working title films
TRANSCRIPT
Learning objectives:
• To gain a basic understanding of issues relating to Media
Ownership: Ownership of film industry.
• To locate Working Title within the context of the British
Film Industry.
• To understand the issues raised by media ownership in
contemporary media practice.
Background
• Working Title Films is a British film production company, based in London.
• The company was founded by Tim Bevan and Sarah Radclyffein the late 1980s. It produces feature films and some television productions.
• Among the company's films are Richard Curtis-scripted romantic comedies and Coen Brothers' films, but has in recent times moved into many other types of film, such as United 93.
• In 2004 it made a profit of £17.8 million. As of 2007, all its films distributed by Universal Pictures, which owns a 67% stake in the company, and many of its recent films are co-productions with StudioCanal. The remaining shares are owned by the company's founders, BBC Films, and private investors.
Film maths
• Films + American stars = Appeal to international
market (& success for the British film industry)
• This approach has provoked criticism about the
‘mid-Atlantic’ nature of the films.
The British film industry dilemma:
• Do you:
A) Make culturally specific films which appeal to a
limited audience?
OR
B) Make broader, generic films with a wider
appeal?
The British film industry dilemma:
• Working Title want to make European films for a
worldwide audience.
• They want to imbue them with European ideas
and influences and they couldn’t do these things
without the backing of a major Hollywood
studio.
• 1992
• PolyGram (a European music and media company)
buys Working Title.
• Sarah Radclyffe leaves to set up her own production
company
• She’s replaced by Eric Fellner
History of WT:
History of Working Title
• 1984
• Working Title founded by Tim Bevan and Sarah Radclyffe
• Now the most successful British film production company
• 1984
• 1985 - First Working Title film My Beautiful Laundrette
(The first of a series of collaborations with Channel Four
Films)
• 15 - Number of WT films produced in the 1980s
• 1988 - Production deal with PolyGram Filmed
Entertainment
• 1991 - WT sets up Hollywood office
History of WT:
• 1994
• Four Weddings and a Funeral
• A big box office success due to the access to the US
market provided by Polygram
History of WT:
• 1998
• Polygram bought by Universal, a Seagram
company
• 2000
• Seagram is bought by Vivendi, the French
multimedia conglomerate
• WorkingTitle is now owned by Universal, which is in
turn owned by Vivendi
• $35m
• The amount of money WT can spend on a film
before consulting with Universal
• WT2
• Set up to encourage new British filmmakers.
• Billy Elliot (Dir. Stephen Daldry, 1999)
• WT2 did not need the approval of Universal
Safety Net:
• £13m
• Budget for Captain Corelli’s Mandolin
• £9.8m
• UK Box Office takings
• The protection of Universal means that Working
Title was able to survive this disappointing
performance
Unique:
• There is no other British Film Company like
Working Title
• It is allowed freedom to make creative
decisions but it is owned by a conglomerate
Some key Working Title films:
Film Budget (£m) Box Office UK (£m)
Bean (1996) 16.2 17.9
Elizabeth (1997) 13 5.5
Notting Hill (1998) 15 31
Bridget Jones (2000) 14 42
About a Boy (2001) 13.5 16.8
Love, Actually (2004) 30 36.2
Wimbledon (2004) 20 (est) 6.8
Some numbers:
• 4 or 5
• The number of films Working Title produce each year
• 1
• Number of ‘risk free films’ Working Title will invest in
each year
• 2
• Number of mainstream films WT will invest in each year
• 2
• Will invest in projects they feel passionate about (which
have risk factors involved)
Some numbers:
• 95
• Number of films made (to date) by Working Title
• $4.5 billion
• Amount of money made by these films
• 6
• Number of Academy Awards won
• 26
• Number of BAFTA Awards won
Successful Relationships
• Working Title make films with 3rd parties e.g. the
Coen Brothers and people they know well and have
built up a good working relationship with e.g.
