BBFC

Sources: http://www.sbbfc.co.uk/class_overview
http://www.sbbfc.co.uk/cutsrejectsappeals
The BBFC classify our films and decide who's best suited to watch them. And this is how they do it:
The Examiner’s daily programme consists of a combination of film and video/DVD. Due to the recent high increase in video games submissions, there are also Examiners who specialise in video games, as classifying an interactive game can be a very different experience to classifying a film or video.
Examiners normally view video and DVD submissions on their own – called solo viewing.A large proportion of works suitable are for solo viewing are episodes from TV series or works aimed at young children that have already been broadcast on television. Films for cinema release, video games and pornography submissions are classified in teams of two. Controversial works, such as extreme reality material, will also be programmed for team work.
Video games are also viewed and played, using the appropriate consoles. Games are measured by the IT department who assess how long Examiners will need to play the game and view all video elements. Games companies are asked to provide level skips, cheat codes and other information such as scripts to help Examiners make a clear assessment of a game's content.
Many films and videos are submitted in foreign languages (notably Hindi and Cantonese) and Examiners with linguistic skills are programmed to view these works. Where the work is in a language not spoken by any of the Examiners and there are no subtitles, the Board will use an interpreter, who will sit alongside the Examiner or team.
With each work, Examiners log details of what they watch, including:
• general context - plot, characters, outline of individual scenes
• timings of classification moments, including camera angles, type of shots, on- and off-screen moments
• bad language, sex and drug references and so on
Reports include a brief synopsis of the work, details of the classification issues and an argument in support of the category. Most decisions are straightforward and are based on the Board's published Guidelines, which were last revised in 2009. The distributor can request a specific category, which the solo Examiner or team will take into consideration, but such a request does not determine a decision. If necessary and appropriate, cuts may be suggested to meet the category request, and the decision will be ultimately made by the distributor.
A work is referred for further viewing by a team if an Examiner is unsure about an issue or theme.Sometimes a work will fall between two categories. This second team could include a Senior Examiner or an Examiner with expertise in the particular subject, as well as the Director and the Head of Policy.Difficult or controversial material can also be referred to the weekly Examiners’ Meeting, where they can be debated further to obtain a wide range of valuable opinions. Ultimately, the work will be referred to Senior Management.
If a work contains material which is illegal or unacceptable under the Board's Guidelines, Examiners will draw up a list of cuts which will be sent to the distributor. If a work as a whole is unacceptable, it can be rejected, but this happens only on rare occasions. The Presidential Team will be consulted on difficult works, especially those which may be refused a certificate altogether or which raise serious policy issues.The BBFC try to minimise the need for cuts, but works will have to be cut if they where a work contravenes relevant legislation or particular Board policies. Sometimes, the distributor makes a decision to cut to recieve a lower rating to gain a wider audience and these are called 'cuts for category'.If a central concept of the work is unacceptable (for example, a sex work with a rape theme); or if intervention in the form of cuts or other means is not acceptable to the submitting company; or if the changes required would be extensive or complex; the work may be rejected, ie refused a classification at any category. Since cinema licences permit the option of a local certificate, film companies are free to submit their product to any local authority in the hope of a different outcome. A letter of rejection will be sent to the submitting company detailing reasons for the rejection.

The BBFC offers a formal ‘reconsideration’ procedure which is open to any distributor dissatisfied with the determination made in respect of their work. The reconsideration is free of charge and will normally take less than 10 working days. A distributor may also appeal directly to an independent authority. Such an appeal may take place following, or instead of, a request for reconsideration by the BBFC. In the case of films, the distributor (or any member of the public) may address itself to the local authority which licenses cinemas in a particular area. In the case of video works (including DVDs, video games, etc) a distributor may appeal to the Video Appeals Committee (VAC) which is independent of the BBFC. The most recent rulings were over The Last House on the Left (1972) in 2002 and the video game, Manhunt 2 in 2007.

Film Noir James Bond Essay everryybody

Describe how the opening scene of James Bond - Casino Royale demonstrate the conventions of 'film noir'.

The James Bond film franchise recently got a makeover - including a change to the typical James Bond character; typically, clean cut, handsome, gentlemanly - now generally a darker character, and not so classically handsome. The new Bond films follow more closely to Fleming's original works, and will the real true dark Bond be represented in the new films?

