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DreamWorks Animation, the studio
that created successful franchises like Shrek,
Madagascar, Kung-Fu Panda and How to
Train Your Dragon is now entering the television
market. DreamWorks Animation is now
preparing to enter a new market despite the recent layoffs within their
company. Recently, their film Turbo failed to make an impact at the box office in America
and Overseas. The film cost DreamWorks
$135 million and has grossed about $70 million in America (as of August 7,
2013). However, DreamWorks still has big
plans for their racing slug, which currently has a cartoon
series in the works. The question is, should DreamWorks slow down before
they run out of gas and allow other animation studios to move past them?
Lets be honest, DreamWorks is
currently the third best animation studio trailing far behind Disney Animation
Studios and the current champ Pixar.
Both Disney Animation Studios and Pixar are under the Disney
family. Also, if Disney’s Planes becomes successful then Disney’s
DisneyToon Studio could take the third spot.
To make matters worse, Illumination Entertainment, the creators of Despicable Me, Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax and Despicable Me 2, is now looking to
drive past DreamWorks. Illumination’s Despicable
Me 2 is currently the highest grossing animated film of 2013 (as of
August 7, 2013), outperforming Disney/Pixar’s Monsters
University. As a result,
DreamWorks continues to struggle trying to find consistency.
DreamWorks needs to take a good look
at themselves and figure out whom they are.
At the moment, they are a company who plays it safe and creates
franchises out of mediocre films.
Recently, they changed the release date for Mr. Peabody and Sherman and placed Me & My Shadow back into development. In addition, the company fired over three
hundred employees and then hired more executives to create television
series. In contrast, Pixar and Disney
Animation are famous for finding talent within their own respected brand and
elevate them to higher positions.
Instead of spending their money on more executives they should have
saved their employees. Wouldn’t having more
employees easily allow DreamWorks to work on feature films and television
shows?
It seems like I am bashing
DreamWorks but I am not. I am showing
the company “tough love”. I believe that
DreamWorks can dominate the animation industry but at the moment they are
moving too fast with no clear direction.
As a person who loves the animation industry, I want to see all the
studios make the best possible films and compete neck to neck. If all the studios are pushing the limits of
animation and creativity then both sides win.
The studios will make their returns off their movies and the fans will
have new classics to enjoy. The time is
now for DreamWorks to change gears and start on a new path.
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