DreamWorks Animation/Logos

This page is about the on-screen logos only.
== 1st Logo (May 15, 2004-October 25, 2011) ==
Visuals: The camera ascends through a sky filled with fluffy clouds during the daytime, revealing the iconic DreamWorks crescent moon. A young boy, reminiscent of the character from the 1997 DreamWorks Pictures logo, soars up to the moon while clutching a cluster of balloons, each adorned with a letter. Upon reaching his destination, he pulls out a fishing rod and casts it, releasing the balloons into the air. The camera continues to rise, capturing a cloud formation resembling the DreamWorks Pictures logo, where the balloons ascend and burst to form the word "DREAMWORKS" in the company's signature font. Gradually, the text "ANIMATION SKG" appears below a navy blue line.
Trivia:
* This logo would later be used as one of the sky backgrounds used for the DVD and Blu-ray menus to Shrek Forever After, albeit zoomed in.
* It was yU+co's decision to make the logo take place during the day in contrast to how its main studio counterpart takes place at night, as it made the logo comparatively more lighthearted.
Variants:
* On Shrek 2 and DVD releases until Over the Hedge, there's an early version of the logo where it just says "ANIMATION" underneath.
* On The Madagascar Penguins in A Christmas Caper, the "ANIMATION SKG" variant of the logo has the boy and the moon above.
* On Over the Hedge, only the line appears below the name. A rare version of this exists where it has the boy and the moon above; however, unlike the former, this actually wasn't used on any films, it's only known to have appeared on the trailer for Flushed Away and a teaser for Bee Movie.
* Starting in 2006, the kid and the moon appear above the text, with "SKG" underneath with lines on the left and right of it respectively, much like the regular DreamWorks Pictures logo, although the text later reverted back to the previous name.
* On Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and Monsters vs. Aliens, there are more clouds than usual and it stays on the moon when the kid releases the balloons, as the name fades in below.
* On a teaser for Over the Hedge, an odd variant appeared where the moon and kid are whiter than usual (similar than the 2009 logo) and the logo is slightly stretched from top to bottom, having the effect of cutting the moon off slightly at the top of the frame. This was also a placeholder logo for their DVDs.
* A still version of the logo exists at the end of their films.
Closing Variant: Just the last few seconds of the logo's sequence.
Technique: CGI by Pacific Data Images utilizing designs from yU+co, using an HP workstation with custom 3D software.
Audio: A majestic and peaceful orchestrated piece, which is adapted from the track "Fairytale" from Shrek. Composed by Harry Gregson-Williams, who co-scored the aforementioned film with John Powell.
Audio Variants:
* Sometimes, the opening theme is heard instead, or the logo is silent.
* On an MBC Persia airing of Shrek 2, the 2012 Universal Pictures logo's music is heard, due to a reverse plastering error.
* None or the film's ending theme for the still version.
Availability: Seen on all DreamWorks Animation films from the era beginning with Shrek 2 and ending with Monsters vs. Aliens.
* It was also used as a placeholder home video logo until Over the Hedge.
* It was seen on home video and streaming prints of Shrek 4-D, retitled The Ghost of Lord Farquaad on a Shrek DVD sampler on General Mills cereal boxes.
* It was last seen on the special Merry Madagascar.
** It still appeared on video games until Puss in Boots, after the next logo was came out.
* On the Nickelodeon network premiere airing of Trolls World Tour, it was seen at the end of the bottom text credits, despite that film releasing two decades later after that logo. More recent airings have the DreamWorks Television logo instead.
Legacy: A memorable logo for those that grew-up with their films from the era.
== 2nd Logo (March 26, 2010-June 2, 2017) ==
Visuals: In the dark night sky filled with stars, a bright full moon shines in a light gray hue. As the moon transforms into a crescent shape, a shadow emerges, unveiling the figure of the boy (now in a light gray color) from the previous emblem seated on it. He skillfully wields his fishing rod, casting it gracefully and swirling it amidst the clouds while the camera gradually zooms out. Subsequently, the words "DREAMWORKS" expand and move outward one by one beneath the moon, concluding with "ANIMATION SKG" materializing between two lines in a light gray shade.
Variants:
* On the Super Bowl trailer for Monsters vs. Aliens, the name underneath reads "SKG", much like the normal DreamWorks Pictures logo.
