Research: Film censorship

who is the BBFC and what is their role?



first the BBFC stands for British board film classification. before a film is released in great Britain, it has to go through the BBFC first where its reviewed on the contents it has and what influence it would have on the audience. after a film is reviewed by the BBFC it would either be rated the age which they think is suitable for that film or in some situation the BBFC is force to cut some parts of the film that are inappropriate and uncomfortable for the viewers. some producers do not always agree with judgement of the BBFC and would not want to make any changes to their film, and in that case the BBFC would have no choice but to ban it from cinemas, TV and online sites.



why is the role of the BBFC important to the film industry



the role of the BBFC is important because it restricts certain viewers such as young people from watching films that contain violence, nudity or may have a bad influence on them. the BBFC gives films an age rating and a clear description of what to expect as an audience, this can be seen as a way of protecting the viewers because they would then be able to make a decision of if it would be suitable for them or not and parents will become more aware of what their kids are about to watch and the content it contains.

what things get censored and why?



the BBFC censors things that is most likely to be replicated by some viewers in the real world. for example:

• Bad language
• Controversy
• Drug
• Sex
• Child abuse
• Racism
• Violence
• Sexual violence
• Nudity

if a film is rated 18 it will mostly contain some of the things listed above such as violence, sex and bad language because the viewers are seen as mature and have the knowledge of what is wrong and right and the consequence of certain action. unlike young people who may easily be influence by what they are shown and more likely to implicate it on innocent people.



what is the difference between films being cut and banned?



when a film is reviewed by the BBFC and some parts of it is deemed as unsuitable for the audience, the producers of the film would be asked to cut that part, in other word removing it. the film would still be released but without that particular scene, whereas when a film is banned it can not be released on TV, cinemas and online sites in till it is changed to the expectation of the BBFC and reviewed again for an age rating. the reason why films are banned is because the BBFC fears that it will have a bad influence, be inappropriate or will offend some viewer with certain contents it may contain.





discuss the Forna and Kemode's debate,and then discuss where your own opinions lie on this matter.



Forna argues that most people replicates scenes from movie and would want to be like certain characters in the real world. it's like being sold a product but not through ads where the viewer knows and has a choices to either buy it or not. but in this case they are forced through flashy images of luxurious items worn characters which becomes their desires. she also adds that an episode of EastEnders where the character of Angie tried to kill herself increased the attempts of suicides that night, which just shows how influential an episode of series could be and what effect it could have on the viewers.



on the other hand, Kemode, argues that films should not be cut as it limits the message which the producer attended to share with the audience and that they are responsible for what they watch. he states that we are just seen as mere child who stupid, weak, impressionable, easily led and unable to distinguish between fiction and reality to the BBFC who deem themselves as intelligent, culturally sophisticated and parentally adept but do not know that every movie is received different by different viewers regardless of the message behind it.

In my opinion i think that film censorship is a great thing as it protects most viewers especially young ones from being exposed to violence which can they can replicate in the real world a harm an innocent person. I believe that if there wasn't a film censorship the world would be chaotic and filled with crime, so therefore film censorship should always be there to protect people who aren't able to protect themselves.



conclude with what you have learned about film regulation and what you need to consider for your own thrillers.

I have learned that they are film regulation which states that a film can be censored, cut or banned it it contains any content which can unpleasant or inappropriate for the audience. I now know what i can have in my thriller and would ensure that scene such that there is no scene of violence, racism or controversy are not in my thriller.