Research into the BBFC - Miss Miller

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC). Is an independent organisation which has given cinema films age restrictions since it was established 1912. It is a non profit organisation, the company has never received funds from the film industry and as it is a non governmental organisation they receive no subsidies from the government. The BBFC's job is to protect the public especially from content that could be potentially harmful to younger viewers, ratings such as 12A's give parents the right to make informed viewing choices for their children. By using primary research the BBFC is able to see the changing social attitudes towards media content. Constantly asking the public for their opinions helps the BBFC to take in into account the changing social values.

U Certificate

The U symbol represents the word universal. All films with the U certificate must be suitable for children the age of four and over. Unfortunately all children react to films differently so it is uncertain what might upset a particular child. In a film with the U certificate only mild swear words are acceptable like 'damn' or 'hell'. U rated films do not contain sexual behavior however there may be kissing or sexual references. Violence in a U film may be minor where characters are in trouble yet the outcome will be positive and the plot will be resolved.


Themes often presented in films rated U are usually ones of loyalty, honesty and friendship. ‘Finding Nemo’ (2003) is an animated Disney film. The adventure Nemo's father finds himself on is dangerous and threatening. This includes meeting a Shark with sharp teeth and getting lost in a swarm of jellyfish. Although Nemo's father finds himself in various different situations all these moments of mild jeopardy are quickly overcome and are accompanied by humour to lighten the mood. There is a small sad scene towards the start ouf the movie where Marlin (nemos father) realises that all his children besides Nemo have been taken away by a shark. The scene is quickly cut short and to a time where Marlin and Nemo are playing together. Nothing too disturbing for little children. The film does however contains mild bad language when a young fish calls a boat a ‘butt’ by mistake.

PG Certificate

The letters PG stand for ‘parental guidance’. This implies the film is deemed acceptable for general viewing although some scenes may be unsettling for young children. A PG film should not

unbalance a child over the age of eight. Parents are given the choice to consider if the content may be unsuitable for their child. Most PG films are made with the aim to reach a younger target audience but this doesn't mean to say the older generation would not enjoy it just as much. The certificate does mean that the themes throughout the movie are appropriate for children over the age of eight. Along with U rated films mild bad language may be used but nothing deemed unsuitable for children. There is however more violence in PG films compared to U rated films, there will not be great detail but there may be some blood in animated films. Anti social behavior such as bullying or paying with electricity, will not be seen as acceptable or go unchallenged.

In the film Tangled (2011) there are a few scenes of violence, in which kitchen utensils are used to hit a number of people round the head. The main scene of violence happens when the protagonist is stabbed to death with a knife. There is no intricate detail shown all we do hear groaning and there is no sight of blood as he is laying on the ground positioned away from the camera. This scene then we see the evil witch fall to her death from the tower which goes beyond the guidelines for a U certified film which is why the film was given a PG certificate due to the scenes of mild violence.

12 and 12A

The 12 and 12A certificate are very similar they both contain material that is unsuitable for children under the age of 12. Children under the age of 12 are not permitted to watch a 12A unless accompanied by an adult. Parents planning to take their children to watch a 12A must contemplate whether or not they believe it is suitable for the child they are taking. This is followed by all cinemas around the UK and a cinema may lose its licence if this is not enforced. The overall tone of a 12 or 12A is usually unsettling compared to a PG. There is strong language in a 12A and 12 films and depending on the amount of bad language is whether it is suitable to see without an adult. Sex may be brief and discreet yet the film may include verbal sexual references but neither should not go beyond what is deemed acceptable for teenagers.



12A
Pitch Perfect 2 is classified as a 12A it is a comedy sequel about a group of girls who are all involved in an a Capella singing group who thrive to enter the USA world championships. The reason for it being a 12A is the fact there are moderate sexual references including one onstage revealing one singer's genitalia to the audience. There is bad language included and inappropriate hang signals are also used. The language is inappropriate and goes beyond what is acceptable for a PG harsh swearwords may be used. The guardian is responsible for making sure they think the film is appropriate for that particular child and wether they want their child to hear language of that sort.


