Working Title and Warp Films Research Questions

Working Title and Warp Films
Institution and Audiences

AOs
Production Practices to appeal to audiences
Distribution and Marketing strategies to raise audience awareness
New technologies to help target specific audiences
Audience and how they challenge institutions


1. Who are Working Title?
Working Title Films is a British film production company, based in London, England. The company was founded by Tim Bevan and Sarah Radclyffe in 1982. It produces feature films and some television productions. Eric Fellner and Bevan are the co-owners of the company now.

2. Who are Warp Films?
Warp Films, a sister company of Warp Records, was set up in 1999 with funding from NESTA. It is based in Sheffield, England with a further office in London and has 14 full-time staff.

3. Are they independent or part of a conglomerate?
Working Title is a conglomerate company meaning it is part of other film company’s e.g. universal studios, whilst Warp Films are an independent film company.

4. How does the ownership of the company affect the budgets for film?
The ownership of the company effects the budgets for a film because larger more successful film companies would have more money to spend and therefore higher budgets for their films than smaller film companies.

5. Create a list of films that both institutions have produced.
Working Title Films About a Boy (film)
Ali G Indahouse
Atonement (film)
User:Nayrouz Aly/Atonement
Barton Fink
Bean (film)
The Big Lebowski
Billy Elliot
The Boat That Rocked
Bob Roberts
The Borrowers (1997 film)
Bridget Jones's Diary (film)
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (film)
Burn After Reading
The Calcium Kid
Captain Corelli's Mandolin (film)
Catch a Fire (film)
Chicago Joe and the Showgirl
Chihuanhas
Dead Man Walking (film)
Definitely, Maybe
Doraemon: Nobita's Dinosaur
Drop Dead Fred
Edward II (film)
Elizabeth (film)
Elizabeth: The Golden Age
Fargo (film)
For Queen and Country
40 Days and 40 Nights
Four Weddings and a Funeral
French Kiss (film)
Frost/Nixon (film)
Green Zone (film)
The Guru (2002 film)
The Hi-Lo Country
Hippie Hippie Shake
Hot Fuzz
The Hudsucker Proxy
Inside I'm Dancing
The Interpreter
Johnny English
Land and Freedom
Loch Ness (film)
London Kills Me
Long Time Dead
Love Actually
The Man Who Cried
The Man Who Wasn't There
Map of the Human Heart
Mickybo and Me
Moonlight and Valentino
Mr. Bean's Holiday
My Beautiful Laundrette
My Little Eye
Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang
Nanny McPhee
Ned Kelly (2003 film)
Notting Hill (film)
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Panther (film)
Paperhouse (film)
Paul (film)
Plunkett & Macleane
Posse (1993 film)
Pride & Prejudice (2005 film)
The Return of the Borrowers
Robin Hood (1991 film)
Romeo Is Bleeding
Rubin and Ed
Sammy and Rosie Get Laid
A Serious Man
Shaun of the Dead
Smokin' Aces
The Soloist
State of Play (film)
Tales of the City (TV miniseries)
The Tall Guy
The Comic Strip
Thunderbirds (film)
United 93 (film)
Wild Child (2008 film)
Wimbledon (film)
Wish You Were Here (1987 film)
A World Apart (film)
The Young Americans (film)

Warp Films
My Wrongs #8245–8249 & 117 (Dir: Chris Morris - 2003)
Dead Man's Shoes (Dir: Shane Meadows - 2004)
Rubber Johnny (Dir: Chris Cunningham - 2005)
Scummy Man (Arctic Monkeys short film/music video)
This Is England (Dir: Shane Meadows - 2006)
"Grow Your Own"(Dir: Richard Laxton - 2007)
Dog Altogether (Dir: Paddy Considine - 2007)
All Tomorrow's Parties (Dir: Jonathan Caouette & All Tomorrow's People]] - 2009)



6. Choose one from each list and compare the budgets for these films and how much they made.

Warp Films-"Grow Your Own" Budget £2.5 million

Working Title Films-State of Play (film) - Budget $60 million Gross revenue $88,336,552


7. Now choose a Hollywood Blockbuster and research the budget.
The Dark Knight- Budget $185 million Gross revenue $1,001,921,825

8. Where do Working Title and Warp Films get their funding from?
Warp Films - NESTA provided early-stage funding to Warp Films. Their debut project won a BAFTA and they have gone on to create a niche brand of short films. Since their NESTA award, the company has been awarded £4.5 million from the UK Film Council, FilmFour and regional funding bodies to introduce the next wave of cutting-edge British filmmakers.
Working Title - Working Title began as an Independent, then had a term deal with Polygram (1992-1998) and currently has an ongoing financing and distribution arrangement with Universal Pictures and Canal Plus.

9. In the case of Warp Films, how does the budget affect the genre they use?
In Warp Films, the budget affects the genre they use because a lower budget film limits the amount of genre’s that can be produced as some films e.g. action will need expensive special effects and more realistic props which low budget films simply can’t afford.

10. What is the main appeal of this genre? Give examples.
The main appeal of this genre is that it is set in real places which make the films more realistic and believable to viewers as it is made in places that exist.

11. Who are the target audience for Working Title and Warp Films?
The target audience for Working Title Films are – a ‘four quadrant’ movie. appeals to all people.
The target audience for Warp Films are – smaller audience, sticking to the genre of the film

12. What is the main genre of the films Working Title produce?
The main genre of the films Working Title produce are mainly comedy films as they appeal to a wide array of audiences.