DreamWorks Animation SKG Studios

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Richard Laubenstein

Ricky Laubenstein

DREAMWORKS ANIMATION SKG

A Brief History

Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen founded DreamWorks SKG in 1994. The “S”, “K”, and “G” comes from the first letter of the last names of the founders. The combination of Spielberg and Katzenberg’s directing prowess, with Geffen’s unmatched musical soundtrack production, turned the company into an instant powerhouse. Their focus was to create and distribute animated feature films. They made partnerships with Microsoft and special effects company PDI in the mid 90’s to increase production quality. The company was eventually sold to Paramount but has created nearly thirty films since it was founded.

Corporate Figures

Jeffrey Katzenberg- Chief Executive Officer and Director

Despite co-founding the company, Jeffrey has only served as Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors since 2004. He has a long history of success including being chairman of the board of The Walt Disney Studios for ten years from 1984 to 1994. There he produced several smash hits including Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and The Lion King.

Lew Coleman- President and acting Chief Financial Officer

Coleman has a rich financial back round working at Wells Fargo Bank for thirteen years and then another ten years at Bank of America where he served as Chairman and Head of Capital Markets. In 2001, he was blessed with the opportunity to be in the Northrop Grumman Board of Directors. By 2004, he became the director of DreamWorks and after a year was promoted to President of DreamWorks Animation.

Ann Daly- Chief Operating Officer

Ann’s experience is un-surmounted with fourteen years of work in The Walt Disney Company. There she developed strategies for the marketing, sales, and distribution for the home video division. She was quickly appointed president of Buena Vista Home Video. She then moved to be the head of the animation division of DreamWorks SKG in 1997 where she focused more on the production side of things. After several successful years she was promoted to chief operating officer in 2004.

Anne Globe- Chief Marketing Officer

After graduating at Syracuse University, Globe got her start marketing at The Walt Disney Studios. With her wide set of skills and passion it was not long until she moved to be Director of National Promotions for Universal Pictures and Universal Studios Hollywood. Shortly after she was promoted to Vice President of Promotions at MCA/Universal. In 1996, Globe became a part of the DreamWorks team developing promotional campaigns for DreamWorks Animation feature films and creating consumer products. Anne Globe is mostly known for her strategic partnerships and long lasting relations with Hewlett Packard and Intel.

Financial Report

DreamWorks Animation SKG released their financial statement for the fourth quarter (2012) and compared them to the last four years. There was a steady rise in equity starting at one billion in 2008 to 1.3 billion in 2011, however it platued at 1.3 again in 2012. Yet total revenues and total assets did increase from the previous year, which will instill investor confidence.

Recent Projects

The Croods

“The Croods” takes place in pre-historic time and is about a family who lost their cave and no longer has a home. The movie, recently released on March 22 2013, follows their adventure of discovery through an unknown world. Starring Emma Stone, Nicolas Cage, and Ryan Reynolds it is a story that the whole family will enjoy. It was the number one ranked movie the opening weekend making a whopping $43 million. It grossed more over seas with a total of $204 million in foreign countries and $125 million domestically adding up to a worldwide gross of nearly $330 million. The marketing strategy was certainly geared towards kids with a partnership with Nickelodeon. The movie was featured under Nickelodeon’s “Nicksclusives” and they consistently aired the movie trailer on the channel in between episodes.

Rise of the Guardians

“Rise of the Guardians” is another kid-oriented animated feature film that involves the holiday heroes we all know and love combining forces to stop evil and preserve imagination for the world. It was released last November 21st .Starring Hugh Jackman and Alec Baldwin the movie debut at a number four ranking the opening week grossing at nearly $23 million. It seems to be a re-occurring pattern for DreamWorks as foreign sales nearly doubled domestic sales with over $200 million with a total gross of over $300 million worldwide. An essential element to the movie as a whole was the consumer products that went with it. Having action figures of characters in the movie is a highly effective way of marketing and keeps it relevant to the kids. DreamWorks also made a unique business move with the release of the DVD around Easter time. Since the Easter bunny was one of the main characters in the story, the DVD came with two hopping eggs. It may seem miniscule, but even little things like eggs make the DVD more memorable and attractive for consumers.

