Research into the BBFC - Miss Miller

Introduction

The BBFC, British Board of Film Classification, is a non-government organisation founded by the film industry in 1912, professionally it is an expert and highly experienced regulator of moving image. This means that the BBFC are in charge of deciding what classification can a film gets depending on the content it has within it, either getting a strict classification for large amounts of adult content or a looser classification for less to no adult content. The BBFC does this for reasons such as to protect the public, and especially, from the content which might raise potential risks of harm, as well as empower the public, and especially parents, to make informed viewing choices and it also recognises and respects adult freedom of choice within the law. the BBFC also makes sure to respond to and respect changing social attitudes towards media content through discussion with the public and research.

Age Classifications

There are 6 different kinds of classifications which are U, PG, 12, 12A, 15 and 18. These range from suitable for children up to suitable for adults. excessive violence and bad language would get a film a high rating like an 18 and a more child-friendly film would get a U, as it relates to the content inside.

U Rating

The U rating represents Universal. This means it has been approved for audiences of 4 years or over. These films can even be marked as being 'particularly suitable for pre-school children', allowing parents to make informed decisions about what their child can see that is suitable for their age.

• In terms of content, a U film may have infrequent usage of very mild bad language like 'damn' or 'hell'.
• Characters can be seen kissing or cuddling but there can not be a direct focus on the sexual behavior.
• As for violence, there may be brief fight sequences or scenes in which the hero is placed in danger although theses are resolved quickly and the outcome is reassuring.
• Any potentially dangerous or anti-social behavior is strongly disapproved.
• As for illegal drugs, they are not normally included unless the film is promoting an anti-drug message.
• Any fight scenes are fitted with comedic elements and music to balance out the violence of the scene with more childlike elements.
• In a fight scene, antagonists may use weapons but these are not emphasized upon although the hero usually doesn't if not for historical settings.
• U films that are approved of will generally promote ideas of loyalty, friendship and honestly, particularly amongst children.

The Lion King, for example, is a U rated film as it has a narrative that a child can enjoy as it features a story of good overcoming evil as the young Simba flees his father Mufasa's pride of lions as his uncle Scar, after killing Mufasa by throwing him into the gorge, has convinced him that he caused his father's death, allowing Scar to take over. Simba, with the help of his friends, is able to return to the pride and get Scar's confession that he killed Mufasa, allowing Simba to take his father's place as King of the pride. This is a U rated film as it promotes ideas of friendship and loyalty, as well as doing the right thing, which allows children to pick up good morals from this film. There is no extreme violence in this film as well, as we see when Mufasa dies, that there is no blood or Mufasa's death is not fixated upon visually.

PG Rating

PG stands for Parental Guidance which means the film is suitable for viewing but may have scenes there unsettling for young children. A PG film should not upset a child over the ages of eight or older but Parents should consider if the content will upset their child if they are younger or more sensitive. While some films are given a PG rating they may not be made for a child audience in mind but a adult one instead although it has a PG certificate merely to state that it can be viewed by someone over 8 years old without scaring them although you may want to take your child to see something that appeals to them.

• Themes that are appropriate for the age group specified are ones that may be too serious to address in a U rated film like bullying, racism or death.
• There may also be mild bad language like 'shit' but the BBFC focuses on the context of its usage, like a film would get a higher rating if it were to be used aggressively or used too much.
• Sex references are unlikely but may be used infrequently and undetailed as well as if the child viewers are unlikely to understand the references.
• Violence included will not be too bad, with no focus on how the injury was given although there may be blood included. Violence is more acceptable in the right context like historical, fantasy or a comedic setting where the violence can be used for humor or are understandable like fantasy or historical.
• There are scenes of violence that have been made so that the audience is more focused on what is happening in the scene rather than the detail of violence or the actual fighting.
• Horror may include jump scares and frightening sequences that are not unnecessarily long or too frightening.
• Any drugs or alcohol shown in the film should not be glamourised and instead be shown as bad and harmful for the viewer, this also goes for accessible weapons that a character may use like a knife in a kitchen.
• Anti-social behavior like bullying or not doing things safely that children may copy will not be seen to be tolerated or addressed in the film.
• Much like a U rated film, drug references will be shown if it serves to show an anti-drug message.

