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Article from the Australian Financial Review - May 11, 2005
DreamWorks chases its incredible rival
DreamWorks chases its incredible rival
It was toon time at New York's Lincoln Centre, better known for opera and ballet. On May 1, DreamWorks chief executive Jeffrey Katzenberg played host to an event promoted as a seminar on animation. But the several hundred Wall Streeters, press, and entertainment honchos - with kids in tow - soon realised this was DreamWorks in marketing overdrive. Mike Myers, the voice of the green ogre in the blockbusters Shrek and Shrek 2, did several minutes of shtick.
The glitzy PR fest was Katzenberg's most visible, hardest sell yet since his company went public in October. And it underscored just how high the stakes have grown for DreamWorks Animation. It's really about Pixar envy.
That's because its chief rival, the studio founded by Apple Computer CEO Steven Jobs has had six back-to-back blockbusters, from Toy Story to last year's The Incredibles. In a hit-or-miss industry where few can boast of consistency, Pixar's streak is nothing short of - well, incredible. Sure, DreamWorks has the Shrek movies and Shark Tale, but its total record is spottier.
That's because its chief rival, the studio founded by Apple Computer CEO Steven Jobs has had six back-to-back blockbusters, from Toy Story to last year's The Incredibles. In a hit-or-miss industry where few can boast of consistency, Pixar's streak is nothing short of - well, incredible. Sure, DreamWorks has the Shrek movies and Shark Tale, but its total record is spottier.
