1. ‘Behind the scenes at the BBFC’
AS/A Level Film Studies Conference
University of Hull
6th February 2008
Ian Mashiah – Film, Video and Video Games Examiner
Opening Page

2. Today’s Presentation Who we are What we do Why we do it How we do it
How you can find out more
It’s showtime…
Any questions?
Why works are classified:
Because it is illegal for any film, DVD or video game – unless it meets certain exemption criteria – to be exhibited or made available for sale or rental unless it has been formally classified by the BBFC.

3. Just a reminder… Suitable for 15 years+ Universal. Suitable for all
No one younger
than 12 can see a 12A film
unless accompanied
by an adult
Suitable for
Adults only
See the Guidelines for a full definition of the various age categories.
Parental Guidance.
General Viewing but
some scenes may be
unsuitable for
young children

4. What is the BBFC? Designated body for the regulation of film and video
Established 1912
Independent, non-governmental body funded through charged fees
Classifies Films on behalf of Local Authorities – the Cinemas Act, 1985
Classifies Videos, DVDs and some Digital Games under the Video Recordings Act, 1984
Established by the film industry in 1912 when local authorities began imposing their own, widely varying, censorship standards in the process of licensing cinemas in their areas.
The British Board of Film Censors, as it was known when it was established (the name was changed to the British Board of Film Classification in 1984), was set up to bring a degree of uniformity to those standards in regulating cinema films. The object was to create a regulatory body which could make judgements that were acceptable nationally. To this end the Board has needed to earn the trust of local authorities, Parliament, the press and, most importantly, the public. It must take care that the film and video industry does not influence its decisions and that, similarly, pressure groups and the media do not determine its standards.
The Board has had the responsibility for the classification of film since 1912 and for video since 1985 after the VRA came into force.

5. Some Facts In 2007, the BBFC classified: 574 films
222 of these were passed 15
11778 Videos & DVDs
4938 of these were passed U or PG
258 Digital Games
151 of these were passed 15 or 18
2187 Trailers and Ads
1103 of these were for cinema release
In 2007, the BBFC rejected only TWO works
The two works rejected in 2007 were:
A DVD extra for the TV series WEEDS
MANHUNT 2 (videogame)

6. This was then…
1916
1. Indecorous, ambiguous and irreverent titles and subtitles 2. Cruelty to animals 3. The irreverent treatment of sacred subjects 4. Drunken scenes carried to
T.P. O’Connor’s ‘Forty-Three Grounds for Deletion’
‘Unnecessary exhibition of under-clothing’
‘Men and women in bed together’
‘Excessively passionate love scenes’
‘Cruelty to animals’
‘Materialization of the conventional figure of Christ’
‘The modus operandi of criminals’
Please note this is a TWO-CLICK slide – the second click gets you the T.P.O’Connor quotes.
An illustration of how attitudes with regard to film content has changed in the last hundred years or so…
In the past, the BBFC did not have any written rules or code of practice like the Motion Picture Production Code, introduced in Hollywood by the Hays Office in Policy evolved along practical lines, whilst seeking to reflect public attitudes. Since 2000, the BBFC has operated under a series of published Guidelines, available on the BBFC's websites. These Guidelines are flexible and stress the importance of taking into consideration the context of each individual work. They are reviewed on a regular basis, which entails a period of extensive public consultation, the most recent of which took place in 2004.
Looking back at what was, in effect, the BBFC’s first set of Guidelines:
T. P. O’CONNOR
When T. P. O’Connor was appointed President of the BBFC, one of his first tasks was to give evidence to the Cinema Commission of Inquiry, set up by the National Council of Public Morals in He summarised the Board's Policy by listing forty-three grounds for deletion laid down for the guidance of examiners. This list was drawn from the Board’s annual reports for The list shows the strictness felt necessary if the Board was to earn the trust of the public and relevant bodies.
They include:
Indecorous, ambiguous and irreverent titles and subtitles 2. Cruelty to animals 3. The irreverent treatment of sacred subjects 4. Drunken scenes carried to excess 5. Vulgar accessories in the staging 6. The modus operandi of criminals 7. Cruelty to young infants and excessive cruelty and torture to adults, especially women 8. Unnecessary exhibition of under-clothing 9. The exhibition of profuse bleeding 10. Nude figures 11. Offensive vulgarity, and impropriety in conduct and dress 12. Indecorous dancing 13. Excessively passionate love scenes 14. Bathing scenes passing the limits of propriety 15. References to controversial politics 16. Relations of capital and labour 17. Scenes tending to disparage public characters and institutions 18. Realistic horrors of warfare 19. Scenes and incidents calculated to afford information to the enemy 20. Incidents having a tendency to disparage our Allies
‘The exhibition of profuse bleeding’
‘The drug habit. e.g. opium, morphia, cocaine, etc’
‘Scenes tending to disparage public characters and institutions’

