What makes dreamworks successful

But what started as just that, a job, became his new identity and calling. Over the years, in good times and in bad—and for better or for worse—no one has been more dedicated to building it, cultivating it, and protecting it than Katzenberg. As a leader, he is never not present.

At a press screening of Flushed Away at the Glendale campus, the CEO showed up in his trademark uniform of khaki pants and white button-down and prattled on about the film. Only those who were really looking could see how harried he was. Katzenberg has never been one to relinquish the reins happily, and while this sale must be a gigantic relief for him, it must also be hard.

At the very least, it must be emotional. AWS Deloitte Genpact. Events Innovation Festival. Follow us:. By Nicole LaPorte 4 minute Read. Impact Impact This super-detailed map shows the most toxic air in the county, down to the block Impact This car insurance offers lower rates if you drive an EV—or try to drive less Impact How Fairphone designed a more repairable, sustainable smartphone. Katzenberg was already a friend and business partner of Steven Spielberg.

The pair owned a popular Los Angeles restaurant, Dive! Katzenberg was also close with Geffen. The two men had first met during Katzenberg's days at Paramount. Katzenberg asked the two if they were interested in forming a new entertainment company. At first, Spielberg was reluctant to end his relationship with Universal then owned by MCA , the studio he had worked with for more than twenty years.

In addition, he and Geffen had not always gotten along in the past. But Katzenberg convinced his two friends the deal made sense, and on October 12, , Spielberg, Katzenberg, and Geffen announced the creation of their new, still-unnamed company. Katzenberg said the three represented a "dream team" of talent. That name, plus the idea that creative people bring dreams to life, led to the name DreamWorks, followed by the first initial of each man's last name.

DreamWorks announced it would not have titles for its executives, and it promised to share profits with its staff. Katzenberg took control of the animation division, hoping to recreate the success he had at Disney—and end his former company's dominance of the market. Katzenberg also planned to handle Dream Works's TV operations.

He was the most visible member of the trio. Geffen focused on the company's music efforts, but also used his film industry contacts to work out deals with other studios some Dream Works's films were co-productions with other companies. Spielberg turned over the assets of his production company, Amblin Entertainment, to DreamWorks. He planned to make films and hire other directors to make films. He also, however, reserved the right to make movies for other studios.

Starting a new studio took time and money, and one year after Spielberg, Katzenberg, and Geffen formed DreamWorks, the company still did not have any products to sell. The first DreamWorks record came in , from George Michael , a singer who had not released a song in three years. Although Michael had been popular in the late s and early s, his DreamWorks release, Older, did not sell as well as the company hoped.

Filmmaking always seemed to be Dream Works's strongest area, and Hollywood eagerly awaited its first pictures. That release, however, did not come until the fall of , with The Peacemaker. An action film starring Nicole Kidman c.

Spielberg's first film for DreamWorks, Amistad, was also a disappointment at the box office. During , a joke in Hollywood described "the DreamWorks doll": Wind it up and it does nothing. Still, some people in the entertainment business were willing to give DreamWorks some credit. Harold Vogel, an analyst of entertainment companies, told Entertainment Weekly, "To do what they've done in three years is remarkable. In , DreamWorks finally saw positive results on several fronts. Its TV show Spin City was a hit, and its successful films included the science-fiction thriller Deep Impact, and the computer-animated film Antz.

The DreamWorks logo shows a young boy fishing while sitting on a crescent moon. Steven Spielberg designed the logo, wanting to represent the idea of a simple company where dreams come to life.

In , DreamWorks also released its first traditional hand-drawn animated film, The Prince of Egypt. Compared the giants of the film industry , DreamWorks is a baby, propelled by the genius of three modern visionaries. For such a young studio, they have proved themselves consistently capable for producing both quality and successful films, despite the occasional miss.

Despite its acquisition by Paramount in , the studio continues to operate as an independent production house, and maintains a roster of significant work. With a B. She has many other interests, and enjoys learning and writing about a wide range of topics in her role as a writer.