Research: Age certificates- Miss Begum

 Age Certificates

 

What is the role of the BBFC and why are they important to the film industry (relate to parental guidance/appropriate of the content)?

 

The British Board Film Classification (BBFC) has a role of protecting the public by rating films appropriately according to the content in the film and the audiences age group. The BBFC rates all films that are produced before they are allowed to be viewed by the public, they decide on the age group the film is targeted at and then rate the film with an age certificate. The BBFC is important to the film industry as it allows the public to be safe and only watch films that the BBFC think are appropriate for their age. For example, they believe a film that contains strong language and explicit images of sexual activity has an age certificate of 18 as this content is aimed at adults and is not appropriate for younger generations. Furthermore, the importance of the BBFC is that they provide the parents with information about the film allowing them to make a decision on whether or not they want their child to watch the film based on the content involved.

What are that different age certificates? (examples of films)


U

U stands from universal. A U film is aimed at children aged four and older as it is set within a positive moral framework. There is only very mild bad language such as 'damn' and 'hell' and sexual behaviour such as kissing and cuddling however there is no apparent focus on sexual behaviour. There is no significant focus on issues such as
 discrimination, drugs, imitable behaviour, language, nudity, sex, threat or violence. There is no reference to drugs as this is not understood by young children however there may be minor references to violence when characters are in danger or brief fight scenes take place. A U film can explore a wide range of themes that are appropriate for children.

An example of a U rated film is 'Despicable Me' as it follows the conventions of a U rated films and does not contain inappropriate content or language. 

PG

PG stands for parental guidance. A PG film is for general viewing. However may contain unsettling scenes therefore a parent is recommended to decide whether or not it is appropriate as some children may be sensitive about certain content shown. Very mild bad language such as 'Son of a bitch' is appropriate in PG films but the context in which it is delivered is important. Undetailed sexual references are included that a child is unable to understand. Violence is likely to be mild with blood, and frightening scenes may be included as long as they are not intense and uncomfortable for the young audience to watch. There may be passing reference to drugs however there is no emphasis on this to ensure the audience are not affected or influenced. 

An example of a film rated PG includes Wreck-it Ralph as this film only includes mild violence and is therefore appropriate for general viewing and young viewers accompanied by adults. 
 

12A

12A films are suitable for children aged 12 and over and children under 12 must be accompanied by adults. Content in a film may be upsetting for children under 12 and may contain material that adults find inappropriate. Adults taking children under 12 to view a film that is rated 12 A must decide whether or not they think the film is suitable for the child. Strong language such as 'f***' may be used depending on the manner or situation and the character using the language. Moderate violence is allowed to be used however it should not be detailed. There may be use of weapons however certain weapons such as knives should not be glamorised in a 12 A film and scenes of violence such as fights may take place. There may be sexual references in 12A films such as nudity however should be discreet with no emphasis. 

An example of a 12A thriller film is 'The Expendables 3'  which is appropriate for children aged 12 and older accompanied by adults due to having moderate action violence such as bombings and fights throughout the film.

 

12

 

A 12 age rated film has similar rules as a 12A does however may differ in some aspects. A 12 film is when the material is suitable only for children aged 12 and older and cannot be viewed  by a younger audience. Works classified in this category may upset children under the age of 12 or may contain content that many parents will find unsuitable for their children. 12 films contains strong language as it is allowed in this category, language such as 'f***'  can be used infrequently depending on the situation it is involved in and who uses the terms. Sexual references may be used according to what 12 year olds are likely to learn and hear at school however must not be used continuously. Violence can be used such as fighting and blood and weapons can be also be used such as guns and knives but must not encourage the viewers influences. There can be some threat evident including scary scenes which are intense, however only occasional gory scenes can be shown. The 12 category exists only for video works, no one younger than 12 may rent or buy a 12 rated video work.

An example of a 12 age rated film includes 'The Amazing Spiderman 2' as there is moderate violence such as fights and threat.

15

A 15 film is aimed at children aged 15 however nobody under the age of 15 is permitted to watch a 15 rated film. A 15 film may contain strong language, strong violence, strong verbal references to sex, drug taking and brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence. Content may have a controversial element to it but there shouldn't be any discrimination and although drugs may be touched upon but must not promoted. Strong language has no upper limit however continued or aggressive use will not normally be passed 15. Sexual references and nudity is allowed and can be portrayed but usually without strong detail and must be justified by context. There may be strong violence however it should not dwell on pain or injury. Strong gory images and sadistic violence is unlikely to be acceptable. There can be strong threat and horror however there should be no focus on these situations.

