Disney legal ethical regulatory bodies

DISNEY: LEGAL & ETHICAL,
REGULATORY BODIES
By Lily Kamali

A) POSSIBLE EFFECTS OF FILM
UPON AN AUDIENCE

THEORY/EFFECT: HYPODERMIC NEEDLE THEORY
EXPLAIN WHAT THIS IS:
The hypodermic needle theory of the 1920s and 1930s. The hypodermic needle theory implied mass
media had a direct, immediate and powerful effect on its audiences. The mass media in the 1940s
and 1950s were perceived as a powerful influence on behaviour change. The theory suggests that
the mass media could influence a very large group of people directly and uniformly by ‘shooting’ or
‘injecting’ them with appropriate messages designed to trigger a desired response. They express the
view that the media is a dangerous means of communicating an idea because the receiver or
audience is powerless to resist the impact of the message.
CAN THIS BE AN EFFECT THAT THE FORCE AWAKENS HAS ON AN AUDIENCE? HOW?
This approach assumes ideas/ideologies transmitted in mass media products are hypodermic syringe
model automatically ‘injected’ into the minds of the audience. For example over social media we may
see posts or interviews on Star Wars pages giving us information about The Force Awakens and facts
about the cast and filming of the film. The hypodermic model suggests that media messages are
injected straight into a passive audience, which is immediately influenced behaviour. The media is a
dangerous way of communicating an idea because the receiver or audience is powerless to resist the
impact of the message. It expresses the view that people are passive and are seen as having a lot of
media material ‘shot’ at them. If there is no other source of information people listen and believe
what they’re told as there is no other inputs. The theory is under the assumption that as an
audience we believe everything we see/hear in the media, which means some of the things we read
about the force awakens in the media may be false.

THEORY/EFFECT: TWO STEP FLOW
Developed by Lazarsfeld and Katz in the 1940s and 1950s. There are two steps:
First—Opinion Leaders get information from a media source
Second—Opinion Leaders then pass the information, along with their interpretation, to others
(friends, family, acquaintances, etc.)
Opinion leaders pay close attention to the media and its message. They are influential among their
peer group as they are usually more informed then their friends or family.
The influenced are not as well informed and so look up to the opinion leaders and crucially trust their
opinion and interpretation of the media.
Strengths- audiences are active and seen as part of a society
Limitations- more than two steps in the flow of communication
This can be an effect that the force awakens has on the audience as the cast of the film may have big
social media profiles which fans will follow. Star wars also have a twitter page which would have a
huge fan base and on this page they may release pictures and information about the cast and where
they’re filming, which would be the first step of the theory. Fans would share, like and comment these
pictures and information which would then lead to the second step of the two step theory as the
information is getting passed on with other people to see and comment on.

THEORY/EFFECT: USES AND GRATIFICATIONS
Uses and Gratifications Theory is a popular approach to understanding mass communication. The theory places more focus on the consumer,
or audience, instead of the actual message itself by asking “what people do with media” rather than “what media does to people” (Katz,
1959). It assumes that members of the audience are not passive but take an active role in interpreting and integrating media into their own
lives. The theory also holds that audiences are responsible for choosing media to meet their needs. Researchers Blulmer, Katz & McQuail
expanded this theory and published their own in 1974, stating that individuals might choose and use a text for the following purposes (i.e.
uses and gratifications):
Diversion - escape from everyday problems and routine.
Personal Relationships - using the media for emotional and other interaction, e.g. substituting soap operas for family life
Personal Identity - finding yourself reflected in texts, learning behaviour and values from texts
Surveillance - Information which could be useful for living e.g. weather reports, financial news, holiday bargains
Since then, the list of Uses and Gratifications has been extended, particularly as new media forms have come along (e.g. video games, the
internet) Entertainment (diversion), Integration and Social Interaction (personal relationships), Personal identity and Information
(surveillance)
An example of this can be seen in the star wars films, which can be seen in cinema or on DVD. Star Wars would build a connection with the
audience which makes them feel as if they know the characters very well. This is an example of a personal connection; one of the categories
within the theory of uses and gratification as the audience is trying to connect with the characters within the film. This can also be an
example of diversion as the viewer could also be watching the film in order to get away from the troubles they see daily, taking their mind off
of real life. Either of these are quite acceptable within society, but it is interesting to see the different reasons why people watch certain
pieces of media.

