This document summarizes an assignment where students rated movie trailers according to the BBFC rating system. It discusses how the students rated the trailers of Frozen, Paranorman, Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Gravity, and 12 Years a Slave compared to the BBFC ratings. It also provides descriptions of the BBFC rating categories from U to 15, differences between British and American rating systems, and how students rated the trailers of additional movies like The Croods, Brave, and Delivery Man compared to the BBFC.

1. Assignment 7: BBFC & Ratings
By Noor Naoum, Leticia Silva and
Tayla Humphris

2. Part 1: Rate a trailer exercise

3. Frozen and ParaNorman ratings
Frozen
We under marked it under what we
spotted. The BBFC examiners
spotted that there was violence.
However we didn’t spot anything
and only rated it as a ‘U’. We as a
group didn’t agree on the idea of
violence shown.
Paranorman
We were extremely harsh rating this
trailer because we found forms of
violence and mainly dangerous
behaviour. However the BBFC only
found threat and themes and rated
it a PG instead of what we rated it
as ’12A’

4. Mandela Long Walk To Freedom
I have rated the movie
‘Mandela Long Walk To
Freedom’ and I have found
various categories that the
films falls into.
I found dangerous
behaviour since the people
were attacking each other
and creating a destruction
and I also found threat due
to how that black people
were being treated. Also, I
have rated it a 15 but with
all the mature categories in
the film, the film was still
rated a PG which was a
shock.
Leticia

5. Gravity
There was various categories
that ‘Gravity’ had applied in
their trailer. When rating this
trailer I didn’t feel that
‘Themes’ were applicable but
the use of weapons indicated
dangerous behaviour. However
this was not how BBFC had
originally marked it. Likewise,
the BBFC had rated the trailer
‘12A’
Tayla

6. 12 Years of Slave
I almost rated it the same as
the BBFC did because the
themes that were used in this
trailer was suffering and
slavery. I thought it included
Dangerous behaviour, a
threat, violence, themes and
discrimination. The age rate I
gave it was a ‘15’. The BBFC
examiners spotted threat,
violence, themes and
discrimination. The BFFC gave
the same age rating of a ‘15’
Noor

7. Part 2: BBFC ratings

8. U
• It is impossible to predict what might upset any particular child. But a ‘U’ film
should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. ‘U’ films should be set
within a positive moral framework and should offer reassuring counterbalances
to any violence, threat or horror.
Parental Guidance - General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for
young children
Unaccompanied children of any age may watch.

9. PG
• PG stands for Parental Guidance. This means a film is suitable for general viewing,
but some scenes may be unsuitable for young children. A PG film should not
unsettle a child aged around eight or older. Parents should consider whether the
content may upset younger, or more sensitive, children.
• A PG film will not contain any theme which is inappropriate for a child. PG works
can explore challenging issues such as bullying, bereavement or racism.
• Sex references are unlikely unless they are undetailed and infrequent.
• Violence will usually be mild. There should be no detail of violence in a PG work,
so while there might be some blood, we would not see how the injury was
inflicted in strong detail.
• In a PG work, potentially dangerous or antisocial behaviour which young children
are likely to copy, such as bullying, or playing with electricity, will not be condoned
or seen to go unchallenged, especially if it comes across as safe or fun.
• There might be innocuous or passing references to illegal drugs or drugs misuse in
a PG work, although there should be no strong focus on this

10. 12 & 12A
12 & 12A both consist of the same criteria. These categories are used
mainly where they find is suitable and rate it for an age group of 12 and
over. They are usually rated as 12’s because some children who are
under 12 may feel intimidated and parents may not want them to see
certain content which may even appear in the movie. The 12A category
is only used for cinema films and the strict rules are that children under
the age of 12 are not allowed to see a 12A film unless they have been
accompanied by an adult. The BBFC believe that children who are
under 12 should not watch 12A movies because it may be unsuitable.
The 12 category is only used for ‘video works’ and clearly children
under the age of 12 are not allowed to rent or buy a ‘12’ rated video
work.

11. Part 3: Difference to American
rating

12. American rating
• In America they have different bands for the trailers that were shown to the
audience. They provided the audience with information of whether the trailer
was suitable for who was watching them.
• Trailers were not allowed to but more than 2
minuets and 30 seconds long.
• The green bands represent that the trailer was
suitable for ‘all audiences’.
• They also have the red band which meant
that only ‘restricted’ or ‘mature’ audiences
could watch those trailers.
• These trailers may include nudity, profanity
or other material deemed inappropriate for
children.
• These trailer ratings are different from the British ratings because the trailers are
rated ‘U’ so that everybody would be able to watch the trailers since everyone is
already exposed to the internet. This means that the institution releasing the trailer
will have more viewers leading to their product being very successful.

13. Part 4: Rate a real trailer

14. My Little Mermaid (U)
Natural nudity
The Hunger Games (12)
Tayla
Mild violence. As the shark is restrained it
shows that they do not pose as a threat
Discrimination against the peoples
humans rights as they are confined
into districts
Imitable behaviour/theme as they
prepare to kill in order to survive

15. Jurassic Park (PG)
Horror.
Fantasy settings may be a mitigating
factor.
No glamorisation of realistic or easily
accessible weapons.

16. Leticia
The Night At The Museum (PG)
This is indication of mild
violence. As the man slaps the
other.
Some weapons are presented
in the sequence as he has a
sword.
Also, themes as the monkey
does pee on them and they
ask to never repeat what
happened.
The Last Air Bender (PG)
There is dangerous behaviour
as he uses fire
There is violence and weapons
as he does fight against others.
There is threat as he
threatens to kill the boy.

17. Big Hero 6 (U)
There is mild violence as there
is a car thrown at the kids in
the car.
There is slight dangerous
behaviour as they fall
from a window.

18. The Croods
Noor
I rated ‘The Croods’ by
giving it a rating of ‘PG’. I
identified the issues of the
trailer including themes
and dangerous behaviour.
This is because within the
trailer i could see symbols
and ideas of danger when
the father bangs against
the wall and says ‘dead’
with blood splattered on
the wall. However the
BBFC gave the trailer a
rating of a ‘U’ and
identified themes and
violence.

19. Brave
I was a bit too generous in
underrating the trailer and
giving it a rating of a ‘U’.
The things I identified
within the trailer was
violence and themes. The
part where I identified
violence was when the
father was telling the family
a story at the beginning and
his gestures symbolised the
idea of violence. However
the BBFC rated it with a
‘PG’ and identified
weapons, threat, violence,
sex & nudity.

20. Delivery Man
I Rated this trailer as a
‘PG’ and i identified the
issues of the trailer
including: violence,
themes, sex & nudity.
This is because the
storyline is based on
sex related issues. I
identified the idea of
violence because he
was quite threatening
and looking as if he
wanted to commit a
violent act. However
the BBFC also rated it
as a ‘PG’ but only
identified themes and
sex & nudity.