British Board of Film Classification research

This video explains the basics on what the British Board of Film Classifications is all about, but underneath are more defined definitions of them all.

BBFC animation by Abbie328 on GoAnimate

Underneath this video is more information that couldn't fit on to the little animation.

There is more indepth research on to what this mini animation talks about. This talks about the different age categories and the different certificates and on why they are different.

Starting from the beginning we have:


The U actually stands for Universal and the film is usual suitable for everybody, but if the child watches the film they have to be above the ages of four. A problem that occurs when rating films a U is that it is difficult to predict may end up upsetting a child. Ofcourse due to the U being universal and set for children, films will only allow light refrences to sexual behviour, for example kissing or cuddling, but no language or innuendoes and for language they will only allow mild words such as damn/ hell/ bloody/ bugger. These will be the only issues that will be allowed in a U, however they may also include mild refrences to hetrosexuals and homosexuals.



This one is straightforward and on what the video said, PG stands for Parental Guidance and this means that the film is suitable for anyone to view, however some scenes may not be fully suitable for younger children so parents have to consider whether the content in the film may be upsetting for younger and more sensitive children. Even though the film has been given the PG certificate, it doesn't mean that the film was just made for children, an example of this: Rise of The Guardians, this film did have children in mind, but they do host entertaining references and humour for older years to enjoy. A PG has no prohibited theme, but just as long as it is treated in an appropriate manner in a certain category. These films can explore challenging issues in the world, such as domestic violence, bereavement or racism, but they aren't the main theme, just subtly touching on the topic. If a film shows any of the acting children or characters smoking or drinking then there should be a clear message explaining that it is bad as both of these things are not allowed to be glamorised. Although, if drugs are mentioned then the PG work should emphasise that they are highly harmful.


As the video explains, a 12 is for the DVDs, Videos and Bluerays, and the 12A is for films at the cinema only because anyone aged 12 or over can see the film without there parents. The A actually stands for Accompanied and Advisory as for children younger than 12 will have to see the film accompanied by an adult to watch the film with them, due to the overall "tone" of a film or DVD by the way it makes the audience feel, this will affect the certificate in the end. For example if a film hosts a dark or unsettling tone then this could end up disturbing the audience then this would be less likely to be passed as 12A. The same thing can happen if the film is particularly positive or reassuring that this may stop it being pushed up a category from 12A to 15.
The films that are 12 do state that there may be strong language, but it has to be infrequent and the context has to be important. If the strong language is used aggressively than it may end up being pushed into the 15 category. When it comes to sexual portrayal then due to the film being a 12A then it has to be brief or discreet, most of the time sex is portrayed through references or slight nudity,  but all of these can not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers.

15 is the classification for no one under 15 is allowed to watch the film at the cinema or even buy/ rent it because the themes and subjects that the film may hold might not be suitable for children under this specific age. Due to its age classification, no theme is prohibited just as long as it is appropriate for 15 year olds. Here is a list of the sort of works that may be included in the 15 classification:
Strong violence
Frequent strong language
Portrayls of sexual activity
stong verbal references to sex
Sexual  nudity
Brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references o sexual violence
Discriminatory language or behaviour
Drug taking

There may also be racism, homophobic or discriminatory language. When it comes to sexual activity displayed in a 15, it can be portrayed just as long as there isn't any strong or graphic detail.
Most horror films are displayed as a 15, this is because there can be strong threat or menace (it can't be sadistic or sexualised), and possibly the strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. There may also be  display of drug taking, but the film has to send out a message about the dangerous usage and must not promote or encourage drug misuse.

Everyone knows that an 18 film is only for adults and the same rule applies for the 15, no one under 18 is allowed to view at the cinema or buy it at a shop without ID. This is because of:
Very strong violence
Frequent an strong langauge
Strong portrayals of sexual activity
Scenes of sexual violence
Strong horror that caninclude gore, blood
Real sex in some circumstances
Discriminatory language or behaviour
When it comes to  themes, the adults can pick anything for there own entertainment within the law, so it is possible that some themes can actually end up offending the adult viewers. There is no limit when it comes to the language that is displayed in the film, nor is there a limit on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context. Strong and detailed sexual nature can be displayed, but if there are any clear iages of real sex, strong fetish material, sexually explicit animated images, or others strong images then these will be confinded to the last category- R18. "Material which is unacceptable in a sex work at R18 is also unacceptable in a sex work at 18". Alike all of the other classifications if they host drugs, the there must be a clear and define message, therefore not promoting drugs misuse.
There can be cuts in an 18 film if:
Material breaches the criminal law,  or has been created through the commission of a criminal offense.
Material risks harm to individuals, or through their behaviour to society.
and the sexual activity that is talked of above.

Last, but not least we have R18 which is talked a little bit in the 18 classification. this is where the classification is for explicit works of consenting sex or strong fetish material involving adults. These films are usually only shown to adults in specially licensed cinemas and the film is only bought in licensed sex shops, they can not be supplied by the mail as they can only be seen or sold to adults. you'll find a hard time on trying to search for them because they are filtered out from the main public search because of the explicit or offensive title, if found online you will have to enter the date of birth.

