BBFC - Miss Miller

What is the BBFC and what do they do?

The BBFC are an organisation that are highly trained into making sure that films are appropriate for the audience. They protect the public, especially children into making sure that the films they show are suitable for young children to watch. They also empower the public to make informed viewing choices and this is aimed mostly at parents. The BBFC give an appropriate age certificate for each film which allows the audience see what is suitable for them to see but also what is suitable for children to see. The BBFC make these choices with help from the public. Discussions take place and the public decide what they think is age appropriate.

Classifications of the BBFC. - U, PG, 12A, 12, 15, 18.

A U film means that the film is suitable for all ages. U stands for universal and anyone from the age four and over can watch the film without an adult. U films will not contain any bad language, sexual behaviour or references to drugs or any sort of inappropriate scenes that could influence or upset a child. It is hard to predict what should be a U film as many people don't know what could upset a child and so the littlest bit of violence could be a PG instead of a U, so that it doesn't influence young children to behave badly. U films are suitable for pre school years and scary clips may be shown however comical music will be played over the top to make the scene less scary and to make the audience laugh rather than be upset.  An example of a U film would be "Finding Nemo" or "Lilo and Stitch" which are both family friendly films and contain no violence or bad language.  They are made comical so that any violence or scary parts will be made funny for the audience's pleasure. This film is a U as it contains appropriate scenes. The film is about an alien that comes to earth and a young girl adopts the alien, soon to find out that the other aliens are looking for him. The film contains comedy and is appropriate for the young audience as there is a scene in it where the alien grabs the toy gun and starts shooting at the big alien. This creates comedy as the children find it funny that something so small is trying to hurt something much  bigger. The audience laugh at the fact that Stitch is trying to attack a big dummy guy but is failing. Stitch also makes a comment which makes younger children laugh as it is a childish comment but it also humorous for the younger audience. The younger audience laugh at stitch mistakes which makes the film funny but also enjoyable for the audience. The film also contains some sort of galactic gun which intrigues children as they would find it interesting and also would make the film more exciting.

The next rating up is PG. This means Parental Guidance and means that films are still suitable for all children, however children under the age of 8 should definitely have parents with them. The parents decide what is suitable for their children to watch as some scenes could be a little sensitive and may upset some children. The films should not upset children over the age of 8 and so therefore they are allowed to watch the films without adults. PG films consist of mild violence and some bad language. the bad language would be used infrequently and only consist of really mild swear words. Some sexual references could be made but a lot of the children would not understand the reference. Innuendos could be made as long as they are not too obvious for the child to understand. The film could contain some weapons, however the would not be shown off during the film and in the film only the hero or the good guy would get the weapon so that children do not get encouraged to use weapons. If any weapons in the film are used in the wrong way, the film would always state how it is bad to use them and this goes for drugs and alcohol as well. An example of a Pg film would be "Frozen." This is because of the mild violence that it contains which could influence some children and some of the scenes could be insensitive or scary for the children. The ice monster could be scary for little children and weapons are shown in the film and used for the wrong purpose which could upset some children. Frozen was named the top film of the year in 2014, however due to its mild violence and some mild language it was classified as a PG, so that parents can watch the film with children under the age of 8. Frozen is seen as a pg, as the film is about a ice queen that is seen as dangerous however her sister goes to find her but gets struck in the heart with ice. The sister is about to die when the ice queen saves her with love. The film is full of light hearted comedy as there is a character called, Olaf, which is a snowman and he makes funny comments such as when he finally gets a carrot for a nose and he says, "It's like a little baby unicorn" this makes the younger audiences laugh as they find the character funny and so this engages the audience more. There is little violence apart form one scene where the villain gets punched in the face, however this is done for a good reason as it is showing the audience that he is the villain and so the audience take no offence to it. The film is a PG, as it is a comedy which is perfect for little children and the violence is only seen to warn off the villain. The film is age appropriate for children over the age of 8 as the comedy elements over rule the violent scene.

Another classic film which was classified as PG was "Harry Potter" this is because of the mild violence that is in the film which could be misleading for little children. There are also a lot of scary mythical creatures in there which could be very scary for young children and so parents can decide whether the film is appropriate for young children to watch. "Harry Potter" is classified as a PG because young children would be attracted to watch is as it is about witches and wizards which would engage the audience. However because of mild scary scenes and mild language, children under the age of 8 years are advised to watch it with
adults. Adults can also decide whether the film is age appropriate for them. The first Harry Potter film is also seen as a PG, because there are age appropriate scenes. For example in one of the scenes, Ron says to Hermoine, "She needs to sort out her priorities" this creates an element of comedy as one of the male characters are mocking the female characters. Ron is a character that is naturally sarcastic and so the humour creates no offence to the audience and so it is appropriate. The film does create some scary elements such as during the end when the villain takes off his scarf and reveals a monster underneath. This could be scary for some of the younger audience and so parents cam decide whether they should be able to watch it for children under the age of 8.

