Group StoryBoard - Georgiou

Group StoryBoard

We have created a group story board by all three of us doing parts of the story board each. I have drawn all the images relating to our narrative description written by Liam. The rest of the story board was written by alex who is story board manager. This will help us keep on track when we film so we know what we have to film.

Preliminary Task - Georgiou

Preliminary Task

(Liam-Alex-Daniel)

What was the purpose of this task?

The purpose of this task was was to get used to the equipment which was the camera and tripod. With this we created 40 seconds of footage which we used different camera shots taken from different angles. It also helped us gain more experience to how and where we place the camera to make our camera shots more effective. We had a lesson to film this in, basically 40 minutes as we had to quickly plan where and what we were going to film.


What went well?

What went well was that we were able to work together very well to create a small scene in not much time. We got allot of different camera shot in and most of them were smooth when we were editing. Like when I opened the door we used 3 scenes that ran smoothly when played. This was because I had to do do the exact same thing for it to look perfect. Some camera shot were a challenge like in the scene when i was talking to Alex we didn't know where to stand or put the camera, but we managed to do it in the end.


What went wrong?

Only a couple of things that went wrong (could have been better)... in the first scene when I was walking towards the door the camera was shacking. This is because we dint have enough room to do a panning shot. We were able to film it though by having Liam hold it as still as he could while panning at the same time. Also in the scene when myself and Alex were talking we didn't know what to say completely, so we had to make it up. Apart from that i think we did well, only some scenes which could have been better if we had more time and experience with the equipment. Lastly we went over our time limit by 10-20 minutes which could be costly in the filming industry.

How will this task assist you when creating your own thriller?

This task has assisted us with creating our thriller opening as it has given us some basic experience on how to use the equipment such as the camera and tripod. We learned that we may not have enough room in some scenes to place the tripod so we will have to use our imagination to make it happen. We also learned that's its best to keep checking on how much battery the camera has as it effects the filming if it dies.

During our recording we found out that some camera shots looked better for some scenes than other shots did. This will help us allot as we will be looking to experiment different camera shots when we film our thriller to get the best scenes, angles and shots.

We were not able to the lighting we will be using for our thriller opening as it is set at night. However we have plenty of time to film and experiment with more camera techniques and lighting outside of school. We not have to worry about sound as we will use music in the opening to our thriller.

Thriller Poster Analysis - Hartt

Thriller Poster Analysis 

(new) Individual StoryBoard - Georgiou

Individual Storyboard

I have created a story board based on the thriller narrative i created. It is important to create a story board as it is used as a guidance for what my narrative is about. I will share this story board by going through it with them and we will decide if we could take parts of it and add it to theirs so our group narrative will have something from each of our individual story boards.

Character Representation - Hartt

Character Representation

 It is important to have a variety of characters in a film as this makes the film more exciting and interesting. Also the characters representations can give a different impression on the film as the characters have different attitudes, wear different clothes and come from different background's.

During the creation of the characters we knew that their had to be a victim and a villain.

We created the victim by making sure he was smaller in height than the villain which  represents him as a weak character and an inferior person compared to the villain. This is shown when the victim is easily caught and killed by the villain. It is also shown when the victim gets scared and frightened very easily when the villain is talking to him on the computer.  The victim wears a white polo which shows innocence.

When creating the villain he had to be taller than the victim as it will show that he has more power over the victim. The villain is a strong character as he is able to torment and kill a boy very easily. This is show when the killer picks up the victim by the throat and strangles him to death. This tells the audience that he is physicaly stronger than the victim. He also wears black and a strange looking mask which shows that he is mysterious and frightening.







(new) Planning the Mise en Scene - Georgiou

Planning the Mise en Scene

 

Mise en scene is a french word which means how everything is positioned and designed in a set. This includes 5 important points to add, settings and iconography, costume, hair and make-up, facial expressions and body language, lighting and colour, positioning of objects in a frame. This is essential in a thriller film to add effects. I will be explaining how these five points are used in our thriller opening.

