Working Title Films.

Established by Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan in 1984Ownership :1984 – Independent1992 – Polygram buys Working Title1998 – Polygram is taken over by Seagram2000 – Seagram is brought by Vivendi who in turn owns Universal.Today – Working Title is owned by Universal

Box Office Success:My Beautiful Laundrette –1985 – Budget £650,000took $2,451,545 WorldwideFour Weddings and a Funeral – 1994 - took $245,700,832 Bean –1997 – took $251,212,670Notting Hill –1999 – took $363,889,700Love Actually –2003 – took $246,943,017Les Miserables –2012 – took $437,710,466

Funding:- Channel Four- Polygram- Universal

Box Office Flops:The Boat That Rocked –2009 – Unsuccessful in UK – took $36,348,784Ned Kelly –2033 - took $6,585,516Wimbledon –2004 – took $41,512,007

Why they are successful – Have done many co-productions with American production companies- These American companies could provide funding and gain access to outcomes that were unachievable before.

E.g. American stars.

Warp Films

Established by Rob Mitchell and Steve Beckett later Mark HerbertOwnership:- Independent

Funding:- BBC Films- Film4- UK Film Council- Screen Yorkshire- EM Media

Box Office Success:Dead Mans Shoes –2004 - took $198,081 WorldwideDonkey Punch –2008 - took £694,422 In the UKThis Is England –2006 - took £5,058,600 in the UKFour Lions2010 – took $4,658,570Tyrannosaur2011 - took £244,536 in the UKSubmarine – 2010 – took £2,300,000 in the UK

Why they are successful:- Have funding from many UK sources granting them the money they need to make the films- Have little spending budgets but then produce films that are successful and make a large amount of profit- Have made many UK films that have been acclaimed for being unique and won many awards at film festivals and award ceremonies such as the BAFTA’s.

Box Office Flops: Bunny and the Bull –2009 – took $81,010Grow Your Own – 2007 – took £103,777 in the UK

The

Diff

ere

nce

s…

The key difference between Working Title and Warp Films is that despite both being British independent film companies, Working Title then went on to gain help and acquire business deals with American film companies such as Universal which is a studio part of the ‘big six’ conglomerates, Allowing them to large amounts of funding, ease of production, distribution and exhibition worldwide as well as American film stars. Whereas Warp Films has stayed completely independent and still works with small budget films however that can be just as successful as Working Title Films such as ‘This Is England’ and ‘Four Lions’.