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Katzenberg celebrates DreamWorks 20th at Cannes

By WTOP Staff

JAKE COYLE
AP Film Writer

CANNES, France (AP) — Sitting on the terrace of the Carlton Hotel on the Cannes coastline, Jeffery Katzenberg gazes out at the teeming Croisette. It’s familiar territory.

“We roll big here,” he says. “We’ve been doing this a long time.”

Katzenberg has been a Cannes Film Festival regular for two decades. He’s frequently premiered DreamWorks’ summer releases here, held stunts to capture the attention of the international media, and preached the gospel of 3-D ahead of its resurgence to the gathered movie industry. He has felt the adulation and the sting of Cannes’ passionate audiences.

“I have had both,” says Katzenberg with a smile. “I’ve never had an animation film booed. I’ve had live-action.”

On Friday, the Cannes Film Festival will celebrate the 20th anniversary of DreamWorks Animation with the premiere of “How to Train Your Dragon 2,” the upcoming 3-D sequel to the 2010 original about a Viking boy (Jay Baruchel) and his pet dragon, Toothless.

In an interview, Katzenberg reflected less on where DreamWorks has been, than where it’s going.

“It feels pretty surreal because I don’t feel like it’s 20 years,” says Katzenberg. “We’re so much a work-in-progress it doesn’t feel like a milestone, in a way. If anything, it feels like the end of act one in a three-act play. We right now, more than any time, have so much opportunity ahead of us.”

It hasn’t been easy going of late for DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc., which Katzenberg co-founded with Steven Spielberg and David Geffen in 1994. All of the major studios now have robust cartoon franchises, taking up more of the family audience pie. Three of DreamWorks’ last four releases have flopped: the recent time-traveling “Peabody & Sherman,” the holiday release “Rise of the Guardians” and 2013’s snail tale “Turbo.”

In “Dragon 2,” Katzenberg hopes he has a better chance after the Oscar-nominated original grossed nearly $500 million worldwide. The sequel, Katzenberg believes, benefits from what he calls “a game-changer for animation” — a new, more intuitive animation tool dubbed Apollo that allows artists to digitally render in greater detail.

But the rocky box-office for DreamWorks has perhaps contributed to Katzenberg looking elsewhere for revenue. He recently made headlines for remarking at a Beverly Hills corporate conference that movies are not a growth business. He suggested that in five years, studio films might only play in theaters for three weekends, and would then be sold at various prices according to screen size and time after release.

that Katzenberg’s remarks stirred consternation in an industry struggling with the rise of digital entertainment and television’s newfound cachet. But they were also challenged by people like Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, who pointed to international box office as a big grower.

“The movie business is a very, very good business,” Katzenberg clarified. “The only point I was making is if you look at the traditional side of movie theater and home video, those businesses have been low single-digit growth. That’s not a growth industry or a growth business. But there are so many opportunities around movies — which was the other point I made. Movies have never been seen by more people around the globe than they are right now.”

DreamWorks has looked to expand into other media realms. Last year it acquired the YouTube network AwesomenessTV and signed a pact with Netflix to supply 300 hours of exclusive programming based on DreamWorks Animation characters. Earlier this month, it launched DreamWorksTV, a YouTube channel for kids. DreamWorks is also developing theme parks and pushing aggressively into China.

Katzenberg says he still believes strongly in the power and profitability of the theatrical movie business, but “the rest of the enterprise around movie watching is going to go through giant, giant changes.”

“The question is: What happens after movies leave the movie theater?” he says. “We make our movies to be seen.”

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Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jake_coyle

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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