The next age classification is a 12 and 12A. A 12 film means that people who are 12 years and older can watch the film on their own without an adult. However anyone younger than the age of 12, if they go to the cinema with an adult they will still get rejected. A 12A film is slightly different as if a child under the age of 12 wishes to see the film at the cinema, then an adult can go with them. A 12 film isn't suitable for children under the age of 12 as there is some strong language which is inappropriate for the younger audience. The frequency of the swear words aren't a lot, however the frequency of the swear words depends on whether the film is classified as a 15 or 12. If there is a lot of strong language, the film could be moved to a 15. A 12 or 12A film will not contain any racism or discrimination, however if there is any sort of racism then it will be condemned. There could be some sexual references in the film however it shouldn't go beyond what is suitable for teenagers. Nudity could also  be shown but it isn't promoted or shown off a lot. Nudity would be used discreetly so that it is age appropriate for teenagers to watch. Violence could also be used in the film however no gory scenes will be shown. However the film might show a lot of weapons, but weapons which could be an easy access to teenagers, such as knives will not be shown off. Weapons used in fight scenes could be shown but nothing will be glamorised so that teenagers do not get influenced to use the weapons. Violence is used more frequently in 12 films rather than PG because more teenagers would want to watch films that have fight scenes in them rather than less violent films. Teenagers are more attracted to watching fight scenes as it engages them more because it creates more action and thriller for them. Some horror films can be classed as a 12, if the scary scenes are not used frequently and if the suspense isn't to intense for younger teenagers.
An example of a horror film which is classes as a 12 is "The Woman in Black". This is because  the film has infrequent jumpy scenes and doesn't contain a lot of graphic content which could frighten young teenagers. The film also doesn't contain any gory scenes which could be unpleasant and disturbing for young children. in the film, there is a scene where the person trying to sell the house sea something strange out of the window and goes to put his hand on the window. As he does this, a hand comes up opposite his and a face screams in the window. This is a very jumpy scene and can frighten the audience therefore this film is not appropriate for anyone under the age of 12 as it can cause distress. The scenes are unexpected and this makes the film scarier and so could be very disturbing for the younger audience. The older audience are more engaged as they would like to get a thrill out of the film and enjoy being scared. This film has elements of suspense and tension which makes the film very unexpected and scary. Young teenagers also like the thrill of watching horror films and so they would enjoy this film as there isn't too many jumpy scenes as they wold become too disturbed but it has enough jumpy scenes to intrigue the audience.

Another sample of a 12 film is "Mean Girls" This is because of some of the inappropriate language that is contained in the films. There are also some sexual references and a lot of sexual innuendos, This is appropriate for 12 years and over, however anyone under the age of 12, it isn't suitable for and so anyone under that age is not permitted to see it at the cinema. A 12A film would be "Pitch Perfect". This is because it doesn't contain a lot of bad language and doesn't contain as much sexual references as "Mean Girls". The films is based on a group of singers who want to win a huge competition. The film is appropriate for 12 years and younger and so children under the age of 12 can see the film in the cinema, providing there is an adult with them. In the film mean girls, there is a bedroom scene, in which a boy wand a girl are kissing on the bed. This could be seen as inappropriate for the younger audience as the girl os wearing a very short skirt which could portray women in a very bad way and younger children could be influenced by the way that these girls dress. In the scene the mum also walks in on them and says, "Do you ant any condoms" the younger children wouldn't understand what this would mean and so it wouldn't appeal to them. This film is not age appropriate for anyone under the age of 12 as the bedroom scene could disturb younger children or encourage them to wear short or right clothing. However it does appeal to younger teenagers purely because they could relate to the girls as they are teenagers as well and so they could relate to the teenage girls drama and so they would find the situations funny and humorous because they can relate. They would also understand the mild sexual language and so they would be able to understand the film and know what is going on in the film.  The frequent use of innaproproate clothing throughout the film could inflict younger children and so the BBFC have to make this film a 12 to stop younger children from being influenced by clothing and by the language and sexual content.

15 is the next age certificate and this means that anyone that is younger than 15 are not advised to watch the film. In a 15 film, the audience can expect to see a lot of violence and the portrayal of weapons a lot. Bad language would also be used a lot more frequently than it would in a 12 film. The film could also contain a lot of sexual activity and a lot of nudity however the nudity would be infrequent and wouldn't contain a lot of detail. A lot of violence could be used in  15 films, and disturbing and sensitive topics such as discrimination and racism could be included. However this is only shown to an extent in which teenagers are allowed to watch. Racism and discrimination should not contain too many graphic scenes and should be appropriate for teenagers to watch as it could be upsetting for teenagers to watch. 15 films could also contain drug taking but it will not be glamorised or shown off a lot during scenes. This is so that teenagers do not get inflicted or encouraged to take drugs. Horror films in the 15 category contains some explicit scenes and could be disturbing for the audience to watch. A lot of suspension is shown in the film and could cause distress. Some graphic scenes could be shown and bad language could be used frequently. The scenes which contain gory and graphic content will be shown more frequently than they would in 12 films and so teenagers under the age of 15 are strongly advised not to see 15 films. Horror Films such as "The Conjuring" and "Cabin in the Woods" are a 15 and this is because of there gory and graphic scenes which are disturbing and horrifying. The films both contain strong language and a lot more jumpy parts to the film are shown very frequently which could be upsetting to a lot of young teenagers. "The Conjuring" is about a family that move into a house and supernatural events take place. This then causes people to come to the house and find out whats happening, soon to find out that demons are possessing the house. The family find out about the houses spooky history and understand why the demons are there. However the supernatural events become uncontrollable and the family find themselves in danger.