THEORY/EFFECT: DESENSITISATION
Desensitisation is a theory that suggests that action on screen can influence the behaviour of the viewer. For example, the audience’s attitude to
violence can be affected by being exposed to too much violence onscreen that they may not even realise their actions are beyond bounds. The
fictional violence on screen may become ordinary behaviour which they may consume as acceptable making them ‘desensitised’ to real life
violence.
Strengths- It is paying attention to how much violence is being shown and questions are being raised about how much exposure of violence and
aggressive images/scenes that should be shown to the audience.
Weaknesses- It can be unreliable as there may be other variables involved. Everyone is effected by different factors as some people are more
influenced than others and depends on how much violence they have been exposed to.
An Example: The Jamie Bulger Case. Some UK tabloid newspapers claimed that the attack on James Bulger was inspired by the film Child's Play3.
After watching the film, the two 10 year olds may have become desensitised to the action happening on screen
Desensitization is good example of classic conditioning. A viewer may see a violent act in Star Wars and could react strongly, like they would if the
violence was occurring in real life. Consuming a heavy diet of violent media makes people less provoked and shocked by fighting and the
consequences.
Viewers may watch the Force Awakens as it is an unlearned pleasurable behaviour to watch movies. However, combining that pleasure of
watching movies you love with violent battles and fights within them associate the pleasure of watching television with the consumption of
violent media. Images that might have initiated a negative response before, now give the viewer a sense of calm because of its link to relaxation.
Young children who may watch Star wars will see all the guns, battles and fire and will observe these violent acts without any fear of being
harmed themselves. This would weaken the response the audience of the film have to violence.

WHAT ARE THE POSITIVE EFFECTS OF THE
FORCE AWAKENS ON AN AUDIENCE?
There are a few positive effects on an audience of the force awakens which are shown in the uses of gratification. The Force
Awakens shows diversion, entertainment and escapism. An example of this is that watching star wars makes people escape from
everyday life. It is an action film which the audience will find exiting due to the spaceships, explosions, music, action and laser
beams. The film will appeal to the audience due to all of these factors as well as being able to escape from the real world, get an
introduction to the characters and to be able to see old faces. The force awakens would appeal to star wars fans due to being
able to see old characters, but will also appeal to a new generation due to the exiting use special effects. Another positive effect
of the force awakens on the audience is personal relationships. The audience would like to get up to date with new characters
and their personalities and traits so they can build personal relationships even more with old characters and the new ones too.
There is also the first black storm trooper and first ever female character who is very independent and dominant. This will appeal
to the audience, especially black men and dominant woman as they may now feel like they are more important and equal.
Building a personal relationship with the characters will make the audience want to see what old characters they have got rid of
and what new ones they have and why. Another effect is personal identity. For example new role models and characters will
appeal to a more diverse audience due to the two new main characters, Finn being black and Rey being a strong female
character. The Last positive effect is Surveillance and information as this allows the audience to get a tease of what we may see
in the film from the trailer. For example we will know what star wars is and the rerelease date, we will get a peak of new planets,
the baddies, goodies and robots. This will appeal to the audience by making them want to watch more. Also the iconic star wars
font we see in the trailer draws attention the audience and tells them when you can go and see it in cinema and make the
audience want to buy a ticket.

WHAT ARE THE NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF
THE FORCE AWAKENS ON AN
AUDIENCE?
There are a few negative effects of the force awakens on an audience. One of these is the
theory Desensitisation. This is because the audience are seeing violent acts and behaviours
which makes them think that this is ok in the real world. For example, young children may
see fights with guns and weapons and think that this is normal. An example of this in the
real world is the James Bulger case, a young boy who was snatched from a shopping centre
in Merseyside in 1993 by Britain's youngest killers for 250 years, Jon Venables and Robert
Thompson who took James to a railway line and tortured, beat and sexually assaulted him.
They poured modelling paint into his eyes, stoned him and clubbed him with bricks, before
leaving him on the railway line to be hit by a train. After killing the tot they left his body
near the tracks where it was discovered two days later. There were accusations over the
role of horror videos in violent crime influencing the murder of James Bulger. This relates
to the theory of desensitisation as children of such a young age couldn’t have come up
with this idea by themselves and must have watched violent films or played violent games,
ones which would certainly not be appropriate for their age. This is why the BBFC have an
important job at rating films and The Force Awakens is rated a 12 which means that this
film is not appropriate for anyone under the age of 12 as there are scenes of violence and
dangerous weapons.

