G322 CASE STUDY
WORKING TITLE FILMS
- CONTENTS -
INSTITUTIONS
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Working Title Films
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Universal Studios
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Vivendi
Current assets:
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General Electric
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Overall interests
Entertainment interests
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Issues raised by ownership patterns / trends in contemporary media practice
Loss of national identity
Company Structure
Media imperialism
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Importance of cross media convergence / ownership and synergy in production, distribution and
marketing
Cross media convergence
Synergy
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NEW TECHNOLOGY
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Impact in recent years (prod, marketing, distribution & exchange) on institutions and audiences
Digital production
Digital distribution & exchange / exhibition
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Significance of proliferation in hardware & content for institutions and audiences
Institutions
Audiences
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Importance of technological convergence for institutions and audiences
Institutions
Audiences
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AUDIENCES
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Issues raised in the targeting of UK national / local audiences by international or global institutions
Media imperialism: The world according to Hollywood
Representations of Britishness
Working Title representations
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Ways in which the students’ own consumption experiences illustrate wider patterns and trends
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INSTITUTIONS
Working Title Films
Working Title is currently the UK’s most successful and long lived feature film production
company.
o 1984: Founded by Tim Bevan and Sarah Radclyffe. First investment: £500,000 in My
Beautiful Laundrette, the first of a series of collaborations with Channel Four Films.
Overall, 15 films produced in the 1980s.
o 1991: Sets up a Hollywood office, developing production deals with Tim Robbins (Bob
Roberts, UK/USA, 1992 and Dead Man Walking, UK/USA, 1995) and the Coen brothers
(Fargo, UK/USA, 1996, The Big Lebowski, UK/USA 1998).
o 1992: Working Title bought by PolyGram (a European music company). Sarah Radclyffe
leaves to set up her own production company (Little Bird) and is replaced by the American
producer, Eric Fellner.
o 1998: PolyGram bought by Universal, a subsidiary of Seagram. Universal allows Working
Title to greenlight films up to a budget of $35m, with WT2 being set up to encourage new
British filmmakers. One of the first films produced was Billy Elliot (Stephen Daldry, 1999).
o 2000: Seagram bought by Vivendi, the French multimedia conglomerate with extensive
interests in film, TV, video games, music publishing, telecommunications and the internet.
o 2004: Vivendi sells 80% share of Universal to GE (General Electric Company), the parent
company of NBC (National Broadcasting Company). The resulting media conglomerate is
called NBC Universal, with Universal Studios becoming its film production subsidiary.
o This means that Working Title is now owned by Universal Studios, a subsidiary of NBC
Universal, which is itself a subsidiary of Vivendi (owning 20%) and GE (owning 80%).
o Last year, Working Title’s turnover was £________, giving it a profit of £_________.
NB: In 1982 Universal and Paramount set up UIP (United International Pictures), an
international film distribution company and cinema chain, thereby guaranteeing outlets for all
their films. The company is based in London.
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Selected WT filmography as a subsidiary
1. The Boat That Rocked (2009)
2. Frost/Nixon (2008)
3. Atonement (2007)
4. Nanny McPhee (2005)
5. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)
6. Wimbledon (2004)
7. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
8. Love Actually (2003)
9. Thirteen (2003)
10. Ali G Indahouse (2002)
11. About a Boy (2002)
12. Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2001)
13. Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)
14. Billy Elliot (2000)
15. Notting Hill (1999)
16. Elizabeth (1998)
17. The Big Lebowski (1998)
18. Bean (1997)
19. Fargo (1996)
20. Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
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Universal Studios
1912: Universal formed as one of the original major Hollywood film studios.
1962: Universal bought by American record giant MCA (Music Corporation of America).
1990: MCA/Universal Home Video set up to enter videotape and (later) DVD markets.
1997: Seagram acquires 80% of the MCA/Universal group. The film arm is called Universal
Studios, with the MCA music division being called the Universal Music Group.
2000: Seagram is bought by Vivendi, the French multimedia conglomerate. Vivendi has
extensive interests in film, TV, video games, music publishing, telecommunications and the
internet.
