Pacific Data Images

PDI/DreamWorks

File:Pacific Data Images PDI logo.svg Last logo utilized from 2000 until 2015
File:Dreamworksanimation.jpg Former headquarters of PDI/DreamWorks at Pacific Shores Center, Redwood City, prior to relocating in 2012 to expanded office space within the same complex.
Trade name	PDI
Formerly	Pacific Data Images (1980-2000)
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Film
Founded	August 13, 1980 (1980-08-13)
Founder	Carl Rosendahl
Defunct	Template:End date and age
Fate	Closed
Successor	DreamWorks Animation
Headquarters	Redwood City, California , United States
Number of employees	450 (January 2015)
Parent	DreamWorks Animation (2000–2015)

Pacific Data Images (PDI) was a United States-based company specializing in computer animation and visual effects production, headquartered in Redwood City, California. After its acquisition by DreamWorks SKG in 2000, it was rebranded as PDI/DreamWorks and integrated into DreamWorks Animation.

Established in 1980 by entrepreneur Carl Rosendahl, PDI was among the early innovators in computer-generated animation. The studio produced more than 700 commercials, contributed visual effects to upwards of 70 feature films, and notably supported DreamWorks Animation’s projects beginning with Antz (1998). Its final production before ceasing operations on January 22, 2015, was Penguins of Madagascar (2014).

1980–1987: formative period

Carl Rosendahl launched PDI in 1980 with a $25,000 loan from his father. Early pivotal team members included Richard Chuang and Glenn Entis, who engineered the foundational proprietary computer animation software that remained in use for two decades. By late 1981, development commenced on 3D animation software, with production activities initiating in autumn 1982. The original company vision focused on "Entertainment through 3D computer animation."

The first computer utilized by PDI was a DEC PDP 11/44 featuring limited memory capacity; this was soon replaced by more efficient and cost-effective superminicomputers such as the Ridge 32. Their internally developed software suite comprised a polygon renderer (p2r), animation system (e-motion), scripting language (script), and lighting application (led), all programmed in C for Unix operating systems.

Starting with an initial capital of $250,000, PDI operated without incurring debt and funded its expansion entirely through generated profits. The company emphasized research and development heavily, dedicating approximately 7% of its revenue to innovation. It also practiced open-book accounting by distributing monthly financial reports transparently among employees.

Initially based out of a garage in Sunnyvale, California, PDI relocated multiple times before establishing its offices at Pacific Shores Center in Redwood City in 2002. Its earliest major client was Rede Globo TV network from Brazil, which financed a significant portion of its initial software development and introduced PDI to broadcast motion graphics and logo animation.

During the 1980s, PDI became a global leader in television broadcast graphics, servicing prominent clients including ABC, CBS, NBC, HBO, MTV, PBS, TNT, Showtime, USA Network as well as international broadcasters like Nine Network Australia and Sky One. The company specialized in producing direct-to-video content for over 400 local stations annually.

Among its collaborations were early-1980s projects with Atari; notably assisting Atari with establishing its computer animation film recorder system used for Superman III. Although PDI proposed creating a full-length CG feature film in 1985, it was unable to obtain funding at that time.

A significant reason for PDI’s endurance compared to other pioneering computer graphics studios was its conservative financial strategy: avoiding large debts by purchasing affordable hardware treated as replaceable assets rather than investing heavily in expensive supercomputers. This approach resulted in reduced operational expenses and enabled steady growth.

1987–1990: period of change

By 1985, Pacific Data Images (PDI) had established a commanding presence in network television production, controlling more than half of that sector. In 1990, PDI enhanced its competitive position in visual effects by implementing a digital film scanning technique that facilitated automated rig removal and image refinement. This technological advancement strengthened their market edge. Additionally, PDI broke new ground in performance animation tailored for theme parks, advertising, and cinema, beginning with a 1988 partnership with Jim Henson's Creature Shop to create the real-time character Waldo C. Graphic featured in The Jim Henson Hour (1989).

Redirecting efforts from motion graphics, PDI concentrated on commercials and three-dimensional visual effects for feature films. They gained acclaim through the pioneering CGI Pillsbury Doughboy advertisement, representing a deliberate strategy to digitize well-known brand mascots. Innovations in the early 1990s included "feature-based morphing," a technique developed by Thaddeus Beier and Shawn Neely to generate smooth, lifelike transitions. This technology was showcased in prominent projects such as Exxon’s transformation of a car into a tiger and Michael Jackson’s "Black or White" music video, significantly elevating PDI’s stature within the visual effects industry.

