Working Title Phase 1 – 1984-1988 • • • • • •
Set up 1984 Indie, low budget UK films Some funding from Channel 4 Non-mainstream Issue-based films Key films:
– My Beautiful Launderette (1985) • Immigration; Community; Racism; Homophobia • £650,000
– For Queen and Country (1988) • US star; UK-led production • £250,000
Polygram
Yes, but we’ve only got a bit so you’ll still have to keep costs down or get some more from somewhere else
Can we have some money for our film please?
Working Title Yes, but we can’t get it everywhere so you’ll still need a few more deals
Film Four
As long as you make something arty and British that supports the British film industry
Working Title 1984-1992
Please will you distribute our films?
Polygram Distributor
Distributor
Distributor
Distributor
Film Four
Working Title Phase 2 – 1989-1992 • Co-productions with Polygram • USA and UK appeal – International films • Larger budgets (low-mid) • Key films – Drop Dead Fred • US star; UK star
– Barton Fink • Coen Brothers • Budget $9m
Working Title Phase 3 – 1992-1999 • Owned by Polygram • US-UK co-productions • Secure funding and international distribution • Mid budget international films • Mainstream • Key films: • Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994) • Budget = £4.4m Box Office = £245m • US star + UK stars
• Elizabeth • Budget = £25m Box Office = £34m • Australian star + UK stars
Investor
Investor
Funding
Film Four
Funding
Can we have some money for our film please? We’ll give you some back
Working Title
Distributor
Working Title 1992-1999
Please will you distribute our films? How much money do you want? Distributor
Distributor
Distributor
Distributor
Film Four
Working Title Phase 4 – 1999-today • Bought by Universal/ Vivendi • Mid-budget • Financial security – guaranteed investment (up to £25m) • Guaranteed worldwide distribution • The Working Title Formula • Literary adaptations and rom-coms
• Key films: – – – –
Notting Hill About a Boy Pride and Prejudice Bridget Jones
Working Title Phase 4a – 2000-2007 • WT2 • Dedicated to • • • • •
developing new talent low budget films UK films UK and European markets Back to Working Title’s roots?
• Key Films • • • •
Billy Elliott Ali G Indahouse Shaun of the Dead Hot Fuzz
Key Terms
Vivendi
•Ownership •Horizontal Integration •Vertical Integration •Synergy •Cross-Media Ownership
Universal
Studio Canal
•Production •Distribution •Institutional Convergence •Parent Company •Sister Company •Conglomerate
Working Title
Universal
Focus Features
•Major
WT2
Studio Canal
Working Title
•Globalisation
Kinowelt
Optimum
Working Title’s Current Strategy • TV productions • The Tudors
• International films • Bean • Coen Brothers
• European films • Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
• Move away from midAtlantic exports (no more Richard Curtis/ Hugh Grant) • Focus on European cinema • Explore potential of digital technologies to enhance distribution and marketing (e.g. StudioCanal deal with LoveFilm, and Tinker Tailor marketing)
Working Title/ Universal key terms • • • • • • • • • •
Alliance (with Film Four) Funding/ Production/ Distribution/ Exhibition Independent Autonomy (up to £25million) Institutional convergence Export and global audiences Mainstream Conglomerate Major Vertical Integration (relationship with Universal) – Parent company
• Horizontal Integration (relationship with WT2) – Sister company
• Synergy (with Universal’s record label)
How have Working Title changed their ownership to enable them to reach new audiences/ achieve new heights?
Relevant Past Exam Questions •
•
(10Jan) “Media production is dominated by global institutions, which sell their products and services to national audiences.” To what extent do you agree with this statement? (11Jan) Discuss the issues raised by media ownership in the production and exchange of media texts in your chosen media area.
Comparing Film Companies
Warp Films 2000-Present Independent
The History of Warp Films • Warp Records 1989 Sheffield – Aphex Twin; Squarepusher; electronic music • Chris Cunningham – music videos • Offshoot -Warp Films - Set up ~2000 • Funding from NESTA (£150k startup) • 2005 – This Is England • http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=0H_e72WYGlo
National Lottery Film 4
UK Film Council
Warp Films
Warp X Digital Film Studio
Madman Ent.
Channel 4
Optimum
Warp Records
Warpmart WarpFilmStore.co m
Bleep
Warp’s Aims • Warp = “cutting edge, innovative, interesting, independent” • “We don’t want to have carbon-copy, Hollywood big blockbuster film” • “It’s important to raise the profile of British filmmaking worldwide and get a larger voice out there” • “An artist-led company”
Warp key terms • • • • • •
Alliance (with Film Four and Madmen Entertainment) Funding/ Production/ Distribution/ Exhibition Independent Autonomy Art-house Horizontal Integration and synergy (relationship with Warp Records)
Comparing Film Companies Atonement (2007)
This is England (2007)
•Budget £30m (~$20m)
•Budget £1.5million (~$1m)
•Keira Knightley; James McAvoy
•Unknown actors
•Box Office
•Box Office
•Worldwide: $130m
•Worldwide: $8m
•Domestic (UK) $25m
•Domestic (UK): $3.1m
•Foreign: $105m (USA $50m)
•Foreign: $4.9m (USA £0.3m)
•1335 cinemas in USA
•14 cinemas in USA
•424 cinemas in UK
•151 cinemas in UK
•Genre: Literary adaptation
•Genre: Drama
•Themes: Love; Longing; blah blah
•Themes: British society; Racism; Single parent families;
What do you need to know/ revise? • Terms • Key facts – Who owns what – Institutional structure – Dates
• Key films – One or two from each production company – Budgets/ Dates/ directors/ level of distribution (number of screens)/ level of success (box office) • Use boxofficemojo.com (but remember it’s American, so ‘Domestic’ means ‘America’)
Essay questions 1. (10Jan) “Media production is dominated by global institutions, which sell their products and services to national audiences.� To what extent do you agree with this statement? 2. (11Jan) Discuss the issues raised by media ownership in the production and exchange of media texts in your chosen media area.
Essay questions 1. (09Jan) Discuss the ways in which media products are produced and distributed to audiences within a media area which you have studied. 2. Discuss the issues raised by an institution’s need to target specific audiences within a media industry which you have studied.