2004: Struggling financially, Vivendi sells 80% of its stake in Universal to GE (General
Electric Company) – the parent company of NBC (National Broadcasting Company) a major
player in the USA television sector. The resulting media conglomerate is called NBC
Universal, with Universal Studios becoming a film production subsidiary.
Example list of Universal films (only since 1970s)
1. Jaws
2. The Sting
3. Back to the Future
4. Child’s Play
5. ET
6. Halloween
7. Jurassic Park
8. Schindler's List
9. The Nutty Professor
10. American Pie
11. Billy Elliot (with Working Title, BBC Films & Tiger Aspect)
12. Gladiator
13. Oh Brother, Where Art Thou (with Working Title & Touchstone Pictures)
14. Captain Corelli's Mandolin (with Working Title, Studio Canal & Miramax )
15. Bridget Jones's Diary (with Working Title, Studio Canal and Miramax)
16. The Bourne Identity
17. 8 Mile
18. Bruce Almighty
19. Love Actually (with Working Title & Studio Canal)
20. Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (with Working Title & Miramax)
21. King Kong
22. Nanny McPhee (with Working Title)
23. Mr Bean's Holiday (with Working Title & StudioCanal)
24. Mamma Mia!: The Movie
25. Frost/Nixon (with Working Title & Imagine Entertainment)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Universal_Pictures_films"
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Vivendi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vivendi is an French cross-media conglomerate with activities in film, television, video
games, music, publishing, telecommunications and the internet. It bought Universal Studios
from Canadian company Seagram in 2000.
Current assets:
Film and Television
20% of Universal (with General Electric owning 80%)
(See section in General Electric below)
Canal+ Group (inc Canal+; StudioCanal; Optimum Releasing; CanalSatellite;
CinéCinéma; Sport+; Extreme Sports Channel
Music
Universal Music Group labels, including:
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A&M Records
Decca Records
DreamWorks Records
Interscope Records (inc Vagrant Records; MySpace Records; Island Records)
Jazzland Records
MCA Nashville Records
Mercury Nashville Records
Mercury Records
Polydor
Philips Records
Universal Classics Group
Universal Motown Records Group
Universal Music Group Nashville (inc Universal Records; Motown Records; Bad Boy
Records; Street Records Corporation; Urban Records; Verve Records)
Video games
52-68% of Activision Blizzard (inc Activision; Blizzard Entertainment; Massive
Entertainment; Sierra Entertainment; Universal Interactive Studios; Vivendi Universal
Games; Vivendi Games
Telecommunications
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SFR
Maroc Telecom
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General Electric
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The General Electric Company (GE), is a multinational conglomerate, founded by Thomas
Edison in 1878. (Edison developed the electric light bulb and the phonograph).
As of September, 2008, GE is the world's tenth largest company.
Overall interests
o Electricity
o Lighting
o Aviation
o Aircraft Jet Engines
o Railway Locomotives
o Finance
o Gas & Wind Turbines
o Industrial Automation
o Medical Imaging Equipment & Medical Software
o Motors
o Entertainment
Entertainment interests
1919: The Radio Corporation of America (RCA) founded by GE and given independancy to
further international radio development.
1986: GE re-acquires RCA, primarily for its NBC television network.
2004: GE buys 80% of Vivendi’s television and movie assets, combining its NBC interests
with Universal’s to form NBC Universal, the third largest media conglomerate in the world:
Current NBC Universal structure:
NBC
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NBC Network Television stations
NBC Entertainment
NBC News
NBC Sports
NBC Studios
NBC Universal Sports & Olympics
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NBC Universal Television
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NBC Universal Television Distribution
NBC Universal International Television
Universal Media Studios
EMKA Ltd
NBC Universal Digital Media
NBC Universal Cable
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A&E Television Networks (inc The History Channel; Crime & Investigation Network)
Bravo
Chiller
CNBC & CNBC World (both co-owned with Dow Jones)
MSNBC (co-owned with Microsoft)
NBC WeatherPlus and ShopNBC
The Weather Channel
WeatherPlus
mun2
Sci Fi Channel
The Sundance Channel
Sleuth
USA Network
Universal HD
NBC Universal Global Networks [inc LAPTV (co-owned with Paramount Pictures,
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and 20th Century Fox); Telecine Brazil (co-owned with
Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks, MGM, 20th Century Fox and Globosat Canais]
Telemundo
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Includes: KVEA/KWHY - Los Angeles; WNJU - New York; WSCV – Miami;
WSNS – Chicago; KBLR - Las Vegas).
