What it does: DreamWorks Animation is an American studio that produces animated movies and television.
Mission: Dedicated to helping families dream and laugh together.
Best known for: Animated films such as Shrek, Madagascar, and How to Train Your Dragon.
Size & presence: 1,400 employees across the U.S.
The good bits: DreamWorks Animation is one of the world’s leading animation studios, and offers a lot of opportunities for recent and not-so-recent university graduates to join their team.
The not-so-good bits: Some employees have complained about pay that is not as competitive as other studios.
DreamWorks' story begins in 1994 with its three founders—all of which are major players in the entertainment industry: Steven Spielberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg, and David Geffen. It became a major player in the industry when Shrek, released in 2001, won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film.
Since then, DreamWorks has undergone major changes. It became two separate business entities—DreamWorks Animation and DreamWorks Picture; with the latter becoming an independent film distribution company while the former stays an animation studio, albeit functioning as a subsidiary of Universal Pictures, which in turn makes it part of NBCUniversal and Comcast.
DreamWorks Animation’s works are world-renowned. Aside from Shrek, their portfolio also includes The Prince of Egypt, Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Kung Fu Panda, and How to Train Your Dragon. They have also won several awards including three Academy Awards, 41 Emmy Awards, and several Annie Awards.
DreamWorks Animation’s main campus is located in Glendale, California. In highlighting what their employee could expect from working in the company, DreamWorks Animation has this to say: “...a vibrant artistic culture that encourages creative pioneers, an open exchange of ideas, and technological innovation in service of storytelling -- all overseen by a leadership team with the hands-on creative experience.”
Interestingly, although television and film studios tend to get a bad reputation for working overtime—exceeding the hours of even most business consultants, sometimes—DreamWorks Animation doesn’t seem to suffer from this problem. Past and current employees both applaud the production team’s ability to pace projects and thus many highlights work-life balance as something achievable when working in DreamWorks Animation.
DreamWorks Animation offers tons of opportunities for both students and recent university or college graduates alike. For students, the company has internship openings available year-round, and recruits for Fall, Summer, and Winter placements. Available positions open generally depend on the needs of the company, but the company has accepted interns in nearly all of its departments in both past and present, from Business to Story.
As for its opportunities for university graduates—DreamWorks Animation is quite unique in that its graduate trainee openings are not limited only to recent graduates; they accept individuals who have already graduated from university or college within five years of graduation. They also accept individuals who are moving from a different career or industry. These trainee positions are short-term placements, lasting around three months long.
The recruiting process at DreamWorks Animation looks quite similar to those of other companies. You’ll have to submit your application to their career page, and if you’re applying for roles where you are involved in the animation production process, you may need to include a portfolio, reel, or shot breakdowns.
Then, there are several rounds of interviews that you’ll have to undergo. If you pass—congrats, you’re now working at DreamWorks Animation!
Internships at DreamWorks Animation are always paid. You can usually expect to make between $30,000 to $40,000 per year when doing an internship in the company. If you’re a graduate trainee, it’s possible to make around $60,000 to $70,000 on average.
Aside from base pay, DreamWorks Animation offers paid time off, health and life insurance, free food, and education reimbursement.
DreamWorks Animation does not have a dedicated program in place in terms of charitable contributions, but the company is involved in several of them.
Of main focus to them is offering programs related to education, mentoring, and employment for potential new talent and employees at every career level. The studio has also engaged in volunteer projects that benefit organizations that support diversity, equity, and inclusion in animation, arts, and schools.