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In a recent Wired interview, Jeff Katzenberg (head of Dreamworks Animation) speaks with impressive candor:

My origins in this business are not as an artist or a storyteller. I grew up in the executive ranks. I’m an entrepreneur, and I have gone about the business of animation, which I love, from the place that I know.

The article summarizes his position this way: “Dreamworks isn’t trying to be Pixar. The two companies approach animation from opposite ends: art and finance. Or, it must be said: quality and quantity.”

While I certainly didn’t expect Katzenberg to be quite so frank, it’s hard not to see what he’s said as a reflection of fact. In its eight year history, Dreamworks Animation has churned out some of the worst big budget animation in recent memory. Recall the instant classics Road to El Dorado and Sinbad? Anyone who does is hard at work trying to forget them. Regardless of quality, though, Dreamworks’ animated films have turned an impressive profit through volume.

And those that return the most impressive profits come from the once promising Pacific Data Images. Acquired in 2000, PDI had already shipped the quite good Antz and brought with them a portfolio of fantastic effects and advertising work. They followed Antz with the fun Shrek, the passable Shrek 2, followed by the the atrotious Shark Tale and the nearly-as-groanworthy Madagascar. See a trend? Yep, that’s the Katzenberg magic at work.

It says something that Katzenberg wears as a badge of honor that he green lighted the worst of Pixar’s films (Bug’s Life) when he worked for Disney. Then again, he’s also proud to play The Monkees to Pixar’s Beatles. As long as the money’s rolling in, Dreamwrorks Animation doesn’t appear to care what kind of condescending tripe they generate or, worse, what that tripe does to the animation industry. Jeff has clearly forgotten Disney’s unceremonious slide into animation oblivion. Business over storytelling indeed — at least he’s honest.

For more, read the rest of the Wired article and visit the smoking crater once known as PDI. They’ve got a new movie in the works called Flushed Away. Oh, the irony.

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