TiVo
Universal Studios (co-owned with Vivendi)
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Universal Pictures
Universal Operations Group (Universal Production Studios; Universal Parks &
ResortsFocus Features)
Working Title Films
Universal Studios Licensing
Universal Animation Studios
Universal Interactive
Universal Pictures International
Universal Home Entertainment
United International Pictures (UIP) (co-owned with Paramount Pictures / Viacom);
qubo - Qubo Venture, LLC
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Issues raised by ownership patterns / trends in contemporary
media practice
Loss of national identity
A study of Working Title’s output suggests one of the issues raised by ownership patterns and
trends is that Working Title’s success has been built upon making films with both British and
American stars to appeal to an international market, starting with Four Weddings and a
Funeral (1994).
However, this approach has provoked criticism about the 'mid-Atlantic' nature of its films.
Working Title thus exemplifies the ongoing debate in the British film industry – whether to
make culturally specific films which appeal to a more limited audience, or to make broader,
generic films aimed at a much wider, international audience.
Company Structure
Another issue is contemporary company structures, with big really being beautiful in Working
Title’s case, on two accounts:
1. At first, WT enjoyed its freedom as a small independent UK company, thanks to
Channel Four. Formed in 1982, Ch4 had a government remit to commission and show
programme content from independent production companies, encouraging material
that would not be given exposure on the other terrestrial channels. Within two years
Channel Four had co-produced over 20 feature films with UK production companies
for its regular “Film on Four” slot. Because there were guaranteed TV premieres for
these independent films, production companies such as WT could afford to take more
cutting edge risks with their choice of subject matter and style of production than
mainstream production companies. WT’s Channel Four debut, My Beautiful
Laundrette (1984) featured life in London’s Asian community, with two of the main
characters having a homosexual affair.
However, the downside here is that WT continually faced difficulties in raising the
money needed for their productions, unless they were low budget collaborations with
Ch4. My Beautiful Laundrette only had a budget of £500,000 from Ch4 in 1984.
2. Universal’s protective umbrella has meant that WT now has a green light to make
films up to £40,000,000 without Universal’s permission. This is because Universal
enjoys the economies of scale associated with large companies, enabling it to build up
huge financial reserves. This has enabled WT (as a horizontally integrated partner) to
survive poor box office returns for Elizabeth (1997), Captain Corelli's Mandolin
(2000) and Wimbledon(2004) in a way that small independent film companies would
not be able to. Indeed, Ch4’s own production arm, FilmFour, went bust over the box
office flop of just one film – Charlotte Gray.
However, there is a major down-side here for the British economy. Although WT
films can be classified as British at the production stage, they are distributed by
Universal, who then claw back a huge chunk of the worldwide box office profits. So,
is WT really a success story for the British Film Industry?
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Examples of WT Box Office returns as an independent (all figures approx)
Film
My Beautiful Laundrette (1984)
The Tall Guy (1989)
Arcadia (1990)
Budget (£)
Box office UK
Box Office WW
500,000
Examples of WT Box Office returns as a subsidiary (all figures approx)
Film
Four Weddings & A Funeral (1994)
Elizabeth (1997)
Notting Hill (1998)
Bridget Jones's Diary (2000)
Captain Corelli's Mandolin (2000)
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (2004)
Love, Actually (2004)
Wimbledon (2004)
Budget (£)
3,250,000
13,000,000
15,000,000
14,000,000
13,000,000
35,000,000
30,000,000
20,000,000
Box office UK
Box Office WW
170,309,000
5,536,790
31,006,109
42,007,008
9,800,000
186,000,000
36,238,777
6,886,568
Media imperialism
As multinational media conglomerates grow larger and more powerful many believe that it
will become increasingly difficult for smaller, national and regional media companies to
survive. Also, integrity can be lost among media giants, putting the interests of their powerful
conglomerate owners above all else. This is known as media imperialism, the process of
making national interests subsidiary to the media business and political / economic interests
of multinational conglomerates. Significant writers and thinkers in this area include Noam
Chomsky and Edward Herman, who argue that the mass media in the United States largely
serve as a propaganda arm of the US government and US corporations, with all three parties
largely intertwined through common interests.
