Sony Pictures Establishes Feature Animation Unit
Fresh off the record-breaking success of the effects-heavy feature film SPIDER-MAN, Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment (SPDE) has announced they will form an all CG feature animation division, to be headed by former DreamWorks executives Sandra Rabins and Penney Finkelman Cox. Rabins and Cox will be responsible for the development and production of all-CG animated features and will report to SPDE president Yair Landau. In addition, the new feature animation unit will work closely with Sony's visual effects unit Sony Imageworks. Rabins and Cox most recently served as executive producers on DreamWorks' CG feature SHREK. The two joined DreamWorks in February of 1994 to start the Animation Division and produce THE PRINCE OF EGYPT. In addition to their producing responsibilities, Rabins and Cox both fulfilled executive roles at DreamWorks from 1994 to 2001. Rabins was responsible for the preparation of the studio business plan (television, animation, theatrical, distribution, marketing and music) and she also helped to establish the animation and interactive divisions. Cox worked with Aardman Animation on its first stop-motion animated feature, CHICKEN RUN and served as the executive producer on DreamWorks' direct-to-video animated release, JOSEPH: KING OF DREAMS. Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment is an operating unit of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and oversees the studio's digital production and online assets.