-Rise of the Guardians action figures

Puss in Boots

“Puss in Boots” was released back on October 28, 2011 and is based off the supporting character in the “Shrek” movies. The story takes place long before Puss met Shrek and involves him saving his town with the help of Kitty Softpaws and Humpty Dumpty. The movie grossed $34 million opening weekend with a number one ranking. Domestic sales barely broke over production costs with nearly $150 million but almost tripled that with foreign sales at over $405 million. The marketing strategy fit well with the on your feet action in Puss in Boots. DreamWorks developed a series of games that involved different elements of the movie. You can be Puss and climb up the beanstalk in the game “Beanstalk Boost” or participate in a dance competition in the game “Dancing Boots”. You can even take a shot at directing with the game “Dance Fight Mix Master” where you pick different clips of the movie to mesh together and make them funny. Having interactive games gives kids a different perspective on the movie and creates an emotional attachment to the characters. With a spin-off movie like this it not only elaborates the “Shrek” series but also further promotes DVD sales and the movie “Shrek: The Final Chapter”. Now when consumers watch the classic “Shrek” tales there is so much more behind the character Puss in Boots because they now know his story.

DreamWorks Animation SKG for the Future

DreamWorks Animation SKG has a long history of creative ingenuity. They have seemed to dominate the animated feature film genre for quite some time now. The company has shown no signs of stopping and will continue to grow and develop new stories as well ass continue their spin-offs to keep their classics relevant.

Work Cited

[1] Company Information, Movies, Corporate figure heads and pictures http://www.dreamworksanimation.com/company

[2] Company Press http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/dreamworks-animation-skg-inc/index.html

[3] Company Timeline http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/97/DreamWorks-SKG.html

[4] Company Insight http://www.closinglogos.com/page/DreamWorks+Pictures

[5] Company box office numbers http://www.boxofficemojo.com/

[6] Company Future

http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/24929/what-does-the-future-hold-for-dreamworks-animation

DreamWorks Animation

Posted on April 7, 2013 by alwenner

by Alex Wenner

1000 Flower St.
Glendale, CA, 91201, United States
(818) 695-5000
dreamworksanimation.com

Origins:

DreamWorks’ Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen on the cover of Time Magazine, March 27, 1995. Coutesy of malibucomplete.com

Co-founded in 1994 by entertainment veterans Stephen Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen, DreamWorks Animation SKG has released a total of twenty-six animated feature films that have grossed over $10 billion worldwide (as of 2012). In 1995, DreamWorks embarked on a co-production venture with Pacific Data Images. This new unit was created to produce computer-animated motion pictures, beginning with 1998’s Antz. In 2005, Viacom purchased the live-action division of DreamWorks, only to end this partnership in 2008. Reliance Entertainment now acts as its parents company. 20th Century Fox took over international marketing and distribution for SKG in 2012, and the SKG studio now handles its own domestic distribution. In addition to feature films, DreamWorks produces television programming and other family entertainment. [1] [2]

Key Executives:

Spielberg, Courtesy of static-I3.org

Jeffery Katzenberg, Courtesy of hollywoodreporter.com

Jeffrey Katzenberg – CEO and Director: Directed Disney‘s animation unit to successes like The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), and The Lion King (1994) before co-founding DreamWorks Animation in ’94. Heavily involved in early SKG animation hits.

Lew Coleman – President and CFO: Spent 37 years in the banking industry before joining SKG in 2007.

Stephen Spielberg– Principal Partner: One of Hollywood’s most recognizable names and

Lew Coleman, Courtesy of dreamworksanimation.com

talents, Steven Spielberg co-founded the studio. From 1997 to 2008’s Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull , all Spielberg films were released through DreamWorks live-action division. [3] [4]

Financials: [5]

Revenue: $749 million (2012)

Operating Income: -$65 million (2012)

Animation Portfolio:
DreamWorks has enjoyed considerable success, both commercial and critical, with its large library of animated films. SKG’s films boast a $430 million gross average, an astounding number second to only Pixar. Four of DreamWorks films rank amongst the fifty highest-grossing films of all time, and the studio can lay claim to sixteen of the fifty highest-grossing animated features of all time. Though the studio has a history of traditionally-animated films (The Road to El Dorado, Sinbad), SKG has confirmed that all future films will be computer-animated. [6]

Chicken Run (2000)

Courtesy of impawards.com

Co-financed and distributed by DreamWorks for Aardman Animation, the stop-motion animated Chicken Run marked one of the company’s first forays into animated motion pictures. It was a decisive success, grossing nearly $228 million worldwide with a $42 million budget.

