The Media Police

Ofcom: television, radio and ‘communications industries’

BBFC: film, DVD, video games

PCC : newspapers and magazines

ASA: adverts/advertising industry

BBC Trust: BBC output

Behind the Scenes at the BBFC

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• Who are they?

• What do they do?

• History

• Legal issues

• Accountability

• Examining

• Borderline works

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History

• Established 1912• Independent, non-governmental body funded through

charged fees• Classifies Films on behalf of Local Authorities – the

Licensing Act, 2003• Classifies Videos, DVDs and some Digital Games under

the Video Recordings Act, 1984

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History

1. Indecorous, ambiguous and irreverent titles and subtitles2. Cruelty to animals 3. The irreverent treatment of sacred subjects 4. Drunken scenes carried to

‘Indecorous dancing’

‘Drunken scenes carried to excess’ ‘Unnecessary exhibition of under-clothing’

‘References to controversial politics’

‘The drug habit. e.g. opium, morphia, cocaine, etc’

1916T.P. O’Connor’s ‘Forty-Three Grounds for Deletion’

‘'First Night' scenes’ ‘Men and women in bed together’

‘Scenes laid in disorderly houses’

‘Materialization of the conventional figure of Christ’

‘Scenes tending to disparage public characters and institutions’

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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

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The Video Recordings Act, 1984

• ‘Video Nasties’ and the VRA 1984

• Criminal Justice & Public Order Act, 1994

• The ‘Harm’ test

• Video Games

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Other Legislation…

• The Obscene Publications Act, 1959 & 1964 (obscenity law)• Cinematograph Films (Animals Act), 1937 (animal cruelty)• Protection of Children Act, 1978 (indecency/children)• Human Rights Act, 1998 (freedom of expression)• Racial + Religious Hatred Act 2006 (incitement to religious hatred)• Criminal Justice + Immigration Act 2007 (extreme pornography,

pseudo-photographs of children, hate crime - sexuality)

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Accountability

• Guidelines: February 2005, updated 2009

• Public Consultation– Citizens Juries– Research– Questionnaires

• Research Projects

BBFC current classification symbols

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Examining: Issues

• Violence• Language• Sex• Sexual References• Sexual Violence• Drugs• Criminal Activity• Weapons• Imitable Techniques• Horror• Theme• Legal Issues• Discrimination (added 2009)

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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

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Other Outcomes

• Split Decision

• Confirmatory Viewing• Cuts

- legal reasons- policy- ‘category cuts’

• Rejection

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Cuts: Examples

• Imitable Techniques: violent, criminal, harmful

• Glamorisation of Offensive Weapons

• Sexual Violence: eroticised rape or sexual assault

• Illegal Material• Instruction in Drug Use

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sbbfc: the Student Guide

• History, Legislation, Classification

• ResourcesTimelinesCase StudiesResearchArticlesDownloadsNewsReading ListWeb Links

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Education

www.cbbfc.co.uk

www.sbbfc.co.uk

Launched June 2003

Launched May 2005

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The Examiners

• 30 Full-Time/Part-Time Examiners

• 8 Specialist Video Games Examiners

• Cantonese/South Asian Language Examiners

• 4 Senior Examiners

• Various Backgrounds

• Four Teams THE

CLASSIFICATI

ON

PROCESS

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Examining

Examiner Duties

• Viewing

• Examiners’ Meeting

• Team Projects

• Networking

• Correspondence

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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…• Reports Filed• Reports Checked

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Some Facts• In 2009, the BBFCBBFC classified:

– 555 films• 15 were cut• 220 of these were passed 15– 10,068 Videos & DVDs

• 4600 of these were passed U or PG– 181 Digital Games

• 81 of these were passed 15 or 18– 2138 Trailers and Ads

• 1000 of these were for cinema release• In 2009, the BBFC rejected only TWO works