7. Overriding Principles now
Censorship through classification
Works should be allowed to reach the widest audience that is appropriate for their theme and treatment
The context in which something (eg sex and violence) is presented is central to the question of its acceptability
Decisions are based on published and regularly updated guidelines – based on public consultation
Adults should be free to pick their own entertainment within the law

8. Legislation The Licensing Act, 2003: Cinemas require a licence
The BBFC classifies on behalf of Local Authorities but they can:
ignore BBFC certificates
grant their own certificates
effectively ‘ban’ Films
The Licensing Act 2003
Cinemas require a licence from their local authority which must include a condition requiring the admission of children (under 18) to any film to be restricted having regard to the recommendations of the BBFC. The licensing objectives include the protection of children from harm.
A recent example of local authorities exercising their right to have the final say in the classification of films is Shane Meadows’ ‘THIS IS ENGLAND’ (a still from which appears above) which was classified ’18’ by the BBFC in 2007, but some local authorities, on appeal, lowered the category to ’15’, while others supported the original classification decision.

9. The Video Recordings Act, 1984
‘Video Nasties’ – the moral panic
Criminal Justice & Public Order Act, 1994
the ‘Harm’ test
Digital Media
Before 1984, videos were completely unregulated and could be made available for sale or rental in the UK without a BBFC classification. The content of some of these videos, particularly those that came to be known as the ‘Video Nasties (e.g. the original ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’. ‘I Spit On Your Grave’, ‘Cannibal Holocaust’), raised public concern to the extent that it was felt necessary to bring video into the same regulatory framework as film. Hence the introduction of the VRA that named the BBFC as the statutory body responsible for the classification of video.
Criminal Justice & Public Order Act 1994
In response to increased public concerns about media violence (largely in the wake of the murder of Jamie Bulger in 1993), the Government made some changes to the tests laid out by the Video Recordings Act.  Whereas previously the BBFC had been given broad discretion over what elements it should consider when making a classification decision, the main elements of concern were now spelt out clearly.  In fact the BBFC had already considered such elements when arriving at classification decision, but the new legislation provided useful clarification, including a specific test as to whether a work might cause 'harm'.  The new tests required that the Board pays "special regard (among the other relevant factors) to any harm that may be caused to potential viewers or, through their behaviour, to society by the manner in which the work deals with –
criminal behaviour;
illegal drugs;
violent behaviour and incidents;
horrific behaviour or incidents; or
human sexual activity
Digital media
The 1994 legislation also redefined the nature of a 'video work' so as to more clearly include video games.  Although the majority of games remained exempt from classification, the BBFC would now consider those games that included, amongst other things, gross violence, sexual activity, nudity and criminal acts.
Computer games have now been around for over twenty years. In the early days, the comparatively pitiful processing power available to programmers meant that games were simple and uncontentious affairs. Games like 3D Monster Maze on the ZX81 were blocky and jerky and would pose no classification issues if they were to come before the BBFC today. However, two major changes have taken place since then that have led to the BBFC having a much more significant influence over the classification of games. First of all, processing power has increased almost exponentially, to the degree that games like Half Life II mimic real life in a way that was inconceivable back in the early days. Secondly, the gaming public has grown up with the medium; the average games-player is now in his or her late 20s and is demanding more adult content. Games like GTA: San Andreas cater for this demand.
MORE INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON THE SBBFC WEBSITE.

10. Other Legislation… The Obscene Publications Act, 1959 & 1964
Cinematograph Films (Animals) Act, 1937
Protection of Children Act, 1978
Race Relations Act, 1976
Human Rights Act, 1998
Blasphemous Libel

11. Accountability Guidelines: February 2005 Public Consultation
Citizens Juries
Research
Questionnaires
Research Projects
The Guidelines, first published in 2000, are a product of extensive public consultation involving, for the revised version in 2005, over 10,000 members of the public. Such wide consultation is vital if the BBFC’s decisions, and the Guidelines on which those decisions are based, are to reflect public attitudes and opinions to the issues raised in films, video works and video games. The publication of the Guidelines in 2000 was also a major point in the process started by the BBFC in the preceding twenty years or so to become more transparent and accountable to the public.

12. THE CLASSIFICATION PROCESS The Examiners
31 Full-Time/Part-Time Examiners
8 Specialist Video Games Examiners
Cantonese/South Asian Language Examiners
Various backgrounds
4 Senior Examiners
4 Teams
THE
CLASSIFICATION
PROCESS

13. Examining Examiner Duties Viewing Examiners’ Meeting Team Projects
Networking
Correspondence
The general duties of BBFC examiners.