Shrek (2001)

DreamWorks found solid gold with the release of Shrek, a box-office smash-hit that

Courtesy of traileraddict.com

catapulted the studio to the forefront of film animation alongside studios like Pixar and Disney. The green ogre grossed $485 million worldwide and earned the Academy’s first award for Best Animated Feature. The computer animation used in Shrek was different from the traditional animation methods used in previous DreamWorks features, and the film’s release marked a subtle change in direction for the studio; now it would focus its efforts almost entirely on computer animation. Its sequel, Shrek 2, would go on to shatter box-office records in 2004 ($920 million worldwide gross).

Madagascar (2005)

Courtesy of impawards.com

Following the computer-animated tradition of Shrek, Madagascar continued the string of massive success for SKG, taking in $530 million worldwide in ’05.

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

impawards.com

Jack Black stars in this computer animated comedy that marked DreamWorks biggest opening for a non-sequel, and the highest grossing animated feature of the year ($632 million worldwide).

Rise of the Guardians (2012)

Expected to launch a new franchise, Guardians (featuring a re-envisioning of classic characters Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, etc.) was considered a flop despite being well-received critically and grossing over $300 million worldwide. It also received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Animated Feature Film. [7]

Courtesy of yodale.org

Recent Activity:

February 26, 2013 – DreamWorks Animation reported a quarterly loss of nearly $83 million, mainly due to the disappointing performance of Rise of the Guardians (which still brought in over $300 million to an estimated $145 million budget, excluding marketing costs). CEO Jeffrey Katzenberg attributes Guardians lackluster performance to poor marketing. Another film in production, Me & My Shadow, was sent back into development, accruing more losses for the studio. As a result of the studios reset setbacks, SKG announced a series of layoffs that will see around 350 employees lose their jobs by the end of the year. This resulted in a small drop in SKG stock.[8]

March 13, 2013 – Despite watching its stock price drop in the wake of its 4th quarter earnings report, DreamWorks Animation SKG stock experienced an 8% rise after an analyst predicted the studio’s new release, The Croods, will exceed box office expectations. As of April 7th, The Croods has earned over $330 million worldwide in two and a half weeks. [9] [10]

March 20, 2013 – DreamWorks Animation releases the theatrical trailer for its upcoming summer 2013 animated feature, Turbo. Starring voice talent such as Ryan Reynolds, Snoop Dogg, Paul Giamatti and Luis Guzman, the film chronicles a snail’s dream of becoming a racing legend, and will be distributed by 20th Century Fox. [11]

Upcoming Projects- Even with the recent theatrical release of The Croods and the summer release of Turbo, DreamWorks Animation SKG has a full slate of movies set for production. Two sequels to SKG’s acclaimed How to Train Your Dragon (2010) are set for release in 2014 and 2016. In fall 2013, SKG plans to release Mr. Peabody & Sherman, a Rocky & Bullwinkle spin-off. With five planned releases including new films from the Madagascar and Kung Fu Panda franchises, 2015 figures to be a huge year for Animation SKG. [12]

Sources:

[1] http://animation.about.com/od/industryprofiles/p/dreamworks.htm

[2] http://www.dreamworksanimation.com/company

[3] http://quotes.wsj.com/DWA/company-people

[4] http://www.forbes.com/companies/dreamworks-animation/

[5] http://quotes.wsj.com/DWA?mod=DNH_S_cq

[6] http://animation.about.com/od/industryprofiles/p/dreamworks.htm

[7] http://www.the-numbers.com/movies/series/DreamworksAnimation.php

[8] http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/26/dreamworks-reports-82-7-million-loss/

[9] http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/dreamworks-animation-stock-surges-8-428424

[10] http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=croods.htm

[11] http://www.firstshowing.net/2013/watch-dreamworks-animations-speedy-theatrical-trailer-for-turbo/

[12] http://screenrant.com/dreamworks-animation-lineup-2013-2016/all/1/

DreamWorks Animation

Posted on March 31, 2013 by Alexander Benis

by Alex Benis

DreamWorks Animation SKG

Location

1000 Flower Street, Glendale, California 91201

(818) 695-5000 ; www.dreamworksanimation.com

Key Executives

Jeffrey Katzenberg (Chief Executive Officer/Director/Co-Founder) [pictured below]

Lew Coleman (President/Chief Financial Officer)
Ann Daly (Chief Operating Officer)
Anne Globe (Chief Marketing Officer)
Heather O’Connor (Chief Accounting Officer)
Michael R. Francis (Chief Global Brand Officer)
Andrew Chang (General Counsel/Corporate Secretary)
Rich Sullivan (Deputy Chief Financial Officer)

About

DreamWorks Animation SKG is an animation studio located in Glendale, California that produces animated films, television series and live entertainment for audiences worldwide. With a staff totaling more than 2,100 employees facilitating production, DreamWorks creates and distributes on average roughly three feature-length films for theatrical release in addition to many other smaller-scale projects. Boasting the rank of being the fourteenth best place to work according to Fortune Magazine, the animation studio is the one of the most versatile in the world and is the birthplace of stories that wrestle with the imagination.