WHO/WHAT IS BEING REPRESENTED WHY HAS THE INSTITUTION REPRESENTED THEM IN
THAT WAY
WOULD THIS BE CONSIDERED A POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE
REPRESENTATION- EXPLAIN
Race For the first time in star wars we have seen a black storm
trooper played by John Boyega. He plays the character
Finn who is one of the main characters. He is a strong
character who was trained since birth to serve the First
Order as a storm trooper, but left the storm troopers and
chose to go down a different path.
This would be considered a positive representation as
having John Boyega play one of the main roles will
appeal to different ethnicities and create more of a
diverse audience. It will also make young black boys or
men feel more dominant and powerful as now they have
introduced a strong black male character who plays a
very important role.

WHO/WHAT IS BEING REPRESENTED WHY HAS THE INSTITUTION REPRESENTED THEM IN THAT
WAY
WOULD THIS BE CONSIDERED A POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE
Gender The two main characters in The Force Awakens are Rey
and Finn. Rey is a young woman who is very independent,
adventurous and tough and Finn is a young man who is
very strong and driven. Rey is the first main character who
is a girl in star wars who fights and battles along with
everybody else. She is determined and won’t give up.
This would be considered a positive representation as the
main characters are of each gender which will appeal to a
wider audience. Having the first female character who is a
fighter will also make girls and woman feel powerful and
motivated to be as driven and adventurous as Rey.

WHO/WHAT IS BEING REPRESENTED WHY HAS THE INSTITUTION REPRESENTED THEM IN THAT WAY WOULD THIS BE CONSIDERED A POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE
Age Most of the characters in the Force Awakens are young and strong.
You have Rey, Finn, Poe, Kylo Ren and captain phasma who are all
young adults. These characters are all very important and fit as their
roles. There aren’t that many older characters in the force awakens.
There is Han solo and Leia Organa but that’s about it. This may be
because star wars is a very adventurous film who would most likely
require fitter actors/actresses who would probably be younger.
It would be a positive representation to the younger generation as
the majority of the characters are young and fit. This would inspire
young people to want to be adventurous and fight for what they
want. However, this could be seen as a negative representation how
there are not that many older characters in the film. We see Han
solo, and Leia for a bit but apart from that the majority of the other
characters are young. This could make the older generation feel
discriminated against.

WHO/WHAT IS BEING REPRESENTED WHY HAS THE INSTITUTION REPRESENTED THEM IN THAT WAY WOULD THIS BE CONSIDERED A POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE
Sexuality The Star Wars franchise has produced a timeless legacy filled with
heroes, villains, creatures and droids of each gender. Although star
wars has come along a wrong way with how they have introduced
strong female leads and black characters all the characters are
heterosexual are none are yet bisexual or homosexual.
This could be considered a negative representation and could make
the audience think that star wars are discriminating against bisexuals
and homosexuals. It may also not appeal to those who are bisexual
and homosexual which could knock down a lot of views. Even though
The Force Awakens will have a diverse audience due to the two new
main characters, one being female and one being black. People may
now expect there to be a bisexual or homosexual character in the next
film.

Does the film provide typical
mainstream representations or does
it offer something that challenges
society?
Yes, I think that the film does provide typical mainstream
representations. For example, Race is being represented as there is now a
black storm trooper which will make the film more mainstream as it will
create more of a diverse audience. Also in the Force Awakens the cast has
a variety of female and male actors and actresses which is typically
mainstream. However, the fact that the two main roles are of different
races and gender may be seen as challenging as this has never happened
in Star Wars before.

What are the current debates in society regarding
representation that could be related to the film?
The current debates in society regarding representation to The Force
Awakens is that female and males are equal due to the two main
characters being one of each. Also, that races are equal as one of the
main characters is white and the other is black, this represents equality in
The Force Awakens.
On the other hand, in none of the Star Wars ever has there been different
sexuality’s apart from heterosexuals and this could be a debate as
bisexuals and homosexuals may feel discriminated against.

