No lounge is complete without the means to dispense fine adult beverages.

Pictorial by Dan Sarto

Our final studio tour this year is DreamWorks Animation, a bustling campus that serves as HQ for the company's ever-growing global operations.  Having released two features, Kung Fu Panda 2 and Puss In Boots, since our last visit, both of which are nominated for an Oscar this year, the studio continues to expand its slate of productions.  The recently announced plans for a studio in China serve as further illustration of these expansion efforts. 

Each year on the Oscar Showcase Tour, our day at DreamWorks is always great.  The studio goes out of its way to provide a full day of demonstrations, a great lunch with executives and a packed screening of the nominated shorts.  Of all the stops on the tour, DreamWorks always shares the most detailed and intimate look at films in progress, which for an assembly of animation directors and producers, is always a welcome treat.  This year was no different.

The Paramount Studio tour begins. (From left to right) Brandon Oldenburg, Bonnie Thompson, Patrick Doyon, Marc Bertrand, me, Amanda Forbis, Ron Diamond, Sue Goffe, Grant Orchard and Wendy Tilby.

Pictorial by Dan Sarto

Paramount Studios is one of the oldest and most venerable of the big Hollywood studios.  Founded in 1912, the studio has been home to some of the greatest films in movie history, including The Godfather franchise, The Ten Commandments and Read Window.  While the studio has been distributing animated films for some time through its relationship with DreamWorks, only announced last July it announced it was getting back into the animation production business.  Our group spent the entire day on the lot and were not disappointed.

Glen Keane, Brook Keesling, Bonnie Arnold and Shannon Gans

Written by Dan Sarto

Every year for many years now, on the Saturday before the Oscars, DreamWorks Animation hosts a fantastic brunch at the famous Campanile.  A lively mix of executives and creative riff-raff, the crowd feasted on delectable comfort food, boozing it up while speculating who the winners and losers would be the following evening.  Many noteables were in attendance. Check out some of the festivities.

The famous Nominee Cake - 5 films, 5 images, all edible.

Written by Dan Sarto

No Oscar Tour would be complete without the famous Nominee Cake!  As the 2011 Tour winds down, so do the nominees and assorted guests, at least for one evening.  Held again this year at Ron's house, the party was fun, intimate and warm, despite the rainy weather outside.  And of course, we all got sugared-up feasting on the nominated films - literally!

The DreamWorks brunch is always a heavily attended event.

One of the yearly treats of the Oscar Showcase tour is DreamWorks' Saturday brunch. Check out who in the community came to celebrate.

The AWN/Acme Filmworks party was overflowing with a who's who of the animation community.

The Oscar tour winds down each year with a host of parties. Check out the pics.

DreamWorks had a full day for the Oscar nominees when they came to visit. Here are their adventures in pictures.

Ron Diamond leads the Q&A at ICM with The Lady and the Reaper's Javier Recio Gracia, Enrique Posner and Raul Garcia.

In L.A., the nominees visted agencies ICM, CAA and William Morris. Here are their visits in pictures.

The nominees get a bit of the MGM backlot history.

On the first day of the Los Angeles leg of the Oscar Showcase tour, the nominees had a chance to see the famed MGM backlot and the new Sony studios. Here are a collection of pics from the day.

Oscar winner Kunio Kato poses with Oscar nominee Anne Hathaway.

For Kunio Kato, the Oscars were a whirlwind experience. Here are some exclusive pics from his big night.