Historical Background

DreamWorks SKG was jointly founded on October 12, 1994 by the triumvirate made up of: director & producer Steven Spielberg, music executive David Geffen and former Disney executive Jeffrey Katzenberg. With its formation, artists from Spielberg’s previous unsuccessful animation studio, Amblimation, were attracted for employment. In 1995, the young animation studio signed a co-production deal with Pacific Data Images, forming the subsidiary PDI, LLC which split the ownership 60/40 favoring PDI. The new business partition would go on produce its first-ever feature film: Antz. In 1997, DreamWorks partnered with British stop-animation studio Aardman Animation to co-produce Chicken Run. At the turn of the century, DreamWorks SKG created the business division DreamWorks Animation and halted the use of hand-drawn animation following the production of Shrek (which went on to win the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film). In 2004, the studio became the first to produce two computer-generated animated feature films in a single year with the theatrical release of Shrek 2 and Shark Tale. The same year, DreamWorks Animation was further divided into DreamWorks Animation SKG, Inc. managed by Katzenberg under the terms that 12 new films be distributed by the end of 2010’s fiscal fourth quarter.

Financials

For 2012, the animation studio raked in an impressive $749.8 million – topping its previous year’s revenue by $42 million dollars which can be credited to the release of Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted. Additionally, DreamWorks ended 2012 with $82.7 million in revenue with their total assets reaching $1.945 billion and a total equity of $1.346 million. Their fiscal fourth quarter results are as follows:

From June to September, DreamWorks increased their annual revenue from $162.8 million to $186.3 million. Following the month of October, profitability increased much more rapidly – with the most likely cause being related to the marketing of their newest movie at the time: Rise of the Guardians. By December 31st, the studio’s revenue stream for the quarter was capped off at $264.66 million, slightly over a third of their annual earnings. Overall, DreamWorks incurred a $36.4 million loss over the course of the entire year in comparison to their overall revenue of the previous year.

In The News

Dreamworks’ fourth quarter holiday release, Rise of the Guardians, proved successful at the box office: being largely responsible for just over one-third of the animation studio’s overall revenue for that year. Centering around an evil spirit named Pitch, the character archetypes of imagination (The Sandman, The Tooth Fairy, Santa Clause, etc.) are given no choice but to join forces in order to defeat a looming enemy that threatens childrens’ beliefs. Starring heavyweights Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman and Jude Law, the film was described by one critic as being “one for the kids, [but] fun enough to put a smile on parents’ faces.” Domestically, Rise of the Guardians grossed $103 million, which was surprisingly only 34% of its $303.5 million worldwide gross. In the weeks that followed its release, the film was rewarded with a 74% fresh tomato overall.

Released just last week on March 22, DreamWorks Animations’ The Croods grossed a total $72.8 million its opening weekend. When a prehistoric family’s home is destroyed, they are forced to embark on a journey across an unfamiliar land in search of a new home. Written-and-directed by Chris Sanders (Lilo and Stitch, The Lion King) and Kirk de Micco, the feature film boasts a talented cast starring Nicholas Cage, Emma Stone and actor Clark Duke, who is best-known from roles in the ABC series GREEK and the acclaimed superhero movie Kick-Ass. The film is currently the highest-grossing film at the box office – concluding the weekend at $43.6 million. The Croods also holds a 67% fresh rating on rottentomatoes.com and a 7.5/10 on imdb.com. After just two weeks at the box office, Dreamworks first animated feature film of 2013 has grossed $227 million in total and is currently the number one ranked movie worldwide. So far, The Croods is in position to exceed studio’s 2012 revenue profitability – with two other feature-length theatrical releases later this year.

Upcoming Animations

July 19, 2013: Turbo

Following the story of a snail who gains superior speed after a freak-accident, Turbo aspires to escape his slow-paced world to compete in the Indy500. Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamotti and Ken Jeong are all attached to the project set to be the studio’s primary summer release.