Richard Curtis
Notable films
• The Soloist
• State of Play
• The Boat That Rocked
• Wild Child
• Burn After Reading,
• The Interpreter
• About a Boy
• Notting Hill
• Elizabeth
• Fargo
• Dead Man Walking
• Bean
• High Fidelity
• Johnny English
• Billy Elliot
• Four Weddings and a Funeral
• Bridget Jones's Diary
• Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason
• O Brother, Where Art Thou?
• Love Actually
• Shaun of the Dead
• Pride & Prejudice
• Nanny McPhee
• United 93
What does Eric Fellner have to say?
• Working Title focus on character and narrative (as
opposed to action/ special effects etc.)
• They often create films of cross-genres
• Fellner feels the simple essence of a successful
film is a really good screenplay and sense of
humanity; that the most important thing is for the
audience to identify and empathise with
characters
What does Eric Fellner have to say?
• Working Title have aimed to create an industry
that is exportable and global
• There is an active aggressive industry in
Hollywood that we can never compete with
• What we should focus on is making films we
believe in and exporting them
Breakthrough success
Four Weddings and a Funeral is
a 1994 British romantic comedy
film directed by Mike Newell. It
was the first of several films by
screenwriter Richard Curtis to
feature Hugh Grant. The film was
an unexpected success,
becoming the highest-grossing
British film in cinema history with
worldwide box office in excess of
$244 million worldwide.
Richard Curtis
Curtis is a screenwriter for British Films, best known for writing ‘Four
Weddings and a Funeral’, ‘Notting Hill’, ‘Love Actually’ and shows such
as ‘The Vicar of Dibley’, ‘Mr Bean’ and ‘Blackadder’ and transferring
‘Bridget Jones’ from book to film.
Charity
Curtis founded the charity
in 1985.
And was a founder of MAKE POVERTY HISTORY
Curtis and Working Title
His films for Working Title have a recognisable formula:
• A tendency to portray a ‘Christmas Card’ little England, combining chocolate box villages with tourist London
• Middle class heroes stuck in romantic predicaments, looking gorgeous and living in fabulous houses in London
• Using the romantic comedy genre as a showcase for Britain’s comedy talent in cameos
• Hugh Grant is best known for his Curtis films
Coen Brothers
Owing a heavy debt to film noir and other film styles of the past, the
Coen brothers' films combine dry humor with sharp irony and shocking
visuals, most often in moving camera shots.
Working Title Films
Best of British
• Working Title films have promoted a range of home grown
talent: Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy, Rowan Atkinson, Martin
Freeman, Alan Rickman, Keira Knightly, Colin Firth,
Simon Pegg and Nick Frost and frequently draws on
comedy television show stars (such as ‘The Office’) for
cameo roles.
• When casting for Bridget Jones was taking place, there
was outrage than an American actress was given the lead
in what women saw as a ‘Thoroughly British’ role.
Portrayal of London
• Working Title’s portrayal of London could be described as
heavily formulaic, especially in Richard Curtis’ depictions.
• TASK: Using ‘Notting Hill’ ‘Bridget Jones’ and ‘Love
Actually’ for reference, what values and ideologies does
Working Title’s London convey?
Task Content
• Views of London, the streets and houses, famous
landmarks – where do the characters take us?
• Londoners – how are they portrayed?
• Jobs in London – what do the characters do?
• Fashion and music
Working Title Films
• Bridget Jones Diary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp08csjN_xI
• Love Actually
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYCkFTyADJ0
• Notting Hill
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5_5wAX4rrk
ELT Due Monday 9th March
• Research a Working Title Film and prepare a presentation
in groups (no more than 3) examining its patterns of
production, distribution, exhibition and consumption by
audiences.
• http://www.workingtitlefilms.co.uk/
Production
• Original idea?
• Book?
• Franchise?
• Casting?
• Producers?
• Directors?
• Composer – music tie
ins?
• Screenwriters – other
films?
• Studio – genres the do
best?
• Blockbuster?
• Locations?
• Stars - A List or
unknown?
Distribution
• How did the distributor
market the film and
who was the target
audience?
• Posters
• Trailers
• Websites
• Release date and type
of cinemas
• The number of prints
and scale and pattern
of release eg wide
release
• Internet downloads,
DVDs.