BBFC

BBFC


The British Board of Film Classification is an independent, non-governmental body which which has been classifying films since it was set up in 1912. It has also been classifying videos and DVDs since 1984 when the Video Recordings Act was passed.  It is a non profit organization that charges fees to cover costs.In order to remain an independent company it never receives money from either the film industry or the government. Its income is solely from the fees it charges for its services, calculated by measuring the running time of films or DVDs submitted for classification.

U

U stands for Universal meaning the film should be suitable for viewers aged 4 and above. U films are only allowed to feature infrequent use of very mild bad language like "damn". For a film to be a U there must be no violence that young people can copy and no sexual references or scary scenes. 

An example of a U rated film is Despicable Me. The story follows a criminal mastermind who tries to use three orphan girls to help him with an evil scheme but thanks to their love he slowly changes into a better person and ends up changing for the better.The film's overall message is that even someone who can be considered "evil" can have a change of heart which is a good message for children. The film features no gore or offensive language, though mild insults like "stupid" are used. Nobody is ever killed or seriously injured.

PG
PG stands for Parental Guidance. This means that the film is suitable for the general public but some scenes may be unsettling for younger viewers. Films rated PG should be fine to watch by anyone above the age of 8. It's up to the parents to decide if their child is mature enough to watch the film. PG films may contain mild language, very mild sex/drugs references and may also contain moderate violence. 

An example of a film given a PG rating is Frozen. The film features a few reference to alcohol and sex when drinks are served at a coronation ceremony in the films and there is a final kiss at the end of the film. While Frozen is a Disney film aimed at families there a violent scenes involving weapons, wolves and a scary snow monster. These scenes may scare younger children so Frozen was awarded a PG rating instead of U.

12/12A

The 12A film rating is the most recent. It's introduction means that children under the age of 12 are allowed to watch films that would have been given a 12 if they are with an adult. Films rated 12 are unsuitable for children under 12 and it is illegal for a cinema to allow them to enter.  According to BBFC guidelines "films under this category can contain mature themes, discrimination, soft drugs, infrequent strong language and moderate violence, sex references and nudity". An example of a film rated 12 is The Hunger Games. The Hunger Games features some very adult themes as the story focusses and a teenage girl in a world where children are forced into an arena with no option but to fight to the death. This film features lots violence scenes and at the start of the tournament several tennagers are slaughtered by their fellow contestants. The film features more than 20 deaths. There is excessive use of weapons including swords, spears and arrows. one by one the teenagers are killed  by having their necks broken, their skulls cracked, and their bodies ravaged by carnivorous and poisonous creatures.

15

Films rated 15 are not allowed to be seen by children aged 14 and under. Films in this category can contain many adult themes such as mental illnesses, drug problems, alcohol abuse and references to death. There is no limit to amount of swear words such as "f*ck and sh*t" so some 15s feature a very large amount of foul language. 15 films are allowed to feature sexual activity and scenes of this nature may be quite long but usually not in much detail. Strong violence is allowed but if it's excessively gory the film may be rated 18.
 An example of a film given a 15 rating is Pineapple Express which is an action/comedy film with excessive cannabis usage and frequent use of foul language. The f-word is used 161 times. The plot revolves around a stoner and his cannabis dealer although one character does come to regret and reject his pot use. A scene from the film had to be cut in the UK in order to secure a 15 age rating as it featured the two main characters smoking with high school children which the BBFC deemed inappropriate. 

18

Films rated 18 are for adults only and cinemas could get in trouble for letting younger people watch them. Films rated 18 category do not have limitation on foul language that is used therefore frequent use of foul language may be featured.Hard drugs are generally allowed and explicit and detailed  sex scenes are allowed to be shown as long as they aren't too detailed. Strong, gory violence is allowed to be shown as well as characters being tortured and suffering extreme pain. An example of a film rated 18 is The Wolf of Wall Street. The main character uses all different types of drugs, but especially prefers Quaaludes; the film spends extra time on the effects of this drug. The film features other 500 uses of the f-word.

Conclusion
To conclude my research has taught me the differences between age ratings and what content is suitable for each one. My research has helped me understand the importance of age ratings as I have learned the type of content that requires an older age rating and I now understand why these things would be unsuitable for younger viewers. I now understand that age ratings are important as they help parents and teenagers decide what content is suitable for their children or themselves. For my own thriller film I believe I may give it a 15 rating as while there probably won't be excessive violence I want to make own film unsettling in a way which may scare younger viewers too much. I will make sure my film isn't too gory so it wouldn't be classified as an 18.