When the BBFC classify films, they
have to take into consideration how it is going to affect the making of the
film. Things that they have to think about whilst they are making the film are;
whether the film will include violence, sex, drug use, swearing, nudity and
horror. They classify films to
protect and make sure that young people/children are unable to view them in the
cinema, because what is shown is too inappropriate for young people.
The film producers are the people
that make the film and are involved in the coordination, supervision and are in
charge of controlling all of the major aspects of the project. When making a
film it is important for the producers to stick to certain limits. If making a
children’s film, they should remember not to include any themes of sex,
violence, drug use, horror and bad language. This is because this could make
the BBFC classify the film with a high age rating, which will affect the audience
who can view the film. The actors that take part in a film, contributes towards
the production of a film. The producers are in charge of what they do and how
they do it. If the actors are behaving in a certain way, it can affect how high
the film classification can be. For example, the film SAW I, is classified as
an 18+ and the actors in the film act in a way that presents horror and gory
behaviour, which is unsuitable for anyone below the age of 18. An example of
why ‘SAW I’ shouldn’t be viewed by anyone under the age of 18, is when one of
the men in the room saws off his own foot in able to get a gun to kill the
other man. The writer of this film
would have to have taken the gory parts and violence that is in this film into
consideration when scripting it. The writer would also have to have in mind the
classification that is suitable for this film. Also when writing a film like SAW I, the writer would script
the film with actions and speech sensibly so that it will obey the age
classification.
The classification can affect the
production in different ways.
Firstly when producing a film, if
scenes of sex was to be included, the producers would firstly have to find
actors that would be comfortable and to not mind displaying themselves having
sex with another person. The actors would have to be sure of this because the
film could possibly be shown in the cinema or later be put on a DVD. Also when
producing a film, the producer needs to have a target audience in mind, so they
can produce the film and make it suitable for them. This can affect the actors,
the language used, whether violence, sex, drug use etc. Is used. This is
important to consider because if the film overstepped the age rating, it would
be moved higher and then would not be suitable to their original target
audience.
Film classification can also affect
the distribution of the film. When a film gets released into a cinema, the film
is automatically restricted on the age that it lets in. For example, if a film
is classified as a 15, it means that nobody under the age of 15 will be allowed
to view the film. This means they are missing out on the money they could of
got from letting the underage children in. A positive factor of film
classification and the distribution of the film is that it attracts the right
audience. This is how the media institutions know if the film made was to
address the right target audience or not. However, after the film has been
shown in the cinema, it will probably be available on DVD. This means that even
though the DVD will still have a age rating on, its easier to gain access to
because other people can buy the DVD for them, meaning the instituion is still
making money from the film. This could be a negative point as well though
because those of the younger age who shouldn’t be viewing the film, are because
of the access being easier, but this could also be a good way of letting the
parents decide if it is appropriate or not for their child. Along with DVD’s, a
lot of films are now widely available on the internet to stream or on websites
such as ‘LoveFilm’ or ‘Netflix’ and they do not require proof of age unlike
cinema’s do.
In conclusion, film classification
has a big effect on the production and distribution of a film, but mainly for the
films that get shown at the cinema. It still has an effect on after that such as the Internet and DVD’s because it is easier to gain access
to the films, without needing age proof, but when shown at the cinema, this is the only time that the age restriction is monitored and controlled for the right reasons.
