LO4: Certificate Classification

After our screening, we created this survey for the audience to respond to.
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/R5FKR9Z

We designed this survey to help us decide what certificate the film should be given. It is important that the film is given a rating based on what is appropriate for certain age groups. This helps the audience determine whether the film is suitable for them, or any younger persons they may be responsible for. To determine this we had to look at the different classifications provided by the BBFC

These are the BBFC classifications as provided by their official website at http://www.bbfc.co.uk/what-classification/guidelines :

- U (Universal): Suitable for audiences aged four and over. Displays of any sexual activity (as much as kissing) or swearing must be incredibly mild, and it must not encourage anti-social behaviour.
- PG (Parental guidance): General viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for a very young audience. Harmful themes must be mild and infrequent.
- 12A and 12: Suitable for ages 12 and over, or if accompanied by an adult. Moderate language is permitted, alongside discreet sexual activity, drug portrayal and moderate threat.
- 15: Nobody below this age can view a 15 film. 15's permit the use of strong language, drugs and nudity without either endorsing anti-social behaviour or without strong detail of it. There also may be strong threat and horror without a sustained focus on sadistic actions.
- 18: As the highest age rating, explicit shows of sexual activity, strong language, threat, and drug use are allowed.

 100% of our survey results showed that the audience thought this film fitted the horror genre. Because of this, it will likely recieve  a higher BBFC rating.

 The darker setting helped reinforce the horror genre in our short film, focusing our lighting on the actors helped to increase their visibility and make the film feel more intimate. These results show that most of the audience agreed with this.

 The excessive use of offensive language means that our short film will recieve a higher rating, as it is innapropriate for a  young audience.

 These survey results show that our audience thought that the use of recreational drugs made our short film innapropriate for younger audiences, this also means that it will recieve a high BBFC certificate.

 All of our respondents decided that this film would be more appropriate for an older audience, and the film will therefore be marketed as such.

Most of our audience agreed that our film would fit a 15 certificate. This was the rating we had originally planned to aim for and so in relation to these survey results and the BBFC guidelines, the film will be certified as a 15.
Our film fits this age rating due to fact that the film is a psycological horror meaning it is unsuitable for children but the use of gore and violence is so little that it would still be appropriate for teenagers. The use of drugs may be shown in a 15 however they may not promote substance abuse, whilst our film shows characters use LSD it in no way promotes the substance and instead shows the drug in a negative light as the characters become considerably more paranoid after taking the drug.