LEGAL Explain the issue: Example in relation to THE
FORCE AWAKENS
Discrimination: The unjust or prejudicial
treatment of different
categories of people,
especially on the grounds
of race, age, or sex.
In relation to The Force
Awakens all of the
characters should be
treated equally no matter
what their race, age or sex
is. For example, Rey being a
female lead role and Finn
being a black lead character
should not make them any
less important than the
other characters.
Copyright: Copyright is a legal right
created by the law of a
country that grants the
creator of an original
work exclusive rights for
its use and distribution.
This is usually only for a
limited time.
In the Force Awakens
Trailer at the end they have
copyright and legal right
information so that nobody
can take credit for original
works of authorship.
ETHICAL –Offensive material Explain the issue: Example in relation to THE
FORCE AWAKENS
Violence/sex/language: Behaviour involving
physical force intended
to hurt, damage, or kill
someone or something.
Too much offensive
material or language
which may offend
people
An example in the force
awakens would be the use
of violence as there are
lots of battles including
weapons and guns which
create explosions. The use
of guns may come across
as offensive to viewers
which could not appeal to
some people as they may
be offended.
Children: The age restrictions of
the film should be
acceptable for the ages
of children who may
find some things
inappropriate
The BBFC have rated The
Force Awakens as a 12
which means that nobody
under this age should
view it as it will be
inappropriate.

HOW DO THE LEGAL
CONSIDERATIONS HAVE AN
EFFECT UPON THE MAKING OF
THE FORCE AWAKENS?
The Legal considerations have a huge effect upon the
making of the force awakens as if they step outside
of these considerations the film will not be
published. For example, on ethical terms no
offensive materials such as violence/sex or language
should be included if it as seen as too offensive to
viewers. Also, the film should have an appropriate
age restriction so that children are not watching
films which they shouldn’t be. In terms of legal
issues there should be no discrimination in the
making of the film and no copyright should be
involved.

BBFC
Who are the BBFC?
The British Board of Film Classification, founded by the film industry in 1912 and responsible for the national
classification and censorship of films exhibited at cinemas and video works (such as television programmes,
trailers, adverts, public Information/campaigning films, menus, bonus content etc.)
The BBFC is the UK’s regulator of film and video, providing age ratings such as U, PG and 12A. They are a
designated body so have legal powers to rate, and sometimes cut or even reject works.
What role does the BBFC perform?
They ensure that children, and all filmgoers, are protected from harm and illegal material, and that they can
make informed decisions about their viewing choices. To provide BBFC insight on all cinema films. BBFC
insight offers succinct information about the issues raised by the film. It is written especially for parents and
those responsible for younger viewers.
Why does the BBFC exist?
The British Board of Film Censors was established in 1912 by the film industry when local authorities started
to impose their own, widely varying, censorship standards on films. The BBFC was set up in order to bring a
degree of uniformity to those standards.
What rules does the BBFC set that have to be followed by film institutions?
The BBFC take into account the following legal considerations when age rating a work. The Human Rights Act
1988, The Licensing Act 2003, The Video Recordings Act 1984, The Obscene Publications Act 1959 & 1964,
Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, The Protection of Children Act 1978, The Sexual Offences Act
2003, The Public Order Act 1986, The Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act 1937, The Animal Welfare Act 2006,
The Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Act 2002 and Other unlawful material.
HOW DO THESE RULES HAVE A DIRECT EFFECT UPON HOW A FILM IS MADE?
EXAMPLE 1: (LEGAL)
Legal standards are standards that are set forth in governmental laws. All the statutes and
laws that lawyers point to are legal standards. Legal standards are useful, as they help
people to know what they cannot do. With legal standards in place, authorities are
allowed to enforce rules when people do something illegal.
All of these rules are put in place so that The Force Awakens, in this case, is taking into
account all of the legal considerations so that they do not include anything illegal or
inappropriate to the age that the film is rated.
EXAMPLE 2: (ETHICAL)
Ethical standards, on the other hand, don't necessarily have a legal basis. They are based
on human principles of right and wrong. For example, in The Force Awakens J.J. Abrams
would have an idea of what is appropriate for different age groups and wouldn’t include
inappropriate things.

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