BBFC age ratings research

The BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) is an independent guide to media content, which aims to:

• protect the public, and especially children, from content which might raise harm risks

• empower the public, especially parents, to make informed viewing choices

• recognise and respect adult freedom of choice within the law

• respond to and reflect changing social attitudes towards media content through proactive public consultation and research

• provide a cost-effective, efficient classification service within our statutory remit

• work in partnership with the industry to develop innovative service models to provide content advice which support emerging media delivery systems

• provide an effective service to enforcement agencies

When thinking about the target audience for the film I am making, age ratings are important as they shape who will be able to access my content if it hit cinemas or eventually DVD. People who typically watch psychological thrillers are older teenagers to adults, both male and female, so this is my target audience. Whether to rate the film a 12 or a 15 comes from research on the BBFC website:

"Examiners look at issues such as discrimination, drugs, horror, language, imitable behaviour, nudity, sex, sexual violence, theme and violence when making decisions. They also consider context, the tone and impact of a work (eg how it makes the audience feel) and even the release format (for example, as DVDs are watched in the home, there is a higher risk of underage viewing)."

As the themes of my film involve abduction and some violence, the themes would potentially influence the age rating. I personally think a 15 rating will be more suitable due to the violent themes and potential for strong language in the film, and this rating also helps shape the target audience.