Patti Burke, former head of production for Walt Disney Imagineering’s Theme Park Productions, has been appointed head of Palo Alto-based PDI/DreamWorks. "Patti is the ideal leader to drive PDI/DreamWorks’ future, and we are thrilled to have her on board. Her extensive production and management experience are key at a time when we are expanding the company at a very rapid pace as well as planning a move to a brand-new facility in Redwood City, California," said Ann Daly, DreamWorks’ Head of Feature Animation. Burke brings forth an extensive career in the entertainment production industry. In her nine years at Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI), Burke oversaw the production of several attractions based on popular animated film projects including, IT’S TOUGH TO BE A BUG for Disney’s Animal Kingdom, BUZZ LIGHTYEAR for Disney’s Magic Kingdom, HONEY, I SHRUNK THE AUDIENCE for Disneyland, and the large format film, SOARIN’ for Disney’s California Adventure Theme Park. Prior to joining WDI, Burke served as a production executive for Touchstone/Hollywood Pictures. PDI/DreamWorks, the Palo Alto-based computer animation division of Dream Works SKG, is currently in production on the sequel to SHREK, slated for a summer 2004 release.

Joseph Szadkowski visited Disney's Animal Kingdom and gives a behind-the-scenes look at IT'S TOUGH TO BE A BUG.