The BBFC and Film Age Certificates

 BBFC stands for the British Board of Film Classification. It is essentially a company that sets main rules in the cinemas and it sets the age restrictions. Any film in Britain cannot be released in both cinemas and on DVD without going through a BBFC company.

There are a lot of things that BBFC takes into consideration when thinks about what age certificate they should give to the specific film.  This can include :

• self-harm showed in the scenes 
• scenes that show sex and nudity 
• scenes that include strong language 
• scenes with violence showed towards kids
• strobe lighting -- in case there is someone with epilepsy
• scenes where child actors/characters were involved  
• scenes with potential dangerous behavior e.g. jumping from the roof
• scenes included drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes 
• scenes 3with criminal activities
• the company would also consider the context with what it's been showed 

BBFC also asks the Production company to look at all the tiny details of the film, if the film contains violence, for example, the BBFC might ask the following questions:

1. does the violence get punished 
2. how realistic it is
3. how much is there violence 
4. is it a moment of joy by any sides. 

As well as this BBFC has to look at some parts in more detail in order to be able to give a certain age restriction

The first category is PG or Parental Guidance, so it means that the child can only watch it with an adult in a room 

The main thing about PG restrictions is that all of the violence, nudity have to be on a minimal amount. Sex scenes are not allowed, otherwise, the film will be placed in the higher category. There has to be no aggressive language, only mild bad, otherwise, it also will be put on the higher category.

The next category in the order is 12 or 12A which means that this film can be seen a=by a member of the audience ghat is 12 and/or older. 

Any sort of violence in films that are within that category has to be minimal and without a lot of detail. Reference to drugs can only take place if the narrative of the film goes against the idea of drugs/alcohol/cigarettes. Nudity and sex, however, now can take place but it must be discreet and brief.

The next category in the order is 15 which means that this film can be seen by a member of the audience ghat is 15 and/or older.   

Nudity and sex in films that are within this category can be shown but not with a lot of details. Although now, in this type of film there can be some verbal reference to sex. There can also be sexual violence shown, but it has to. be kept to the minimum, otherwise, that film will be in the higher category.

Talking about the rest of the restrictions, it is clear that films within this category, if they have scenes where some of the characters are taking the drugs, these scenes should not include the whole process of work of the drug, and it also should not promote the usage of the drugs for the members of the audience.

Continuing with violence, it can take place in films that are rated 15 but there should not be sadistic violence. 

The next category in the order is 18 which means that this film can be seen by a member of the audience ghat is 18 and/or older.   

Films within this category can have all of the aspects of the films together because at that age adults are free to choose what to watch. Most of the films that are rated 18 are likely to include scenes where there are drugs shown, scenes where there are things that are against the law, and simply all the things that were not allowed to be in any of the films that were in the previous categories. 

 I would place our group course work film idea in the category for people that are 15 years old and above. I would do so mainly by the fact that in both, our opening sequence and our film there is not going to be a lot of detailed violence, however, there will be some aspects of the violence. One of the examples of the violence in our opening sequence can be the part where the main woman character is smashing the main man character's head on the lift's wall. Although this scene includes violence, our group is not going to show every detail of it. We are just going to show an actual fight and the blood that is dripping off from a man's head.