DreamWorks Animation

DremWorks Animation's logo used from 2004 until 2018

**DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc.** is an American animation studio based in Glendale, California that creates animated feature films, television programs, and online virtual worlds. They have released a total of twenty-five feature films, including the franchises of *Shrek*, *Madagascar*, *Kung Fu Panda*, and *How to Train Your Dragon*. As of October 2012, its feature films have made over $10 billion worldwide, with its $430 million average gross surpassing all other studios besides Pixar ($595 million). Four of DreamWorks Animation's films—*Shrek 2*, *Shrek the Third*, *Shrek Forever After*, and *Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted*—are among the 50 highest-grossing films of all time, and fifteen of the films are among the 50 highest-grossing animated films, with *Shrek 2* being the fourth all-time highest.

Even though the studio also made traditionally-animated films about serious subjects earlier, such as *The Prince of Egypt*, *Joseph: King of Dreams*, *The Road to El Dorado*, *Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron*, and *Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas*, most of their computer-generated films and television series have now gained the studio a reputation for being focused on humor and satire although their most successful recent franchises have it balanced with more dramatic narratives.

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 in 1997 by some of Amblin Entertainment's former animation branch Amblimation alumni, it was spun off into a separate public company in 2004. DreamWorks Animation currently maintains two campuses: the original DreamWorks feature animation studio in Glendale, California and the PDI studio in Redwood City, California.

Films produced by DreamWorks Animation were formerly 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. In 2013, however, 20th Century Fox, a subsidiary of News Corporation, will distribute DreamWorks Animation films for a 5-year-deal, prior to its acquistion by Comcast in 2016.

## History

On October 12, 1994, 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.

The new studio has attracted many artists from Spielberg's animation studio Amblimation. They first joined in 1995, when the studio's last feature, *Balto*, was completed, and the rest came in 1997, when the studio had shut down. On October 11, 1995, Flowgo Animation, a Cebu-based Philippine animation division of Flowgo Entertainment, signed a 13-year animated feature film contract with DreamWorks SKG to co-finance, co-produce and distribute films through its Cagayan de Oro-based Flowgo Feature Animation division, which is scheduled to produce projects based in the properties of the Flowgo brand by covering its own joint feature film project with the Flowgo brand, Pacific Playhouse, which becomes the banner of Flowgo's films.

In 1995, 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%). 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 1997, DreamWorks partnered with Aardman Animations, a British stop-motion animation studio, to co-produce and distribute *Chicken Run*, a stop-motion film already in pre-production. Two years later they extended the deal for an additional four films. With Aardman doing stop-motion, they covered all three major styles, beside traditional and computer animation. This partnership had DreamWorks participating in the production of stop-motion films in Bristol, and also had Aardman participating in some of the CGI films made in the US.

In 2000, DreamWorks SKG created a new business division, DreamWorks Animation, that would regularly produce both types of animated feature films. The same year DW acquired majority interest (90%) in PDI, reforming it into PDI/DreamWorks, the Northern California branch of its new business division. Next year, *Shrek* was released and went on to win the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film. Due to the success of CGI animated films, DWA decided the same year to exit hand-drawn animation business after the next two of total four hand-drawn films. Beginning with *Shrek 2*, all released films, other than some co-produced with Aardman, are expected to be produced in CGI. Release of *Shrek 2* and *Shark Tale* also made DWA the first studio to produce two CG animated features in a single year.

The animation division was spun-off on October 27, 2004 into publicly traded company named DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. and headed by Katzenberg. DWA also inherited interests in PDI/DreamWorks. They made an agreement with their former parent to distribute all of their films until they deliver 12 new films, or December 12, 2010, whatever comes last. On February 1, 2005, DWA announced that it decided to increase the participation of the 50% of acquiring and then full controlling Flowgo Entertainment's parent company, Flowgo Enterprises, intending to become a full controller of many of the Flowgo-branded licensing product markets to pair over the rights to many of the Flowgo-branded characters across the franchises. The acquistion was completed on June 6, 2005.