14. The Examining Process Viewing in pairs (with exceptions)
Over 5.5 Hours per day
Random
Examiner’s Log
Post viewing discussion linked to:
Guidelines
Policy
Legal Restrictions
Decision Agreed upon…
Consumer Advice written
Reports Filed
Reports Checked

15. Examining: Issues Violence Language Sex Sexual References
Sexual Violence
Drugs
Criminal Activity
Weapons
Imitable Techniques
Horror
Theme
These are the major issues that the Board addresses in any given work (there are others) – rather like T.P.O’Connor’s ‘43 Grounds for Deletion’. But the way we address them now differs markedly…(see next slide).

16. Other Considerations the work – its story, style, treatment
the audience – address and appeal
the moral framework
artistic or educational merit
potential level of offensiveness
precedent
possible harm
context
Some of the factors which contribute to the overall context of a work and which are taken into consideration when addressing the issues (and others) listed in the previous slide. CONTEXT IS KEY.

17. Other Outcomes Split Decision Confirmatory Viewing
Cuts - legal reasons - policy - ‘category cuts’
Rejection

18. Cuts: Examples Imitable Techniques: violent, criminal, harmful
Glamorisation of Offensive Weapons
Sexual Violence: eroticised rape or sexual assault
Illegal Material
Instruction in Drug Use
Sexual Violence
Our consultations reveal that the public have a particular concern about this issue.
Works which glorify, glamorise or sexualise violence will receive a more restrictive classification and may even be cut. The BBFC has a strict policy on rape and sexual violence. With portrayals of sexual violence which might eroticise or endorse sexual assault the Board may require cuts at any classification level. This is more likely with DVD or video than film because DVD and video scenes can be played repeatedly.
Drugs
Again, a subject of acute public concern.
No work taken as a whole may promote or encourage the use of illegal drugs. Any detailed portrayal of drug use likely to promote or glamorise the activity may be cut. Works which promote or glamorise smoking, alcohol abuse or substance misuse may also be a concern, particularly at the junior categories.

19. Most works fit into one category…
Suitable for
15 years+
Universal.
Suitable for all
Suitable for 12 years+.
No one younger
than 12 can see a 12A film
unless accompanied
by an adult
Suitable for
Adults only
See the various BBFC websites for information on/examples of CONSUMER ADVICE that accompanies the classification of works.
Parental Guidance.
General Viewing but
some scenes may be
unsuitable for
young children

20. But some works are borderline
A borderline work is one for which there are strong arguments for two categories, or one category and cuts
BBFC Guidelines state:
“Occasionally a work lies on the margin between two categories. In applying the criteria in these Guidelines in such a case, the BBFC takes into account the intentions of the film-maker, the expectations of the public in general and the work’s audience in particular, and any special merits of the work”

21. Education www.sbbfc.co.uk www.cbbfc.co.uk Launched May 2005
cbbfc: basically for primary school children and their parents and teachers.
And
sbbfc: primarily for GCSE and A level Media and Film Studies students and their teachers but also for those taking related degree courses.
Launched June 2003

22. sbbfc: Who’s it for?
Media & Film Studies Students and Teachers (GCSE, AS/A and beyond)
‘Informational’
Further Expansion: Teacher/Student Consultation

23. sbbfc: the Student Guide
History, Legislation, Classification
Resources
Timelines
Case Studies
Research
Articles
Downloads
News
Reading List
Web Links
The Student Guide gives a detailed account of BBFC history, the impact of certain legislation on the work of the Board and the whole classification process. It also contains:
Case Studies: the issues surrounding films, videos and video games with a colourful BBFC connection are discussed in detail e.g. A Clockwork Orange, The Exorcist, Spider-Man, Reservoir Dogs.
Downloads: the whole student guide can be downloaded as a pdf file along with the guidelines, research documents and BBFC Annual Reports
Please note: the images (x4) move in slowly on this slide.

24. sbbfc: for Teachers Seminars External Presentations Downloads
BBFC posters
Feedback
The site can be used to book Seminars/External Presentations which represent the BBFC’s role in the field of media education. Examiners visit schools and colleges and customised presentations/interviews are available for individual students. There’s more information on the site
Downloads: Access to downloads already mentioned and Freebies such as BBFC schools posters!
Feedback: our need to continually improve the site and welcome feedback from teachers (which can be done through the site)

25. Education You Call the Shots. www.parentsbbfc.co.uk
In 2007, the BBFC added ParentsBBFC to its portfolio of online resources. This is aimed squarely at parents who will be able, for the first time, to access
highly detailed classification information on individual films (new releases and older works) aimed at younger audiences (U, PG and 12A/12 releases) allowing them to make more informed viewing choices on behalf of their children
various user-friendly guides on the classification process including the classification of video games in the UK that will enhance their knowledge and understanding of film, DVD and videogames regulation in the UK

26. Clips

27. Questions

28. Thank You…