Lesson plan on the BBFC and other regulators

1. BIG PICTURE
LA A – Understanding Pre
Production – task on regulation
and censorship
KEYWORDS
Censorship, Regulation, Codes
of Practice, Legislation, Ethics
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Evaluate the extent to
which pre-production requirements, processes
and documentation contributes to the success
of planning and delivering a specific digital
media product.
SUCCESS CRITERIA
Detailed notes on regulation
and censorship
Take your seat. Bag under your desk.
Have your equipment and planner out.
Topic – Unit 4 – Pre Production
• What are the film certificates in the UK? What's the difference between
them?

2. TELL ME
STUFF!
TAKE ME
THROUGH
IT…
LET ME
HAVE A
GO…
DO I GET
IT?
1 2 3 4 5 6
SETTING THE
SCENE
JOINING UP
LEARNING
LINKS TO LAST
TIME
PASSING ON
KNOWLEDGE
GUIDED PRACTICE
& MODELLING
INDEPENDENT
PRACTICE –
APPLYING THE
SKILLS TO NEW
SITUATIONS
ASSESSMENT &
FEEDBACK
PULL IT TOGETHER
JOINING UP
LEARNING
LINKS TO NEXT
TIME

3. The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC)
The big question about classification is 'who decides?' Do we make mandatory
certificates, or do we advice people? The UK system is moving in the direction of the
USA's system – the purpose of classification is to allow parents to make informed choices
about what their children watch.
1. Been around since the 1910s
2. Originally the 'British Board Of Film Censorship'
3. Certificates have changed over the years – early on it
was really a 'Pass/Fail' system (with the occasional use
of 'H' for Horror!
4. By the 1970s
• U – Suitable for all
• A – Not suitable for very young children (advisory)
• AA – 14 years and over only (mandatory)
• X – 18 years and over only (mandatory)
5. 1982 – we change to a slightly different system
• U – Suitable for all
• PG – Parental Guidance (advisory)
• 15 – 15 years and over only (mandatory)
• 18 – 18 years and over only (mandatory
• 1989 – 12 - 12 years and over only
(mandatory) as a midway between PG and 15
• 2002 – 12a – 12 years and over (advisory) for
cinema screenings. The 12 (mandatory)
certificate remains for video
• Additional certificates for video
• Uc – Particularly suitable for very young
children
• R18 – Restricted to sale only from licensed
shops.
• E – exempt from classification

4. What are the issues that the certificates deal with?
• Context
• Tone and Impact
• These first two are central to all the other
issues – how are these things presented to,
and understood by, the audience?
• Discrimination
• Drugs
• Horror
• Imitable Behaviour
• Language
• Nudity
• Sex
• Theme
• Violence
• Titles
• Light or Pattern Sensitivity
• U certificate films have to be suitable for
everyone
• PG to 15 certificate films have to consider all of
the relevant issues from this list
• 18 certificate films say 'adults can watch what
they choose to, within the law'

5. Other Regulators
There are other organisations that regulate
what’s being shown on the TV.
The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) regulates
advertisements, including advertisements on television and
shows that carry commercial sponsorship
I don’t think the ASA would be relevant to your main
production unless you went down the route of product
placement to raise money, but even then it is allowed.
You would have to pay attention to the rules about
advertising for my trailer – you could cut a 12 or PG
certificate trailer for your film even if the film was going to
be a 15 or 18 certificate, because then the trailer could be
shown pre-watershed.
 Ofcom regulates the TV, radio and video ‘on demand’,
fixed line telecoms, mobiles and postal services. This
organisation accepts complaints for anything
mentioned above.
 They have a detailed code of practice.
 The most important point about them in relation to
your film planning is the watershed on broadcast
television – programmes before 9pm are presumed
to be suitable for a family audience.
 They also have rules about advertising, product
placement and specific issues such as gambling or
programming aimed at children, but they are not very
relevant to this work here.

6. 1. Notes on the BBFC
2. Notes on the ASA
3. Notes on OFCOM
Use the BBFC Guidelines to also make notes on
relevant laws.
Make sure your BBFC notes include at least two
specific examples explaining why a particular film
got the certificate it did.
• What do you need to produce?

7. BIG PICTURE MY LEARNING
How did this
lesson fit into
your other
lessons?
What is my top
take- away from
the lesson?
Have you contributed to the lesson? Will you be able to improve
next lesson? Do you know what you need to go away and do?
o Have you kept up?
o Have you covered the different
issues for the BBFC, OFCOM
and the ASA?
o Have you included information
about relevant laws?
o Have you related this to your
Unit 10 horror film?