WORKING TITLE – SOME RESEARCH/REVISION WORK

Please work through this document and the various links. It might make sense to work through it on-screen rather than

You should familiarise yourself with the Working Title Films site. This has plenty of good things about the company and its films. It might be interesting, for example, to use the poster gallery and trailers to see how the films have been promoted and the target audience that they have in mind.

Keep an eye on two films that have just been released in the UK. Try to consider any marketing/trailers/web adverting that you come across.

It might be useful to focus on a couple of films that you know/like to see if you can get a more complete picture of their production history. If you go to imdb you can look up individual films etc and then down the left hand side are links to all sorts of things. If you click on ‘company details’ it will indicate whether Working Title produced the film on its own or as a co-production with other company/companies

1. Read this article from 2004 and complete the questions belowhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/2821801.stm

Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner have been described as the "Brit flick's ……………………………………………….", Britain's "movie moguls" and "gamblers with …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………"

The early Working Title films were a mixture of ……………………………………….., such as Sammy and Rosie Get Laid, and support for …………………………………….., such as Tim Robbins' Bob Roberts.

In 1999 Working Title signed a reported …………………… deal with film giant Universal. While the overall deal is probably exaggerated, it gave the pair the power to commission films with a budget up to ………………… without even consulting their pay masters.

Their most recent success is the launch of ……………………….., an offshoot designed to produce smaller budget films.

2. Read all of this document and then summarise Tim Bevan’s answers to the following questions from Page 3:a) How does your development system work?

b) Do you spend a lot on development?

c) What's the difference between the European film culture and the Hollywood culture?

3. This document summarises the range of films that Working Title produces: “Though best known for the blockbuster comedies of Richard Curtis and Rowan Atkinson, they also deliver………

[complete the quotation] and from the list of films, available at working title - wikipedia try to identify an example of each film type…..

The article also identifies three directors, an actor and an actress who have been significant in the history of Working Title. Find them and the films associated with them.

1.2.3.4.5.

The article also discusses why United 93 shows that Working Title can still make edgy, ambitious projects. What was risky/unusual about United 93.

How did the relationship between Working Title and director Phillip Noyce work on the film Catch a Fire?

What is the great advantage for Working Title of working to relatively tight budgets?

4. Use this document and this one to find out a little more about Working Title’s business. Where are their offices? How many people work for them and what do they do? How does Working Title choose which films to make.

5. Here’s an interesting article about how Working Title might become involved in Television. This would be an interesting example of convergence. Find out how this arrangement might work.

6. Here’s really important article about the ways in which Working Title keeps a strong European dimension and a level of independence from Universal by making sure it has the freedom to develop co-productions with StudioCanal+. Make some notes on how this works.