* There is a 20th anniversary variant of this logo created in 2014. The moon is pushed to the right more to accommodate room for the "2" on the left (with the moon taking the place of the "0" to form the "20") as the word "YEARS" appears underneath. Also, the logo is still. This can be seen on How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Penguins of Madagascar.
** On the aforementioned anniversary brand campaign, it starts as normal, but when the boy's fishing hook swings by the screen, it sweeps up letters that form the word "YEARS" which then settle underneath the moon. From there, the number "2" appears to the left of the moon (with the moon taking the place of the "0" to form the "20") and the words "OF DREAMS" and "AND LAUGHTER" fade in below "YEARS" in columns. The DreamWorks text (without the line and "ANIMATION SKG") then fades in above the "20", as copyright information appears underneath the logo.
* On the season 2 trailer for Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous, the line and "ANIMATION SKG" are replaced with the Comcast byline.
* A still version exists at the end of their films and most of their shorts.
Technique: CGI done by DreamWorks Animation's Glendale campus.
Audio: A dreamy flute/piano/string piece that leads into the previous logo's theme, accompanied by a choir and several different instruments. However, most films used an opening theme instead, sometimes interpolating the fanfare. This was again composed by Harry Gregson-Williams. The still version is silent or uses the film's ending theme.
Audio Variants:
* On Shrek 3-D re-releases under the name of The Ghost of Lord Farquaad, it has the end of the theme from the previous logo, except for the Brazilian Portuguese track, which uses the opening track from previous prints of the short syncing up with the opening credits, since the audio track was left unaltered except for a narrated translation of the new title.
* On Puss in Boots, a flamenco theme is heard along with sounds of whipping and a whoosh.
** On the short Puss in Boots: The Three Diablos, it is the same as the movie but with no sound effects.
* Trolls and both The Boss Baby movies use different versions of the theme with their custom variants.
Availability: Seen on the company's productions from this time period until 2017, with the standard version of it with the fanfare only being used twice.
* It was first seen on the Super Bowl trailer of Monsters vs. Aliens (the actual film has the previous logo), and later debuted officially on How to Train Your Dragon, and appeared on all DreamWorks Animation films from 2010 to 2017, with the final film to use this logo being Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie.
* Also seen on some licensed games from the company during this era.
* Despite the logo's retirement in 2017, this has been used sporadically on later productions, such as the trailer for the second season of Jurassic Park: Camp Cretaceous as well as The Boss Baby: Family Business, which uses the original Boss Baby variant.
* The standard version of the logo with its fanfare was only seen on Shrek Forever After and the 2013 DVD and Blu-ray release of Shrek the Musical.
Legacy: Another memorable logo from the company.
== 3rd Logo (February 22, 2019-April 22, 2022) ==
Visuals: Against a black backdrop, light blue paint streaks cascade onto the screen, giving rise to painted clouds that gradually transform into a daytime setting. The scene transitions into a sunset, expanding from the top-right corner as more clouds materialize and take on a three-dimensional appearance. Moving through the clouds, the scenery shifts to a nighttime ambiance with a dark blue hue. A navy blue energy materializes a white moon at the center, where a boy on a crescent carves out the inverted print logo. Clouds drift in from both sides, while the word "DREAMWORKS" emerges from streaks of light beneath the logo, followed by the Comcast byline appearing as some clouds dissipate in the background and others drift upwards.
Trivia: On October 12, 2022, 28 years to the day of DreamWorks' founding, DreamWorks Animation posted a 60-second compilation of the logos and its variants (mostly those from DreamWorks Animation Television) (including the DreamWorks Pictures logo, as well as the tail end of Universal Pictures logo from the Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous variant of the DreamWorks Animation Television logo), backed by the music from the 1st logo and "Fairytale" from Shrek (specifically it's rendition from Shrek 2), on the studio's Facebook and X (Twitter) pages here.
Variants:
* On trailers, the byline is already there when the name forms.
* A still version exists.
* On some current prints of Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (plastering the 2004-2009 logo), the logo is sped up, bylineless and fades out early.
Technique: CGI, mixing 2D and 3D animation, Youxi Wu did the clouds paintings for this logo.
Audio: It opens with a string/flute melody, sounding similar to the previous two logos' music, which then builds into a different triumphant fanfare, adapting some cues from Shrek 2 and tones from the DreamWorks Pictures fanfare by John Williams, ending with a choir, similar to the choir from the 2nd Jim Henson Pictures logo. Composed by John Powell.
Audio Variants:
* Sometimes, the opening theme of the movie is heard instead, or the logo is silent.
