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DreamWorks Animation

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File:Dreamworks Animation logo.png
The DreamWorks Animation logo, an angling boy sitting on the Moon's crescent (based upon the more sophisticated DreamWorks Pictures logo)

DreamWorks Animation SKG (NYSE: DWA) is an American animation studio, producing primarily feature animated films. DreamWorks Animation was formed by the merger of the feature animation division of DreamWorks SKG and Pacific Data Images (also known as PDI). Originally formed under the banner of DreamWorks SKG, it was spun-off into a separate public company in 2004. Its films are currently distributed by Paramount Pictures (in turn owned by Viacom) who acquired the rest of DreamWorks SKG in February of 2006. DreamWorks Animation maintains two studios: the original DreamWorks feature animation studio in Glendale, California and the PDI studio in Redwood City, California in the Silicon Valley region.

History

In 1980, Carl Rosendahl, Glenn Entis, and Richard Chuang founded computer animation production company Pacific Data Images (PDI). During the 1980s, PDI created many animated logos and commercials for television. They shifted into motion picture visual effects beginning in 1991 with a contribution to Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

In 1997, DreamWorks SKG signed a co-production deal with PDI to form PDI's subsidiary PDI, LLC (PDI owned 60% of PDI, LLC while DreamWorks SKG owned 40%). PDI, LLC 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.

The 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.

Since 2004, DreamWorks Animation is dedicated solely to producing CG animated films in-house. 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 produciton 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 3rd, 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.

Board of Directors

The following execuitves 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.
  • Paul Allen, Chairman of Vulcan, Inc.
  • David Geffen, Co-Founder of DreamWorks
  • Lew Coleman, President of DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc.
  • Mellody Hobson, President of Ariel Capital Management
  • Nathan Myhvrold, Chief Executive Officer of Intellectual Ventures
  • Howard Schultz, Chairman and Chief Global Strategist of Starbucks Corporation
  • Meg Whitman, President and Chief Executive Officer of eBay, Inc.
  • Judson Green, President and Chief Executive Officer of NAVTEQ
  • Michael Montgomery, President of Montgomery & Co.
  • Karl von der Heyden, retired Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of PepsiCo, Inc.

Films and series

Traditionally-animated films

Note: All traditionally animated films were made at the Glendale studio.

Stop-motion films

Note: All stop-motion films were produced by Aardman.

Computer-animated films

Possible Future Films

Cancelled Animated CGI Films

  • Shark Tale 2 (2008)
  • Crood Awakening (20??) (Possibly being done by another distributer)
  • Tortoise Vs. Hare (20??) (Possibly being done by another distributer)
  • Tusker (20--) (It was shelved to make room for Shrek 2 and Shark Tale and eventually cancelled)

TV Specials

Short films

Traditionally-animated television series

Computer-animated television series

Sources

History

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