PDI broadened its footprint in cinematic visual effects by contributing to titles like Terminator 2, Toys, Angels in the Outfield, Batman Forever, and The Arrival. Their expertise encompassed character animation, lip-syncing, rendering techniques, rig removal, cleanup tasks, and performance animation.

Throughout this timeframe, PDI modernized its technological framework by moving from Ridge32 machines to SGI workstations operating on IRIX. This upgrade aligned with industry-wide shifts and supported their expanding international projects and complex workflows.

1990–1995: focus on character animation

At the start of 1990, Tim Johnson and Rex Grignon founded Pacific Data Images’s Character Animation Group with the goal of cultivating artists skilled in producing feature-length computer-generated films. The team featured Johnson, Grignon, Raman Hui, Glenn McQueen, Beth Hofer, Dick Walsh, Karen Schneider, and Eric Darnell. Under their guidance, PDI advanced its capabilities in commercial character animation and created acclaimed short films including Gas Planet (1992), Sleepy Guy (1994), and Brick-a-Brac (1995).

These shorts functioned as experimental platforms for refining animation methods and software workflows, helping to define PDI’s strategic path forward. The company also encouraged individual animator initiatives that yielded award-winning shorts such as Opéra Industriel (1986) and Locomotion (1989).

By 1992, PDI was actively seeking collaborators for feature-length productions. Partnering with Lucasfilm's Industrial Light & Magic, they contributed to the Emmy-winning 1991 television special The Last Halloween, which marked the establishment of their inaugural 3D Character Animation pipeline. This collaboration paved the way for further projects including a three-dimensional stereo Daffy Duck for Warner Bros. and computer-generated characters featured in the 1995 episode "Treehouse of Horror VI" from The Simpsons.

These achievements led to a 1995 agreement with DreamWorks SKG to produce the film Antz, coinciding with DreamWorks acquiring a 40% ownership stake in PDI.

In 1995, Glen Entis left PDI to become CEO of DreamWorks Interactive before moving on to Electronic Arts to oversee research into next-generation gaming technologies. He continues to play an influential role as a founding board member of Los Angeles’s Digital Coast Roundtable and as chairman of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.

1995–2015: Feature Films and Company Closure

PDI debuted its first full-length animated movie, Antz, which DreamWorks Pictures released on October 2, 1998. This was followed by the highly successful Shrek, launched on May 18, 2001.

After the success of Antz, Sega commissioned PDI to create advertisements for the Sega Dreamcast's introduction campaign. In 2000, Carl Rosendahl sold his remaining stake to DreamWorks, leading to the rebranding of PDI as PDI/DreamWorks, functioning as an independent division. Shortly thereafter, Rosendahl departed to head Mobius Venture Capital, specializing in investments in technology and media sectors.

By May 2001, the merging of PDI with DreamWorks studios laid the groundwork for the official formation of DreamWorks Animation (DWA). By 2002, PDI discontinued its commercial and live-action visual effects services but remained involved in DWA projects alongside teams based in Glendale.

Celebrating its 25th year in 2005, PDI had completed upwards of 1,000 projects and employed over 400 staff members. Founder Richard Chuang exited the company in 2008 to explore new business opportunities.

In July 2012, PDI/DreamWorks relocated to a more spacious facility in Redwood City, equipped with improved amenities designed to enhance employee wellness.

On January 22, 2015, following disappointing box office results for Mr. Peabody & Sherman and Penguins of Madagascar, DreamWorks Animation decided to close PDI/DreamWorks as part of a corporate restructuring plan, which led to about 500 layoffs.

Animated Films

PDI/DreamWorks was responsible for producing several notable animated features such as Antz, Shrek, Shrek 2, Madagascar, Shrek the Third, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, Megamind, Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted, Mr. Peabody & Sherman, and Penguins of Madagascar. Additionally, PDI contributed animation, visual effects, and lighting for Over the Hedge and provided production support for Home. With domestic earnings totaling $441.2 million, Shrek 2 stands as the sixteenth highest-grossing animated film in U.S. history.

Pacific Data Images achieved its sole Academy Award for Best Animated Feature with the film Shrek in 2002, marking a key accomplishment in its industry presence.

Technical Awards

PDI/DreamWorks has been honored with nine Scientific and Technical Academy Awards, underscoring its pioneering contributions to animation technology. The initial award in 1994 celebrated innovations in film scanning technology. In 1997, recognition was given for the design of the PDI animation system architecture, reflecting groundbreaking efforts since the company’s inception.

Further accolades include awards for their fluid animation system (1998), Facial Animation System (2002), and the global illumination rendering technology utilized on Shrek 2 (2010)—the first time this method was applied in an animated feature and now widely adopted throughout the industry.

