Bill Damaschke has been promoted to head of creative production and development at DreamWorks Animation while Kristine Belson comes on board as the head of development.
DreamWorks Animation ceo Jeffrey Katzenberg said, Bill Damaschke helped lay the groundwork for this new era at DreamWorks Animation. Over the past decade, he has consistently distinguished himself on both sides of the desk, not only as a discerning creative executive, but also as a talented film producer. Together, Bill and Kristine Belson will both play major roles in the development and production of our new slate of films and in assembling a growing roster of creative talent. This is an exciting time to be at DreamWorks Animation, and I am very proud of the team we are building here.
Damaschke will oversee the creative production process for all projects, overseeing all artistic development, shaping the creative teams behind each project, as well as growing and developing the companys creative talent pool. In addition to DreamWorks Animations film projects, Damaschke is also overseeing the new theatrical SHREK musical. He will continue to report to and collaborate with Katzenberg and coo Ann Daly.
Bill Damaschke has been a creative force at DreamWorks Animation for more than 10 years, said Daly. He has been integrally involved in building and coordinating our behind-the-scenes artistic teams, as well as overseeing the films throughout production. Bill brings experience as both a filmmaker and as a creative executive to his new post, and we have tremendous faith in his ability to spearhead our production and development slate.
Damaschke was a producer on SHARK TALE, which earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Animated Feature. He has also been involved in the productions of the Oscar-winning hit SHREK and its box office record-breaking sequel SHREK 2; MADAGASCAR, which has grossed more than $500 million worldwide making it the studios highest-grossing original animated film; and the upcoming OVER THE HEDGE.
Damaschke joined DreamWorks in 1995 as the production manager on the studios first traditionally animated production, THE PRINCE OF EGYPT. He co-exec produced THE ROAD TO EL DORADO, before being named head of creative production.
Belson will oversee the development and acquisition of all feature film projects for the company, reporting directly to Bill Damaschke, while collaborating closely with Katzenberg and Daly.
Kristine has great creative instincts and a proven expertise in the development of audience pleasing films, said Damaschke. DreamWorks Animations focus is on developing a robust and diverse slate of projects with two theatrical features every year, as well as direct-to-video projects. We are delighted to have Kristine help lead that effort as she heads up our development team.
Belson has more than 15 years experience developing and producing both live-action and animated films. She recently spent eight years as evp of production at the Jim Henson Co. During her tenure, she developed a slate of more than 40 live-action and animated films. She was an exe producer on MUPPETS FROM SPACE, producer on GOOD BOY! and co-producer on FIVE CHILDREN AND IT and THE MUPPETS WIZARD OF OZ.
Prior to joining Jim Henson, Belson was svp of production for Columbia Pictures, overseeing such films as BIG DADDY and CANT HARDLY WAIT. Before her stint at Columbia, she was svp for Turner Pictures, and also spent two years as director of production at 20th Century Fox.
I am extremely impressed by the wealth of creative talent at DreamWorks Animation, Belson said. The company has incredibly gifted storytellers, and I feel truly privileged to be working with them. I am especially excited to be collaborating with (development executives) Chris Kuser and Karen Foster, who have already helped create a remarkable development slate, which I look forward to working on.
DreamWorks Animation is devoted to producing high-quality family entertainment through the use of computer-generated animation. Utilizing world-class creative talent and state-of-the-art technological capabilities, the company is committed to making two computer-animated feature films a year that appeal to a broad movie-going audience.
