A presentation about Working Title Film Production Company. Background Funding Key Players Science Fiction

1. “They have been listed as the most powerful figures in the British industry
and in 2002 Premiere magazine put them at 41st in the world-wide movie
power list.” ( BBC News story (2004)

2. • Working title films is co-chaired by Tim Bevan and Eric
Fellner since 1992 and is one of the worlds leading film
production companies.
• It was found in 1983 and it has made over 100 films that
have grossed over $6billion worldwide.
• Working title have won 11 Academy Awards, 38 BAFTA
awards and numerous prestige prizes at the Cannes and
Berlin International Film festivals.
• In 1998, Universal joined Working Titles.
• Working Title can spend $35million on a film before having
to consult Universal.

3. • Each year, the British Film Institute (BFI) invest over
£26m of lottery funds to support film development,
production and distribution activity in the UK and the
budget is set to rise o £30m by 2017.
• Between 2001 and 2002, the council had £57m at their
disposal, with £20.8m from the government and £36.2m
from the lottery.
• Film companies can claim back money if they meet a
certain criteria:

4. • Accessing film tax relief
• Film tax relief is available for British qualifying films. Films
must either pass the Cultural Test or qualify as an official co-
production;
• Films must be intended for theatrical release;
• Films, including those made under official co-production
treaties, must have a minimum UK core spend requirement of
10%;
• Tax relief is available on qualifying UK production expenditure
on the lower of either: 80% of total core expenditure; or the
actual UK core expenditure incurred.
• There is no cap on the amount which can be claimed.
• The film production company (FPC) responsible for the film
needs to be within the UK corporation tax net.

5. • They enjoy collaborating with filmmakers such as the
Coen Brothers, Richard Curtis, Stephen Daldry, Paul
Greengrass, Edgar Wright and Joe Wright.

6. • Here are some of actors they enjoy working with; Rowan
Atkinson, Cate Blanchett, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Keira
Knightley, Saoirse Ronan, Gary Oldman and Emma
Thompson.

7. • Love Actually is a 2003 British Christmas-themed
romantic comedy film written and directed by Richard
Curtis.
• The estimated budget for this film was $45,000,000.
• This film is what people wanted because it featured
Christmas which many people are aware of and they like
the thought of Christmas, it cast high class British actors
which made the film ‘more’ British and also, it had a
mention of America in it which will have made the
Americans want to watch it because it had their country
in it which gave them a sense of pride.

8. • This film was released 13th May 1994 in the UK and 20th
January 1994 in the USA and it was produced by Richard
Curtis.
• The estimated budget for this film was $4,500,000.
• This film cast actors such as Hugh Grant, Andie
MacDowell, James Fleet, Simon Callow, John Hannah,
Kristin Scott, Thomas David Bower, Charlotte Coleman,
Timothy Walker, Sara Crowe, Rowan Atkinson, David
Haig, Sophie Thompson, Corin Redgrave, Anna
Chancellor and Duncan Kenworthy.

9. • Working titles don’t produce scientific films because they
cannot compete with Hollywood as they don’t want to
seem like they are copying them and they don’t have the
budget to do it. They may use some special effects, but
not major ones that are very noticeable as this would
take a large chunk out of their budget.