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DreamWorks Animation

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DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc.
Company typePublic (Nasdaq: DWA)
IndustryCGI animation
Motion pictures
PredecessorAmblimation
Founded2000
FounderSteven Spielberg
Jeffrey Katzenberg
David Geffen
Headquarters
Glendale, California
,
United States
Number of locations
Redwood City, California, United States
Key people
Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO
Roger Enrico, Chairman
Lew Coleman, President
ProductsAnimated films
Websitewww.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, How to Train Your Dragon, and Megamind. Although the studio also 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[1], although their most significant successes in recent years have had more universal themes. 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 Viacom's Paramount Pictures, who acquired the rest of DreamWorks SKG in February 2006, spinning it off again in 2008. DreamWorks Animation maintains two campuses: the original DreamWorks feature animation studio in Glendale, California and the PDI studio in Redwood City, California.

History

The PDI/DreamWorks Studio in Redwood City, California

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.

2004–2009

From 2004 to 2009, 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.

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. 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.[2]

DreamWorks Animation also had a partnership with Aardman Animations, a stop-motion animation company from Bristol, England.[3] 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.[4]

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. 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).

On March 03, 2007, DreamWorks Animation announced intention to release every future film in 3-D, starting in 2009.[5] On July 8, 2008, they have announced partnership with Intel to co-develop 3-D film-making technology InTru3D.[6] The first film produced with this technology was Monsters vs. Aliens.

In 2009, the studio made the list of Fortune Magazine's best 100 companies to work for, at number 47. Employees at DreamWorks get to enjoy breakfast and lunch for free, a perk not found at many other companies.[7]

On May 28, 2009, the studio announced its plans to release five feature films every two years starting with three films in 2010.[8]

2010–present

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.

In 2010, the studio's most successful franchise Shrek, concluded with the fourth and final installment Shrek Forever After: The Final Chapter.

In 2010 DreamWorks Animation ranked number 6 on the Forbes 100 Best Companies to Work For list. It is praised by its employees for its openness and culture of collaboration.[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.[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

Feature films

# Title Release Date Budget Worldwide Gross RT MC IMDb
1 Antz Error in Template:Date table sorting: 'Friday' is not a valid era code (expected 'BC', 'BCE', 'AD' or 'CE') $60,000,000 $171,757,863 95% 72 6.8
2 The Prince of Egypt December 18, 1998 $70,000,000 $218,613,188 79% 64 6.8
3 The Road to El Dorado March 31, 2000 $95,000,000 $76,432,727 49% 51 6.4
4 Chicken Run June 23, 2000 $45,000,000 $224,834,564 96% 88 7.3
5 Shrek May 18, 2001 $60,000,000 $484,409,218 89% 84 8.0
6 Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron May 24, 2002 $80,000,000 $122,563,539 69% 52 6.6
7 Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas July 22, 2003 $60,000,000 $80,767,884 46% 48 6.6
8 Shrek 2 May 19, 2004 $150,000,000 $919,838,758 89% 75 7.5
9 Shark Tale October 1, 2004 $75,000,000 $367,275,019 34% 48 5.9
10 Madagascar May 27, 2005 $78,000,000 $532,680,671 55% 57 6.6
11 Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit October 7, 2005 $30,000,000 $192,610,372 95% 87 7.9
12 Over the Hedge May 19, 2006 $80,000,000 $336,002,996 74% 67 7.0
13 Flushed Away November 3, 2006 $149,000,000 $178,120,010 72% 74 7.0
14 Shrek the Third May 18, 2007 $160,000,000 $798,958,162 41% 58 6.1
15 Bee Movie November 2, 2007 $150,000,000 $287,594,577 51% 54 6.3
16 Kung Fu Panda June 6, 2008 $130,000,000 $631,744,560 88% 73 7.7
17 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa November 7, 2008 $150,000,000 $603,900,354 64% 61 6.8
18 Monsters vs. Aliens March 27, 2009 $175,000,000 $381,509,870 72% 56 6.8
19 How to Train Your Dragon March 26, 2010 $165,000,000 $493,202,818 98% 74 8.2
20 Shrek Forever After May 21, 2010 $165,000,000 $737,433,086 58% 58 6.7
21 Megamind November 5, 2010 $130,000,000 $164,221,066 71% 64 7.2

Upcoming Films

Title Release Date References
Kung Fu Panda 2 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
Me and My Shadow March 2013 [13]
How to Train Your Dragon 2 2013 [14]
Pig Scrolls 2013 [15]
Dinotrux TBA [16] [17]
Gil's All Fright Diner TBA [18]
Good Luck Trolls TBA [19]
Boo U TBA [20]
Truckers TBA [20]
Imaginary Enemies TBA [21]
Trollhunters TBA [22]
Alma TBA [23]

