Research Certifications

Information –
All classification decisions are based on the BBFC’s published and regularly updated Guidelines. The Guidelines are the product of extensive public consultation, research and the accumulated experience of the BBFC over many years. They reflect current views on film, DVD and video game regulation.

What does ‘U’ mean?The U symbol stands for Universal.  A U film should be suitable for audiences aged four years and over. However, you cant predict what might upset a particular child, especially at a lower age.  At U only allow infrequent use of very mild bad language (e.g. ‘damn’ and ‘hell’). Characters may be seen kissing or cuddling and there may be references to sexual behaviour. However, there will be no overt focus on sexual behaviour, language or innuendo. Sex and sex references are treated the same irrespective of sexuality so there could be mild or undetailed references at U.

What does PG mean?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. Some films are given a PG certificate but have not been made with a young audience in mind. A recent example of a film mostly enjoyed by grown ups but passed PG would be Saving Mr. Banks. However, the certificate means that any issues in the work are appropriate for the majority of this age group and nothing should upset a child of eight or over. 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.

12 and 12AThe 12A requires an adult to accompany any child under 12 seeing a 12A film at the cinema. This is enforced by cinema staff and a cinema may lose its license if adult accompaniment is not enforced for children under 12 admitted to a 12A film. Accompanied viewing cannot be enforced in the home, so the 12 certificate remains for DVD/Blu-ray, rather than the 12A. The 12 is also a simpler system for retailers. It means they cannot sell or rent the item unless the customer is over the age of 12.

15No-one under 15 is allowed to see a 15 film at the cinema or buy/rent a 15 rated video. 15 rated works are not suitable forchildren under 15 years of age.
Any of the following can occur:
-strong violence
-frequent strong language (e.g. ‘f***’).
-portrayals of sexual activity
-strong verbal references to sex
-sexual nudity
-brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence discriminatory language or behaviour
-drug taking

18
Films rated 18 are for adults. No-one under 18 is allowed to see an 18 film at the cinema or buy / rent an 18 rated video. No 18 rated works are suitable for children. Adults are free to choose their own entertainment provided the material is not illegal or potentially harmful, so it is possible some themes tackled at 18 may be offensive even to some adult viewers.

Implications for my genreAfter researching certifications, and the reasoning behind these certifications I have chosen my crime thriller to be a 15.  The reasoning for this is to gain the largest target audience possible still being able to include features such as strong violence, drug taking and strong language.