Lighting and colour

Low key lighting will be used in the first scene where the victim is in the living room on the computer. The low key lighting is the lamp in corner of the room which lights up the entire area. The colours will be cream from the wall, brown table and chairs etc...mainly what the audience expect.

Their will be natural light from the street lamps which is high key lighting. The colours will be what the audience expects when they imagine a street like; black, white, orange (street lamps).

Costume, hair, make up

The victim will be wearing casual clothes (mainly bright). He will be wearing a white/cream polo with brown trousers, the white will show his innocence. His hair will be combed over neatly, this changes when he is running out of the house as his hair then becomes messy. After the victim has been killed the victim will have red make up on his neck where he had been strangled. The killer will be wearing all black clothes to make him seem mysterious to the audience. He will also be wearing a orange mask which only has one eye hole which will make him appeal mysterious and will hide his identity. 

Facial expressions and body language

In the first scene the victim is has a concentrated facial expression as he plays a video game on the computer. The next scene is when he sees himself on the computer, he has and expression of confusion as he doesn't know why or how he is being filmed. When the victim finds out where he is being filmed from he has a expression of shock and fright. When the victim has been caught by the killer and is being strangled the victims expression is pain and struggle. The last scene ends with the killer looking up at the camera (with the mask on) which doesn't show any emotion. However you can tell he doesn't care about what he just did by the body language.

Setting and iconography

The first setting for our thriller is in a ordinary house set at night as its more conventional to a thriller. We will be filming in the living room as its a good size to film in. It has a computer, table and chairs, fireplace and a couch. We will also be filming in the kitchen for the first scene when the the victim takes a drink from the fridge.

The second setting is a street and alley way which we will film at night as it gives a better effect and is also more conventional as it is dark. The street we are using to film is about 100m long with houses to the left and bushes to the right. The street is lit up by street lamps which are about every 10-15m which keeps the street lit up well. At the end of the street their ais a alley way which we use for the killing scene.

Positioning

The victim will always be in the centre of the camera shot as he is the most important character at the start of the opening. The killer will be at the back of the camera shots as he is a mysterious character who follows the victim. At the end of the opening the killer is placed in the centre of the camera as he kills the victim. This changes who the important character is in the opening to the killer.





 

(New) Risk Assessment - Georgiou

Risk Assessment

Potential Hazards	Prevention Of Hazard
Wet surface could cause someone to slip.	Wear correct footwear or wait till the pavement dries.
Climbing on roofs to film could cause someone to fall through it or fall off.	Don’t climb on roofs to film, just use a chair or something to stand on to get a high angle shot or birds eye view.
The tripod could fall which could cause the camera to fall and break.	Make sure the tripod legs are spread evenly to avoid it from falling.
Could be hit by vehicles when crossing the road.	Watch both sides of the road before filming and crossing.
Objects in the house could cause someone to step on them.	Remove them from the room to avoid someone from stepping on them.
The rain could cause the camera to stop working.	Stop filming and wait till the rain stops.
The charging cable for the camera could cause someone to trip over it.	Put duck tape over the cable to stop the cable from sticking out.

Why is creating a risk assessment important?

It is important to create a risk assessment as we can look at this before we film to make sure nobody get hurt or seriously injured. If a injury happens then it could result in the actors being too injured to appear on camera, this will delay the filming.

Opening Narrative Credits - Hartt

Opening Narrative Credits

My Opening Credits

For our opening credits we are going to be using a red bold font with resembles blood will be spilt. The tittle credits like director and producer etc... will be shaking and the names will will be still to add an affect and not look over done. (Similar to the SE7EN opening credits). For the tile it will have a similar font to the rest of the credits but it will be bolder and larger to show its the title of the film. We title slowly enlarge to add an affect which will draw the audiences attention.

Editing - Hartt

Editing

Editing is the juxtaposition (placing side by side) of different shots to create meaning. Their are different editing techniques like the cut where it is a sudden change of shot from one location to another.

A basic rule in editing it that if anything important happens, show it as a close up.

Cut
A visual transition created in editing in which one shot is instantaneously replaced on screen by another.

