HP, DreamWorks Partnership Aims to Revolutionize Animation Production

Hewlett-Packard Company and DreamWorks SKG have announced athree-year, multi-million dollar technology strategic alliance aimed atrevolutionizing animation production.

HP will provide computing infrastructure for DreamWorks'next-generation digital studio at its main facility in Glendale, CA,which will make it possible to create the latest computer-generatedanimation more quickly, cost effectively, and with greater artisticquality than ever before.

The alliance designates HP as DreamWorks' sole "preferred technologyprovider" for core technology purchases. HP will supply technicalworkstations, servers, printers, networking and Linux technologies asDreamWorks develops its newest animation pipeline. HP also will receivecertain rights for product and brand placement.

In addition, HP and DreamWorks will explore technologies that couldenable creative collaboration by producers, directors, animators andothers working from remote locations. The two companies also haveagreed to jointly explore other technologies that may translate intonew products, process improvements or solutions.

"This collaboration is a great example of how HP can put itsinventive resources and systems solutions capabilities to work forcustomers," said Carly Fiorina, HP chairman and chief executiveofficer. "We believe that HP technology will help the creative minds atDreamWorks provide movie fans with enriched, more entertainingexperiences."

"Technology has been pivotal to our success at DreamWorks," saidJeffrey Katzenberg, DreamWorks co-founder. "Our goal is to remain onthe cutting edge, both creatively and technically, and that's why we'reexcited about working with HP."

Relationship Began with "Shrek" Collaboration

The two companies established the alliance after HP helpedDreamWorks with the completion of "Shrek," an animated tale about alovable ogre, which became one of the highest grossing films of 2001.Four months before the film was released, HP delivered more than 40 HPNetserver lp1000 systems that enabled the studio to meet the productionschedule.

Subsequently, engineers from HP's graphics labs developedenhancements to Linux software to help power DreamWorks' proprietaryanimation software, ToonShooter. This tool was essential to theproduction of DreamWorks' next animated film, "Spirit: Stallion of theCimarron," a tale about a wild mustang stallion and its journey throughthe untamed American frontier. The film, which was created on more than200 Linux-based HP workstations and servers, will be releasednationwide May 24.

HP will provide a broad range of products, services and integrationexpertise to create the new DreamWorks production facility at theGlendale campus. The facility will include the addition of more than200 high-end Linux-based workstations, a 500-processor Linuxrenderfarm, 15 terabytes of storage and a high-speed Ethernet-basedinfrastructure.