Week 1 Homework

Using the bbfc guidelines booklet:

a)  Who are the BBFC, what is their role and how are they funded?

• BBFC= British Board of Film Classification
• They are INDEPENDANT, NON GOVERNMENTAL BODY
• The make money by charging people who submit films and video works for classification
• BBFC classifies films on behalf of the local authorities who license cinemas under the Licensing Act of 2003
• The BBFC can cut or even reject a film or video work and will not classify material which breaches the criminal law
• The BBFC guidelines have particualr regard to any changes in public tasts, attitudes etc and therefore are reviewed periodically
• The classification is only a guideline they can be overruled by local councils.

b) General principles followed

• The BBFC works on the general underlying grounds. There are 2 guiding principles :

1. That works should be allowed to reach the widest audience that is appropriate for their theme and treatment
2. That adults should, as far as possible, be free to choose what they see, provided that it remains within the law and is not potentially harmful.

• They also have to then consider three main qualifications, which are in brief to do with conflicts with the law, wether the material causes any harm ( including moral harm, potential viewers harm) and whether the material is unacceptable for the age group to broad public opinion ( eg. Swearing)

c) Legal considerations

• Human Rights Act 1998, among the rights established under this Act are the right of respect for private and family life and the right to freedom of expression.
• The Licensing Act 2003- cinema require a license from the local authority in which they operate
• The objectives of the licensing act are:

The prevention of crime and disorder
Public Safety
The prevention of public nuisance
The protection of children from harm

• The Video Recordings Act 1984- films tv programmes video games must be classified by the BBFC, must take into consideration

Criminal Behaviour
Illegal Drugs
Violent behaviour or incidents
horrific behaviour or incidents
human sexual activity

• The Obsene Publications Act 1959 & 1964- it is illegal to publish a work which is obscene.
• Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008- it is illegal to be in posession of an extreme pornographic image
• The Protection of Children Act 1978- it is illegal to make, distribute, show or possess indecent photographs of a child.
• The Sexual Defence Act 2003- it is illegal to expose oneself with intent to cause distress or alarm.
• The Public Order Act 1986- it is illegal to distribute, show or play to the public a recoring of visual images or sound which are threatning, abusive or insulting
• The Cinematorgraph Films (animals) Act 1937- it is illgal to show nay scene 'organised or directed' for the purposes of the film that involves actual cruelty to animals.
• The Animal Welfare Act 2006- no animal fights
• The Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002- it is illegal in the course of a business to publish a tobacco advertisement.

d) Overriding factors

• Certain overiding factors that may influence a classification decision in any level and in connection with any issue.
• These factors are of particualr importance when work lies on  the boarderline between 2 catergories
• ContextThe expectations of the general public and especially the films intended audience
  The film's genre, for example a fantasy setting may lighten the content and therefore be judged more leniently
  The manner of presentation, for example language used aggressively may be jusdged more harshly than the same terms used in a comic way
  The intention of the film maker, for example if the work is intended to be educational
  The original production date of the film, for example outdated attitudes might be judged more leniently in an older and clearly dated work
  Any special merits of the work
• Tone and ImpactIf a film has a generally dark of unsettling tone that may disturb the audience at that catergory it may receive a more restrictive classification
  This is especially relevant to borderline junior characters, taking into consideration the level of reality, the presentation of a despairing view of the world or a lack of clear moral perspective
  The impact of the film is also taken into account, for example in a horror film, threat may be considered more significant than violence
• Release Format
  Classification may be stricter on video works than on film
  This is due to the increased possibility of underaged viewing and of films being viewed out of context  A film will occassionally require different cuts or classification on video