Continuity editing
Editing that creates action that flows smoothly across shots and scenes without jarring visual inconsistencies. Establishes a sense of story for the viewer.

Cross cutting
Cutting back and forth quickly between two or more lines of action, indicating they are happening simultaneously.

Dissolve
A gradual scene transition. The editor overlaps the end of one shot with the beginning of the next one.

Editing
The work of selecting and joining together shots to create a finished film.

Establishing shot
A shot, normally taken from a great distance or from a "bird's eye view," that establishes where the action is about to occur.  

Fade
A visual transition between shots or scenes that appears on screen as a brief interval with no picture. The editor fades one shot to black and then fades in the next. Often used to indicate a change in time and place.

Final cut
The finished edit of a film, approved by the director and the producer. This is what the audience sees.

Jump cut
A cut that creates a lack of continuity by leaving out parts of the action.

Matched cut
A cut joining two shots whose compositional elements match, helping to establish strong continuity of action.

Rough cut
The editor's first pass at assembling the shots into a film, before tightening and polishing occurs.

Sequence shot
A long take that extends for an entire scene or sequence. It is composed of only one shot with no editing.

Shot reverse shot cutting
Usually used for conversation scenes, this technique alternates between over-the-shoulder shots showing each character speaking.

Straight shot
A sudden change of shot from one viewpoint to another.

Wipe
Visible on screen as a bar travelling across the frame pushing one shot off and pulling the next shot into place. Rarely used in contemporary film, but common in films from the 1930s and 1940s.

Group Narrative - Georgiou

 

Alex's Individual Narrative

My main ideas for my thriller film:

Characters:

Antagonist: The killer would have a hidden identity to puzzle the audience, he would have a large body build.

Protagonist/Witness: Someone who will see the first murder happen which will make them a main character throughout the rest of the film. They will be hunted by the killer because they have witnessed the original murder. The witness will be confused and scared throughout the rest of the film.

Victim: The victim would be an innocent female and not much would be known about her to increase the audience's appeal for the rest of the film.

Theme:

Murder in the opening scene to shock the audience because it is a murder and in the opening scene to surprise the audience. Set in a house in a woods. The victim would be alone and unable to gain help from anyone.

Narrative:

The first thing to happen in my thriller film will be a chase scene between the murderer and the victim, followed by a murder scene.

Opening section.

Conventions:

Time: Night time (around 23:00).

Murder in the opening scene.

A victim and a killer.

A chase scene.

Set in a lonely house in the woods.

Helpless Victim.

Liam's Individual Narrative

Narrative

Film starts with a person on their computer doing some online gaming when suddenly a chat box pops up in the screen. At first the person ignores it thinking its just another pop-up, soon the killer typing to the person starts revealing personal information that no one else could know. The person  is now scared and getting abusive to the killer, the killer then shows a live feed of the room the persons in, the person tries to run and escape, noises and footsteps can be heard throughout the house. Just when the person believes to be free and thinks he has evaded the killer but is cornered in a room, he appears behind him and swiftly stabs the person.

CharactersKiller (antagonist) - I.T specialist. For some reason seeks revenge on group of people who ruined his life; maybe worked at an I.T company or helped create it e.g (microsoft, apple) and kills or ruins the lives of his previous business partners who screwed him over and stole his ideas.

Protagonist - Computer hacker finds out a way to track him and predict who is going to be killed next and catch the killer.

Victim - A previous business partner of the killer.

ThemeRevenge - The killer is seeking revenge for being cut out of the loop from the company he created.


Codes and Conventions

• Low key lighting
• Handheld camera
• Hidden Identity - Killer's identity is unknown
• An Enigma - who's the killer?
• Iconography - weapon/knife 

Target Audience

The target audience for this particular film teenagers fifteen and over for this reason the film would be rate a '15'. This is because is meets most of the specifications of a '15' film according to the British Board of Film Classification website. It has moderate violence and language throughout the film, showing some quite gory scenes very occasional which is justified by the context of the film.

