Working Title Productions is another of the British Film Industry's highest-rank companies. Founded in 1984, the company is co-owned by Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner.
The company is also partly owned by major Hollywood Film Company Universal Studios, having a 67% share in the company. Despite this, Working Title has since been listed as being one of the largest companies in the British Film Industry today.
Despite this status, the company has only 42 employees working full time, spread also across the sister company ‘Working Title 2 Productions’ , a subsidiary company launched in 1999 by Bevan and Fellner. The company is run by Natascha Wharton, producing well-received films such as Billy Elliot and Shaun of the Dead.The Distribution of films from Working Title is affected greatly because of their partnership with Universal as they have the most power over the company, they can decide when it is best to distribute films. For example, if Universal produces a film of their own at the same time as Working Title, they will hold back distribution of Working Title’s film to make room for Universals big block buster film. On average, Working Title produce four films a year, one of which needs to be a block buster film, their partnership with Universal helps immensely with costs and distribution etc.
A block buster produced by Universal will always receive a huge response at the box office in the first weekend, for example in 2004, Working Title produced Bridget Jones’ Diary, Thunderbirds and Shaun of the Dead. Thunderbirds turned out to be a major flop at the box office, against the predicted response. Despite this, the film company was supported by the two other films distributed that year with the help of Universal.
A strong reason for successful films from Working Title is their reputation for having a wide genre appealing to niche audiences for example; films such as Notting Hill and Hot Fuzz both have a targeted niche audience. Aside from this, the company’s main audiences are Romantic Comedy audiences and family audiences. Due to their partnership with Universal, Working Title has access to fresh talent actors and well known directors to help produce a successful film, for example, Stephen Dadly. Cherished actors by Working Title include Hugh Grant and Richard Curtis, both being British which is a huge positive aspect for the British film company, worldwide viewers will remember that it is a British film despite Universal ownership. Working Title tend to treasure actors and use them again in other films, almost like a family.
The philosophy of Working Title is: ‘to make films for an audience which are then played in a multiplex as this is the only hope of sustaining the UK film industry’, according to Tim Bevan.
Despite this status, the company has only 42 employees working full time, spread also across the sister company ‘Working Title 2 Productions’ , a subsidiary company launched in 1999 by Bevan and Fellner. The company is run by Natascha Wharton, producing well-received films such as Billy Elliot and Shaun of the Dead.The Distribution of films from Working Title is affected greatly because of their partnership with Universal as they have the most power over the company, they can decide when it is best to distribute films. For example, if Universal produces a film of their own at the same time as Working Title, they will hold back distribution of Working Title’s film to make room for Universals big block buster film. On average, Working Title produce four films a year, one of which needs to be a block buster film, their partnership with Universal helps immensely with costs and distribution etc.
A block buster produced by Universal will always receive a huge response at the box office in the first weekend, for example in 2004, Working Title produced Bridget Jones’ Diary, Thunderbirds and Shaun of the Dead. Thunderbirds turned out to be a major flop at the box office, against the predicted response. Despite this, the film company was supported by the two other films distributed that year with the help of Universal.
A strong reason for successful films from Working Title is their reputation for having a wide genre appealing to niche audiences for example; films such as Notting Hill and Hot Fuzz both have a targeted niche audience. Aside from this, the company’s main audiences are Romantic Comedy audiences and family audiences. Due to their partnership with Universal, Working Title has access to fresh talent actors and well known directors to help produce a successful film, for example, Stephen Dadly. Cherished actors by Working Title include Hugh Grant and Richard Curtis, both being British which is a huge positive aspect for the British film company, worldwide viewers will remember that it is a British film despite Universal ownership. Working Title tend to treasure actors and use them again in other films, almost like a family.
The philosophy of Working Title is: ‘to make films for an audience which are then played in a multiplex as this is the only hope of sustaining the UK film industry’, according to Tim Bevan.
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