The Ten Spot: Nov 7, 2009
Spielberg: Have Movies Will Travel…. Again? – BusinessWeek
Even before Steven Spielberg’s newly reformulated Dreamworks SKG makes its first film, his studio is moving for a third time – well, sort of. BusinessWeek has learned that the Dreamworks operation, headed by Spielberg and producing partner Stacey Snider, is moving the rights to show its movies on pay TV from Starz (LMDIA) to Showtime (CBS).
The Hot New Business Of Virtual Goods – SAI
NYT: Analysts estimate that virtual goods could bring in a billion dollars in the United States and around $5 billion worldwide this year — all for things that, aside from perhaps a few hours of work by an artist and a programmer, cost nothing to produce. “It’s a fantastic business,” said Jeremy Liew of Lightspeed Venture Partners, a venture capital firm that has invested $10 million in several virtual goods companies. “Because it’s digital, the marginal cost for every one you sell is zero, so you have 100 percent margins.”
FunnyorDie.com: ‘SNL’ for the online crowd – LAT
Since its launch, the site has transcended the initial hype of Ferrell and McKay’s debut video, “The Landlord” (with 66.7-million views and counting). Now it’s a fledgling new media studio with a CEO, a Silicon Valley office and a reported ($15-million investment. (Though the site is making money, it hasn’t turned a profit, according to those familiar with its finances. McKay calls it “our not-for-profit theater.”) For the legions of comic unknowns out there, the site offers another way to network and possibly get discovered. For the A-listers, it is a creative outlet, set apart from the conglomerates running entertainment, that may not earn them a dime but pays off with street cred on the comedy scene.) Read more >>
Netflix’s Winning, Innovative Culture
Netflix became more transparent recently, by posting its internal company culture preso, i.e., how it inspires great hires, values context not control, and rewards adequate performance with severance. Given that Twitter had its internal documents hacked and sent to many blogs, it’s a welcome blast of fresh air when a next-gen, New Medici-like company like Netflix shares its values.
Media & Entertainment CEO Salary Breakdown
Bernstein Research analyst Michael Nathanson broke out Media CEO and CFO compensation for 2008, with special attention on CBS and Fox, giving Disney a slight pass as its exec bonuses are tied to shareholder returns. The top six include the major studios minus Sony (Stringer, Pascal, Lynton, Wiesenthal), NBC Universal (Immelt, Zucker, Meyer), Viacom/Paramount (Redstone, Grey) and upstart Dreamworks (Spielberg, Katzenberg, Geffen, Snider) .
Via Broadcasting & Cable and Nikki Finke’s Deadline Hollywood Daily:
- CBS CEO Leslie Moonves, who was paid $31.9 million last year
- Disney CEO Robert Iger, who earned $30.6 million
- News Corp #2 Chase Carey, who could haul in $43.1 million over the next year
- News Corp.’s Rupert Murdoch, who took home $27.5 million
- Viacom’s Philippe Dauman, who was paid $23 million
- Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, who made $19.9 million
Twitter Tools and Tricks
Reflecting on how mobile media has come to encompass “social media” – especially with Twitter leading the charge – below, please find a few helpful tools and tricks to support your Twitter addiction:
Twitter Tools:
- Seesmic Desktop (Adobe Air client for fast multi-account tweet management and search)
- TweetDeck (alternative to the above)
- Tweetie (the best iPhone client)
- MrTweet (search submission tool to help get followers)
- @geofollow (keyword submission tool)
- Twitpic (for better photo tweeting)
- Twitterholic (follower rankings and stats)
- Last, click here for an exhaustive list of 3rd party twitter apps… Read more >>
Recent Innovation Jobs, April 2009
Yes, there are still jobs to be had – a few recent finds:
Creative Director at Momentum agency- Director of Strategy for FLO TV at Qualcomm
- Head of Marketing & Industry Development at Screen Australia
- Senior Manager, Market Development for Mobile TV & Games at Motorola
- Director of Business and Client Development at Random House
- Creative Department Web Developer at TOM’s Shoes
- CEO at MySpace (well, that’s already filled…)
For more information and specifics, visit New Medici Jobs. In addition, we’ll be highlighting a top headhunter early next week – add your choices in the comments section below.