DreamWorks + HP

Released in the summer of 2001, Shrek was an overnight critical and commercial success. Audiences loved the rather unlikely hero and had never seen anything quite like DreamWorks’ distinct brand of animation, much of which is now being created using technology provided by HP. So when DreamWorks announced that they would begin work on two new animated features, including Shrek 2, the creative filmmakers knew that whatever they put onscreen would have to be even more technologically breathtaking than the original Shrek.

Shrek 2 animators knew the pressure was on to once again push the envelope in animation. Fortunately, DreamWorks was also busy developing new tools and techniques that would help provide greater flexibility for its artists. To accommodate these advancements, DreamWorks had to increase the capability and scale of its computing infrastructure. DreamWorks again turned to HP.

DreamWorks needed a more powerful platform but wanted to avoid investing in an entirely new networking architecture. HP’s solution was to provide DreamWorks with cutting-edge, high-end servers and graphics workstations. This meant that, for the first time ever, animated movies could be created almost entirely with standardized PC technology. The animation computing systems at DreamWorks includes more than 1,000 high-end workstations and a render farm of well over 3,000 processors company-wide. With the increased processing power of HP hardware, digital artists are bringing stories to life in ways that were impossible to imagine only a few years ago.

Today, HP is providing technology solutions throughout the DreamWorks studio, from enabling world-class CG animation with state-of-the-art workstations and servers to creating a rock-solid infrastructure for the company’s critical business systems. With the help of HP, DreamWorks is pushing the boundaries of creative filmmaking — and making the job of bringing dreams to life a whole lot easier.

Shrek ® © DreamWorks L.L.C. Shrek 2™and © 2004 DreamWorks L.L.C.