On January 31, 2006, DWA entered into a distribution agreement with Paramount Pictures, which acquired DWA's former parent and distribution partner, DreamWorks SKG. The agreement granted Paramount the worldwide rights to distribute all animated films, including previously released until the delivery of 13 new animated feature films or December 31, 2012, whatever comes last. On May 19, 2006, DWA entered into a increasing of staking 80% of The Puyo Puyo!! Quest Music Community, by enlising it aport from its joint venture ownership, accompained by Sega Europe, Isobel Griffiths Limited and Associated Independent Recording, who sends out to own 98% of the community.

Delivering three out five films, the partnership with Aardman 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. DWA retained the co-ownership of rights to all films co-produced with Aardman, with an exception for *Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit*, for which they only kept rights for worldwide distribution.

On March 13, 2007, DreamWorks Animation announced it would release over 56 films, beginning with *Monsters vs. Aliens* (2009), in stereoscopic 3D. Together with Intel they co-developed a new 3-D film-making technology InTru3D.

In 2008, DWA extended its production into India, where they established a special unit within Technicolor, named DreamWorks Dedicated Unit. DDU at first worked only on TV specials, such as *Merry Madagascar*, and *Scared Shrekless*, and DVD projects. With animating part of *Puss in Boots* (2011), they also started contributing to the feature films.

Since 2009, the studio has been a regular guest on the list of Fortune Magazine's 100 Best Companies to Work For. As the only entertainment company on the list, they ranked 47th in 2009, 6th in 2010, 10th in 2011, and 14th in 2012. The company is praised by its employees for its openness, culture of collaboration, and a free breakfast and lunch, a perk not found at many other companies.

With 2010, the studio had planned to release five feature films over the course of every two years, but the next year the studio revisited their plans, "But beyond 2012, Katzenberg said the studio will play it by ear, even if that means abandoning his proclamation that DWA would try to release three pictures in a single year, every other year." In 2010, DWA became the first studio that released three CG-animated films in a year.

The same year DreamWorks Animation created a new division named MoonBoy Animation. Its first show was *Neighbors from Hell*, a collaboration with Fox Television Animation. On December 15, 2011, the partnership with Flowgo Animation (and its Flowgo Feature Animation division) was expired by Flowgo Corporation after the release of *Greaser Babies* on October 7.

On February 17, 2012, DreamWorks Animation announced a joint venture with China Media Capital, Shanghai Media Group and Shanghai Alliance Investment to build a Shanghai based family entertainment company named Shanghai Oriental DreamWorks Film & Television Technology Co., Ltd. or Oriental DreamWorks for short. The new venture is expected to develop and produce original Chinese animated and live action content for distribution within China and worldwide. The company will also produce live entertainment content, theme parks, games and consumer products. Oriental DreamWorks, owned 45% by DWA and 55% by the Chinese partners, launched on August 6, 2012, with the cash and intellectual capital worth of $350 million. To produce animated films, 37 Entertainment, a Chinese animation studio with 175 employees, which had already worked on some DWA's television productions, has been acquired. Its first animated feature film, *Kung Fu Panda 3*, is scheduled to be released in 2016, and will be made in co-production with DWA, with 1/3 of the film being produced in China. The studio's first original film will follow in 2017, and a film per year after that. A live action film is expected to be released within next two years. Part of the deal with the Chinese partners is also an entertainment and culture complex called Dream Center. Build in Shanghai with an investment exceeding $2.7 billion, it will feature series of theatres, cinemas, shopping areas, galleries, hotels, restaurants, and the world largest IMAX screen, and is expected to open in 2016.

In July 2012, DreamWorks Animation won a $155 million bid to acquire Classic Media, an owner of over 450 family entertainment titles and over 6,100 episodes of animated and live-action programming, including *Casper*, *Lassie*, *Rocky and Bullwinkle*, *Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer*, *Underdog*, *Gumby*, *Fat Albert*, *Frosty the Snowman*, *VeggieTales*, and *Where's Waldo?*. Classic Media will be renamed to DreamWorks Classics. Walt Disney Pictures is producing a live-action feature film adaptation of *The Lone Ranger* with the film rights acquired from DreamWorks Classics.

