DreamWorks Animation and NetApp: Unleashing imagination with data
Generating over a petabyte of data per film, DreamWorks' global creative workforce needs fast access to its work. Leveraging NetApp® technology, DreamWorks quickly and efficiently manages the massive amount of data needed to bring its animated features to life.
A dream partnership
In 2018, DreamWorks and NetApp entered a multi-year strategic alliance to advance the studio’s hybrid cloud data management environment in support of its creative and business objectives. Today, the alliance has never been stronger, producing innovative technology solutions that have a material impact on the studio’s production capabilities.
NetApp technology at DreamWorks includes a myriad of hybrid cloud, storage, data, and virtualization solutions that streamline the management of applications and data. By providing hybrid solutions that enable artists and engineers to access, protect, and store critical data, NetApp is helping the studio focus on what matters most—its artists’ creativity.
Moving at the speed of change
At DreamWorks, digital storage and data management are critical to the production workflow. Billions of files and petabytes of data must be efficiently managed and accessed across on premises, private, and public cloud for the studio to be able to pivot its hybrid cloud strategy and meet changing business demands.
Bringing ones and zeros to life
With an average of 50,000 jobs rendered daily during production, performance is everything for DreamWorks. NetApp® AFF A-Series all-flash arrays are smart, powerful, and trusted solutions that take advantage of modern cloud technologies to deliver the speed, efficiency, and security that high-performance workloads require.
Keeping the data paparazzi at bay
DreamWorks leverages NetApp® SnapMirror® as a replication tool to achieve high data availability and fast data replication.
Scaling creative performance at every level
DreamWorks must adapt to changing business demands as needed by scaling capacity up or down, on demand, and without disruption or downtime. NetApp® SolidFire® all-flash storage enables dynamic scaling, predictable performance, automated simplicity, and flexible deployment.
The Bad Guys: By the numbers
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100%
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Animation and lighting completed in WFH environment
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175,000,000
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Virtual core render hours used
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250,000+
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Storyboards drawn for the film
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The DreamWorks hybrid cloud
Learn how continuous co-innovation helps drive hybrid cloud solutions that solve evolving business and technology challenges.
A DreamWorks artist at work
Character rigging supervisor Sandy Kao understands each new film is an opportunity to push story-telling boundaries.
DreamWorks and NetApp collaboration
Leveraging the cloud ensures the right data is in front of the right artist at the right time, that it is safe, and of the highest integrity.
The combined flexibility and agility of NetApp's solutions have enabled us to meet the creative ambitions of our artists, allowing DreamWorks to create any film that our imaginations allow us to produce.
Skottie Miller | Technology Fellow for Systems Architecture, DreamWorks Animation
Even bad guys need good data
More than 250 billion pixels bring Mr. Wolf and his crackerjack criminal crew of animal outlaws to life in DreamWorks Animation's latest release.