Daniel's Individual Narrative

Narrative

A psychopathic serial killer wonders the dark streets in search to kill his father. The father neglected the boy  since he was a young because he cared more about money and his job, and so the boy was left to do everything himself. The boy ran away from home at the age of 8, hoping his father would come looking for him, but he didn't. Now at the age of 16 he is known as the most dangerous serial killer in the UK. His father knows something is wrong as his memories of his son reappear, but is it too late to regret what he has done.

Characters

Killer-antagonist
Victim-Protagonist

Theme
-Greed
-Jealously 

Target Audience 

12+ because strong language is used, dangerous behaviour and a moderate physical threat.

Codes and Conventions

-Setting- House, street
-Weapons- Rope, Knife
-Low key lighting
-Chase
-Enigma
-Fast timing of shots
-High pace music

Group Narrative

Characters

-Victim

-Killer (Hidden identity)

Theme

-Revenge

-Technology

Narrative

Film starts with a person on their computer doing some gaming when suddenly a chat box pops up in the screen. At first the person ignores the chat box thinking its just another pop-up, soon the killer typing to the person starts revealing personal information that no one else could know. The person  is now scared and getting abusive to the killer, the killer then shows a live feed of a room, the person is very confused and suddenly realises that its a live feed of the room he's in. The person turns away from the computer monitor slowly and walks over to the corner of his room where he is being recorded from. He picks up a small object and breaks it apart and finds a tiny camera wireless.  The person tries to run and escape, noises and footsteps can be heard throughout the house. He runs out of the front door a down a dark road. Just when the person believes to be free and thinks he has evaded the killer, he appears behind him...

Opening Credits - Hartt

Opening Credits

The main reason why films have credits is to let the audience know the peoples names who are included in the making of the film. The opening credit start by saying the names of the important people in the film like; major actors, special guests, director, producer, etc... At the end of the film the rest of the film crew and actors will be shown, this is called ending credits.

The opening credits can give away what genre a film is by the font, colour, positioning, size and movement. For a thriller the audience would expect to see a red font on a black background, bold and jagged which is conventional to a thriller as it resembles blood, murder and mystery.

Se7en Analysis

The opening scene of Se7en the text looked like a child wrote it as it wasnt neat like how a adult would write. Also the text was flashing white with a glow around the outside of it moving uncontrollably throught the opening. The font was the same size throught the opening apart form the title of the film which was large to capture the audience's attention. These credits help to make the audience realize it is a thriller by the use of sound and the images on the screen.

The sound repeats itself to build up tension as it sends a shiver down the audiences spine. The images are conventional as the audience can tell the person is the killer by the way the camera never shows his face, also how it shows what he is focused on, which is the pictures he is cutting up. The way the camera show the killer cutting the skin off his fingers tells the audience that he doesnt fear pain and that he is used to it.

Production Roles - Georgiou

Production Roles

Production Roles

Camera operator - Alex

Actors - Alex, Daniel and Liam

Film Director - Liam

Sound technician - Alex, Daniel and Liam

Editors - Alex, Daniel and Liam

Location manager - Daniel

Storyboard organiser - Alex

Production role descriptions 

Camera operators -  Are required to operate a variety of equipment including single and multiple portable, remote-control and electronic cameras, cranes and mobile mountings. Some other responsibilities include assembling and setting up equipment; planning, preparing and rehearsing scenes, and following camera scripts.

Actors - Have to take the role of a specific character, either because they auditioned for it or it was assigned to them. Depending on the character and the depth required to portray it, actors have to do a considerable amount of research and preparation for their character.

Film Directors - Are the main creative force behind a film.They are responsible for making a wide range of artistic decisions. Together with the producer, the director hires the actors and staff. The film director works with the staff day to day so the director must be familiar with all of the skills involved in producing a film. 

Sound technician - Sound technicians are required to assemble, operate and maintain the technical equipment used to record, amplify, enhance, mix or reproduce sound.

Editors - Are in charge of assembling raw film material into a finished product suitable for showing. The material they work with may consist of unedited camera footage, dialogue, sound effects, graphics and special effects.

Location managers - Have to research the background of the film and organise a wide range of suitable locations for production outside of the studio.

