BBFC

What is the BBFC?

The BBFC (British bard of film classification) are a organisation that produce certificates for films to make sure that the right age groups watch certain things and aren't affected badly by any scenes they may see, this system allows parents to decide whether or not they want to allow their child to see certain films and decide whether it is suitable or not, set up in 1912 to classify cinema films and then DVDs since 1984 due to the videos recording act.

Age classification U: 

U stands for universal, this means the content is suitable for all caged four and over, the worst language in a U is 'hell' and 'damn', there may be subtle sexual references and the most sexual nature there will be is kissing and cuddling, no more than this is allowed, these must not be focused on, there is hardly any violence in a U film, there may be the odd fight scene but this will be solved quickly, also there may be scenes where a character is in danger but this will only be quick, the 'baddie' of the film may carry a weapon but this will be frowned upon and the hero will never use weapons. No behaviour that children may copy which could cause harm is allowed in the film.

An example of a U film is 'A bugs life' this film had hardly any violence in it apart from when the 'baddie' tried to attack his colony, but the ants, aka the 'good guys' always came out on top, this was very brief danger as well, there were no references to alcohol or drugs and there is no blood, none of the characters carried weapons and the ant colony acted as a community which sent out a good message to the young children that watched it, there was sexual references but they were subtle and are allowed in a U movie, there are parts of the movie where the character is placed in danger but this is quickly resolved, there is also no explicit language used in the film.

Age classification PG:

PG stands for parental guidance, this means a film is suitable for all as long as they have a guardian with them, although some scenes may be unsuitable for young children. A PG film should not unsettle a child aged around eight or older. There may be some explicit language such as 's**t' or 'son of a b**ch', themes about racism or bullying, the sexual references are subtle and hardly used, there may be violence but it will be mild, there may be a small reference to drugs but it is unlikely to be recognised by younger children

An example of a PG film is 'Ghost busters' this film has some fight scenes with the 'baddies' but there is no blood or serious injuries sustained to any characters and the 'fight' scenes are shown in a light mood and not serious or anything dangerous or anything children will imitate due to it being fantasy, there is no serious explicit language and is not focused on sex or sexual references, there are slight jump scares but nothing majorly scary to a young child, this film doesn't focus on alcohol or drugs, the characters are placed in danger but always find a way out and overcome the antagonist quickly, the protagonists always seem to be dominant and know what to do

Age classification 12:

The age classification 12 means only 12 and over are allowed to watch the film, no one under this age can be allowed into the cinema, the overall tone of a film is very important, if the tone is too dark/ unsettling then it may not be allowed into this age catergory, language such as 'f**k', 'b**ch' and 't**t'
are allowed into a 12 depending on how it is used and the frequency. Discriminatory language is unlikely to be allowed into a 12, there may be brief sexual references but no nudity, weapons are allowed in action scenes in a 12 movie but anything accessible to an average 12 year old, eg. knifes, cannot be glamourised as they can easily get their hands on it and cause harm, rape may only be indicated or briefly and discreetly shown but this must not be emphasised too much. Horror films can be passed as a 12 as long as horror scenes are not shown too frequently and will not cause psychological damage to a 12 year old child. Behaviour that is dangerous such as suicide cannot be shown in too much detail, anti social behaviour is not allowed and misuse of drugs must not be glamourised.

An example of a 12 film is 'grown ups' there is a small amount of swearing in the film but it is not used maliciously towards anyone, there is no discrimination in the film and there is some violence but nothing serious and nothing that children can easily imitate, there are no weapons or death involved and psychological stress/damage would not be caused by watchong this film due to it being an upbeat comedy.

Age classification: 12A

12A requires a guardian to be with the child under the age of 12 if the tone of a film is quite dark then it will not be rated a 12A, language such as 'f***, 'b**ch' and 't**t' are allowed into a 12A, any discriminatory language or behaviour will not be allowed in a 12A, especially if used aggressively. Sex may be briefly and discreetly seen at 12A, there may be nudity in 12A films but nudity in a sexual context should only be brief and sly.

An example of a 12A film is harry potter and the deathly hallows part one/two, there is no explicit language but there is quite a dark tone to it in comparison to the other harry potter films, there is no discrimination in the film that young children may copy, and there is no sex scenes in the movie and no weapons that children can get their hands on are glorfied, the only 'weapon' used is a wand, which is not harmful as this is a fantasy-esqe world and will not cause any harm due to it not being able to cause harm in real life, there is also no discrimination or nudity.

Age classification: 15

All themes are allowed in a 15 movie, in a 15 film you may see strong violence, constant strong language, sexual activity, strong verbal references to sex, sexual nudity, discrimination and drug use, there may be a lot of explicit language and you may hear terms such as c***, but constant aggressive swearing will not be passed at a 15, there may be racist, homophobic or other discriminatory language involved in a 15 film, there may be strong violence in a 15, drug taking is also allowed in a 15, no behaviour that could be copied by teenagers is shown in detail at a 15.

An example of a 15 film is super bad, there is drug use, and regular sexual references, there is a bit of strong violence and lots of regular strong language used in the film (eg  fights), there is discriminatory language used a few times but nothing too offensive. The theme is quite light hearted and not very dark. The drug use is not done discreetly as it is directly in front of the camera and is the main focus, this is the same for sexual references.

Age classification: 18

All themes are allowed in an 18, even potentially offensive ones. In a 18 film very strong violence and frequent strong language (e.g. 'f***' and ‘c***’), strong sexual activity, scenes of sexual violence, strong horror, strong blood and gore, real sex (in some circumstances), discriminatory language and behaviour, there is an unlimited amount of bad language allowed in an 18 and discrimination is allowed, detailed sex is allowed at an 18, strong violence is allowed at an 18, drug taking is shown but not shown as a good thing and very dangerous behaviour is not allowed.

 An example of an 18 film is pulp fiction, there is clear drug taking in front of the camera but is shown to cause harm (kills woman who is taking it before she is revived by an adrenalin shot to the heart) and plenty of violent behaviour (murder, robbery, etc)and strong language in regular intervals of the film, there are clear sexual references and sexual innuendos, the front cover clearly portrays this, there is lots of blood/gore (when man is shot by sameul l jackson character), there is also discriminatory language throughout.









Overall the certificates for the films seem perfectly fine to me and the BBFC( British Board of Film Classification) have clearly thought this out well, I think the certificates will stick for years to come although i can imagine a new certificate being made in relation to a 15. I now understand why certain films have certain age certificates whereas before i did not, this has helped me decide which age certificate my film shall be, I shall try to avoid drug use and there will be no sex scenes or discriminatory language, swearing will likely be used but not too frequently, also there will be no nudity.