Film Industry: BBFC film regulation

Alezey

 BBFC film regulation

1) Research the BBFC in more detail. This BBFC Wikipedia page may help.

• What is the institution responsible for? 

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is the UK’s national body for assigning age ratings and content guidance to films and certain videos. It was founded in 1912 and is a non-governmental, independent organisation. 

Their Core Responsibilities are:

• The BBFC classifies films and videos that are shown in cinemas or released on physical formats such as DVDs and Blu-rays.
• It gives age ratings and content advice to help children, parents and viewers decide what is suitable to watch.
• It also classifies trailers, adverts and other audiovisual material when the law requires it.
• The BBFC offers voluntary age ratings and guidance for video-on-demand services and some online content.
• Overall, its role is to protect children and vulnerable people from harmful material, while still allowing adults the freedom to choose what they watch.

• How is it funded? 

The BBFC is self-funded and works on a not-for-profit basis, which means it does not receive regular funding from the UK government. Instead, it earns money by charging film and media companies fees to classify their content, such as fees based on the length or type of release. This money pays for the BBFC’s running costs and helps it stay independent. (If the BBFC makes extra money, it can use this to support charitable causes.) While it does not depend on government funding for its normal work, it can receive limited government-linked grants for specific projects, such as developing new technology.

• What link does it have to government? 

The BBFC is independent from the government, but it does have an official link through the law. It is recognised under the Video Recordings Act 1984 as the body responsible for classifying films and videos in the UK, meaning its decisions have legal importance. Although the government does not control the BBFC or make its day-to-day decisions, Parliament can change the laws that affect how it operates, and the BBFC works within these legal guidelines.

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2) Read this BBFC summary to Age Ratings and the BBFC classification guidelines. 

Write a paragraph about each of the different ratings:

• U - U rating (universal) means a film is suitable for everyone, including very young children. The content is very mild, with no strong language, violence or sexual content. Any themes that could be upsetting are handled gently and usually have a positive outcome, so children should not feel frightened or confused.
• PG - PG rating (Parental Guidance) means a film is generally suitable for children, but some scenes may not be appropriate for younger viewers. Parents are advised to decide whether the content is suitable for their child. There may be mild language, brief violence or slightly upsetting scenes, but nothing too intense or detailed.
• 12A/12 - A 12A rating is used for cinema releases and means children under 12 can watch if they are with an adult, while a 12 rating applies to DVDs and streaming and means under 12s should not watch. Films rated 12A/12 can include moderate violence, some strong language or mature themes, but these are not shown in a graphic way. The BBFC believes younger viewers may need guidance to understand this content.
• 15 - 15 rating means a film is suitable only for people aged 15 and over. The content may include strong language, violence, sexual references, drug use or discriminatory language, but these are not shown in an extreme or graphic way. The themes may be more serious or realistic, and the BBFC believes that viewers aged 15+ are mature enough to understand and cope with this content without harm. 
• 18 - 18 rating means a film is suitable only for adults. The content can include very strong violence, explicit sexual content, strong language, drug misuse and disturbing themes. There are fewer restrictions at this level because adults are expected to make informed choices about what they watch. The BBFC uses this rating to clearly warn that the content may be extreme and unsuitable for children.

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3) Select ONE of the A Level BBFC case studies. Explain why it received its certificate in relation to each of the considerations: 

Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) - rating ; 12A

• dangerous behaviour - The film includes fighting and risky action scenes, but they are clearly fantasy and unrealistic, involving aliens and sci-fi weapons. The BBFC judged that younger viewers would not copy this behaviour, especially as it is presented in a comic-book way.
• discrimination - There is some mild name-calling and insults, usually played for humour and to make the audience laugh. These are not aggressive or targeted at real world groups, so the BBFC considered them acceptable at a 12A level.
• drugs - none.
• language - The film contains moderate language, and is used infrequently. There is no strong or repeated swearing, which is why the BBFC did not rate it 15.
• nudity - none.
• sex - none.
• sexual violence - none.
• suicide and self harm - none.
• threat and horror - Some scenes include mild threat, such as characters being chased or attacked, but these moments are often balanced with humour. This would not be too intense for younger viewers with adult guidance.
• violence - The violence is frequent but non-graphic, involving explosions and battles with aliens. There is little focus on injury or pain, and the tone is light-hearted, which fits a 12A rating.

4) Go to the rate a trailer section - choose THREE trailers and rate them.

Write the name of the film, what your rating was, and how it compared to the BBFC.

Trailer 1: JURASSIC WORLD DOMINION 

My classification of the age rating from the trailer is 12A because it includes moderate threat and violence, such as dinosaurs attacking people, but not too graphic. I put down the issues as: threat, weapons, violence, and dangerous behaviour.

This compares to BBFC’s rating which was officially 12A and their issues spotted were only: threat, weapons and violence; and noting that “Issues of threat and violence were the main reasons for this trailer’s 12A age rating. The action opens with lots of shots of prehistoric giants.” 

The only aspect that was slightly incorrect was that I had put an issue for dangerous behaviour due to the protagonist riding on a motorcycle dangerously while being chased by dinosaurs, however BBFC had not classed it as dangerous behaviour.

Trailer 2: CRUELLA 

My rating this trailer PG because it has a stylised, playful tone with only mild threat and no strong language or graphic violence. I had put down for issues: weapons, threat, and violence. However, the BBFC rated it 12A, likely due to moments of sustained violence and darker themes that may be slightly intense for younger children. They also mention “Cruella driving a car dangerously in a brief moment of action before an image of bats flying towards people occurs” which they noted is dangerous behaviour.

Trailer 3: MIDSOMMAR 

My interpretation of the rating from the trailer was  18 because it includes themes like: threat, drugs, sex and nudity, and violence, which felt too strong for younger viewers. However, the  BBFC rated it 15, with the same issues, but judged it was suitable for viewers aged 15+ with adult understanding, and also noting that “the shots of characters in emotional distress and sounds of people screaming and shouting off-screen also unsettle and establish an ominous tone.”

5) What are the guidelines for a 12A certificate - Blinded By The Light's cinema certificate (it was rated 12 for its home video release)?

A 12A ( 12 advisory ) certificate means a film is suitable for 12 years and over, but children under 12 can watch with an adult. The BBFC allows moderate language, discrimination, sexual references, drug references, and emotional themes, as long as they are not graphic or detailed. Violence must be moderate and not shown in a realistic way.

Blinded By The Light was given a 12A cinema rating because it includes moderate bad language, racist comments, and serious themes about identity, family, and culture. These are important to the story and are handled carefully, so they are not too strong for a 12A audience. It received a 12 rating for home release because younger viewers may not have adult guidance when watching at home and it wouldn’t affect their daily life negatively, so it would be fine to watch it without parental guidance.

6) The BBFC website offers an explanation of every classification it makes and detailed case studies on selected titles. Look at the rating for Blinded By The Light and explain why it was given a 12A certificate for cinema release.

Blinded By The Light was given a 12A certificate for cinema release because it includes moderate language, racist comments, and emotional themes linked to identity, family pressure, and racism. According to the BBFC, these issues are important to the story and are not shown in a graphic or aggressive way. Any discriminatory language is clearly challenged by the film’s message, rather than encouraged. The BBFC judged that younger viewers could watch the film with adult guidance, which is why it was suitable for a 12A rating in cinemas.