Of course, Working Title is owned by Universal, who are in turn owned by NBC Universal,
who are themselves, in turn, owned by French company, Vivendi (20%), and American
company, General Electric (80%), with controlling interests very clearly in the GE
conglomerate camp. An issue here is actually how free is Working Title to pick and choose
their own subject matter? Is it being encouraged to only move in certain directions by its
multi-national conglomerate ownership? Who are they to call the shots? Eg, in 1990, GE
was convicted of defrauding the US Department of Defense, and again in 1992 on charges of
corrupt practices in the sale of jet engines to Israel.
Of relevance here is the ongoing debates about the aims and purposes of British film making,
with arguments polarised between two positions:
1. British cinema should be a resolutely national cinema, representing British culture to a
British audience. To do this, British films need to be publicly funded.
2. British cinema should be a profitable business, competing in the international
marketplace, particularly with Hollywood, by attracting a wide audience.
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The output of Working Title is often used to illustrate the logic of the second argument
above. With a continuing string of popular films to its credit, it is a very successful British
production company, with films appealing to the American as well as domestic markets. The
creative personnel involved tend to be drawn from Hollywood and Britain, with female stars
such as Julia Roberts and Renee Zellwegger appealing to a US mass audience. However,
proponents of the first argument above frequently criticise these kinds of films for imitating
Hollywood in their subject matter, their overdependence on stars and genre, and their lack of
national specificity or investigation of British issues for a British audience.
Importance of cross media convergence / ownership and synergy in
production, distribution and marketing
Cross media convergence
WT got its first break by using television to guarantee a nationwide première for its films,
starting with My Beautiful Laundrette, the first of a series of successful collaborations with
Channel Four Films throughout the 1980s. WT is now owned by Universal Studios, who are
now owned by Vivendi (20%) and General Electric (80%). Vivendi has guaranteed European
film and television distribution through its Canal+ Group, with ready access to its wealth of
record companies, and video games interests. General Electric has guaranteed US and
South American television distribution through its extensive NBC network.
Synergy
Apart from continually working in collaboration with Universal, WT has developed a number
of synergy partnerships across the production, distribution and marketing stages, eg:
o Billy Elliot (in collaboration with BBC Films & Tiger Aspect)
o Oh Brother, Where Art Thou (in collaboration with Touchstone Pictures)
o Captain Corelli's Mandolin (in collaboration with Studio Canal & Miramax )
o Bridget Jones's Diary (in collaboration with Studio Canal & Miramax)
o Love Actually (in collaboration with Studio Canal)
o Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (in collaboration with Miramax)
o Mr Bean's Holiday (in collaboration with StudioCanal)
o Frost/Nixon (in collaboration with Imagine Entertainment)
Crucially, and in common with the other big Hollywood studios, Universal is a vertically
integrated company with its own international film distribution arm and cinema chain – UIP
(United International Pictures). This guarantees worldwide outlets for all Universal (and
therefore WT) films. Of further interest here is the fact that UIP was set up (in 1982) as a
joint venture with Paramount, an early example of synergy in the industry, alongside mergers
and take-overs.
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NEW TECHNOLOGY
Impact in recent years (prod, marketing, distribution & exchange)
on institutions and audiences
Digital production
Without doubt, digitisation has had the greatest technological impact on the film and TV
industries in recent years, revolutionising the production, marketing and distribution /
exchange processes. It allows picture and sound to be recorded digitally, using binary codes.
