RESEARCH: AGE CERTIFICATES- MRS. QUINLAN

What is the BBFC and why are they important in the film industry?

The British Board of Film Censorship (BBFC) are in control of specifying the age certificates for all the films produced. Their job is to protect and advise the society by guiding them through the moving image industry so that the different contents are showed to the appropriate viewers. This helps to prevent the vulnerable viewers form being exposed to unsuitable or upsetting contents. This tends to be helpful and beneficial especially for parents and adults who can take these ratings as an advise to follow when choosing a viewing for their children or younger brothers and sisters. The BBFC plays an important role in the film industry because they not only protect the audiences but also set the boundaries and have an impact on shaping the society in some form because they can decide what are the limits and borderlines when it comes to the moving image.

Age Certificates Examples:

Age Certificates are the categories that the BBFC uses to organize the film basing on various rules and borders. These are the Age Certificates used by BBFC:

Universal (U):

The Universal category is specified for any audience no matter the age or other demographics. Although the BBFC cannot infer for all viewers an average person will be not overly effected by the content of the film because of its positive narrative and themes. A Universal film will convey good morals and set a good example for the viewers especially young kids who are influenced the most by the moving image industry. A Universal classified film will have very mild violence references such as humorous punches. There will be none to little romantic gestures such as occasional kissing or hugging. An example of a Universal film would be Mulan because it has very mild violence put in the right context. There is no injury and no bloody imagery although the character is at war. Moreover the theme of love is explored but shown in a very settled way.

Parental Guidance (PG):

The Parental Guidance category has general viewing appropriate for most audiences however unsuitable for very young kids. The PG movies can be watched by children as long as it is considered appropriate by their carer/ parent. The viewer should not be disturbed by the content or feel threatened later on after the viewing. A PG movie will have occasional mild violence but it will not be the focus of the narrative. It will have not much emphasis on the romantic gestures but kissing and cuddling might be evident. An example of a PG movie would be Back to the Future because it has some very mild violent gestures which are not glamourized and do not play a massive part in the narrative. It also lacks in bad language and proposes good morals and values such as friendship and bravery. In addition there is the theme of love but no display of romantic gestures.

 

12+:

This category has a viewing of twelve year olds and above. An average twelve year old spectator will be mature enough to understand the content and it will not upset them. However the film will have some evident violence and clear romantic gestures suitable for a twelve year old and above. However under no circumstances there should be heavy bloodshed or explicit sexual activity. There can be more of self-expression and morals or values can be questioned. This category only exists for video works and no one younger than twelve should be able to rent or buy a movie with such category without parent supervision. An example of a ‘12+’ film would be Whip It because it contains moderate language and some sexual references suitable for a twelve year old. The idea of morality is questioned by the young character who has no sense of direction in her life. Also the theme of rebellion is repetitively evident especially when the teenage daughter stands up to her mother which could set a wrong example for younger audience.

 

12A:

This boundary is used for cinema viewings only. It is said that no child under twelve should be allowed to see the viewing by themselves due to the content that could be found upsetting for some viewers. However if supervised by an adult a child under the specified age can be allowed on the viewing on the adults behalf who get to decide whether the content is suitable for their underage viewer. A 12A film will have similar restrictions to the 12+ category. An example of a 12A film is I believe in Miracles because of the frequent strong language which could be found offensive for some viewers but bearable for others, therefore rated 12A. I believe in Miracles is based on a true story which can be found quite controversial for younger viewers who are still under the impression that reality is ideal.

 

15+:

The 15+ category will involve some controversial and disturbing ideas. It is more likely to provoke the authorities and the morals and values will be questioned or even subverted. This is because the BBFC supposes that a 15 year old and above has already established their priorities and will not be influenced by the propaganda displayed on screen. A 15+ rated movie is allowed to display moderate language, violence, sexual references/activities and some mild drug references without glamourizing or promoting them to the viewer. An example of a 15+ film would be the thriller Stepfather because it has violence and a constant psychological threat which can damage the vulnerable mind of a less than a fifteen year old kid and more sensitive spectators. The Stepfather has images of mass murder, this involving children murder. The constant violence can be classified as 15+.

