Working Title & Warp Films Fact File

1. Working Title &
Warp Films
Fact File
Abi Bacon

2. Working Title
Abi Bacon

3. Working Title Productions
 Working Title Films is a British film company, based in London, owned by the conglomerate company
of Universal Studios.
 The company was founded by Tom Bevan and Sarah Radcliffe in 1983, beginning as a small
independent company, specialising within the creation of British films, to one that has become
relatively large in scale, due to the joined influence of Universal Studios.
 During the companies time, in 1992, it began to merge with other independent companies, such as
that of Polygram, this was a successful label company at the time, which took the role as bank
manager, until it was then sold to Seagram company, in which it then merged to MCA music
entertainment to become the Universal Music Group. Polygram films was then sold to Universal
Studios in 1999. [4]
 Also at this time, a branch off from working title was formed, this known as Working Title 2, or WT2
which, produced films such as Billy Elliot, Shaun of the Dread and Calcium Kid.

4. Working Title Style
 The films produced by working Title are all British films. Which due to the
companies, solely British origins, and the companies reputation and repertoire of
films within its collection, has been met with very little issues in regards to gaining
qualification within the BFI Cultural Test.
 This focus upon this style of film has resulted within a number of highly
conventional films in regards to British culture, for example the use of British
directors and films crews, as well as the extensive use of British locations and
iconic British actors.
 For example one of Working Titles iconic actors is that of Hugh Grant, who has
featured in a number of working title films, such as Notting Hill ($363.8 million) and
Four Weddings and Funeral (reaching £161,300,377 at box office). Hugh Grant’s
stereotypically British character type is iconic within all of his featured films, and
has the effect off helping to form the highly cultural focus towards Britain that this
independent company presents.
 Despite the companies independent status, due to their link with Universal Studios,
the company is often joined in collaboration with larger companies allowing for a
higher budgeted, and therefore the chance for a higher quality, film. For example
within films such as Shaun of the Dead, in which: Universal Pictures, Studio Canal
and Rogue Pictures all took apart within the creation of the film, an out come
resulting in a budget of $6.1 million formed a grossing of $30 million at Box office.

5. Working Title Icons
 Iconic features of working title include that of the use of
settings within Britain, commonly areas of London,
conventional to British culture, as well as that of actors
such as High Grant.
 Other iconic actors include that of Simon Pegg and Nick
Frost, whose films are often highly centred upon, comedy
and action, as well as more diverse genres such as that of
buddy cop.
 For example, within films such as Hot Fuzz (2013, directed
by Edgar Wright), the 2 play central roles as policemen,
with Simon, taking the lead role and Nick conventionally
acting as his somewhat comic relief sidekick, the film
follows a pattern of character types and themes, reflective
to their other films, such as Shaun of the Dead, in which
the two characters often harbour an amusing and close
friendship, and thus forming a certain sense of expectancy
within Working Title films.

6. Warp Films
Abi Bacon

7. Warp Films
 Warp Films is an independent British film and television production company, based
within Sheffield and London. However, also harbouring connections with branching
Warp Films within Australia, Melbourne.
 In regards to the style that Warp Production incorporates within their films, this is very
much reflective of the production company's ethos. This being their values and ideas
as a company. This being to create films that are unique, and original, as well as can
form challenging themes and ideas that can sometimes be interpreted as
controversial. This can be seen upon the production companies unique website in
which the first phrase one is met with is “If you like predictable and formulaic
storytelling, you’ve come to the wrong place”. [2]
 Therefore revealing the psychographic group that this company aims towards to be
evasive of the mainstreamer, majority of the population, and more towards the more
specified group of explorer, as people from this group are willing to accept and
consume new ideas that go against the normal conventions of society.

8. Films
 One of Warp Films most successful and
famous films is ‘This is England’, directed
by Shane Meadows, in 2006. This film is
about a young boy who becomes friends
with a gang of skinheads. In which friends
soon become like family, and
relationships are be pushed to the very
limit. [1]
 Within this film the focus upon Britain is
immense, including British settings, cast
and crew, and is a highly reflective film of
Warp Films’ unique film style as well as
their independency and focus upon
creating intriguing and high quality British
Films, that do not always conform to the
conventions of society.

9. References
 [1] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0480025/
 [2] http://warpfilms.com/
 [3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_Title_Films