WORKING TITLE v WARP Getting started

Underpinning this blog is a comparison between two companies that, to some extent, exemplify different positions within and approaches to the film industry: the 'powerhouse' WT, a subsidiary of NBC-U with one eye always on the international market, and Indie Warp, with a clearer focus on domestic (UK) box office. WT is seen as compromising the Britishness and artistic quality of its output in order to maximise box office potential, though its recent slate may challenge that perception. Multiple award-winning Warp is seen as producing auteur films with a strong British identity (very widely defined: She, A Chinese...) generally with limited mainstream appeal - or, at least, opportunity to win major distribution and marketing backing/spending.

In time you might well view, or critically re-watch, several of their films, but we can make a start without that...

Investigate each of the following to gain an initial insight into the two companies. Sum up your findings for each:

1. The history of Working Title (put very briefly; the Wiki is ok in this case): its first movie, new offices, ownership changes, major breakthrough films, its subsidiaries, major talent relationships (directors, actors)
2. Same again for Warp Films
3. Notes on trailers: view 5 trailers of Working Title productions from five different years and note any common links; do you get a sense of the company's style, or, more accurately, its production techniques and approach? [I have created a partial playlist, which I'm adding to over time]
4. Same for Warp.
5. Same as for 3/4, but this time for any 10 Working Title film posters from different years.
6. Same for Warp.
7. Using some combination of imdb, boxofficemojo, thenumbers, wiki and just searching, note the budget and box office (UK, US, world - screens as well as money) of any 5 WT films from different years - and note what you think you can conclude from this. You could make comparison to other films to put these numbers into some context.
8. Same for Warp.
9. Using boxofficemojo especially, simply count the number of territories theatrical distribution was achieved in (a screenshot of the list is helpful) for any 10 WT films from different years, and note your conclusions from this. If you spot trends of good box office returns from certain countries, or recurrent distributor names, note this.
10. Same for Warp.