DreamWorks, formed in the mid-1990s by Jeffery Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg, and David Geffen, has produced films, records, and TV shows with varying success. Its animation department has become a major player, but many other ventures failed. Despite financial woes, the studio has consistently produced quality and successful films, winning three Best Picture Oscars in a row. It was acquired by Paramount in 2005 but continues to operate as an independent production house.
DreamWorks is a collaborative studio of three of the greatest minds in modern Hollywood: Jeffery Katzenberg, Steven Spielberg and David Geffen. Formed in the mid-1990s, the studio has produced films, records, and television shows with varying success. DreamWorks Animation has become a major player in the field of animated films and is often considered Pixar’s main competition, although most critics believe Pixar remains the superior force.
In 1994, Jeffery Katzenberg left his position at The Walt Disney Company and quickly formed a partnership with Spielberg and longtime collaborator David Geffen. With substantial funds from its own businesses and a huge investment from Microsoft, DreamWorks, also called DreamWorks SKG or LLC, was formed. The company had many early interests in media, including video games and music production. Success quickly centered on their cinematic prowess, particularly as the studio won three Best Picture Oscars in a row, for 1999’s American Beauty, 2000’s Gladiator, and 2001’s A Beautiful Mind.
Despite the success of their film endeavors, many other DreamWorks ventures were unsuccessful and were sold by the parent company after several unprofitable years. The music production unit was eventually sold to Universal Music Group before closing permanently in 2005, and the video game department was soon acquired by Electronic Arts. The founders admitted that the company has repeatedly survived financial woes after heavy investments turned into failures.
One of the most successful ventures the company has undertaken is its motion picture animation department. Despite early box office flops with The Prince of Egypt and Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, the company has enjoyed surprising success with its computer-generated animated (CGI) films. Chicken Run, the company’s first venture into the CGI area, was a sleeper hit, and thanks to the skills of Hollywood writing team Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio, Shrek became a 2001 box office hit. In 2008, the Animation DreamWorks has come up with another hit with the wacky Kung Fu Panda which many critics consider a significant advance in their graphics quality as well as an entertaining film.
Compared to the giants of the motion picture industry, DreamWorks is a child, propelled by the genius of three modern visionaries. For such a young studio, they have consistently proven themselves capable of producing quality and successful films, despite the occasional shortfall. Despite its acquisition by Paramount in 2005, the studio continues to operate as an independent production house and maintains a roster of significant work.
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