On Wednesday 31st January, students at Laurus Ryecroft (LR) had a unique opportunity to attend a talk with the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).
The talk was for all KS4 Media students and was open to Sixth Form students as well.
During the event, students learned about the history of the BBFC and age ratings, and how this has changed over time.
They also gained insight into the process that the BBFC uses for films to be given an age rating, and some of the key differences between the age ratings; specifically, what makes something a 12/12A and not a 15.
Later on in the session, students were shown clips from No Time to Die (a GCSE case study) and Black Panther (an A Level case study) to demonstrate how violent films can be suitable for 12A audiences when injuries are implied rather than shown.
At the end of the talk, students took part in a Q&A where they discussed controversial films and got to find out about careers at the BBFC.
Wallis Seaton, a Compliance Officer at the BBFC, answered students’ questions about regulatory issues and allowed them to get a real sense of what working at the BBFC is like.
Students enjoyed the session and took a lot from it.
Will, a student in Year 10, said:
“When Wallis talked to us it was very impressive. I liked she how kept us intrigued by the use of videos and letting us ask questions at the end of the talk. One thing I found out was that they like to ask the general public about their opinion on the regulation of films and how they can change or make it better.”
Charlie, a student in Year 10, said:
“I found it helpful to gain a bigger insight into how things work with regulation. Another point they explained in the presentation was how they rated No Time To Die which I found really helpful as it allowed me to gain a greater understanding of what the BBFC do and how they regulate.”
We’re delighted that our students had this opportunity to enhance their understanding of their Media GCSE and A Level studies.
Find out more about GCSE and A Level Media at Laurus Ryecroft.