In one of the scenes from "The Conjuring, there are two girls in the room and they hear mysterious noises. The girls hide in the room and one of them looks up from the dresser and suddenly a demon screams and flies down from the dresser and attacks the girl. This scene is not suitable for younger teenagers because it contains a disturbing clip which could be shocking or frightening for the younger audience. The scene is too scary for anyone under the age of 15 as it is a very jumpy scene and anyone under the age of 15 may become distressed or upset by the events.



Another film that is a 15 is "Bad Teacher". This film contains a lot of frequent strong language which could be offensive towards the audience. The films also contains sexual content which is used through out the film. This isn't suitable for the younger audience as the inappropriate behaviour is used a lot which could encourage younger children to swear or to use violence in the wrong way. A lot of sexual content could be disturbing for the younger audience and so this film isn't appropriate for people under the

age of 15. In the film Bad Teacher, there is a car wash scene in which the female teacher is washing the cars in skimpy clothing and is acting sexy. The scene contains sexual content in which the boys stare and become drawn to her. This scene gives a bad representation for women and so teenagers under the age of 15 might be encouraged to dress and act like this and become inflicted by what she is doing. This scene is especially not suitable for young teenagers as the way the girl is acting is wrong but the younger audience might not know this as the girl is gaining a lot of attention from acting sexy by the boys, therefore the younger audience might think that this is the right thing to do and so might learn from it.  The older audience will find this scene funny and see the comedy side to it as they would understand what is happening unlike the younger audience, who might not understand why she is doing this. The older audience will find this funny as they can see that the girl is only joking around and the older audience won't be encouraged to act like her and so the film is appropriate for people of 15 years and over.


The last age classification is an 18. This means that no one under the age of 18 can go to the cinema to watch an 18 or buy or rent an 18 film. 18 films can be highly offensive and disturbing and so should not be seen by anyone under the age limit. An 18 film will contain a high amount of strong language and the strong language will be used continuously throughout the film. the film will also contain a lot of very strong violence which will also be used throughout the whole film. Weapons will be used frequently and the weapons would be shown off a lot unlike 15 and 12 films which weapons are used discreetly and are not glamorised. 18 films will also contain sexual activity. The film will contain very explicit scenes which could be very distressing for the younger audience. Nudity is shown off a lot and is not covered up or shown discreetly. The nudity in the film could be used frequently which is very inappropriate for anyone who is younger than 18. Scenes could contain real sex and anything to do with sex. Drugs are also shown in the film, however same as the other age classifications, the drugs should not be glamorised so the audience do not feel encouraged to use them. 18 films contain very strong violence and a lot of graphic or gory content can be shown. "Texas Chainsaw" is an example of an 18 film which contains a lot o gory content that could be very disturbing for the audience. This film also has a huge amount of violence and bad language which isn't suitable for anyone under the age of 18. Another 18 film is "Asylum" which is about a man who wants to keep his job at an asylum and so he has to interview four of the patients. This film contains a high amount of disturbing scenes which could affect the audience. There is a lot of violence and bad language which could be encouraging for younger teenagers.
In the film "Texas Chainsaw" there is a scene where the chainsaw person is chasing a boy and a girl round a warehouse. They get into a car with another girl but are then encountered once again with the chainsaw person and they end up being stuck in the middle of no where and the chainsaw person comes out of nowhere and tries to kill all of them. This scene is not age appropriate for anyone under the age of 18 as there are a frequent amount of gory scenes and there are constant jumpy scenes that could frighten the audience. "Texas Chainsaw" is seen as very gory and contains very graphic content. However this appeals to the older audience as they would get the thrill of being scared and they would find the graphic content humorous and they wouldn't be disturbed by it. 18 year olds and older would find both "Texas chainsaw" and "Asylum" as engaging and thrilling.

To conclude the BBFC need to carry on adding age certificates so that the audience know what film is appropriate for the younger children. Parents would also want to have the BBFC as they would want to know what would be appropriate for their children to watch or if they need an adult to watch the film. The age certificates would also tell them if there is violence or bad language and then the parents can decide if their child is allowed to watch it. Age certificates are useful because they show what content could be in the film such as violence and explicit scenes. These scenes shouldn't be shown to the younger audience as it could be offensive or disturbing for them. Young children could also be encouraged to use violence or to use weapons.