Bizzers: Execs must master data analytics

Data analysis is fast becoming a "core competency" in all facets of the entertainment biz, but don't expect the nerd revolution to sweep over the creative process at Lionsgate -- not as long as Rob Friedman is running things, at least.

"You will never see us make a movie based on a series of questions posed in a research environment -- never, ever, ever," the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group co-chair said at USC Annenberg and IBM's panel, "The Power of Crowds: Social Sentiment and the Future of Film."