Michael Burkenbine
- Producer
- Writer
- Executive
Mike began his entertainment career at ACNielsen where he undertook the role of business development and created the first analytic and tracking system for home entertainment; VideoScan (TM). This was the founding component of The Studio System(TM) and the centerpiece of Nielsen Entertainment. This system allows filmmakers and studios alike to analyze film and TV revenue across all windows on a global level. Mike also devised the analytical techniques used to forecast feature film revenue and distribution, improve the quality of acquisitions as well as marketing tactics and strategies. Using his ground-breaking analytics, Mike directly impacted the revenue at The Walt Disney Company, Warner Bros., Sony Pictures Entertainment, and NBC/Universal studios for more than 15 years.
Also during this time Mike completed his MBA in Entertainment at the University of Southern California. From there he was recruited to work for Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. As Executive Director at Sony, he was responsible for multi-national sales forecasting, supply chain, marketing research, merchandising, sales reporting, acquisitions, and business development. His leadership resulted in increased margins and revenue for produced and acquired feature film and television projects. At Sony, some of the hundreds of titles for which he impacted revenue and margins include Men In Black, Jerry Maguire, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Godzilla, Spider-Man, Stuart Little, Girl, Interrupted, Resident Evil, Michael Flatly, Lord of the Dance, and Seinfeld.
Next, Mike took on the role of Vice President, Ventura Distribution which was the world's largest distributor of independent films. His responsibilities included acquisitions, foreign sales negotiations, sales forecasting, digital strategy, retail marketing, merchandising, release scheduling, and brand management.
Mike is a writer, producer, and consultant. As a consultant, Mike helps independent filmmakers obtain financing, distribution, and talent attachment by creating studio-quality financial plans that investors, distributors, and talent want to see. These plans show projected revenue and net profits and allocate net profits for all people and companies involved. His efforts have resulted in 10's of millions of dollars in financing for independent filmmakers.
Mike's philanthropic activities have included: Board of Directors, USC Associates, Board of Advisors & Chairman, Student/Alumni Committee for the Marshall School of Business; and Board of Directors, Special Olympics of Southern California.