Celador is an independent British entertainment production company formed in 1983. It produces films, radio programs, and theater and is best known for films like Slumdog Millionaire and The Descent. With a small size, Celador creates projects one by one using profits from past projects and funding from co-producers. While The Descent received most of its funding from Celador, Northmen was heavily involved in production. Celador competes with other British production companies like DNA Films and Film4 but has difficulty competing at the blockbuster level of large Hollywood studios like Sony Pictures.

1. Celador

2. Ownership
Celador is an independant entertainment
production company formed in 1983.
Shareholders Jasper Carrott and Paul Smith
were bought out by Complete Communications
and the company was expanded to incorporate
radio, film and theatre. As Celador were about to
be sold to Dutch group 2waytraffic, they bought
themselves out and became Celador
Productions. They are now again an independant
company.

3. Operating Model
Because of the company’s small size, Celador creates new
project one by one meaning they can hire directors and
actors as they are needed rather than keep them on for the
entire project. When funding a lot of their productions, they
use profits from past projects and get the rest of the money
from co-producers. When the company was a lot younger
and less successful they would have needed bank loans or
receive funding from the BFI. They often work with Pathe
productions.

4. The Descent
Whilst it was mostly funded by Celador,
Northmen were heavily involved with the
production. Northmen would have hired all the
directors, actors, editors etc on freelance. It
was partially funded by Celador from profits off
previous products, the rest of the funding came
from selling the distribution rights to Pathe in
advance to fund the film.

5. Products
Celador Productions has a number of different divisions
including film, radio, entertainment and theatre. Celador
film are most famous for Slumdog Millionaire, The Descent,
Dirty Pretty Things and Separate Lies. Their entertainment
branch is made Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and the
radio branch own The Breeze Network, Jack FM and Fire
Radio. They have also recently set up a record label and a
theatre company.

6. Market Position and Competitors
Some of Celador’s competitors include DNA Films, Film4
Productions and Sony Pictures
The Last King of Scotland (DNA Films) Budget:
$6,000,000. Gross: $17,606,684. Almost trebled budget.
127 hours (Film4 Productions) Budget: $18,000,000 Gross:
$18,335,230. Small profit.

7. The Amazing Spiderman (Sony Pictures) Budget: $230,000,000 Gross:
262,030,663. Couple million profit.
The Descent (Celador Film) Budget: $3,500,000 Gross: $57,024,456. Over 15
times profit.
The British film industry is often greatly dwarfed in box office returns by hollywood. British film doesn’t
get the funding or promotion to compete with films like the Amazing Spider-man (Budget
$230,000,000, Gross $262,000,000) from Sony. Sony have the idea of spending more money to make
more money knowing they have worldwide appeal, and Celador cannot compete with their smaller
budget. The Descent is one of Celadors highest grossing films, (Budget $3,500,000, Gross
$57,000,000) but it hasn’t anywhere near as much as Amazing Spider-man. However, descent has
done better than films from other British competitors like the Last King of Scotland from DNA films
(Budget $6,000,000, Gross $17,000,000) and 127 hours from Film4 Productions (Budget $18,000,000,
Gross $18,300,000).