The BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) is an organisation which is responsible for the classification and censorship of films in the UK. The BBFC is important to the film industry as they decide who films should be shown to. This is important, as small children should only watch films that are suitable for them. There are 6 certificates used for DVDs and films in the cinema: U; PG; 12a; 12; 15; and 18. In this essay I will explore these different certificates, defining each one and giving examples.
The 'PG' certificate stands for 'Parental Guidance'. This means that the film is for general viewing, although some scenes may upset younger children. Children aged eight and older should not be disturbed by a 'PG' film. The 'PG' certificate is awarded to films that have mild bad language but is delivered in a way that is appropriate to context. Words such as "s**t" and "son of a bitch" are accepted when they are not delivered in an aggressive context. There may also be mild violence or threat, but nothing too scary/strong. No strong, direct drug use will be involved, and there will little to no sexual content or nudity.[1] A good example of a 'PG' film is the 1996 film Matilda. There is no sexual content or nudity in this film, however there are mild cases of intense scenes, violence, profanity and very mild alcohol use (beer is briefly seen). In the following clip of Matilda, the scene becomes very light-hearted, but it starts off with flashes of Matilda's father and headteacher being threatening. This may upset or frighten young children, which relates back to its PG certificate.
Children over 12 years of age are allowed to see films with the '12a' certificate unaccompanied. However, children under 12 can view these films but must watch with an adult (over 18 years of age). The '12a' certificate is used for the cinema only, where it replaces the '12' certificate. Films with the '12a' rating typically contain mild sexual content and nudity, infrequent strong language (such as "f**k"), moderate violence with possible gory moments on occasions, frightening and/or intense scenes may be permitted in this certificate so long as they are not in too much detail, and some drug or alcohol use can be portrayed.[1] An example of a '12a' film is the 2012 film The Hunger Games. The film's plot revolves around 'the hunger games' which is where children in the film from 'districts' are put into an arena and fight to the death. There are some mildly intense/frightening scenes in the film due to this premise, as well as some moderate violence and gore. However, nothing is too disturbing, and all content is definitely suitable for children aged 12 and over. Slightly younger children may watch this film, so long as they are mature enough to handle the premise. The clip below shows some of 'the hunger games' in action. The scene is quite frightening and intense, and may scare younger children. There is moderate threat, and lots of suspense, when Katniss is sawing the tree to get the killer wasps down.
The '12' certificate is just for videos, DVDs and Blu-rays. It is essentially the same as the '12a' certificate.[1] The 1997 film Titanic is also a good representation of a film which is only suitable for children aged 12 and over. Throughout this film, there is infrequent nudity (mostly in illustrated form, but there is one scene with a nude woman where we see her breasts and some exposed body). There are some instances of smoking cigarettes and casual drinking, and mild profanity is used. Due to the premise of the film being the tragic sinking of the titanic, the hour-long sequence of the sinking of the ship is very intense, disturbing and at times quite violent. In the clip below, the ship is quickly filling with water, and Rose and Jack are trying to escape. They also rescue a small child who is sobbing. The clip is very intense and emotionally engaging; the audience is very empathetic with the characters. Due to this, the film may not be suitable for children below 12 years of age.
Films with the classification of '15' can explore all and any theme, providing the treatment is appropriate for 15 year olds. Films of the '15' certificate could include: strong violence; frequent strong language, such as "f**k"; very infrequent usage of the strongest language ("c**t"); sexual activity, although no strong or graphic detail; strong verbal references to sexual activity; sexual nudity; brief scenes of sexual violence or references to sexual violence, within context; discriminatory language/behaviour; drug usage.[1] The clip below is from the 2013 thriller film The Conjuring, which is rated '15'. Despite there being no sex or nudity in the film, it is rated '15' because of all the violence, gore, frightening, and intense scenes. Also, there is some profanity and alcohol/drug usage. In this clip, there is a lot of frightening tension and suspense, and a scary demonic creature. This represents how the film got its '15' certificate, as it is unsuitable for teens/children under this age.
Films with the '18' certificate explore lots of themes with little to no restrictions. '18' works, seeing as they are for adults, can contain: very strong violence; frequent strong language and/or very strong language, without limitations; strong portrayals of sexual activity; scenes of sexual violence; strong horror; strong blood or gore; real sex (in some cases, with context); discriminatory language and behaviour.[1] In the 2004 film Dawn of the Dead, which is rated '18', there is infrequent strong sexual content, frequent violence and gore, strong language, usage of alcohol/drugs, and many frightening/intense scenes. The clip below is the opening to this film. Straight into the film, there are frightening and gory images of zombie-like creatures flashed onto the screen. This is very scary. Right away, a viewer can tell that this film should be rated '18'.
I have decided that the thriller film that I make will be a '15' certificate. This is because it will be more psychological, and therefore won't contain a lot of gore. It will be suitable for 15 year olds. Furthermore, the premise of the film, and the content, may be too frightening or intense for teens and children under the age of 15. The opening sequence that I will create will not contain any violence/gore, but it will be implied that the main female character has killed 2 people already, and will kill a 3rd. The interspersed scenes of implied violence may be too frightening or intense to have a certificate below a '15'.
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Information:
- [1] BBFC. British Board Of Film Classification. Available: http://www.bbfc.co.uk/.
- Unknown/multiple authors. Aladdin (1992) - Parental Guide. Available: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103639/parentalguide?ref_=tt_stry_pg.
- Unknown/multiple authors. Matilda (1996) - Parental Guide. Available: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0117008/parentalguide?ref_=tt_stry_pg.
- Unknown/multiple authors. The Hunger Games (2012) - Parental Guide. Available: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392170/parentalguide?ref_=tt_stry_pg.
- Unknown/multiple authors. Titanic (1997) - Parental Guide. Available: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120338/parentalguide?ref_=tt_stry_pg.
- Unknown/multiple authors. The Conjuring (2013) - Parental Guide. Available: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1457767/parentalguide?ref_=tt_stry_pg.
- Unknown/multiple authors. Dawn Of The Dead (2004) - Parental Guide. Available: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363547/parentalguide?ref_=tt_stry_pg.
This post demonstrates a proficient understanding of what age certificate are and their purpose within the film industry. You have identified the correct certificates, but you need to ensure that you have referenced you research.
ReplyDeleteWithin each age certificate, you also need to expand on the examples that you have included, by referring the certificate to specific examples throughout
Finally, how will your narrative relate to a 15 certificate audience? Discuss your narrative in more detail