Film regulation and the BBFC

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

• What is the institution responsible for? Regulating film media
• How is it funded? They are a non-profit organisation that is funded through fees charged to the film and tv industry          
• What link does it have to government? it is a form of statutory regulation

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

Write a paragraph about each of the different ratings:

• U-It is suitable for audiences of all ages, although sometimes it is not aimed at children.This ranking is usually unlikely to unsettle a four year old. 
• PG-General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children. A PG should generally not unsettle a child aged around eight, although parents and caregivers should be aware that some scenes may be unsuitable for more sensitive children
• 12A/12-Cinema content classified 12A contains material that is not generally suitable for children aged under 12.No one younger than 12 may be permitted to attend a 12A cinema screening unless they are accompanied by an adult.
• 15-No one younger than 15 may see 15-rated content in a cinema.
• 18-No one younger than 18 may see 18-rated content in a cinema

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

• dangerous behaviour-As a key age rating consideration, the film’s scenes of action violence are high octane, with colourful space battles featuring various aircrafts, futuristic weapons and explosives, as well as crunchy hand-to-hand fights. Characters are often hit with gun blasts, hacked at with blades and sometimes explode. These elements all contributed to the film’s 12A age rating.
• discrimination-no discrimination at all
• drugs -contains smoking and drinking
• language-Uses of moderate bad language, such as ‘bitch’, ‘dick’, ‘prick’ and ‘whore’, are used elsewhere in the film to comic effect. A middle finger gesture from Quill in his holographic mugshot provides another memorable moment, and one that showcases his character’s irreverent attitude. While these terms and gestures are a little stronger than what had previously come before in films of the MCU, they contribute to the film’s unique humour; and as such do not challenge a 12A age rating.
• nudity-none 
• sex-contains some sex scenes which would not for a young audience.However there is not a lot
• sexual violence-none
• suicide and self harm-none
• threat and horror-The Guardians often find themselves in life threatening situations, meaning that threat was also a key consideration when deciding on the age rating. Ronan, for example, remains an ominous presence throughout the film. He’s cold, ruthless and wields a Kree war-hammer, making him a formidable opponent. We first see him being dressed in his armour and warpaint, before he performs a ritualistic killing of a man held captive on his ship, the Dark Aster. Like his armour and his surroundings, Ronan is often shrouded in darkness, which gives him the air of a powerful demon that we might see in horror movies.
• violence-none

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.

SUPERMAN

My rating:                                                             

Issues spotted:                   

• Bad Language
• Weapons
• Threat
• Violence
• Themes

BBFC Rating 

Issues spotted:

• Threat
• Violence

JURASSIC WORLD

Your classification

Issues spotted:

• Bad Language
• Violence
• Threat
• Dangerous Behaviour

Our classification

Issues spotted:

• Weapons
• Threat
• Violence

JUNGLEBOOK

Your classification

Issues spotted:

• Threat
• Dangerous Behaviour

Our classification

Issues spotted:

• Threat

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)?

Cinema content classified 12A contains material that is not generally suitable for children aged under 12.

No one younger than 12 may be permitted to attend a 12A cinema screening unless they are accompanied by an adult. Adults planning to take a child under 12 to a 12A should consider whether the main feature is suitable for that child. To help them decide, we recommend that they check the BBFC’s content advice for the film in advance.

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.

It was rated 12 a due to the use of language and discrimination.It was harmful to consume however it provided a sense of surveilance to people that young because it shows them how hard the real world is.