much?

PS - Sorry to be so Forbes-heavy today, but they make so many damn lists! Perhaps I should create a "The Top 100 Forbes' Lists"-list. And maybe Forbes will pay me for it, and then I'll be just like Nikki (see previous post below).

Read the full article here.

Nikki Finke Picks The Seven Most Powerful People In Hollywood (Forbes)

Forbes just released their "Most Powerful People in the World" list, and Nikki Finke was asked to put together a sub-list of the Hollywood players. I'm not sure I agree with all of her choices, but then again, she's writing a list for Forbes while I'm just re-posting her list for Forbes.

Check out Nikki's list here here.

And if you want to take a look at Forbes' list of "The Most Powerful People in the World", you can find the article here.

Hollywood's Best Actors For The Buck (Forbes)

In order to create our list we looked at the top 36 earners in Hollywood. To qualify, each actor had to have starred in at least three movies in the past five years that opened in more than 500 theaters. ... We then used data gathered for our annual Celebrity 100 list to calculate each star's estimated earnings on each film... We then looked at each movie's estimated budget (not including marketing costs, which are susceptible to accounting chicanery) and box-office, DVD and television earnings to figure out an operating income for each film. ... We added up each star's compensation on his or her last three films and the operating income on those films and divided total operating income by the star's total compensation to come up with each return on investment number. The final number represents an average of how much a studio earns for every dollar paid to the actor.

The reasons a movie is a blockbuster or a bomb can be so nebulous sometimes that it's always fun to see lists based on real numbers, and this one is no exception. However, the numbers can lie - or at least be misleading. For example, Shia LaBeouf is #1 on the list, generating $81 profit for every $1 he's paid. But considering the films (Transformers, Indy 4), I'd be willing to bet that just about any guy you put in those roles would end up being #1 on the list. I mean no disrespect to Shia - I like him quite a lot and think he's genuinely talented - I'm just using him and those films to make a point. On the other hand, Robert Downey, Jr., #4 on the list, was integral to the success of Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes (at least in my opinion) - it was the idea of him in those roles that motivated me to see those films.

What do you think?

Read the full article here.

The World's Most Powerful Celebrities (Forbes)

Oprah Winfrey is the year's big winner. After being ousted by Angelina Jolie on last year's list (Jolie dropped to No. 18 this year), the Queen of all Media takes back her crown on Forbes' annual ranking of the world's ultra-famous. Winfrey earned $315 million over the past 12 months.

Um, what? $315 MILLION IN ONE YEAR!? That is insane. What does someone do with that much money? It's almost too much to fathom.

Anywho, while Oprah at #1 isn't exactly a shocker, I was surprised by a few in the next handful of the Power 100. Here's a peek at the Top Ten:

1. Oprah
2. Beyonce
3. James Cameron
4. Lady Gaga
5. Tiger Woods (thought they expect him to drop drastically next year)
6. Britney Spears
7. U2
8. Sandra Bullock
9. Johnny Depp
10. Madonna

See the full list here.

To Run A Business Better, Rethink Its Playscript (Forbes)

If your company's strategy were presented as a play, would anyone come?

My recent research suggests that companies should develop their strategies by writing descriptions of the logic, storylines, decisions and motives behind what they do and who they do it with. Executives shouldn't only draw and analyze maps or plot numbers on a chart; they should create what I call a "playscript," a narrative that sets out the cast of characters in their industry and how they're connected, the rules they observe, the plots and subplots they're involved in, and how they create and retain value as the drama develops and the cast changes.

I'm all for tackling new areas in ways that are already familiar, and I think this article makes some good and important points. But... Do you think this would work for companies that deal with "playscripts" all day, every day (i.e. studios, production companies, et al)?
Read the full article here.