 

18+:

This category has the highest age rate possible and therefore has the most freedom when displaying various contents and images. 18+ is the legal age at which the viewer can chose what to watch as they are mature enough to make these decisions. An 18+ film will be able to display extreme violence with bloody imagery, strong language, strong sexual assault and torture. It can display illegal drugs use and explicit sexual activities can be shown. An example of an 18+ movie would be Saw because of it gory and bloody violence/ terrorization. The Saw has brutal murders with graphic torture and some narrative. The killings are fully displayed which makes it an 18+ because a responsible adult will never try to follow the horrific actions displayed on the screen and the film will not hurt their mind as much as it would to someone younger than eighteen.

 

What is a 12A rating? Why was it created?

A 12A rating means that the child under 12 must be accompanied by an adult who will be responsible for the smaller viewer and decides for them whether the content is suitable to view. The difference between 12 and 12A is that 12A is used in cinemas only and 12 remains in the retail and rent industry. Accompanied viewing is not enforced at homes because it is the adult’s responsibility to establish what is being watched in their house.

The 12A certificate was created in 2002 after the release of the first Spiderman. The BBFC decided to give it a 12+ rating because of the fight sequences between the protagonist and his enemies. However Spiderman is an iconic hero which has been a part of most kids’ childhood; evident on t-shirts and other merchandisers aimed at kids. Therefore it was unfair to the under twelves not to see it. BBFC came up with a new rating which proposed that an under twelve year old is allowed to see a 12A movie as long as they are supervised by an adult who is responsible for them. 12A follows the same criteria as the 12+ rating.

                                            

 

 

Age Certificates in Thrillers:

The thriller genre tends to be rated 15+ and/or 18+. However in some rare cases a thriller can have a rating of a 12+ because of its mild references. An example of a 12+ film would be Inception because of its mild contextual violence which is suitable for a 12 year old viewer.

On the other hand it is much common to have a thriller with the rating of 15 and 18. This is because thrillers tend to have many disturbing contexts and explore ideas which can be portrayed as inappropriate for younger audiences. Moreover many thrillers display moderate violence and killings as well as use extreme language and the narratives can have rebellious characters who go against the authorities which gives the younger viewers the wrong message.  

Knowing is a 15+ thriller movie. The plot begins in 1958 where as part of an opening ceremony the elementary students are told to draw what in their opinion future will look like. The images are to be placed in a time capsule and opened in 50 years time. A mysterious girl, who seems to suffer from schizophrenia, fills her paper with numbers. 50 years later the capsule is opened and the girl's cryptic message lands in young Caleb's hands. His father discovers that the numbers are in fact the predictions for worlds biggest disasters.
This film classifies as a 15+ because of its graphic images of disaster and harm that it causes. Another reason for this is the display of harmed people such as the victims who are burned alive in a plane crash. Lastly the idea of supernaturalism and aliens can be seen as a controversial topic because many people and religions do not believe in such ideas.

Seven is an 18+ thriller movie. The plot begins with detective Somerset who is close to his retirement and being replaced by a much younger officer, David Mills. Soon both men discover a number of murders. They come to the conclusion that these were based around the seven deadly sins and the killer is a serial murderer who seems to have planned everything perfectly. Simultaneously Somerset befriends Mills' wife, Tracy, who is expecting a child.

 This film has an 18+ rating because of its graphic violence, human terrorisation and bloody imagery. In addition the idea of religion can be quite upsetting for some viewers as many people do not like to discuss their beliefs.

 

Age Certificate for my own Thriller opening:

Looking at the different age ratings and their conditions/ restrictions I think that my thriller should have a rating of 15+ considering the possible narratives and themes I want to present in my sequence.  Some of the ideas I have considered are:

·         Disturbing imagery/ ideas

·         Moderate threat

·         Bloody images

These are considered to be viewed by a 15 year old and older spectators only because it will be too harmful for younger audiences. Although I have examined these ideas I know that they need to have less gory than an 18+ movie would include, and the themes should be mild and not too extreme because of the rating I have decided to use.

Also this rating will help me to establish my audience and therefore consider what possible conventions will be suitable and which ones will not work.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, learning about BBFC and different ages certificates was proficient for my understanding because I have learned how important these establishments are during a production. From looking at the BBFC I have realized how the ratings are established, and from looking in further detail at the different age certificates I was able to see what the criteria are for each of them. This was particularly beneficial because it has helped me to deepen my understanding of the rules I should consider when making my thriller opening. Lastly I was able to infer what rating I would like my sequence to be. I have decided on 15+ because of the moderate threat and disturbing themes that I intend to include.