Digital broadcasting has meant less interference and faster transit of the signal than in
traditional analogue systems. Digital products can also be distributed over the internet, with
more and more digital cinemas now coming on line. Digitisation also allows much cheaper
multiple copying of original texts, without any loss in quality.
Computer-generated imagery (CGI)
Impact on WT?
Non-linear (digital) editing
Impact on WT?
HD video
Impact on WT?
Digital film production issues
Quality & Training
Impact on WT?
Digital distribution & exchange / exhibition
DVD / Blu-ray markets
Impact on WT?
Digital TV
Impact on WT?
Digital cinemas(inc IMAX)
Impact on WT?
Digital film distribution & exchange / exhibition issues
Costs of converting cinemas
Impact on WT?
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Piracy
Impact on WT?
Significance of proliferation in hardware & content for institutions
and audiences
Institutions
Greater audience segmentation
Impact on WT?
Audiences
More interactive / immersive experience
Impact on WT?
Wider consumer choice / greater access
(Cinema (inc IMAX) / Television / Home cinema / Internet / Mobile phones)
Impact on WT?
Importance of technological convergence for institutions and
audiences
Institutions
New platforms
Internet
Impact on WT?
Mobile phone
Impact on WT?
Cross-pollination
Impact on WT? Eg marketing films with spin-off video games (maybe linking into Vivendi’s
games, inc Universal Interactive Studios).
Audiences
Greater choice
Impact on WT?
The rise of the prosumer
Impact on WT?
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AUDIENCES
Issues raised in the targeting of UK national / local audiences by
international or global institutions
Media imperialism: The world according to Hollywood
As stated on P8: As multinational media conglomerates grow larger and more powerful many
believe that it will become increasingly difficult for smaller, national and regional media
companies to survive. Also, integrity can be lost among media giants, putting the interests of
their powerful conglomerate owners above all else. This is known as media imperialism, the
process of making national interests subsidiary to the media business and political / economic
interests of multinational conglomerates. Significant writers and thinkers in this area include
Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman, who argue that the mass media in the United States
largely serve as a propaganda arm of the US government and US corporations, with all three
parties largely intertwined through common interests.
Of course, the internet is also now being increasingly used for film distribution and exchange
purposes. The internet is, itself, making the world feel like a smaller place – a global village
where geographical and cultural boarders become meaningless, as time and space differences
collapse in instantaneous communication exchanges. However, rather than the internet
creating an equal space for different cultures to interact with one another, it is only creating a
mega-platform for one or two cultures to dominate the rest. This is happening because the
information flow is being controlled by Western multi-national media conglomerates who
own and control most of the technology and telecom industries that make up the internet.
The internet also enables all forms of media communications to reach global audiences in socalled real-time exchanges. So, combined with advanced CGI techniques, this could
eventually encourage a new breed of CGI interactive film – one that evolves its plotline over
set periods of time (or indefinitely, like a real time soap), feeding off the interactions of its
audience. Of course, it can also be argued that internet film distribution is creating a
mega-platform for media imperialism. This is inevitably happening because the internet
information flow is being controlled by Western multi-national media conglomerates who
own and control most of the technology and telecom industries that make up the internet.
Representations of Britishness
What about Hollywood’s representations of Britain and British people? How do they know
who we are? Surely, we are in the best position to represent Britishness to the world.
But what is Britishness?
The concept of national identity is a social construction, a representation based on a particular
view of what it means to be British. Historically, a nation could be defined by a common
language, a common religion, borders, territories and a common race. It is impossible for
everyone in a nation to know everyone else; instead they share a recognition of certain shared
characteristics and values which make their nation distinctive. This notion of nation is
constructed through its literature, language, art and the media. Film, therefore, plays an
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important role in defining and uniting the nation. Examples include war time propaganda
films (eg Britain Can Take It), films about our illustrious past (eg Shakespeare in Love) and
fictional heroes (eg James Bond and Harry Potter) where there is an assumption of shared
national values.