Scooby-Doo 2: Monster Unleashed is a PG movie. The plot follows Mystery Inc. as they attempt to work out who has stolen the costumes of their multiple caught villains and how they are bringing them alive into actual monsters, led by a Masked Man who they believe to be an old nemesis. This fits into PG as it contains scary elements, the multiple costumes and monsters that young viewers may be frightened of as well as some mild language that younger viewers are not comfortable hearing. It also features morals that a U rated film follow in that good overcomes evil.

12 Rating

12 Ratings contain content that is not suitable for anyone under the age of 12. Content in these films are inappropriate for young children and it is up to the choice of the parent if the child can see it.

• A 12 rated film with a dark or unsettling would likely get raised to a 15 rating while a film that is positive or reassuring will keep it in a 12.
• Strong language can get approved at a 12 with a focus on who is saying it and what the context is. There may also be moderate language used in the film. Aggressive uses for this language could lead to a higher rating.
• Discriminatory language will not be endorsed while aggressive discriminatory language will not be passed at 12 unless it is shown negatively.
• Sex may be shown for a short time in a 12 rated film while verbal sex references should not exceed what is suitable for teenagers.
• In a 12 rated film, there will be short action sequences in terms of violence, like other ratings for younger viewers, weapon violence is not to be glamorised when it is present in these films.
• Sexual violence should not be seen an only mentioned or briefly implied but these have to have a contextual justification.
• Horror films can be shown at a 12 rating, yet they shouldn't show horror sequences, physical or psychological threats too frequently as it may frighten the viewers.
• Anti-social behavior is not endorsed in 12 rated films as well as there being infrequent sights of drug use but it shouldn't be glamorised

The film Pirates of the Carribean: Curse of the Black Pearl is a 15 rated film. The narrative of this story follows the eccentric Captain Jack Sparrow as he is recruited by Will Turner to find his kidnapped love Elizabeth Swan after she is kidnapped by the pirate Barbossa. This film gets a 15 rating due to it's scenes of violence when the pirates fight each other throughout the film using swords which, according to the guidelines of the classification, would give it a higher rating but due to it's usage in a historical context it is not so bad. It also contains horror due to the presence of cursed pirates who can turn into rotting skeletons in moonlight, which could frighten younger viewers.

12A Rating

A 12A rated film is like a 12 yet it may have more mature content than a regular 12 classification. A 12A requires any child under 12 to be accompanied to see the film by an adult. The 12A is also not featured on DVD/Blu-ray copies as accompanied viewing can not be enforced at home. The 12A is much like the 12 in terms of what it allows but the 12A allows more mature contents.

• A 12A should not show dangerous behavior for long enough that it can be copied, anti-social should not be endorsed. infrequent sights of drug misuse may also be shown.
• Strong language can get approved at a 12A with a focus on who is saying it and what the context is. There may also be moderate language used in the film. Aggressive uses for this language could lead to a higher rating.
• Discriminatory language will not be endorsed while aggressive discriminatory language will not be passed at 12A unless it is shown negatively.
• Sex may be shown for around the same time as a 12 for a 12A rated film while verbal sex references should not exceed what is suitable for teenagers. Nudity can be included in 12A but it should be brief and discreet.
• In a 12A moderate violence can be shown but like a 12 it should not dwell on detail but occasional gory moments can be shown as long as it fits the context of the situation.
• Like a 12, accessible weapons can be shown but not glamorised. Action sequences can be shown in a 12A just like a regular 12.
• Like a 12, a 12A can show horror sequences as long as they are infrequent and the overall tone is not disturbing.

Jurassic World is an example of a 12A film. The narrative of this film follows the opening of Jurassic Park, an amusement park with dinosaurs, and it's subsequent failure after the scientists attempt to create a hybrid dinosaur which gets loose in a park full of people. This film has a higher rating of 12A because it features more mature content in a prolonged threat in some scenes when dinosaurs attack. It also features some blood at points if a person has been attacked by a dinosaur. There is also a prolonged  scene of two dinosaurs fighting one another, leading to one dying on screen. The elements of the film could lead it to be unsettling for younger viewers and so the viewers may need the approval of their parents in order to see it.

