DreamWorks Animation
 | |
| Company type | Public (Nasdaq: DWA) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animated films |
| Founded | 1993 (founding of DreamWorks SKG) 2004 (spin-off of DreamWorks Animation) |
| Headquarters | , United States |
Key people | Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chief Executive Officer Roger Enrico, Chairman Lew Coleman, President |
| Website | www.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 earlier, most of their computer-generated films and television series have now gained the studio a reputation for being focused on popular culture and satire, although their most significant successes in recent years have had more universal themes.[1] 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.
History
1993–2003
On October 12, 1993, 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, which used both CG technology and 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.
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.[2]
The logo is adapted from the parent studio's logo. The original logo consists of a boy fishing on the moon, against a backdrop of the daytime sky albeit with more colorful lettering. In 2010, a new logo was introduced in which the boy on the moon waves away some clouds with his fishing pole as the DreamWorks letters come into position; this logo was first used on How to Train Your Dragon (film). 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 (itself adapted from "Hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen).
Employees at DreamWorks get to enjoy breakfast and lunch for free, a perk not found at many other companies.[3] In 2009, the studio made the list of Fortune Magazine's best 100 companies to work for, at number 47.[3][4] In 2010 DreamWorks Animation ranked number 6. It is praised by its employees for its openness and culture of collaboration.[5]
In 2005, DreamWorks Animation partnered with HP to introduce HP Halo Telepresence Solutions, technologies that allow people in different locations to communicate in a face-to-face environment in real time. Users are able to see and hear one another's physical and emotional reactions to conversation and information as it is being shared, whether across a country or across the world. DreamWorks Animation has used this technology in the production of several animated films including the Shrek trilogy, Kung-Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon. [6][7][8][9]
On June 4, 2010, DreamWorks Animation and Royal Caribbean announced a strategic alliance set to take place onboard Royal Caribbean cruise ships including Allure of the Seas.
2009–present
Since 2009, DreamWorks Animation has been making 3-D animated films, with the help of InTru3D.
On May 28, 2009, the studio announced its plans to release five feature films every two years starting with three films in 2010.[10]
In June 2010, Dreamworks Animation created a new division, Moon Boy Animation, to premiere the TBS animated show, Neighbors from Hell .
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.[11]
Board of directors
The following executives[12] 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
Productions
Films
| Film | Release Date | Domestic Gross | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antz | October 2, 1998 | $90,757,863 | 95% | 72 |
| The Prince of Egypt | December 18, 1998 | $101,413,188 | 79% | 64 |
| The Road to El Dorado | March 31, 2000 | $50,863,742 | 49% | 51 |
| Chicken Run | June 23, 2000 | $106,834,564 | 96% | 88 |
| Shrek | May 18, 2001 | $267,665,011 | 89% | 84 |
| Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron | May 24, 2002 | $73,280,117 | 69% | 52 |
| Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas | July 22, 2003 | $26,483,452 | 46% | 48 |
| Shrek 2 | May 19, 2004 | $441,226,247 | 89% | 75 |
| Shark Tale | October 1, 2004 | $160,861,908 | 34% | 48 |
| Madagascar | May 27, 2005 | $193,595,521 | 55% | 57 |
| Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit | October 7, 2005 | $56,110,897 | 95% | 87 |
| Over the Hedge | May 19, 2006 | $155,019,340 | 74% | 67 |
| Flushed Away | November 3, 2006 | $64,665,672 | 72% | 74 |
| Shrek the Third | May 18, 2007 | $322,719,944 | 41% | 58 |
| Bee Movie | November 2, 2007 | $126,631,277 | 51% | 54 |
| Kung Fu Panda | June 6, 2008 | $215,434,591 | 89% | 73 |
| Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa | November 7, 2008 | $180,010,950 | 64% | 61 |
| Monsters vs. Aliens | March 27, 2009 | $198,351,526 | 72% | 56 |
| How to Train Your Dragon | March 26, 2010 | $217,581,231 | 98% | 74 |
| Shrek Forever After | May 21, 2010 | $236,875,709 | 58% | 58 |
Upcoming Films
| Film | Release Date | References |
|---|---|---|
| Megamind | November 5, 2010 | |
| Kung Fu Panda 2: The Kaboom of Doom | May 26, 2011 | |
| Puss in Boots: The Story of an Ogre Killer | November 4, 2011 | |
| The Croods | March 30, 2012 | |
| Madagascar 3 | May 18, 2012 | |
| The Guardians of Childhood | November 21, 2012 | |
| How to Train Your Dragon 2 | 2013 | [13] |
| Good Luck Trolls | TBA | |
| Boo U | TBA | [14] |
| Truckers | TBA | [15] |
TV specials
- Shrek the Halls (2007)
- Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space (2009)
- Merry Madagascar (2009)
- Scared Shrekless (2010) [16]
Short films
- Shrek 4-D (2003) (PDI, ride film for Universal Studios and Warner Bros. Movie World)
- 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)
- Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon (October 15, 2010) (Glendale)
Television series
- Father of the Pride (August 31, 2004 – December 28, 2004)
- The Penguins of Madagascar (March 28, 2009 – present)
- Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness (2010)[17]
- Neighbors from Hell (2010, with 20th Century Fox Television and Bento Box Entertainment, produced as Moon Boy Animation.)
- Monsters vs. Aliens (2011)[18]
Additionally, DreamWorks Animation holds the underlying US rights to the DiC animated series Alienators: Evolution Continues, co-produced with the parent DreamWorks studio and Columbia TriStar Television (now Sony Pictures Television, who holds international rights). The series was a spin-off of the 2001 DreamWorks/Columbia film Evolution. The same also applies to Neighbors From Hell, since the show is a co-production of Dreamworks Animation (via their newly established Moon Boy Animation division), an independent company known as Bento Box Entertainment and 20th Century Fox Television.
Sources
See also
References
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Splitsville for DreamWorks and Aardman?"; Ryan Ball (October 3, 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
- ^ "100 Best Companies to Work For 2010"; (February 8, 2010) – Fortune
- ^ ";(December 12, 2005) – HP
- ^ http://www.infoworld.com/d/developer-world/hp-dreamworks-promote-virtual-meetings-halo-686
- ^ http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/4659.html
- ^ http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-139904310.html
- ^ "DreamWorks Animation Announces Plans to Release Five Feature Films Every Two Years"
- ^ "Intel replaces AMD as DreamWorks Animation supplier"; (July 9, 2008) – Los Angeles Times.
- ^ DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. Board of Directors – BuisnessWeek
- ^ "‘Train Your Dragon’ sequel in the works". (April 27, 2010) The Hollywood Reporter. Accessed April 27, 2010.
- ^ "New Details on Upcoming DreamWorks Animation Films TRUCKERS and BOO U". (August 4, 2010) Collider
- ^ "New Details on Upcoming DreamWorks Animation Films TRUCKERS and BOO U". (August 4, 2010) Collider
- ^ Nick orders 'Monsters vs. Aliens' pilot
- ^ Kung Fu Panda: The Series Coming to Nickelodeon
- ^ Nickelodeon Orders Monsters vs. Aliens Television Pilot