November 1, 2013: Mr. Peabody & Sherman

Mr. Peabody & Sherman is DreamWorks’ adaptation of the well-known Rocky and Bullwinkle side-cartoon about an exceptionally smart dog who owns a human as a pet. When they travel back in time, they are tested when they realize they could potentially unravel the fabric of their universe. The feature film is set to be directed by Rob Minkoff (The Lion King) and will star Ty Burrel (Modern Family) and Max Charles (The Amazing Spiderman) voicing Mr. Peabody and Sherman, respectively.

March 14, 2014: Me and My Shadow

Lesser-known than DreamWorks’ two previously-mentioned feature films, Me and My Shadow follows the story of a seemingly boring man’s shadow that craves for a more exciting lifestyle.

Other Projects Currently In Production

June 20, 2014: How To Train Your Dragon 2

November 26, 2014: Happy Smekday!

March 27, 2015: The Penguins of Madagascar

June 5, 2015: Trolls (working title)

November 6, 2015: B.O.O.: Bureau of Otherworldly Operations

[Seth Rogan supposedly attached]

December 19, 2015: Mumbai Musical (working title)

[Kevin Lima (Tarzan, Enchanted) will be directing with music composed by A.R. Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire)]

March 18, 2016: Kung Fu Panda 3

June 18, 2016: How To Train Your Dragon 3

Sources

[1] http://dreamworksanimation.com

[2] http://ycharts.com/companies/DWA/revenues

[3] http://finance.yahoo.com/q/is?s=dwa

[4] http://ir.dreamworksanimation.com/releasedetail.cfm?ReleaseID=743403

[5] http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/best-companies/2012/snapshots/14.html

[6] http://screenrant.com/dreamworks-animation-lineup-2013-2016/all/1/

[7] http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the-croods/

[8] http://www.imdb.com

[9] http://boxofficemojo.com

Dreamworks Animation

Posted on September 19, 2012 by eesauerw

by Emma Sauerwein

DreamWorks Animation SKG

1000 Flower Street, Glendale, California 91201

Phone: 818-695-5000 Website: www.dreamworksanimation.com

Background

DreamWorks Animation SKG is a publicly traded, American animation studio, producing computer generated animated feature films, television series and live entertainment properties. Appealing to a demographically as well as geographically widespread audience, DreamWorks Animation is able to garner success year after year.

DreamWorks Animation Headquarters

DreamWorks Animation Logo

DreamWorks SKG was founded in 1994 by three entertainment giants, Steven Spielberg, David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg. DreamWorks was able to begin creating its computer generated films in 1995 with the film, Antz, after signing a co-production deal with Pacific Data Images [3]. In 2000, DreamWorks gave animation its own business division which would regularly produce animated features. It wasn’t until October of 2004 that DreamWorks Animation SKG was spun off as its own publicly traded company, headed by Jeffrey Katzenberg [1]. Since its founding in 2004, DreamWorks Animation SKG has released 24 films, 15 of which are included in the 50 highest grossing animated features of all time [2]. The animation studio works primarily out of its original campus in Glendale, California.

Key Executives

Jeffrey Katzenberg, Chief Executive Officer and Director
Jeffrey Katzenberg
Lew Coleman, Chief Financial Officer and President
Ann Daly, Chief Operating Officer
Anne Globe, Chief Marketing Officer
Heather O’Connor, Chief Accounting Officer [17]

DreamWorks Animation in the News

DreamWorks Animation released its latest CG animated film, Rise of the Guardians, November 21, 2012. Despite heavy advertising and high hopes of an estimated $55 million opening weekend, the film only brought in $32.6 million [8]. Unfortunately analysts are calling it one of the company’s most disappointing releases and the numbers are further reflected in the 5% decrease in stock, 94 cents to $17.11 [8]. This is news comes as a surprise due to the seasonal characters reflecting the time of year as well as a lack of competition on opening weekend. Janney Montgomery Scott financial analyst, Tony Wible, predicted the $55 million in revenue as well as a $39 million profit estimate. However, if the film continues in its slump internationally, DreamWorks Animation could be looking at a $15 million loss.

