 | |
| Type | Public (NASDAQ: DWA) |
|---|---|
| Industry | CGI animation Motion pictures |
| Predecessor | Amblimation |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Founder(s) | Steven 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 |
| Products | 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, 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. 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, it was spun off into a separate public company in 2004.
Films produced by DreamWorks Animation are currently distributed worldwide by Paramount Pictures, a subsidiary of Viacom, who acquired the DreamWorks live-action studio in February 2006, spinning it off again in 2008. DreamWorks Animation currently 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 was dedicated solely to producing computer-animated films in-house, and committed itself to produce 2 such films a year.
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 films, Kung-Fu Panda and How to Train Your Dragon.
DreamWorks Animation also had a partnership with Aardman Animations, a stop-motion animation company from 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.
The logo is adapted from its parent studio's logo. The original logo (debuting with Shrek 2 and ending with Monsters vs. Aliens) consisted 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 on 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. On July 8, 2008, they have announced partnership with Intel to co-develop 3-D film-making technology InTru3D. 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.
On May 28, 2009, the studio announced its plans to release five feature films every two years, starting with three films in 2010.
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.
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.
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.
Board of directors
The following executives 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 Gross RT IMDb
1 Antz 1998-10-02 $60,000,000 $171,757,863 95% 6.8
2 The Prince of Egypt 1998-12-18 $70,000,000 $218,613,188 79% 6.8
3 The Road to El Dorado 2000-03-31 $95,000,000 $76,432,727 49% 6.4
4 Chicken Run 2000-06-23 $45,000,000 $224,834,564 96% 7.3
5 Shrek 2001-05-18 $60,000,000 $484,409,218 89% 8.0
6 Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron 2002-05-24 $80,000,000 $122,563,539 69% 6.6
7 Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas 2003-07-22 $60,000,000 $80,767,884 46% 6.6
8 Shrek 2 2004-05-19 $150,000,000 $919,838,758 89% 7.5
9 Shark Tale 2004-10-01 $75,000,000 $367,275,019 34% 5.9
10 Madagascar 2005-05-27 $78,000,000 $532,680,671 55% 6.6
11 Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit 2005-10-07 $30,000,000 $192,610,372 95% 7.9
12 Over the Hedge 2006-05-19 $80,000,000 $336,002,996 74% 7.0
13 Flushed Away 2006-11-03 $149,000,000 $178,120,010 72% 7.0
14 Shrek the Third 2007-05-18 $160,000,000 $798,958,162 41% 6.1
15 Bee Movie 2007-11-02 $150,000,000 $287,594,577 51% 6.3
16 Kung Fu Panda 2008-06-06 $130,000,000 $631,744,560 88% 7.7
17 Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa 2008-11-07 $150,000,000 $603,900,354 64% 6.8
18 Monsters vs. Aliens 2009-03-27 $175,000,000 $381,509,870 71% 6.8
19 How to Train Your Dragon 2010-03-26 $165,000,000 $493,202,818 98% 8.2
20 Shrek Forever After 2010-05-21 $165,000,000 $748,795,787 58% 6.7
21 Megamind 2010-11-05 $130,000,000 $304,265,769 72% 7.3
Upcoming films
Title Release date Ref(s)
Kung Fu Panda 2 2011-05-27
Puss in Boots 2011-11-04
The Croods 2012-03-30
Madagascar 3 2012-05-18
The Guardians of Childhood 2012-11-21
Me and My Shadow 2013-03-XX
How to Train Your Dragon 2 2013-XX-XX
Pig Scrolls 2013-XX-XX
Peabody and Sherman 2014-XX-XX
Dinotrux TBA
Gil's All Fright Diner TBA
Good Luck Trolls TBA
Boo U TBA
Truckers TBA
Imaginary Enemies TBA
Trollhunters TBA
Alma TBA
Monkeys of Bollywood TBA
Direct-to-video
Joseph: King of Dreams (2000)
The Penguins of Madagascar: Operation: DVD Premiere (2010)
The Penguins of Madagascar: Happy King Julien Day! (2010)
The Penguins of Madagascar: New to the Zoo (2010)
The Penguins of Madagascar: I Was a Penguin Zombie (2010)
TV specials
Title Release date Network
Shrek the Halls 2007-11-24 ABC
Monsters vs. Aliens: Mutant Pumpkins from Outer Space 2009-10-28 NBC
Merry Madagascar 2009-11-17 NBC
Scared Shrekless 2010-10-28 NBC
Kung Fu Panda Holiday Special 2010-11-24 NBC
[edit]Short films
Shrek 4-D (2003) (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)
First Flight (May 19, 2006)
Hammy's Boomerang Adventure (October 19, 2006)
Secrets of the Furious Five (November 9, 2008)
B.O.B.'s Big Break (September 29, 2009)
Legend of the Boneknapper Dragon (October 15, 2010)
Donkey's Christmas Shrektacular (December 7, 2010)
The Button of Doom (February 25, 2011)
[edit]Traditionally-animated television series
Toonsylvania (February 14, 1998-December 21, 1998)
Invasion America (June 8, 1998-July 7, 1998)
Neighbors from Hell (June 7, 2010-present (hiatus), produced by 20th Century Fox Television and DreamWorks' MoonBoy Animation)
[edit]Computer-animated 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 (May 23, 2011)
Monsters vs. Aliens (March 26, 2011)
How to Train Your Dragon (2012)
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 co-produced by Dreamworks Animation (under their newly established Moon Boy Animation division), an independent company known as Bento Box Entertainment, and 20th Century Fox Television.
(source:wikipedia)
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