Meet Dave’s head may be big, but his paydays are getting smaller… The NYT recently took on an ongoing trend story that New Medici has brought up in relation to the talent agencies: the downward spiral of A-list (with grade inflation forcing some B-listing) talent compensation. It’s definitely a “starpower brownout” in terms of how talent is being relegated to the coach seats of the Hollywood pay-or-play bus. Star vehicles, aka films, from the likes of A-listers Jim Carrey, Tom Cruise, Adam Sandler, John Travolta and even Denzel Washington have fallen in audience regard. Studios while not necessarily going “indie” in terms of concept, are definitely benching high-end talent in favor of niche and sometimes, ensemble casting. Witness the JJ Abrams, Judd Apatow (minus his latest), Quentin Tarantino, Michael Bay’s successes of late. Yes, Inglourious Basterds (Acterds?) leveraged Pitt’s name, but people went for Tarantino’s take on WWII. Bay’s career has been resuscitated via Hasbro and one assumes some behind-the-scenes’ producing from Spielberg. Abrams’ Cloverdale and Apatow’s use of young, gross-out talent is assuredly making studios and talent agencies rethink their strategies.