Storyboard organisers (artist) - Have to draw a collection of pictures and illustrations that show what happens in the script and help the director visualise and set up a shot. It also can help the production manager create a budget,  the editor get a better feel for pacing, and help the production designer visualise the setting and locations required.

Scream Opening Scene - Harrt

Scream Opening Scene

    

                                      

Long Shot

This shot is shown in the scene where the victim had escaped from the house to outside. There is a long shot used when she looks at the car in the distance heading towards the house. All you you can see in this shot is corn fields, this tells the audience that she is in the middle of nowhere.

This shot is conventional to a thriller as it tells the audience the setting, knowing that at anytime the killer has places to hide and that he is ready to attack at any time.

Close-up

This shot is shown in the scene where the victim is on the phone to the killer. The close up shows her emotion on her face as the is scared and frightened by the voice on the other side of the phone. This is shown by zooming in as it is a way of showing a characters emotion.

This shot is conventional to a thriller as this shot is a way of showing a characters emotion in different situations. From this shot it can tell the audience if the character is happy, sad or frightened by what they see. This shot can also tell us how dangerous other characters can be by looking at the victims emotion.

Eye Lever

This shot is shown in the scene where the victim has been stabbed and is looking up at the killer. In this scene we can sense fright as the shot changes from a chose up to eye level to make the audience feel the victims emotion.

This shot is conventional to a thriller as this shot is used to make the audience be in the characters situation and know there emotion. This shot also builds up tension and suspense as audience are basically in the shoes of the character and they can see what the character is seeing.

Results for Questionnaire - Harrt

Questionnaire Results

 

 I gave the questionnaire to 32 people in my school and here are the results.

 

 

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Narrative Theory - Georgiou

Narrative Theory

Vladmir Prop

Vladmir's theory is that whenever you watch a film you will see certain characters within the film who will undergo certain tasks throughout the film. 

• The Hero (Protagonist) - The main character who has a task to do
• The villain (Antagonist) - The person who obstructs the hero from his goal
• The helper (Side kick) - The hero's assistant 
• False Hero (Double agent) - A person who pretends to be on the hero's side who is actually working for the villain, tries to disrupt the hero's progress
• The princess (Love interest) - Portrayed as the reward for the hero and tends to be the object needed for the villain's plot.
• Princess' father - This tends to be the person who rewards the hero for his acts
• Donor - This is the person who will aid the hero by providing him with an object with magical properties

Certain characters will undergo a certain functions throughout the film.

First function - Complication 

This is during a current state of disorder or chaos normally caused by the villain in order to go onto the next stage. The villain then harms a member of either the community, kingdom of the family. One of the members of the three desires something, normally to get back what was taken or something along those lines and the hero's sent to get what is desired. The hero then complies to the request of the group of people and heads off plan action against the villain.
Second function - Transference
The hero departs from home to head of to face off against the villain and on his long, tiring and trying journey the hero is tested and attacked. The hero of course overcomes the challenge and is given  and is given a magic gift or helper then the hero arrives at his place so he can fulfill his quest.
Third function - Struggle
This is the final stage of the film is the struggle between the hero and the villain, which tends to turn out to be a long epic fight. In the end the hero is branded and the villain has been overcome and the chaos has been returned back to normal.
Fourth function - Return
The hero return triumphant from his battle with the villain, but then he's pursued. The hero escapes or gets rescued  and heads back home. During that time the hero returns home as is not recognised because the false hero has claimed all the rewards. Another task is set for the hero and he accomplishes the task.
Fifth function - Recognition 
Finally, in the end the hero is recognised and the valse hero or villain is unmasked and punished in some way. In the end the hero attains the reward what ever that may be.

Todorov

Todorov simplified the idea of narrative theory whilst also allowing a more complex interpretation of film texts with his theory with Equilibrium and Disequilibrium.

Todorov's theory is pretty simple, it has been separated into three stages.

Stage 1

The first stage of Todorov's theory is that the fictional environment begins with a state of equilibrium. Everything is calm and as it should be with no disruptions at all.

Stage 2

Then the environment suffers a disruption usually caused by the villain which changes the environment from a state of equilibrium to a disrupted state.

