FastCompany: The Science of Dragons: How Dreamworks Made A Game Out Of STEM Education

DreamWorks Animation is further expanding its How to Train Your Dragon franchise into games that teach kids about science and technology, while its VFX and gaming divisions find new applications for immersive technology.

LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY While Dragon games train the next generation of STEM students, DreamWorks’ current crop of technologists are testing other digital boundaries. Gaming division DreamLabs combines DreamWorks storytelling with innovative technologies to create interactive fan experiences. “Anywhere there’s a digital touchpoint with our consumers, we want to create new and cutting edge things for them to see, hear, and try,” says DreamLab founder Brad Herman. Herman focuses on development, while Shiraz Akmal, DreamLab’s head of business and product development, migrates those ideas to market.

DreamWorks Color is an available app that turns a 2D dragon that kids color themselves into a 3-D image on their iPads. Dragon Flight is an Oculus Rift virtual reality experience that gives plays the sensation of flying a dragon, complete with cold air blowers for a feeling of wind, and animated flourishes like sea mist stirring up when your dragon skims the water surface.