Certificate research

Certificate Research 

British board of film classification is responsible for the national classification and censorship of films in cinemas and video works. Every theatrical release of films is examined by the organisation. The British board of film classification is only in charge of film releases within the United Kingdom, other countries may have different classifications depending on the law.

It’s essential for every film to have a labeled certificate in order to classify them to the appropriate audience. For example an 18 certificate is aimed at 18 years old and over. This is because contains explicit contents such as harmful, offensive and violence, which is not considered to be appropriate for audience under age.  

Our film trailer is about a mental illness drama, involving the concept of depression. In the trailer it may indicate scenes with violence such as self-harm, and use of strong language. For this reason, we believe that 15 would be a suitable rating for our film because our trailer would not show explicit behavior, which is deemed as inappropriate for the age 15 and over. 12 rating would not be suitable for our trailer. This is because audience under 15 may not have a clear understanding of depression, which may cause distortion in behaviour.An 18 would be to high rating for our film as it doesn't contain excessive materials only suitable for adults. Mental illness is a topic which is relevant to  teens, as the statistics show it's increasing yearly. Mental illness drama's such as I David Blake, It Kind of a Funny Story and Little Miss Sunshine also share the 15 rating.  

Our target audience teenagers will be going through one of the most circuital moments in their life. It’s the stage where they are exposed to both external and internal struggles. Teen’s value friendships and it’s most likely to be a huge influence in their lives on a day-to-day basic. This phase in and individuals life involves exploring and discovering who they are as a person.  

Teenage years may not be the same experience as pervious generation due to rapid growth in social media and the Internet. Teens in this generation now face more struggles such as depression and stress. Relating our trailer to the target our audience will ensure they go and watch it, as they will able to empathise with the characters and the storyline.Additionally, the advancement in multi-platform technology e.g. phones has made social media an important aspect in youths today. Therefore when it comes to marketing for films, Multi platform campaign is key to attracting the target and wider audience, as it’s a cheap and efficient way.