Stage 3
A new equilibrium is produced at the end of the narrative, returning everything back to normal.

Todorov's theory's says that a narrative is not seen as a linear structure, but as a circular one. The main narrative is driven by attempts to get rid of the state of disequilibrium and restore the equilibrium. However the equilibrium at the end of the story is not identical to the initial equilibrium at the start of  the film. Hence why it's said to be a circular narrative.

Todorov argues that a narrative involves a transformation. the characters and/or the situations are transformed through the progress of the disequilibrium.

Linear Structure

A linear structure is where the film goes from the state of equilibrium to a state of  disequilibrium back to a state of equilibrium, but... The new state of equilibrium isn't the same as the initial state of equilibrium.

For example:

1st equilibrium - The village is peaceful, very care free with no security or army at all.
Disequilibrium - The village is attacked and ruined long story short the enemy is defeated
2nd equilibrium - The village has ceased being under attack and all the danger is gone, but...

Circular Structure

A circular structure goes through the same process of equilibrium to disequilibrium then back to equilibrium. In contrast to the linear structure the new equilibrium at the end is the same as the equilibrium at the start.

For example:

1st equilibrium - The city 's national treasure is held up high in it's rightful place

disequilibrium - The treasure is stolen

2nd equilibrium - The city's national treasure has been recovered and help up high in it's rightful place 

Aristotle
Aristotle's main theory is that all films are based on common themes.

Some headings that are used are:

• Inciting Incident
• Dramatic Question
• Character Goal
• Antagonist/Protagonist
• Stakes
• Resolution
• Sympathy/Empathy

Films based on common themes

How this relate to my narrative
My group narrative relates with Todorov's theory. This is like the linear structure because at the beginning of the everything is normal and peaceful as the victim is just doing everyday things, but then that peace is disrupted by the villain. Then at the end the villain is defeated. However it turns out he's still alive.

No Country for Old Men - Harrt

No Country for Old Men

Setting
The setting in 'no country for old men' is set in a deserted area in Texas where not much grows. This is conventional to a thriller as it set in a unknown location.

The setting tells us there is a large area to escape to but there is nowhere survive or hide because of the heat and lack of food and water. The remote establishing shot reinforces the idea that the location is endless with nowhere to go, this will make the audience feel alone and make the characters feel helpless and vulnerable.

Camera Work
The establishing shot of the opening scene shows a long shot showing the view of the setting. When the villain killed the the cop their was a close shot of the chains on the handcuffs around his neck, this was then  followed by another close up of the killers face. This shot shows that the killer has no emotion after he killed the cop which tells us he has killed before. This is conventional to a thriller as the close ups of the killer gives a dangerous feeling for the audience.

Editing

After the killing, the camera follows the criminals feet. Diegetic sound is used to create loud footsteps, this builds up tension and suspense as it is filmed in slow motion. This is conventional to a thriller as this makes the killer look powerful and important.

Characters/Costume
The cop was wearing his police uniform to show authority and control. Also to show that he is there to stop criminals.

The villain was wearing black which tells the audience he is mysterious and has a hidden identity. Also black sybolises death which suggests he is a cold hearted man.

The victim was wearing white which tells the audience he is innocent.



Questionaire - Harrt

Questionnaire- Thriller Films

Please circle your answer.

1. Are you male or female?

   Male           Female

2. How old are you?

    0-15    16-21   22-40    41+

3.What thriller certificates do you prefer in a thriller film?