DreamWorks Animation announced in August its plans to develop a $3.1 billion cultural and entertainment district in Shanghai with its partners in China. This endeavor will be named The Dream Center and will contain many shops, reaturants and theaters upon its expected completion in 2016 [5]. The Chinese government is encouraging projects aimed at the metropolis’ middle class in order to aid the nation’s media industries. This six block district will also include Oriental DreamWorks, a new joint venture studio formed with Chinese partners, China Media Capital, the Shanghai Media Group and Shanghai Alliance. The theme will be Kung Fu Panda as the film’s third installment will be filmed and produced in Shanghai [5].
China Media Capital Logo

Proposed Dream Center

Oriental DreamWorks Logo

This summer, July 2012, DreamWorks Animation CEO, Jeffrey Katzenberg announced the creation of an indoor theme park at American Dream at the Meadowlands, NJ based around the characters of famous DreamWorks Animation films [12]. “We look forward to working with Triple Five Worldwide to incorporate DreamWorks Animation characters, storytelling and technology into a unique and innovative family entertainment experience at the venue,” says Katzenberg. The theme park aims to include a water park, themed rides, ice skating rink, indoor ski park, restaurants as well as 1.7 million square feet of retail space.

Also at the end of the summer, DreamWorks Animation reported that it had entered into an agreement to acquire Classic Media, which owns some of the best known and enduring franchises for $155 million [11]. The deal was made with Boomerang Media Holdings LLC. Classic Media has a vast portfolio of intellectual property including 450 titles and 6,100 episodes of programming. Some of these esteemed titles include, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Lassie, Where’s Waldo and Rocky and Bullwinkle. The thousands of works from Classic Media will contribute characters and stories to the family friendly entertainment giant of DreamWorks Animation SKG. The company formerly known as Classic Media has been renamed to DreamWorks Classics [11].

Classic Media Array of Characters

Technology

Since 2009, DreamWorks Animation has committed to producing all future feature films in the 3D format [9]. This transformation involved a great deal of restructuring as well as educating from within the company. The CG animation process completely changed from its standard form of 2D. 3D has become more popular over the years as big name companies create 3D televisions and fellow studios commit to the 3D promise. CEO, Jeffrey Katzenberg, worked with exhibitors to get more compatible screens as well as with technology giant, Samsung, as a partner on the 3D launch [10]. In the first Samsung model, the “3D Kit” included a copy of DreamWorks Animation’s Monsters vs. Aliens.
First DreamWorks Animation 3D Feature
In a forum hosted by USA Today at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications of Syracuse University, Katzenberg discussed the future of filmmaking technology. “3D is the greatest advancement in film history since the advancement of color in the ’30s.” When asked about the future of the growing technological process Katzenberg made it evident that while he has complete confidence in 3D, he also knows that it will take time before we see progress. “The transition from black and white to color took 20 years, the transition to sound took 8 years, I think we’ve only begun to see the effects.”
On November 8, 2012, DreamWorks Animation released the latest of its collection of mobile and tablet apps in conjunction with leading smartphone games publisher, PikPok. The newest game is in relation to the recently released Rise of the Guardians. Dash n Drop is available for $0.99 at the iTunes App Store as well as Google Play for iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Android [18]. The launch trailer for this app can be found at: Dash n Drop Launch Trailer.

Financials

Due to Hurricane Sandy which hit much of the east coast at the end of October 2012, DreamWorks Animation had to postpone its quarterly results announcement until Thursday, November 1st [6]. The company’s third quarter ending September 30, 2012 resulted in a total revenue of $186.3 million and a net income of $24.4 million. This was a significant increase compared to third quarter of 2011 which garnered $160.8 million in revenue and a net income of $19.7 million [13]. The company’s success can be attributed to the international box office success of Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted, which is now the fifth highest grossing film globally of the year.

Upcoming Releases

The next DreamWorks Animation film following Rise of the Guardians is an animated feature called The Croods. Set to release on March 22, 2013, the directors are the team of Kirk DeMicco and Chris Sanders [16]. This will be the first DreamWorks Animation film distributed by 20th Century Fox as opposed to Paramount, as the
The Croods

company signed a five year distribution agreement in August 2012 [14]. The film is set in the prehistoric era and stars famous actors such as Emma Stone, Nicolas Cage and Ryan Reynolds.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJ4QJCjvN8c
As Chief Marketing Officer, Anne Globe, discussed at a question-answer forum at Syracuse University, all DreamWorks Animation films take four years to produce and therefore the slate has been announced through 2016. A film slated for 2013 titled, Turbo, will be released on July 19. This will be the 27th installment in the DreamWorks Animation collection, directed by David Soren and starring voice actors of Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Bill Hader and Maya Rudolph [15]. Turbo is a story about a garden snail that has an impossible dream of becoming the fastest snail in the world.