15 Rating

15 rated films are allowed to be seen for anyone under the age of 15. These films are not suitable for children under 15 years of age. Unlike PG and U, a 15 film can have any theme, as there are no themes that are not allowed to be seen 

• A 15  rated film may contain the following content: strong violence, frequent strong language, sexual activity, strong verbal references to sex, sexual nudity, brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence, discriminatory language or behavior and drug taking.
• On strong language, the usage varies depending on the severity of the word with strong language may be used frequently, the strongest language may be used less frequently with a focus on who is saying the word and what the context is but continued or aggressive usage will merit a higher rating.
• As for discriminatory language, it is allowed to be used but it shouldn't be shown as being a good thing to do. A film may also use this kind of language in relation to addressing the themes related to the discrimination.
• Sexual activity in a 15 film, whether nudity or sexual activity, may be shown but not in strong detail. These scenes can be quite long in this category. Sexual references can be shown but especially strong or crude references are unlikely to be accepted.
• At 15, violence can be included but gory scenes and sadistic violence are unacceptable. Violent scenes should not fixate on the infliction of it.
• When it comes to sexual violence, it should be justified by the context if we are actually seeing but references to it are allowed and may be detailed too.
• Horror films can be intense and have a heavy threat and horror elements as long is there no sustained focus on sadistic or sexualised threat.
• In a 15 rated film, drug use can be shown but there is still a limit on it with no drug misuse can be promoted.
• Dangerous behavior should be dwelled upon in a 15 film but can be shown, with other dangerous behavior like using weaponry is allowed but if it fits into the context of the film.

Shawshank Redemption is a 15 film. The film follows City Banker, Andy Dufresne, who arrives at the prison, Shawshank Prison, in 1947 after being convicted of performing two brutal murders. He makes an unlikely friendship with prison 'fixer' Red who helps him with his struggle adjusting to the horrible conditions of the prison. This film gets a high rating due to multiple uses of strong language throughout the film. Due to the setting of a horrific prison, the viewer can see scenes of violence and sexual assault towards the main character. These scenes make it hard to watch and inappropriate for younger viewers to watch.

18 Rating

18 rated are made specifically for people over the age of 18 due to the content contained being explicitly made for adults and not containing content that is appropriate for children or anyone under the age of 18. At a rating of 18, there are no themes that aren't allowed to be shown, due to the belief that an adult should be able to choose what they watch as long as they are not illegal or potentially harmful. Some content may even upset some adults due to a lack of restrictions.

• 18 films can contain strong content like: very strong violence, frequent strong and very strong language, strong portrayals of sexual activity, sexual violence, strong horror, blood and gore, real sex and discriminatory language and behavior.
• Unlike other rated films, an 18 films can use as much strong and very strong language as it wants regardless of the usage.
• An 18 can feature discriminatory language and the film's narrative can explore these themes and may even be the focus of the film with main characters engaging in discriminatory behavior, as long as it doesn't break any legislature.
• At 18, there can be strong and detailed showings of sex with nudity. Very strong, crude and explicit sex references may be featured. An 18 can also feature depictions of real sex, as long as it is not a sex work (Sex works are works that has a primary purpose for sexual arousal or stimulation).
• At 18, strong violence can be shown in detail, even allowing focusing on the infliction of pain which other rating do not allow. This also allows sexual violence and sadistic violence.
• Horror films rated an 18 can have strong horror, gore or sustained threat.
• Drugs may also be shown in an 18 but, in line with other ratings, it must not be encouraged.
• Behavior that can be copied but lead to serious implications may be cut, but unlike other ratings difficult and strong subjects will be still allowed.
• While an 18 can show a lot of strong material, cut material includes content that breaches criminal law, explicit sexual activity that can't be justified by context and content that could risk harm to individuals through their behavior.

Django: Unchained is an 18 film. The narrative of this film follows freed slave Django as he trained by bounty hunter King Schultz who needs him to track down his bounty targets; The Brittle Brothers. This film gains an 18 age certificate as it features excessive gore and blood during violent scenes that take place during the film. The film also features multiple action scenes in which guns are used to kill people which is shown on camera. The film also uses many discriminatory words towards the main character and slaves excessively, although this is used in order to fit into the context of the time.

Conclusion

The BBFC is very important when releasing a film as it allows for limits to be set when creating a film, it ensures that there is no time wasted in making the film as there are guidelines on what can be shown so you can adapt your film to fit into the guidelines you want to fit into. It also allows the audience to make a decision on what to film to watch by categorizing them in order of what the maturity of the content in the film is and what they feel would be suitable to watch, knowing that what they watch they will enjoy and not find offensive. This research has helped me to understand what a fitting age certificate my thriller film will have as I can decide on what kind of audience I want for it and what I will be able to include or omit in order to keep it in the certificate I want it to be in.