Rumors of Hollywood's demise have been greatly exaggerated. However, everything is upside down: The top-heavy old-guard studio dinosaurs bear the whiff of desperation, while the real power is bubbling up from below in the form of an inspired and mobilized creative class that's more reliant on big ideas than big budgets. No one is who they seem: Writers are becoming directors, directors are becoming moguls, actors are becoming all of the above instead of lying around praying for a spin-off. And nothing is static: Partnerships want to be companies, companies want to be cultural movements, cultural movements want to fundamentally change the way we define entertainment. All this constructive chaos is being fueled by the fevered, risk-taking innovators who see tumult and transition as the time to pounce, to kick up dust rather than wait for it to settle. These bold thinkers have no time for sky-is-falling prognostication and no need for affirmation. They're too busy working, building the future—because they know they have one.

 
The Leading Man
 The Showrunners
 
 
The Career Opportunists
 The Next Big Thing
 
 
The Survivors
 The Idea Man
 
 
The Directors
 The Outsourced Superhero
 
 
The Creative Collectives