Last week mega-corporation Comcast purchased my old employer, Dreamworks Animation for 3.8 billion dollars. It marks the end of an era in feature animation. Whatever criticism there is for Jeffery Katzenberg, one thing cannot be denied: Dreamworks had a dream culture. I say this from the perspective of having spent nearly six years there and at both campuses (at the main hub in Glendale and at PDI in Redwood City). Looking past all the perks, there was a feeling of creative safety coming from top-down that's hard for me to describe, except in comparison with other work places that operate either on fear-based tactics or mindless corporate jargon. You could feel the difference there, and see many of it's consequences day to day. I won't go so far as to say it was perfect- it wasn't- but it was pretty special. With hope, Comcast will be wise enough to preserve this unique feature of a unique studio!
Here I am in 2009 outside the main gate in Glendale, just before starting there.
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