Working Title representations
WT relies heavily on the writing (and directing) skills of Richard Curtis. Curtis honed his
skills by writing for Blackadder (BBC), The Vicar of Dibley (BBC) and producing Rowan
Atkinson's one-man stage plays. Several films that he has written for WT – Four Weddings
and a Funeral; Notting Hill; Bridget Jones 1&2; and Love, Actually – are synonymous with
WT’s current “rom-com” brand. They have also been very influential in creating Hugh
Grant’s star persona. However, the popularity of all these films has been countered by a
critical response, accusing Curtis of creating a fantasy world, one which bears little relation to
contemporary Britain, while also relying on sentimentality and predominantly white, middle
class stereotypes. Such representations of Englishness might be one of the reasons for the
success of these films in America.
Characteristics of Richard Curtis / Working Title films
Romantic comedies: All the films follow the conventions of the romantic comedy genre. The
multi-stranded narrative of Love, Actually follows rom-com conventions most obviously in
the affair between the Prime Minister and the tea girl.
Happy endings: Another rom-com convention, the films all have happy endings, where the
central couple is (re)united. However, happiness for one character may mean misery for
another (Fiona's unrequited love for Charles in Four Weddings, the self-sacrifice of Sarah in
Love, Actually), hinting at a world which isn't as perfect as it initially seems.
Climax: Happy endings come at the last minute and against all odds. They often involve a
climactic dash to catch the object of affection before they leave forever (Four Weddings,
Notting Hill, Bridget Jones), taken to the extreme in Love, Actually with the chase through
Heathrow Airport.
Belief in true love: Charles and Carrie (Four Weddings and a Funeral) William and Anna
(Notting Hill) and the Prime Minister and Natalie (Love, Actually) are struck by love at first
sight.
Sentimentality: The films are often sentimental because of the emphasis on love conquering
all, including divisions of class (two stories in Love, Actually) and celebrity (Notting Hill).
Plot twists: The plots rely on coincidences and unexpected meetings.
Humour: Richard Curtis is associated with witty dialogue, but slapstick and farce also
feature, with the comic sidekick/flatmate (Four Weddings, Notting Hill) fulfilling the role of
clown. Swearing is also used for comic effect through its incongruity due to either class (the
opening of Four Weddings) or age (the child in Love, Actually). The self-deprecating style of
humour associated with the Hugh Grant persona is also evident in other characters. For
example, Paul Bettany's performance in Wimbledon draws on Grant's style of delivery.
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Stars: Hugh Grant emerged as a star in Four Weddings and his star persona has (largely)
remained that of the floppy-haired, bumbling Englishman. The choice of co-star in Four
Weddings, Andie MacDowell, shows how American stars are used to attract American
distribution and audiences. This is also evident in the casting of Kirsten Dunst in Wimbledon.
Love, Actually featured an ensemble cast of British and American actors with Hugh Grant as
the only 'Hollywood' star.
Settings: The city. Mostly set in London, the city is represented in a highly selective manner.
London is shown as a collection of 'villages' (Southwark's Borough in Bridget Jones's Diary,
Notting Hill in Notting Hill,) with the bustle of markets, local restaurants, little traffic and safe
streets. Characters tend to live in houses and flats that they could not afford on their earnings
(Bridget Jones, Will in Notting Hill, Sarah in Love, Actually). These aspects add to the fantasy
and escapism. Or, is this a realistic representation of what London is like if you are upper
middle class?
The weather: Closely linked to setting, the weather is important for creating atmosphere. It
often draws on clichés such as the snow falling at Christmas in Bridget Jones's Diary or the
rain signifying passion at the end of Four Weddings. Otherwise, it tends to be beautifully
sunny.
Representation of race: The main and supporting characters in these films are white. This
has caused some controversy, particularly in the case of Notting Hill, which is set in what is
actually a multi-ethnic area of West London.
Representation of people with disabilities: Richard Curtis films are some of the very few
examples of mainstream cinema which include characters with disabilities who are not
defined by them. (David in Four Weddings, Bella in Notting Hill).
Ways in which the students’ own consumption experiences
illustrate wider patterns and trends
As per Fact Sheet information.
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