DreamWorks Animation
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| Type | Public (NASDAQ: DWA) |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1994 (founding of DreamWorks SKG) 2004 (spin-off of DreamWorks Animation) |
| Headquarters | Glendale, California Redwood City, California, United States |
| Key people | Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chief Executive Officer Roger Enrico, Chairman Lew Coleman, President |
| Industry | Animated films |
| Website | dreamworksanimation.com |
DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. (NASDAQ: DWA) is an American animation studio which primarily produce a series of commercially successful computer animated films, including Shrek, Shark Tale, Madagascar, Over the Hedge, Bee Movie, Kung Fu Panda, Monsters vs Aliens, and How to Train Your Dragon. Although the studio had made traditionally animated films about serious subjects, most of their computer-generated films have now gained the studio a reputation for being more centered around popular culture and satire in their storylines. The studio was formed by the merger of the feature animation division of DreamWorks and Pacific Data Images (PDI). Originally formed under the banner of DreamWorks SKG, it was spun-off into a separate public company in 2004.
They are currently distributed only through Paramount Pictures (in turn owned by Viacom) who acquired the rest of DreamWorks SKG in February 2006. DreamWorks Animation maintains two studios: the original DreamWorks feature animation studio in Glendale, California and the PDI studio in Redwood City, California.
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[edit] History
[edit] 1994–2003
On October 12, 1994, DreamWorks SKG was formed and founded by a trio of entertainment players, director and producer Steven Spielberg, music executive David Geffen, and former Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg. DreamWorks signed a co-production deal with Pacific Data Images to form subsidiary PDI, LLC (PDI owned 60% of PDI, LLC while DreamWorks SKG owned 40%). Pacific Data Images was founded by Carl Rosendahl in 1980 with a small loan from his father. In 1982, he was joined by Richard Chuang and Glenn Entis, who wrote the foundation of the in-house computer animation software that was to be used for the next two decades. During the 1980s, PDI created many animated logos and commercials for television for companies like NBC and Sky Movies. They shifted into motion picture visual effects beginning in 1991 with a contribution to Terminator 2: Judgment Day. The new unit would produce computer-generated feature films beginning with Antz in 1998. In the same year DreamWorks SKG produced The Prince of Egypt using traditional animation techniques.
In 2000, DreamWorks SKG created a new business division, DreamWorks Animation, that would regularly produce both types of animated feature films. All four traditionally animated feature films were produced by the division's Southern California branch. DreamWorks SKG acquired majority interest (90%) in PDI, reforming it into PDI/DreamWorks, the Northern California branch of its new business division. The business division separated from its parent in 2004, forming DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. and purchasing the remaining interest in PDI as well as its subsidiary PDI, LLC.
[edit] 2004–2008
From 2004 to 2008, the studio is dedicated solely to producing CG animated films in-house and has committed itself to make 2 computer-animated feature films a year. No more traditional 2D animation is expected.
DreamWorks Animation also had a partnership with Aardman Animations, a stop-motion animation company in Bristol, England. This partnership had DreamWorks participating in the production of stop-motion films in Bristol, and also had Aardman participating in some of the CG films made in the US. This partnership ended after the release of Flushed Away in November 2006; the announcement was made before the film's release, on October 3, citing "creative differences" as the reason.[1]
The logo, adapted from the parent studio's logo, consists of a boy fishing on the moon, against a backdrop of the daytime sky albeit with more colorful lettering. The soundtrack of this logo was originally an adaptation of the DreamWorks theme; however, following the global success of Shrek in 2001, this became a shortened adaptation of True Love's First Kiss (the Love Theme from the Shrek soundtrack), composed by John Powell.
Employees at DreamWorks get to enjoy breakfast and lunch for free, a perk not found at many other companies.[2] In 2009, the studio made the list of Fortune Magazine's best 100 companies to work for, at number 47. This is its first year on the list.[2][3]
[edit] 2009–present
Starting with Monsters vs. Aliens released on March 27, 2009, DreamWorks Animation is now making 3-D animated films, with the help of InTru3D.
On May 22, 2009, DreamWorks Animation announced that 9 feature films will be released over the next 3 years:
[edit] Partnerships
DreamWorks Animation has an on-going partnership with HP, and the studio exclusively uses HP workstations and servers. In 2005, AMD signed a 3 year deal to provide processors to the studio. This relationship ended in 2008, and Dreamworks announced that they will use Intel processors for future productions.[4]
see also InTru3D
[edit] Board of Directors
The following executives[5] are on the DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. Board of Directors:
- Roger Enrico, Chairman of DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.
- Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chief Executive Officer of DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc./Co-Founder of DreamWorks.
- Lew Coleman, President of DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc.
- Mellody Hobson, President of Ariel Capital Management
- Nathan Myhrvold, Chief Executive Officer of Intellectual Ventures
- Richard Sherman, CEO of The David Geffen Company
- Karl von der Heyden, retired Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of Pepsico, Inc.
