Classification & Certification

The British Board of Certification (BBFC)

The BBFC is a non-governmental organization, funded by the film industry that classifys films within the United Kingdom, allocating them a certificate age that allows audiences to determine whether videos, DVDs and some video games are suitable for viewing for themselvs and those in their care.

The certificate ages allocated to UK films range from suitable for all ages, to strictly for adults and those aged 18 or over based on their content.


U (Universal):
A film that is classified as a 'U' is suitable for audiences aged 4+. Films under this certificate are set within a positive moral framework, meaning that there is no distressing images of violence, threat or horror that may upset the child audience.

PG (Parental Guidance):

PG rated films are understood to be general viewing, suitable for most, but the film may contain some scenes that are unsuitable for young children and parents are advised to take this into careful consideration. PG films are suitable for most children aged 8+, include only mild bad language, discreet nudity and sexual references, no prolonged horror references and no reference to drug use.

12A/12:

12 or 12A films are suitable for those aged 12 and over, although if a film in a cinema is rated 12A no child under 12 can watch unless accompanied by an adult and provided the adult in question has deemed the film suitable for the child to watch. Strong language is rare, sexual implications may be made and nudity with refernce to sexual activity is brief or discreet, violence is not sustained or detailed, use of soft drugs must be justified and the dangers indicated.

15:

Films that are rated 15 are suitable for those aged 15 and over, no younger. No-one younger than 15 can view or rent a 15 film. Films given this rating may deal with ideas and topics that are not suitable for younger audiences, such as frequent use of strong language, mild sexual activity and nudity, no clear use of drugs and violence or horror is mild, focusing on the infliction of pain is unaccepted.

18:

Films rated 18 are suitable for adults and those over the age of 18 only, no-one under the age of 18 can watch or rent a film with this rating. There are no constraints on language, horror or nudity, although the board can cut or reject any detailed dangerous or violent acts, explicit images of sexual activity and illegal use of drugs without justification.

Conclusion:
After conducting this research on film classification it became apparent that we had to consider the certificate of our film carefully in order to keep to the acceptable contents of the allocated certificate ages. We decided to rate our film an 18 as a result of the strong language used in the opening 2minutes. Although some strong language is permitted in 15s, we have included stronger words such as "cunt" in order to fit our genre and therefore this exludes a younger audience immediately. Although strong violence is not included in the opening two minutes of the film, it is a re-ocurring theme throughout and is intended to be relatively detailed as one character is murdered during a mass scale fight. It was decided that this footage may distress younger viewers or encourage negative behavior and is therefore better suited to a responsible adult audience. Some instances of drug use and sexual activity may also appear throughout the film, justifying our choice to rate the film as suitable for those aged 18+.