Direct-to-video

TV specials

Title Release Date Network
Shrek the Halls November 24, 2007 ABC
Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space October 28, 2009 NBC
Merry Madagascar November 17, 2009 NBC
Scared Shrekless October 28, 2010 NBC
Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special November 24, 2010 NBC

Short films

Traditionally-animated television series

Computer-animated television series

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. ^ Goldberg, Matt (May 27, 2009). "DreamWorks Animation Plans To Do Nothing I Like". Collider.com. Retrieved November 14, 2010.
  2. ^ Hewlett-Packard (December 5, 2005). "HP Unveils Halo Collaboration Studios: Life-like Communication Leaps Across Geographic Boundaries". Hewlett-Packard. Retrieved October 30, 2010.
  3. ^ Gibbons, Fiachra (October 29, 1999). "Wallace and Gromit's Hollywood deal:Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks signs $250m agreement with animation company that began on kitchen table in Bristol". The Guardian. Retrieved November 17, 2010.
  4. ^ M. Holson, Laura (October 3, 2006). "Is Th-Th-That All, Folks?". The New York Times. Retrieved November 17, 2010.
  5. ^ "DreamWorks Animation Goes 3D" (Press release). DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. March 13, 2007. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
  6. ^ "INTEL, DreamWorks Animation Form Strategic Alliance to Revolutionize 3-D Filmmaking Technology" (Press release). DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. July 8, 2008. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
  7. ^ Fortune (February 2, 2009). "100 Best Companies to Work For". Fortune (magazine). Retrieved October 30, 2010.
  8. ^ "DreamWorks Animation Announces Plans to Release Five Feature Films Every Two Years" (Press release). DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. May 28, 2009. Retrieved October 30, 2010.
  9. ^ Fortune (February 8, 2010). "100 Best Companies to Work For 2010". Fortune (magazine). Retrieved October 30, 2010.
  10. ^ "From the big screen to the high seas: Royal Caribbean and DreamWorks Animation unveil an unprecedented strategic alliance" (Press release). Royal Caribbean International. June 4, 2010. Retrieved October 30, 2010.
  11. ^ Bloomberg News (July 9, 2008). "Intel to replace AMD as DreamWorks supplier". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 30, 2010.
  12. ^ DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. Board of Directors – BuisnessWeek
  13. ^ "DreamWorks Animation Pioneers Groundbreaking Combination of CG and Hand-Drawn Animation Techniques in Me and My Shadow for March 2013" (Press release). DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. 2010-12-10. Retrieved 2010-1210. {{cite press release}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  14. ^ Bond, Paul (April 27, 2010). "Train Your Dragon' sequel in the works". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 27, 2010.
  15. ^ Dustin Rowles (April 8, 2010). "Exclusive: Barry Sonnenfeld to Direct "Pig Scrolls" for Dreamworks Animation". Pajiba. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
  16. ^ Michael Fleming (March 9, 2009). "DreamWorks to drive 'Dinotrux'". Variety. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
  17. ^ Chris Gall. "Chris Gall - Illustrator and Author - books - Dinotrux". Retrieved September 28, 2010.
  18. ^ Michael Fleming (December 16, 2009). "Writers dine on 'Diner'". Variety. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
  19. ^ Kilday, Gregg (June 22, 2010). "DreamWorks plans Good Luck Trolls movie". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 23, 2010.
  20. ^ a b Lisanti, Tony (July 1, 2010). "Dream Makers". licensemag.com. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  21. ^ Bettinger, Brendan (August 19, 2010). "DreamWorks Animation Makes IMAGINARY ENEMIES; Could Be Their First Live-Action/CG Hybrid". collider.com. Retrieved October 18, 2010.
  22. ^ Borys Kit (September 27, 2009). "Guillermo del Toro, DreamWorks Ani strike deal". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 27, 2010.
  23. ^ Steven Zeitchik (October 20, 2010). "Guillermo del Toro finds soul with 'Alma'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
  24. ^ "Nickelodeon to Launch New CG Animated Kung Fu Panda: The Series from DreamWorks Animation SKG" (Press release). DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. May 14, 2009. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
  25. ^ Sciretta, Peter (May 19, 2009). "Nickelodeon Orders Monsters vs. Aliens Television Pilot". /Film. Retrieved November 5, 2010.
  26. ^ "Cartoon Network Soars With Worldwide Broadcast Rights To DreamWorks Animation's How To Train Your Dragon Television Series". Turner. October 12, 2010. Retrieved November 5, 2010.
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