In 2013, the studio’s lighting software "light", originally developed for their first feature Antz and employed across more than two dozen films until 2015, received an award. The foliage generation system introduced during production of Shrek also earned recognition in 2015 alongside contributions from HP engineers who developed the "DreamColor" monitor.

In 2016, PDI/DreamWorks was awarded a SciTech honor for innovations in digital movie review systems, highlighting its continuous technological leadership that supports global workflows and sustains its competitive edge within animation production.

Visual Effects Contributions

PDI was responsible for delivering visual effects, animation, and related production services across a wide range of films, bolstering the company's stature and influence within the industry. Notable projects encompassed:

• Electric Dreams (1984)
• Scrooged (1988)
• Ghost (1990) (uncredited)
• Solar Crisis (1990)
• Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
• Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare (1991)
• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
• The Last Boy Scout (1991) (digital compositing)
• Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) (digital compositing)
• Batman Returns (1992)
• RoboCop 3 (1993)
• Cliffhanger (1993)
• Dennis the Menace (1993)
• Carlito's Way (1993)
• Beverly Hills Cop III (1994)
• Angels in the Outfield (1994)
• True Lies (1994)
• Natural Born Killers (1994)
• Batman Forever (1995)
• Broken Arrow (1996)
• Executive Decision (1996)
• Eraser (1996)
• Batman & Robin (1997)
• Titanic (1997)
• Forces of Nature (1999)
• Mission: Impossible 2 (2000)
• The Road to El Dorado (2000)
• A.I. Artificial Intelligence (2001)
• Minority Report (2002)
• Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)

Shorts

• Teddy Bear Maelstrom (1983, Glen Entis)
• Elephant Bubbles (1984, Don Venhaus)
• Max Trax (1985, Adam Chin)
• Botco (1985, PDI Staff)
• Cosmic Zoom (1985, PDI Staff)
• Chromosaurus (1985, Don Venhaus)
• Max's Place (1985, Adam Chin)
• Happy Drinking Birds (1985, Rich Cohen)
• Opéra Industriel (1986, Adam Chin, Rich Cohen)
• Burning Love (1988, Roger Gould, Howard E. Baker)
• Locomotion (1989, Steve Goldberg)
• The Wave (1989, Scott Miller)
• Slide Show (1991, Glenn McQueen)
• Frankie & Johnny (1991, PDI Staff)
• Happy Dog (1992, PDI Character Animation Group)
• Gas Planet (1992, Eric Darnell)
• Big Smoke (1993, Eric Darnell)
• Sleepy Guy (1994, Raman Hui)
• Brick-a-Brac (1995, Cassidy Curtis)
• Gabola The Great (1997, Tim Cheung)
• Basic Insect (1998, Marty Sixkiller)
• Millennium Bug (1998, Lee Lainer)
• Fat Cat On a Diet (1999, Raman Hui)
• Fishing (1999, David Gainey)
• Metropopular (2000, Jonah Hall)
• Shrek in the Swamp Karaoke Dance Party (2001, PDI Staff)
• Sprout (2002, Scott B. Peterson) – Last independent production.
• Far Far Away Idol (2004, PDI Staff)
• The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper (2005, Gary Trousdale)
• Megamind: The Button of Doom (2011, Simon J. Smith)
• Madly Madagascar (2013, David Soren)
• Rocky & Bullwinkle (2014, Gary Trousdale)

Television specials

• The Last Halloween (1991)
• Shrek the Halls (2007)
• Merry Madagascar (2009)
• Scared Shrekless (2010)

Other work

• PBS logo animation from 1989 to 1993
• Computer animation for The Jim Henson Hour in 1989
• Character animation contributions to both The Last Halloween and Waldo's role in Muppet*Vision 3D, both released in 1991
• Created the "Homer³" segment for the episode Treehouse of Horror VI of The Simpsons, aired in 1995
• Provided animation for the theme park attraction and short film titled Marvin the Martian in the Third Dimension, completed in 1996
• Produced the segment "Gabola The Great" featured in the anthology series Cartoon Sushi in 1997
• Developed IMAX segments for the film Cyberworld 3D, incorporating scenes from both Antz and The Simpsons, released in 2000
• Animated Shrek and Donkey characters appearing among the audience during the Best Animated Feature award presentation at the 74th Academy Awards in 2002
• Created animation for the theme park ride/short film titled Shrek 4-D, released in 2003; also co-produced a THX trailer featuring Shrek characters alongside DreamWorks Animation between 2006 and 2007
• Designed animated sequences for the theme park attraction named Madagascar: A Crate Adventure, debuting in 2011
• Offered production services for the animated feature film Home, released in 2015

External links

• archived July 25, 2003
• PDI/DreamWorks history at DreamWorks Animation archived September 27, 2007