Film Noir is generally crime/detective films, known for their dark mood and black look of the film. Fear, mistrust, bleakness, loss of innocence, despair and paranoia are always readily evident in noir; for example The Blue Dahlia (1946), which fight scenes are know for their stark and brutal feel.
For a start, the opening scene of Casino Royale is filmed in black and white, a typical convention of film noir; also plays homage to how it would've been filmed if it had been made at the time Fleming's first Bond novel, Casino Royale was first published (1953), partly because most film was still black and white, and because of its dark secret agent plotline, it would've been classified as a film noir.
The opening scene has shots in black and white, and also sepia, for a flashback interspersed with the current scene. The sepia shots so James Bond killing a man in a very brutal way, whilst the black and white shots show Bond conversing with corrupt MI6 section chief Dryden, before killing him. Bond acts as Dryden's judge and jury, not telling the M16 'authourity' and taking it into his own hands to kill him for telling secrets, not knowing if he will get into trouble for his doing, and frankly not caring - again, showing a darker, more evil Bond. This gives Bond his 00 status, and could be construed as the end to his innocence, a convention of film noir. Opening the film with two deaths in the one scene also symbolises the new dark Bond, the way Fleming wrote him.
In general, this opening scene, sets you up for the film - shows that Casino Royale is the start of a new era, and an end to Bond's womanizing, 'good-guy' ways. Also the fact that Casino Royale was Fleming's first Bond novel, and the one they chose to create into a film, suggests maybe a completely new set of Bond films; this being the first, and many more to follow - wanting to differentiate them completely from the old films. The black and white could be literal for Bond being 'darker', and the brutal killings, set you up for a more brutal film generally. The Bond in this film has a more devil may care attitude, and will not let anything (or anyone) stand in his way of becoming a successful agent, as shown in this clip.
To conclude, the dark opening scene, suggests a dark film and a new dark Bond.

Sound Bytes

For our media blog, we have been asked to do 'sound byte' essays, as a 1500 word essay will just look daft on my blog. Google's dictionary describes a sound byte as; a small part of a longer interview that the editor considers to be the most important point.', ie a the most important bit of something. A sound byte essay is a 1500 word or so essay condensed into a small extract, including the most important bits.

More Audience

Audiences can also be divided into three different kinds; traditionalist, hedonist and post modernist. A traditionalist is how the name sounds; they are traditional. A traditionalist will go and see the newest Disney film because it is Disney; they know what they're going to get. Traditionalists will go and see a film of a book they have read; however hardcore traditionalists will not because they know it will not be the same as the book. A hedonist is someone that will take risks; they will go and 24 hour screening; they will go and see a film that has been reviewed as 'this will make you sick'. A hedonist will turn up to the cinema not knowing what film they are going to see and will choose there; an example of a film a hedonist would see is Saw IV - because of the amount of gore in it. A post-modernist is someone who will go and see something if it has the latest techonology in it; described as the intellectual hedonist, a post-modernist will take risks, but they will be informed risks.

Audiences

Most recently in Media we learnt about audiences. Knowing your audience is important to create a media product; hopefully knowing who the product is aimed at, or who you want it to be aimed at, will help you create a better product directed toward them which equals more sales/views which equals big money (hopefully). Audiences are split in many different ways; for example earnings - the 'Acorn System' divides people into 5 groups; A, B, C1, C2, D and E. People in group A will be the stinking rich: e.g. the Queen, and those rich by association i.e. Paris Hilton. Group B is company big cheeses, surgeons, solicitors. Group C1 is managers, administrative, skilled manual workers. Group C2 is manual workers, shop workers. Group D is those with menial jobs, factory work. Group E are the 'unemployables'; pensioners, students, and those whose have been unemployed for so long they cannot work.

ELLO ELLO ELLO

This is my media blog that I'm doing to follow my progress through the AS course, in which I will make the opening scene of a film in the genre of 'film noir', and studying British television dramas, and also do a case study on two different film production companies, one British.

For our first look at film noir we looked at recent James Bond film Casino Royale; take a peeeeek for yourself.