Most of this information was taken from:

http://www.bbfc.co.uk/ 

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History Of Horror

Results from questionnaire

My questionnaire

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Proposal for my film

For my media project I need to make a trailer to a horror film, it will be influenced by iconic modern horror films such as Paranormal Activity, The Children, Woman in Black, The Conjuring and The Unborn.  Even though it is just a trailer I am making, I will still need access to my schools MAC computers in order to put it all together so it isn't just random clips mixed in together. The MACs will help me more than a normal computer because it already has the software that I need to make it work, software such as: Final cut pro, imovie and Photoshop (in the trailer I am planning to use old images in the times where the young girl was still alive, here I will photoshop the little girl into an victorian picture either found on the internet or taken myself with a few effects). Due to my story line, I will need to find a building that is like an apartment or flat-like that seems quite old to the audiences eye, but suitable for "University students". It needs to have rooms big enough for the people that will be "living" there and easy to move around when filming my footage. With using a building of that description, I would also like to have permission to move things around in the rooms and change some of it's style in morder to make it look refurbished from an old victorian flat-like building.
The cameras and the use of a tripod is not a problem, because I have my own access to a fuji camera, a cam-corder (which I will ask to borrow from my school) and my own tripod so the non-shaky footage will seem professional.

I already have my actors, due to them being every day teenagers, my friends have kindly volunteered to be a part of my project. I already have use of "extras" as I will be needing more people in a particular scene where a "house- warming party" will be held.
The only things I haven't got yet is the props, which will basically be old children's toys, frames, hopefully a rocking horse- or a rocking chair. I may be able to find these props in a local charity shop, online (ebay.co.uk) or in a little trinket shop. Another option is asking to borrow my friends sisters toys as they seem modern, but also old... I am not sure on this idea and on how it will fit, but if it works, then hopefully the toys will be added in, however the charity shops will be a saver option of getting old and tatty children's toys. A few other props I will need a few glass bottles and plates in order for them to be smashed at the party scene along with an old case that will hold the pictures that someone stumbles across of the young girls life, suitcases and a few cardboard boxes.

Unsure of when I can start filming, I have asked my friends to keep a window open for when I will need them and where they will need to be, which according to them hopefully wouldn't be a problem.

Treatment for Production

Treatment for my production:

Actors:

Emillie Hopkins- Amelia, the protagonist who gets haunted and tormented the most, studies Drama in University

Abbey Leigh Hopkins- Victoria, the little ghost girl

Eszter Seregi- Onyx (nyx), she draws the unknown, whilst she studies Art in University

Abigail Wardle (me)- Clara Lucinda she studies Film Making in University and she is camera obsessed, so she video blogs about her new life with her friends living together and then starts to notice things… like little faces, hands and all that lot.

Muaz Maudabaux- Mo, the IT geek who doesn’t get off his technology, ends up dying over technology.

Simon Mcargh- Christian Spencer, comic book nerd, studies mechanics, dies by a car

Daniel Gair- Alexander, Amelia’s boyfriend who studies mechanics also.

Shannon McNeil- Zoe, relative TV nerd, studies Psychology in University

Settings:

A house/ apartment- that have a garage which is joined into the house and that will be used as the basement where Victoria was killed and buried in the past by her psychopathic granddad who believed she was evil. The main rooms I will focus on in the house/ apartment is the:

·         Living Room (where the party will be focused on, TV and lights flickering on and off)

·         Bedroom where Victoria torments Amelia when she’s asleep or on her own

·         Kitchen, where the cupboards fly open and bottles smash at the party

·         Basement door and the steps leading to it

·         Bathroom where I will hopefully have the generic bathroom scene with the mirror where Victoria will be behind one of the characters, for a split second

The next setting will be outside of the house and possibly the woods where I might have a scene of someone running away from one of the characters, just as an extra clip. The open road also will be used when my trailer will show a short clip of someone being run down by a car.

Cost:

The only thing I need to buy for this production will be a few props to use in my trailer, everything else I have use of will be fairly cheap, I will be buying:

·         Old kids toys that are kept in the basement in a few boxes that one of my characters find, which I will purchase in a charity or a small trinket shop.

·         A rocking horse found in one of the rooms, but no one moves it because Nyx tries to use it for art

·         Bottles and glasses that I will find cheap at Wilkinsons so they are able to smash at the party

And many more, hopefully it won’t cost no more than £30. Depending on what I use to look for my props.

Production Company:

I am torn between the choices of three names for my production company, I can’t decide over:

·         Hourglass Studios

·         Horrorscopes Production

·         Starlight Cinema Productions

Out of all of them I prefer Hourglass Studios the best because for an icon I can have a spinning hourglass fly at the screen and then it’s stops and the words fall in to the screen. I like the idea of Horrorscope productions, but the only problem is that the name itself suggest that it is only limited to a particular genre, which in this case is Horror. The last one is generic, but I can come up with some idea on how to present this.

Initial Thoughts

Main Task Brief

Promotional package for a new film to include a trailer, a film magazine front cover that features the film and a poster for the film.