How has Working Title adapted to changes in the film industry?

Everything within the film industry changes over time, and Working title is no different. Since 1984, when working title was founded, there have been many changes throughout the entire film industry. We saw the creation of HD, 3D and 4D films, which all helped recreate the idea of a children's film. In the film industry Working title may appear, in comparison to most other film production companies, to have not changed since it was originally started. In fact, it has changed just as much as others over the past 27 years.
Working Title is known most commonly for its many rom-coms, which became very popular in america due to the repetitive idealistic British and American relationship, which appeared in almost every rom-com they made. For example: Notting Hill, is the story of a British man falling in love with a famous American actress. This is very popular in the united states because they lap up the idea of British romance and also the imagery of rich famous Americans (which appears in most of Working Titles rom-coms) pleases the audience, because they enjoy seeing other people portray their positive sides.
Working Title uses the same actors in many different film genres to link one audience to a different aspect of their films. The use of Rowan Atkinson in both 'Johnny English' and 'Four weddings and a funeral', is very effective, because it makes the audience of one film want to watch the other. The two films are completely unrelated, but the fact that an actor influences whether or not to watch a film, shows us how Working Title effectively use this sales technique.
Working Title use DVD sales in many different ways in order to gain the target audiences attention. When shopping recently, I noticed that there was several working title films, being sold in a bundle, the films involved were, Love actually, Bridget Jones' diary and four weddings and a funeral. There was only three bundles left on the shelf, which shows us that Working Title has been creating many films that all follow one genre. This is an interesting technique because it means that their audience never falters.
Tinker Tailor Solider Spy is the main film that shows Working Titles adaption within the Film Industry, it is the first film too have a completely new spin on the Working Title audience, the film is a thriller based upon the book by John Le Carre. The film was not as much of a success on the classic Working Title audience as their other films were. This is due to the fact that Working Title has never taken this angle before. The thriller of the mind, was so far from being what Working Title usually produce that Universal refused to finance it at all. Studio Canal took the risk instead and helped finance the first ever Working Title Thriller.
In my opinion the film was a success, it showed a new side to Working Title and it proved that they were in fact adapting to the film industry. The Film gave Working Title a completely different audience and was very highly reviewed even though it was such a jump from classic Working Title films.
The leap from Rom-coms to thrillers did however give Working Title one advantage. It gained the audiences of European countries and helped show small independent film companies how they can adapt to the film industry as well.

Johnny English

The second trailer from Working Title is the incredibly well known Johnny English. Armed with Rowan Atkinson and millions of juvenile jokes 'Johnny English' hit off immediately. But looking back at the trailer several years on, I realised that I must of been insane to go to the cinema and watch this. The trailer not only has the cheesiest voice over ever, it also brings attention to the worst aspects of the film. The only part that I can see within the two minute trailer that sells the movie to me, is the fact that we get an image of Rowan Atkinson for almost every single second. I feel slightly conned of a childhood when I peer into the depths of Johnny English, and realise that it became so successful only because it targeted an audience of children and their kind parents. Now, I am not going to just insult a trailer because I have seen the full film, I also think that there are many good points. For one, the over use of Rowan Atkinson's face is a clever technique that means the audience can predict that if they liked other films staring him, they will also like this one. Another sales technique I noticed was the positioning of the cheesy voice over. At one point in the trailer we see Johnny English covered in excrement whilst the cheesy voice says, "From the producers of Mr. Bean". This is effective on the audience because Mr. Bean normally came hand in hand with looking filthy in supposedly funny situations. Throughout the trailer the over use of well known actors and bad jokes gives the audience the slight giddy feeling where they are so stunned by the trailers random sequence of events that they suddenly find themselves in the cinema watching the full film in 3D with premiere seats and large popcorn. To conclude, The trailer for Johnny English contrasts well with Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, because they both target different audiences and use sales techniques that were more common when the film was made.