* On Dragons: Dawn of New Riders, the last part of the 2009 fanfare is used on the still version.
Availability: First seen on How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World, including its trailer, and also appeared on Abominable, Spirit Untamed, and as variants on Trolls World Tour, The Croods: A New Age, The Bad Guys, and The Bad Guys in Maraschino Ruby, with the former being shown after the 25th Anniversary logo and the latter was also the last film to use this logo (albeit as a custom variant, while the standard version appeared at the end).
* This logo is also found at the end of The Boss Baby: Family Business, due to that film having the previous logo (albeit using a custom variant) at the beginning.
* It was last seen on trailers for Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, with the film itself using the 5th logo.
Legacy:
* This logo pays homage to the evolution of animation, evolving from hand-drawn 2D animation into the 3D animation of today.
* The "Everything Wrong With" video humor link, during their review of the DreamWorks film The Bad Guys, spoke on how the logo was physically impossible.
== 4th Logo (25th Anniversary) (April 10, 2020) ==
Visuals: Various clips from previous DreamWorks Animation movies, including Home, Turbo, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, Kung Fu Panda, Shrek 2, Abominable, and more, are showcased. The clip from the last film is displayed initially, followed by Guy Diamond (voiced by Kunal Nayyar from the Trolls franchise) appearing, suspended from the top of the screen by his hair. As the clips vanish, Guy sneezes and covers the screen in silver glitter, unveiling the company's 25 Years logo.
Technique: CGI by Shine Studios.
Audio: A shortened version of the previous logo's fanfare, accompanied by Guy sneezing.
Availability: Only seen on Trolls World Tour.
== 5th Logo (December 21, 2022-) ==
Visuals: The original logo depicts the Moon Child rising from a crescent in a clear night sky, grabbing it, and flying as the moon disappears into light. The camera then pans through the sky, passing various DreamWorks characters from different franchises and films. The Moon Child high-fives Poppy from Trolls, causing the bubble to burst and transitioning the scene into a sunny atmosphere. After passing by Shrek, Princess Fiona, and Donkey, the Moon Child flies into the cloud background from the 3rd logo and forms the print logo design in front of the moon. Subsequently, the text from the 3rd logo fades in under the moon.
Trivia:
* The boy on the moon was re-dubbed as the Moon Child to relate to anyone. As a result, the child's silhouette is now gender-neutral.
* The sequence lasts 32 seconds and took eight months to create.
* The 2D art background represents the matter that connects all life and makes up dreams.
* The roster of DreamWorks characters shown is planned to differ throughout every upcoming film. For example, if a character represented in the logo also appears in the following film, it will be replaced with another one from an unrelated franchise.
* The characters are redesigned (Po having less of a fur texture, Shrek's face having simpler features, etc.) for a sense of co-existence within the same universe.
* The logo first appeared on DreamWorks' YouTube channel as an unlisted video on November 22, 2022.
Variants:
* At the end of their films, the logo is still.
* In some films like 2023's Trolls Band Together, Po, Ted Templeton Jr. and Poppy are replaced with Alex and Marty from Madagascar (Marty rides Alex like a horse), Eep Crood from The Croods (swinging on a tree) and the titular character of Puss in Boots (who was also a character from Shrek 2; ripping open the screen with his sword, revealing the Moon Child and the scene with Shrek).
Technique: CGI, which incorporates elements from the previous logos.
Audio: A re-orchestrated and more majestic rendition of the 2nd logo's theme, taking elements from the previous fanfare and having the brass instruments be more prominent. This was once again composed by Harry Gregson-Williams.
Audio Variants:
* None for the still variant.
* On Trolls Band Together, the theme is slightly lower-pitched.
Availability: Seen on all DreamWorks films since Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (trailers and TV spots uses the previous logo).
* It also appeared at the end of Orion and the Dark (at the beginning, the custom variant is shown).
* The swapped characters' version officially debuted on Trolls Band Together.
Legacy: The logo serves as an homage to the company's entire library, and their history with very successful films, though the logo has received a mixed reaction, with many praising the return of Harry Gregson-Williams' fanfare, but some criticizing the apparent lack of other DreamWorks franchises and films (though this criticism subsided due to DreamWorks confirming that the characters could change for each film), along with relying too heavily on their legacy characters for some.
Category:Logos
Category:Logos vary depending on the source
Category:DreamWorks Animation
Category:DreamWorks