Research on The British Board of Film Classification ( BBFC)

What is the BBFC?

The British Board of Film Classification is a non - governmental organisation  which  was founded in 1912 and is responsible for the classification and censorship of films across the UK.

HOW DO THEY CLASSIFY FILMS?

Films are classified by the judgment of two examiners who watch the movie, in some cases a senior examiner will confirm the outcome of the judgment. If two examiners cannot come to an agreement the classification task is passed to the board members. Sometimes specialist advice is taken about the legal acceptability of film content or its potential for harm.

There are 6 categories that films are placed into:UPG12A121518R18This helps to regulate or inform if the following film is suitable to the persons age.

How are these categories divided?

U: STANDS FOR UNIVERSAL AND IS RATED SUITABLE FOR AGES 4 AND OVER BUT MOSTLY REGULATED CLOSER FOR THE AGES LOWEST AND CLOSER TO 4FOR EXAMPLE: TOY STORY 3

PG: stands for Parental Guidance. This means that some parts of the film may be unsuitable for younger viewers but generally suitable for all viewersFor Example: Imagine That

12A and 12: Films classified as 12A or 12 contain material that is not very suitable for children under 12. Younger than 12 may see a 12A film in a cinema if accompanied by an adult. Adults planning to take a child under 12 to view a 12A film should consider whether the film is suitable for that child.For Example: the theory of everything

15: no one under the age of 15 can view the film or buy or rent one if classified a 15For Example: Ex Machina

18: films that are classified 18 is generally an adult movie, anyone under the age cannot watch, buy or rent a film that has this classification. This is because the content in the film may not be suitable for younger viewersFor Example: Fifty Shades of Grey

R18: R18 is a special and legally-restricted classification category for explicit works of consenting sex or strong fetish material involving adults. Films may only be shown to adults in specially licensed cinemas, and video works may be supplied to adults only in licensed sex shops. R18 videos may not be supplied by mail order.

As our main theme is thriller for our film and opening sequence, here is some research I have done on well know Thriller films and what classifications are common for this genre.

PULP FICTION: CLASSIFIED 18

INCEPTION: CLASSIFIED 12

THE SILENCE OF THE LAMB: CLASSIFIED 18

Juno?

The movie Juno was originally submitted to the BBFC with a PG request. The issues however with this request were due to the infrequent strong language, moderate sex references and brief sight of a gory scene from an old horror movie The Wizard Of Gore (rated 18). When making their recommendations examiners also discussed the film’s tone, likely appeal and audience, and the treatment of the theme of teenage pregnancy. The film was then passed as a 12a