According to a Los Angeles Times report, DreamWorks Animation was in talks with Sony Pictures to distribute its upcoming films, such as *The Croods* and *Turbo*. The report also mentioned a possibility where Sony would handle the United States distribution while 20th Century Fox would handle the international distribution. Renewal of the deal with Paramount was also open, but only with more favorable terms for Paramount. However, in August 2012, DreamWorks Animation signed a five-year distribution deal with 20th Century Fox for both domestic and international markets. *Rise of the Guardians* is the last DreamWorks Animation film to be distributed by Paramount Pictures, and *The Croods* will be the first DreamWorks Animation film to be distributed by 20th Century Fox.

## Partnerships

* DreamWorks Animation is best known for partnering up with Flowgo Feature Animation to produce Pacific Playhouse, which began in 1998 with *Baby Potter* and ended in 2011 with *Greaser Babies*.
* DreamWorks Animation has an on-going partnership with HP, and the studio exclusively uses HP workstations and servers. In 2005, DWA 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.
* 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.
* 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.

## Board of directors

The following executives are on the DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. Board of directors:

* Mellody Hobson, chairman of DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc and president of Ariel Investments
* Jeffrey Katzenberg, chief executive officer of DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc./co-founder of DreamWorks
* Lew Coleman, president of DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc.
* 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

#### Inherited material

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*.

## See also

* DreamWorks Studios
* Pacific Data Images
* Flowgo Animation
* Flowgo Feature Animation
* Aardman Animations
* The Puyo Puyo!! Quest Music Community

## References

1. ↑ **Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration' not found.**
2. ↑ Movie Brands Sorted by Total Gross - Box Office Mojo
3. ↑ When added to foreign grosses DreamWorks Animation Movies at the Box Office Box Office Mojo
4. ↑ Shelley Page (DreamWorks Animation). FMX.de. Retrieved on 2011-07-04.
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7. ↑ Carlson, Wayne. Pacific Data Images. Ohio State University. Retrieved on 2011-07-04.
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 2007 Annual Report. DreamWorks Animation SKG (2008-03-17). Retrieved on 2011-07-03.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Annual Report 2004. DreamWorks Animation SKG (2005-03-25). Retrieved on 2011-07-04.
10. ↑ Annual Report 2010. DreamwWorks Animation SKG (2011-02-24). Retrieved on 2011-07-03.
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12. ↑ Template:Cite press release
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14. ↑ Opportunities in India to work on Dreamworks Featured Projects. *Siggraph* (December 13, 2011).
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16. ↑ Fortune (2009-02-02). 100 Best Companies to Work For 2009. Fortune. Retrieved on 2010-10-30.
17. ↑ Fortune (2010-02-08). 100 Best Companies to Work For 2010. Fortune. Retrieved on 2010-10-30.
18. ↑ Fortune (2011-02-07). 100 Best Companies to Work For 2011. Fortune. Retrieved on 2011-07-02.
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20. ↑ Template:Cite press release
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22. ↑ MOONBOY ANIMATION. Trademarkia.com (2010-04-21). Retrieved on 2011-07-02.
23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 **Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration' not found.**
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25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 **Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration' not found.**
26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 **Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration' not found.**
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30. ↑ **Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration' not found.**
31. ↑ Hewlett-Packard (2005-12-05). HP Unveils Halo Collaboration Studios: Life-like Communication Leaps Across Geographic Boundaries. Hewlett-Packard. Retrieved on 2010-10-30.
32. ↑ Bloomberg News (2008-07-09). Intel to replace AMD as DreamWorks supplier. *Los Angeles Times*. Retrieved on 2010-10-30.
33. ↑ Template:Cite press release
34. ↑ DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc. Board of Directors – BusinessWeek
35. ↑ **Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration' not found.**