The British Board of Film Censors was set up in 1912 by the film industry as an independent body to bring a degree of uniformity to the classification of film nationally.
Statutory powers on film remain with the local councils, which may overrule any of the Board's decisions, passing films we reject, banning films we have passed, and even waiving cuts, instituting new ones, or altering categories for films exhibited under their own licensing jurisdiction.
Discrimination - drugs - horror - imitable behaviour - language - nudity - sex- theme - violence.
Page 14 - 17
Page 22 - 33 of this document show what a film needs to gain each classification.
Bbfc Classifications
They are 7 different ratings aimed at different audiences, more can be read in the above document.
Above information and document (then uploaded to scribd) taken from http://www.bbfc.co.uk/
I'd first start off by saying my film will be a 15 due to its adult themes yet lack of nudity.
Similar films of the same genre are;
Mean Girls - 2004 - Mark Waters - This high school Rom com had a UK rating off a 12A. This is due to its Containing moderate language, sex and drugs references
Say anything - 1989 - Cameron crowe - This teen Rom com had a rating of a 15, this is due to its sexual references and its use of the F and S word. 
this teen rom com had a rating of a 15 in the cinema,
this is due to ALOT of sexual references and
uses of alot of swear words alot too.
Comparison
Firstly the majority of rom coms are between the 12/15 brackets.
This is usually to do with the adult themes, of sex, drugs, and language. With these three being the main deciders. Mean girls gained a rating of a 12, because of its lack of bad language but it has a very small sexual references and drug use, but in both instances it doesn't involve the main character.
In Youth in revolt and Say anything, bad language is used though this quite often isn't a huge problem but in YIR swear words are spoken very rapidly by the main character. As well as the main character taking drugs and in many cases making sexual references. So quite often if the main character/characters use language, use drugs or make sexual references then it can have a bigger effect then if its a sub character.
My film opening
Age - As my film is a teen rom com, it is mainly aimed at teenagers, and around the 15-24 age rating, this is due to my film being based on teenagers and the story line is about teenagers problems off relationships, sex, drugs and teenage conflict. Adults won't want to watch this film because of this. My film also contains teen culture music and fashion which won't appeal to the adult audience.
Ethnicity- My film contains a multi - ethnic cast, though my two main characters are both Caucasian. The fact that they are all different ethnics in my cast will draw in a wider audience and not just restrict it to a Caucasian audience.
Gender- The main idea of rom coms is that both males and females will like to watch the movie, the romantic side of the film appeals to females, while the comedy side appeals to male. This doesn't mean though that males might not like the romantic side and visa versa. In my opening they are aspects of both genres therefore it should appeal to both genders. The use of a attractive busty female character also appeals to the males (male gaze theory).
Socio-Economic Grouping - I would say my film is aimed at a C1C2DE audience, this is due to its middle class characters and middle/working class setting. Also the dialogue and plot is very light hearted and simple which appeals to the middle/working class.
Nationality/Region- My film avoids regional stereotypes which helps to restrict to to a particular regional audience, though all my actors have north England accents which will somewhat restrict the audience. Though these accents are not heavy and don't make it tricky for the audience to understand what is being said. unlike Mickybo & Me where it was very tricky to follow the plot due to their heavy Irish accents. They really isn't a market in regional rom com's in Britain, with all the big main ones such as Run Fatboy Run and Bridget Jone's Diary all being set in London.
Sexuality- Due to my film being a rom com, a homosexual audience will be present due to its romantic conventions. Also even though its not seen in the opening, due to my rom com being set in a school and around they will be a heavily stereotyped gay character.Also my protagonists and narrative are centred on a hetero relationship which will appeal more to heterosexual audience.
Psychographic profile - The kind of people who will watch my movie will be the average teenagers who go to school, go out at the weekends and meet their friends and drink a little and try to be in a relationship. Films that follow a similar genre as mine very often make it onto the big screen with a the most recent big example being Youth in revolt which had a 18million doller budget was shown over 1,873 screens in the us and made $6,888,334 in the opening weekend and in the UK it was shown over 280 screens and made £743,932.
Fans of... - Fans of my film will most likely be fans of any teen rom com, as they all follow the same genre conventions, examples being the previously mentioned Mean Girls, Youth in revolt, Napoleon Dynamite - 2004 which all use a late teen actors and use school as a large part of the story.
This website shows how effective rom coms can be in the cinema and how much money they can rake in.
Box office mojo. British rom coms are also a interesting point to bring up, Working title are arguably the biggest film company in the UK and they produce the biggest (and half the time the only) rom com's to hit the big screen, the biggest examples would be Notting hill and Love actually 2003.
Final Rating - Using the BBFC classifications i have finally rested on my film being a 15, this is because my film would have scenes involving drug taking, frequent use of strong language, Sexual activity.
Lot of detail! Couple of points: be careful in discussing a 'gay audience'; there is a point here on the appeal to the pink pound. Key point on sexuality is that your protagonists and narrative are centred on a hetero relationship.
ReplyDeleteThe last para is confusing: is your actual rating 15 or 12? What is the 's word'? Use an asterisk by all means, but don't be so coy/vague!
Have you found other egs of Northern Eng rom-coms?
Try to say more about the genre's record of success, and give examples of Brit rom-coms if you can
Rom-com as a hybrid genre is vital: com for chaps, rom for ladies.