   12 and 12A   15   18   18R

4. What gets you to watch a thriller film?

    Word of mouth   TV   Adverts  Nothing   Other

5. What do you expect to see in a thriller film?

   Women   Chase   Iconography   Murder    Other

6. What types of sounds do you like when watching a thriller?

     Tension sounds       Suspense sounds    Sound effects    Natural   Other

7. What settings do you expect to see in typical thriller film?

    Industrial bathroom    Forest    Motel/House    Abandoned places   Other

8. What kind of characters do you enjoy watching the most?

    Men   Women    Children   Groups   Solo

9. What type of actors to you expect to see in a thriller film?

    Amateur  Semi-pro  Professional

10. How do you feel when watching a thriller film?

      Scared    Excited    Bored   Other 

 

Individual Narrative - Georgiou

Individual Narrative

Narrative

A psychopathic serial killer wonders the dark streets in search to kill his father. The father neglected the boy since he was a young because he cared more about money and his job, and so the boy was left to do everything himself. The boy ran away from home at the age of 8, hoping his father would come looking for him, but he didn't. Now at the age of 16 he is known as the most dangerous serial killer in the UK. His father knows something is wrong as his memories of his son reappear, but is it too late to regret what he has done.

Characters

Killer-antagonist
Victim-Protagonist

Theme

-Greed
-Jealously
-Revenge

Target Audience 

12+ because strong language is used, dangerous behaviour and a moderate physical threat.

Codes and Conventions

-Setting- House, street
-Weapons- Rope, Knife
-Low key lighting
-Chase
-Enigma
-Fast timing of shots
-High pace music

BBFC- Harrt

Explain why the BBFC is important to the film industry

The BBFC stands for the British Board of Film Classification, the BBFC was established in 1912. The purpose was to introduce age restrictions for safety reasons after many films became unsuitable in venues.

The BBFC doesn't just put restrictions on films, they also games as well. It is illegal for a shop to sell games/films to a person under the age restriction from UC  to 18. This is important as it is to protect different age groups from viewing films that could scare them or cause them to copy something they see.

Age Certificates

Their are 6 categories that films can be placed in. The age groups are;

Universal

The 'U' stand for Universal, this means that ii is suitable for everyone from 4 years and over.

For a film to be classed as a 'U' it will have;

- Have scary sequences that are mild to assure that young children are not afraid.

-No dangerous behaviour that could cause young children to copy it.

- Very mild bad language.

- Mild sex behaviour like kissing or making love etc.

- Mild violence only.

Parental Guide

PG stands for Parental guide, this is for the general public, but some scenes may have unsuitable content which could upset younger or sensitive children. As a result of this the BBFC advises parents to consider if they want their children viewing it.

For a film to be classed as PG it will have;

- Mild language only.

- Moderate violence without detail.

- Natural nudity with no sexual content.

- Frightening sequences should not be intense.

12 years and Bellow
12 / 12A is for 12 year old's and over, films are placed in this category because the material is suitable for only those aged 12 and over. Some scenes may upset children under 12 which is why 12A is created. 12A is only seen in cinema films. Nobody under 12 can see a 12A film or can they buy or rent a '12' film.

For a film to be classed as a 12 / 12A it must have;

- Moderate physical threat may be permitted, provided disturbing sequences are not frequent.

- Dangerous behaviour should not be shown in detail. The means hanging, suicide or self harming.

- Moderate language is allowed, but the use of strong language must be infrequent.

- Mature themes are allowed, but their treatment must be suitable for young teenagers.

 15 years and bellow

15 year old rating is for 15 year old's and bellow, nobody bellow 15 can watch a 15 film in cinema or can they buy a 15 rated filmin stores. This is because some scenes in 15 rated film could scare younger viewers or is inappropriate for them to watch.

 For a film to be classed as a 15 rated film it has;

- Strong threat that is permitted unless sexualised.

-There can be a use of strong language (f*ck). The strongest term (c*nt) may be allowed if justified by the context. However if the use of the strongest lamguage is repeated it is unlikely to be accepted.

- Sexual activity may be shown without strong detail.

- Violence may be shown in strong detail but should not dwell on inflicting pain or injury

18 year old's and bellow

The 18 rated films and games means that nobody younger than 18 can watch a 18 film in cinema or can they buy in a shop. This is because it involves allot of violence, sexual scenes and drug or alcohol abuse.

-Where the material is in breach of the criminal law, or has been created through the commission of a criminal offence.

Restricted 18

R18 means restricted to anyone bellow 18. This category is to be shown in special licenced cinema's or supplied in licenced sex shops. The R18 category means that sex and a strong fetish material  involving adults will be shown.