Representation in Working Title Films

They have a strong sense of identity
Is there such a thing as a Working Title film?
Yes
Is there such a thing as a British Working Title film?
Yes
Universal paid a billion dollars to get 60-75% share in the company
Their films have realism, due to locations, relatable characters, incongruous humour and universal story-lines.
They are the most successful British film production company ever.
They've grossed over $90 billion dollars worldwide.

Four Weddings and a Funeral: Directed by Mike Newell, written by Richard Curtis
Realism: Being late for a wedding is a very relatable situation, all cars featured are British, known British locations shown, British miss-en-scene, Americans love hearing British people swear, eccentric characters, classes, self deprecating humour.

NOTTING HILL

The British culture is shown in the mise-en-scene, as it's very tidy and reflects class a lot. The props all seem British and the clothing does as well.

The family lives in a terraced British house and all of the furniture seems British and aren't found as much in America. The house is noticeably occupied with props and looks different from American
houses.

Will: Awkward, endearing, self depreciating Anna: Modest, intelligent, humorous  Honey: Obsessive, emotional, eccentric   Bernie: Workaholic, down to earth, polite  Max: Inquisitive, deadpan, sharp  Bella: Slightly downbeat, pleasant, witty

Will: Awkward Englishman    Anna: Glamorous movie star   Honey: Eccentric  Bernie: Overworked businessman   Max: Quirky best friend   Bella: Humorous but hard done by figure

There are many self depreciating or affectionately insulting jokes and phrases throughout the scene. There are many characters being hard on themselves throughout, and also the dialogue captures the differences between the British and American characters.

Julia Roberts was a known American film star, while the others are actors known for playing British roles and therefore often eccentric ones.

Although the scene is a romanticised version of British eccentricity, overall it's a realistically awkward scenario and the dialogue feels slightly exaggerated but is an exaggerated version of realistic conversations.

Overall, it fits our perceptions and this is key to the effectiveness of the scene.



  

Working Title Fact File

• Tim Bevan and Sarah Radclyffe founded the company in 1983.
• The co chairman are Eric Fellner and Tim Bevan.
• Working Title was founded in 1983. From 1992 onwards they were backed by PolyGram, a music company. Radclyffe left and shortly afterwards Bevan came on-board. The company made films from PolyGram filmed entertainment and these were very successful. Eventually this company was sold to Universal Studios and Working Title remains linked to Universal. Universal paid hundreds of millions to buy the company and they still get a good slice of the profits.
• Working Title has 2 subsidiary companies: WT2 for independent movies and Working Title Television for TV productions.  
• The Working Title chairmen make decisions together and focus less on finding money and more on finding good scripts. Being part of one of the major film studios has helped then stay in the business. Although Universal make many of the decisions, the chairmen still have some control and there's always an emphasis on quality. They release films strategically to make sure they don't lose profits.
• Major films include Barton Fink, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Fargo, Elizabeth, Notting Hill, Billy Elliot, About a Boy, Love Actually, Shaun of the Dead, Bridget Jones, Pride & Prejudice, Hot Fuzz, Atonement, Green Zone, Senna, Rush and The Theory of Everything.
• Working Title films have grossed more than $6 billion worldwide, have won 10 Oscars, 35 BAFTAs and various other prestigious awards.  
• Collaborators include the Coen Brothers, Richard Curtis, Stephen Daldry, Paul Greengrass, Edgar Wright, Joe Wright, Rowan Atkinson, Cate Blanchett, Colin Firth, Hugh Grant, Keira Knightly, Saoirse Ronan, Gary Oldman and Emma Thompson.
• Working Title have various other projects lined up for release and are still going strong.