12

The Hunger Games - Mocking Jay Part 1

The reason for being a 12 is becuase in one scene a lady is attacked by a young man, he hits her violently to the floor and attempts to strangle her. This is followed by a scene where the attacker gets hit and the woman's injuries are covered by a neck brace. There are scenes in the movie where commoners rebel against soldiers and some get shot yet there is although there is very little visible injury. Wounded and dead bodies are scattered throughout some scenes which should not be available for young audiences to see. These are only shown quickly and there are no close ups of the wounds. Throughout the film and plott the main characters wind up in danger where cities are under attack and innocent people try to seek asylum. The plot overall is quite complicated which may be hard for younger viewers to follow. With reference to death by hanging and taking into account the story line it has been certified appropriately.

15 certificate

In a 15 rated film you would expect to see; strong violence, sexual activity with strong references to sex, sexual nudity, drug taking, discriminatory language and behaviour. In a 15 there is no upper limit on how much bad language can be used, however if is aggressive and continuous the BBFC may not pass it as a 15 and consider it as an 18. There may be racist or other discriminatory language used although it must not be endorsed and accepted as a whole. Strong gory is not acceptable however there can be strong violence which may play on injury. Further in 15 rated movies there will be sexual references not in strong detail but crude and raunchy references are allowed.

Bridesmaids is a US comedy where two women are in rivalry to plan their ‘best friend's’ wedding. It was classified as a 15 due to the inappropriate language, crude humor and sexual references. The main female character has an argument with a teenage girl in the jeweller's shop. Her aggressive language is overheard by her boss which immediately gets her dismissed from her job the fact that this was verbal, and seen as inappropriate by her boss further the fact it was not followed by physical violence means it is still permissible as a 15. The opening scene of bridesmaids is a sexual scene between the main female character and a man. Although there is no nudity the scene is not quick and not discreet thus being rated as a 15. The film also contains drug references but this is not followed by any visible hard drug use. If hard drug use was involved it may have been certified differently.

18 certificate

Films that are rated 18 are made for adults and are inappropriate for younger viewers. In an 18 film no theme is required it may be seen as offensive to some viewers due to the racist, homophobic and sexual themes. There can be strong portrayals of sex including full nudity. At 18 there can be strong violence portrayed with intricate detail and gore. The whole plot can be based around inflicting pain or injuries, even scenes of sadistic sexual violence. At an 18 rated film it does not condemn drug taking yet there may be drug taking shown. Although many things that fall under the 18 category are acceptable if criminal behavior which if copied can put people at risk of being harmed it may be cut.

The Texas chain saw massacre

In one of the very first images at the beginning of the film shown is a dead corpse on top of a fence post the camera then zooms in to reveal the head of a second corpse (Too much gore and detail t be a 15). This violence and gore is suitable for adults only. The violence is extreme and later in the film we find out the Leatherface’s mask is a humans face removed by him, this behaviour should only be watched by an adult as it may scare younger less mature viewers. The profanity is not extreme and only references a few swear words. Substance abuse is apparent in one of the first scenes where a man appears to be drunk yet no drug taking is shown, the main reason why this movie is an 18 is because the movie has the horrifying feel that it is real life which may psychologically harm young audiences. The general tone is very dark and twisted the scary scenes and general atmosphere makes it unsuitable for children.

Conclusion
The BBFC's job is vital, firstly age certifications are in place to protect children and sensitive adults from potentially harmful and unsuitable content. They empower parents to make informed viewing choices for their children. The thriller film genre is extremely popular with  young adults from the ages 15-25. This is due to the intense story lines and graphic action which is a common convention of the thriller genre. Revealing the twisted narrative as the film plays out and trying to work out the film ending before it has happened attracts the older viewers to this category of film. Personally I think my thriller sequence will be a 15 or 18 as these are the audience that like to be kept on the edge of their seats. The audience also expects to be engaged with the characters and the story line. Each character usually has their own story which are revealed to the audience as the film progresses and they usually fit in with the overall storyline of the plot. The fact that this is quite complex to follow makes it suitable for the older generation of film watchers as they will be able to keep up with what's happening. In my opening sequence i will be mindful not to add gore defiantly no drug taking and make it suitable for children the age of 15. In my sequence I plan to use typical narratives from films that are suitable for teenagers.