- Judson Green, President and Chief Executive Officer of NAVTEQ
- Michael Montgomery, President of Montgomery & Co.
- Thomas E. Freston, former CEO of Viacom
- Harry (Skip) Brittenham, Director
[edit] Films and series
[edit] Traditionally-animated films
Note: All traditionally animated films were made at the Glendale studio.
| Film | Year | Budget | Worldwide Gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Prince of Egypt | 1998 | $70,000,000 | $218,613,188 |
| The Road to El Dorado | 2000 | $95,000,000 | $76,432,727 |
| Joseph: King of Dreams | 2000 | N/A | (direct-to-video) |
| Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron | 2002 | $80,000,000 | $122,563,539 |
| Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas | 2003 | $60,000,000 | $80,767,884 |
[edit] Stop-motion films
Note: Both stop-motion animated films were produced by Aardman Animations.
| Film | Year | Worldwide Gross |
|---|---|---|
| Chicken Run | 2000 | $224,834,564 |
| Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit | 2005 | $192,610,372 |
[edit] Computer-animated films
Note: Only one computer-animated film was produced by Aardman.
| Film | Year | Budget | Worldwide Gross |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antz | 1998 | $105,000,000 | $171,757,863 |
| Shrek | 2001 | $60,000,000 | $484,409,218 |
| Shrek 2 | 2004 | $150,000,000 | $919,838,758 |
| Shark Tale | 2004 | $75,000,000 | $367,275,019 |
| Madagascar | 2005 | $75,000,000 | $532,680,671 |
| Over the Hedge | 2006 | $100,000,000 | $335,206,062 |
| Flushed Away |
2006 | $149,000,000 | $175,319,242 |
| Shrek the Third | 2007 | $160,000,000 | $794,561,223 |
| Bee Movie | 2007 | $150,000,000 | $287,076,833 |
| Kung Fu Panda | 2008 | $130,000,000 | $631,908,951 |
| Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa | 2008 | $150,000,000 | $602,308,178 |
| Monsters vs. Aliens | 2009 | $175,000,000 | $379,882,019 |
[edit] Upcoming computer Animated Films
- How to Train Your Dragon 3D (March 26, 2010)
- Shrek Forever After (May 21, 2010)
- Oobermind (November 5, 2010)
- Kung Fu Panda 2: The Kaboom of Doom (June 3, 2011) [6]
- Puss in Boots: The Story of an Ogre Killer (working title, November 4, 2011)
- The Croods (working title, March 30th 2012)
- Madagascar 3 (May 25, 2012)
- The Guardians (November 2, 2012)
[edit] TV specials
- Shrek the Halls (2007)
- Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space (2009)
- Merry Madagascar (2009)[7]
- Scared Shrekless (2010)
[edit] Short films
- Shrek 4-D (2003) (PDI, ride film for Universal Studios and Warner Bros. Movie World)
- Sinbad and The Cyclops Island (December 12, 2003)
- Far Far Away Idol (November 5, 2004)
- The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper (October 30, 2005) (PDI)
- First Flight (May 19, 2006) (Glendale)
- Hammy's Boomerang Adventure (October 19, 2006) (Glendale)
- Secrets of the Furious Five (November 9, 2008) (PDI)
- B.O.B.'s Big Break (September 29, 2009) (Glendale)
[edit] Traditionally-animated television series
- Toonsylvania (February 14, 1998 - December 21, 1998)
- Invasion America (June 8, 1998 - July 7, 1998)
- Alienators: Evolution Continues (September 15, 2001 - May 18, 2002) (co-production with Sony Pictures Television and DiC Entertainment)
[edit] Computer-animated television series
- Father of the Pride (August 31, 2004 - May 27, 2005)
- The Penguins of Madagascar (March 28, 2009 - present)
- Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness (2010)[8]
- Monsters vs. Aliens: The Series (2011)[9]
[edit] Sources
[edit] References
- ^ "Splitsville for DreamWorks and Aardman?"; Ryan Ball (October 03, 2006) - Animation Magazine
- ^ a b "100 Best Companies to Work For"; (February 2, 2009) - Fortune
- ^ "A new No. 1 best employer"; Christopher Tkaczyk (January 22, 2009) - Fortune
- ^ "Intel replaces AMD as DreamWorks Animation supplier"; (July 09, 2008) - Los Angeles Times.
- ^ DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. Board of Directors - BuisnessWeek
- ^ "'Kung Fu Panda' bears 3-D sequel"; Tatiana Siegel (October 1, 2008) - Variety.
- ^ http://www.kansascity.com/entertainment/movies/story/1495969.html
- ^ Kung Fu Panda: The Series Coming to Nickelodeon
- ^ Nickelodeon Orders Monsters vs. Aliens Television Pilot