Steven Spielberg co-founded DreamWorks in 1994 with Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen. The company was formally established as DreamWorks SKG on October 12, 1994; “SKG” represents the founders’ surnames.
The studio was unusual because it aimed to produce live-action films, animation, television, music, and interactive entertainment under one creative-minded company. Katzenberg had recently left Disney, Geffen was a major music executive, and Spielberg was already one of Hollywood’s most successful directors and producers.
The three founders were sometimes nicknamed “the three amigos.” DreamWorks later produced major films including Saving Private Ryan, American Beauty, and Gladiator, while its animation division became famous for Antz, The Prince of Egypt, and Shrek.
A common mix-up is confusing the original DreamWorks studio with DreamWorks Animation. DreamWorks Animation began as the animation arm of DreamWorks SKG and later became a separate company, while “DreamWorks” in this question refers to the broader studio founded by Spielberg, Katzenberg, and Geffen.