BBFC Target Audience Research

I have started to research into the difference between a '15' and '18' rating movie. I explored the British Board of Film Classification website (http://www.bbfc.co.uk/) and evaulated the main points.

          15

• No one younger tham 15 may watch a 15 in a cinema. They cannot buy or rent any 15 rated video work
• The work as a whole must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour
• Drug taking may be shown but the film as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse. The misuse of easily accessible and highly dangerous substances (aerosols or solvents etc.) is unlikely to be acceptable.
• Strong threat and menace are permitted unless sadistic or sexualised
• Dangerous behaviour (hanging, suicide and self-harming etc.) should not dwell on detail which could be copied
• Easily accessible weapons should not be glamorised
• There may be frequent use of strong language, the very strongest language may be justified if used in an acceptable context. Aggressive or repeated use of the strongest language is unlikely to be acceptable
• Nudity may be allowed in a sexual context but without strong detail. There are no constraints on nudity in a non-sexual or educational context
• Sexual activity may be portrayed without strong detail. There may be strong verbal references to sexual behaviour, but the strongest references are unlikely to be acceptable unless justified by context. Works whose primary purpose is sexual arousal or stimulation are unlikely to be acceptable
• No theme is prohibited, provided the treatment is appropriate for 15 year olds
• Violence may be strong but should not dwell on the infliction of pain or injury. The strongest gory images are unlikely to be acceptable. Strong sadistic or sexualised violence is also unlikely to be acceptable. There may be detailed verbal references to sexual violence but any portrayal of sexual violence must be discreet and have a strong contextual justification

          18

• No one younger than 18 may watch a 18 in a cinema. They cannot buy or rent any 18 rated video work.
• Most adults are able to choose what they want to watch but there are some constraints
• The material must not be in breach of the criminal law, or must not be created through the commission of a criminal offence
• Material or treatment must not appear to the BBFC to risk harm to individuals or, through their behaviour, to society – for example, any detailed portrayal of violent or dangerous acts, or of illegal drug use, which may cause harm to public health or morals. This may include portrayals of sexual or sexualised violence which might, for example, eroticise or endorse sexual assault
• Must not include explicit images of sexual activity which cannot be justified by context. Such images may be appropriate in ‘R18’ works, and in ‘sex works’ 

This research is going to help us decide whether we choose a 15 or 18 rating film, using a 15 doesnt seem to be limiting as we initially thought, but if we were going to make a very violent thriller, then we would have to make an 18 where there not really any restrictions. With the research we have completed so far, we are considering a 'Crime Thriller' however this is not final, and if we were to go ahead with this, it would most likely to be a 15. We need to possibly find out our basic storyline of our thriller first, and then decide whether to make a 15 or 18 rated film.