An example of a 15 age rated film includes 'Brokeback Mountain' as their are controversial elements such as homosexuality and there is violence through the use of weapons.

 

 

 

18

An 18 film must not be viewed by anybody under the age of 18 as it is aimed at adults and is not suitable for children. 18 rated films contain very strong violence which can exposed in strong detail and may even dwell on pain and injury. Strong language/ very strong language such as 'c***', uses can be aggressive and used in any situation. Strong portrayals of sexual activity is allowed with strong portrayals of sex and sexually explicit images revealed. Strong horror and strong blood and gore can also be portrayed.  18 age rated films can portray the use of drugs however the film must not promote or encourage drug misuse.
 
An example of an 18 age rated film includes 'I spit on your grave' which includes nudity and rape and excessive violence.

 Discuss 12A rating- Spiderman and comic hero films

12 A is a new age rating that came out in September 2002 as a result of the film 'Spiderman'. This was in response to parents complaints who thought it was not suitable as a PG rating. They thought  the content was too violent for children and under 12's could not cope with the controversial narrative. Therefore, due to the complaints BBFC decided to give the film a 12 rating. However, other viewers argued that Spiderman was a childhood comic hero that young children perceived as a role model, so it was only fair that children under 12 were allowed to watch it. The BBFC then introduced a 12A rating giving Spiderman a 12A rating which meant that children under the age of 12 could watch the film if they were accompanied by an adult.

What age certificates do thrillers tend to get and why (relate to content)?

Thriller films tend to get an age certificate of 15 or 18. This is due to the content involved.  There is likely to be disturbing scenes including strong violence such as fights, rape and killings which is inappropriate for children under the age of 15, the weapons used includes guns and knives which is also disturbing for young children and may influence their actions. Greater violence and more disturbing murders such as psychotic murders in films may cause them to be rated 18 as the scenes may only be suitable for adults to view.There is also likely to be strong language used by the characters when they get angry or are angry at one another  that is not suitable for children below the age of 15. There is likely to be sexual references portrayed such as the characters discussing sex making a thriller a 15, however more extent sexual references and films containing explicit sex scenes are likely to be rated 18. The content involved in thrillers therefore give them an age certificate of 15 or 18 based on the depth of the inappropriate content. All thrillers have similar conventions therefore the majority are likely to be certified as 15 or 18. Examples of thrillers with age certificates of 15 and 18 includes:

Lucy has an age certificate of 15:








The November man has an age certificate of 15:







I spit on your grave 2 has an age certificate of 18:

 

 

 

 

 

What age certificate would you give you thriller?

 

 
When I create my thriller I intend on giving it an age certificate of 15 as this is a common age rate for thrillers. The content I include will contain violence such as attacks, murders and fights using iconography such as weapons including guns and knives making it conventional  to the thriller genre. This will help to create a chilling response from thee audience who will be in suspense and will be uncertain about the outcome. Therefore an age certificate of 15 will be appropriate for my film.

Conclusion: What have you learned about certificates and what you need to consider for your own thriller in terms of what is appropriate for the different age groups?

 

After researching age certificates I have learnt that 12 and 12A age certificates have very similar conventions and follow similar rules with the only difference being that a 12A means a child under 12 must be accompanied by adults due to some content being inappropriate. Furthermore, an 18 age certificate differs as it allows the adult audience to view explicit images and scenes that could be influential. All the certificates vary in that the rules differ for each, for example in a PG film is for general viewing while a 15 is not for children below the age of 15, these certificates vary due to the content involved in the film. When creating my own thriller I must consider selecting content that is appropriate for children aged 15 and older, however I must ensure I do not select content that is classified as 18 such as the use of very strong language or strong portrayals of sexual activity as this content is not appropriate for children below 18 and could cause controversy. Therefore, I will ensure I select content appropriate for a 15 audience but ensure I do not promote drugs or use frequent strong language when it is not appropriate. The characters I will use in my thriller film will be a protagonist, antagonist and a victim as these are the conventional characters and are appropriate for a 15 rating film. The themes I will include will consist of violence and vengeance however I will ensure these themes are not exposed in a serious and over exaggerated way affecting the audiences psychological state. Overall, In my opinion age certificates are essential to have rating films as it protects the audience from certain topics and only allows the audience to watch films that are suitable for them and contains themes that are appropriate for them. For example, a film rated 15 protects the young audience from extreme topics such as promoting drug use and continuous sex scenes. Without age certificates a young audience would be exposed to inappropriate content which could affect them psychologically.