DreamWorks Animation: Creativity in Motion

How many companies would you know that offers free breakfast, lunch, and juice all day long? There aren’t that many and this strategy has taken DreamWorks Animation to the Fortune List of 100 Best Companies to Work For, for five straight years. In 2013, the company placed #12 on that list making it one of the most sought after companies by job seekers.

However, free breakfast and lunch are only small perks that their employees enjoy. What truly makes the company special for their employees is the culture that they built. To work for DreamWorks Animation is to have fun while being creative and innovative. The company fosters a culture of openness, creativity, and innovation.  Employees are encouraged to be not only creative but innovative as well.

DreamWorks Animation has its headquarters in Glendale, California. Steven Speilberg, David Geffen, and Jeffrey Katzenberg founded the company in 1994. Their mission was to produce some of the greatest animation films of all time. This is a mission that they have accomplished from day one, starting with Antz.  The company has also produced some of the most popular animation film series like Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, and Madagascar.

When it comes to fostering a culture of creativity, the success of the company’s various animation series is proof of how the company values creativity. When it comes to proof of innovation, the company developed one of the best animation technologies called InTru3D. The technology was developed in cooperation with Intel.

The overall success of the company is amazing. In 2011, the company was reported revenues of over $706 million. Their animation series have generated over $11 billion over the years. Jeffrey Katzenberg, co-founder of the company, claims that their success has been the result of the dedication and expertise of their employees. Their employees work out of the company’s two campuses - one in Glendale and the other at Redwood City, California.