Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Got a question about film, video and DVD classification? You might find the answer here. If not, drop us a line by clicking here...

What does the law say about minors in the home environment being allowed/encouraged to view films in the home, which are classified as unsuitable for them, ie certified at a higher age. Are there any repercussions within law for doing so?

The 1984 Video Recordings Act relates only to the physical supply of video recordings. The law does not place any restrictions on viewing.

What is the legal position if a class teacher shows children a film rated rated higher than their age without first obtaining parental permission?

As far as we are aware, it is not illegal for schools to show BBFC age restricted films to pupils. Merely showing an age restricted film to underaged persons - or allowing them to see one - is not in itself an offence. We would however strongly discourage such a practice unless the children in question are only a year or so below the age stated on the certificate, and there is some kind of serious educational purpose to showing the film (eg showing the '15' rated Macbeth to 14 year old GCSE English students). Even in those cases, we always recommend that the school should first obtain permission from parents or guardians.

What is it like being a BBFC Examiner?

The job of an Examiner is a full-time job. We receive months of intensive in-house training at the BBFC before starting as proper Examiners. Apart from classifying films and DVDs three and a half days a week, we also go to primary and secondary schools, universities and other organisations to give presentations about our work. There are also many other projects that we work on, including this website, the website for parents - parentsbbfc and the sbbfc website (aimed at secondary school students and above). You could look at the Diary of an Examiner (in the Team Room), written by a current Examiner, which will give you a better idea of what the job is like.

How do you become an Examiner?

To be an Examiner, you don't need 'qualifications' as such. The jobs are advertised in the national press and on our jobs website. We do require however that you have experience in relevant areas such as media regulation, law and child development. Many Examiners have backgrounds in teaching, law, social work, journalism and so on, and once you are hired as an Examiner, you then receive all the training you need to do the job. The cbbfc website gives people a good idea of what it's like to be an Examiner.

Can my little brother see a 12A film if he goes with an adult?

Yes, your little brother could go and see a 12A film with an adult, but the adult has to sit with him throughout the film and he cannot just be left in the cinema to watch it on his own after someone has bought him his ticket. We don't recommend though that very young children see 12A films. A 12A means that the Board thinks the film is suitable for 12 year olds and over, although some parents might want to take their 10 or 11 year old children to see a film if they feel he or she is mature enough to watch it. So it really depends on how old your little brother is and whether your parents think the 12A film is suitable for a young child. Your parents should have a look at the Consumer Advice for the film (all films in fact), which they will be able to find on Cinema posters, TV adverts and local newspaper listings. If you go to the Newsroom on the cbbfc site, in the Just Classified sections for U, PG and 12A films, you will be able to find Consumer Advice for the films we have classified, as well as plot summaries. The Consumer Advice will tell you and your parents what kind of issues the film contains in terms of bad language, sex, violence, drugs and so on.

What is the difference between the UK '12A' category and the American 'PG-13'?

The main difference is that '12A' means that children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult, whereas 'PG-13' allows anybody to go in, regardless of whether or not they are accompanied. Basically, 'PG-13' is merely a 'caution' to parents. In terms of what's allowed at 'PG-13', it's fair to say that more violence is allowed at 'PG-13' than at '12A' (some 'PG-13' action films have been passed '15' here), whereas we might be inclined to allow slightly more sexual activity/innuendo at '12A' than the Americans would be comfortable with at 'PG-13'.

I was wondering whether I could come to your offices and see how it is all done?

Sadly, our offices aren't open to the public, although we do sometimes have visits from older students who are interested in film classification.

I have recently come up with a great idea for a movie though I am not sure what to do, how to lay it out or who to give my idea to. I was wondering if you could help me out and set me on the right path?

I'm afraid we're not directly involved in the business of script development and acquisition. However, here are a few websites that will hopefully give you some answers to your questions. Good luck with that great idea....we look forward to seeing your name in lights in the future!

www.triggerstreet.com
www.netribution.co.uk
www.lsw.org.uk
www.bfi.org.uk/gateway/newsites.php

Do you rate Super-8mm films?

Unfortunately we do not classify Super-8 films. We can currently only classify works that are submitted on DVD or on 35mm film. Most film prints that you will see in your local cinema will be 35mm, but if you go to the IMAX cinema they use a much bigger print at 70mm, as their screen size is much bigger. There is another format, 16mm, but this is rarely used today, and it's not as easy to use as the 35mm. The fees that we charge can also seem quite high if you are not from a distribution company, and the cost depends on the length of a film or video that is submitted to us. Why not try and enter your film at a children's film festival? You don't have to submit your film for classification if it is going to be shown at a festival.

Do films ever have bits taken out of them?

Sometimes we do have to take bits out of films. This might be because there is something dangerous or illegal in them. Other times it might be that the distributor wants a lowere classification and the film contains something which which just isn't suitable for kids.

How many films get classified every year?

In 2008 we classified 639 films, but this changes every year.

How many DVDs get classified every year?

In 2008 we classified 11,439 DVDs, but this changes every year.

Why are DVDs smaller than videos but you can store more on a DVD?

As videos are analogue and DVDs are digital, it's a bit like comparing apples and oranges as they work in different ways. What it comes down to is that they both use very, very, very (!) small dots to record the images and sound that make up the picture you see on your screen. These dots are arranged on the surface in a way that can be understood and read by your DVD player and Video Player and changed into pictures. DVDs store their information in much smaller dots than a video can, fitting more into the same space, a bit like using really, really small handwriting. But DVD also has the advantage of being digital, so the images and sound can be compressed or squashed even more allowing more to be fitted onto a DVD than could ever fit on a video!

What is a trailer?

A trailer is like an advert for a film. If you get to the cinema before the main film starts, you'll probably see some trailers for films that are coming out soon, and if they look good, maybe you'll want to see the films too.

When were DVDs invented?

Companies first started thinking about DVD in 1994, and after quite a lot of research the first DVD player went on sale in Tokyo in November 1996.

When were videos invented?

Video tape has been around for a very long time, but the first home video recorder was sold by Sony in 1963, costing around £3,500 at the time. The kind of video recorders we have today are called VHS and the first VHS video was introduced in September 1976.

When was film invented?

A film is really just a collection of photographs, and people have been taking photos since the 1820s. It took quite a long time for anyone to work out how to make it look like the pictures were moving and eventually, the first motion picture camera was made in 1895. One of the inventors said at the time that "film is an invention without a future". It looks like he was wrong.