Film Classification

stands for universal. This film is suitable for all ages and there is nothing unsuitable for children. Examples of U rated films are The jungle book, chicken run and Stuart little. All of these films main demographic is children, with a majority being cartoons. We decided this rating would be unsuitable for our film and trailer, as it has a mature theme, and a plot that young viewers are likely to find upsetting.

PG stands for parental guidance. The film should be suitable for most people, however some scenes may be unsuitable for young children. A PG should not disturb a child aged around 8 or over. However parents are advised to consider whether the film's content may upset their child. Examples of PG rated films are Watership down, back to the future and the goonies. We decided our film would not fit into this rating, as it has too mature themes and scenes. However, we have taken the PG rating into consideration when discussing the film trailer, as the trailer does not show the more unsuitable scenes within the film.

Both these ratings have exactly the same criteria. These categories are awarded where the material is suitable, in general, only for those aged 12 and over. The 12a category only exists in cinemas. No one under the age of 12 may see a 12a film unless accompanied by an adult. It is up to the adult to make the judgement whether the film is suitable for their child to watch. Examples of 12/12a films are (500) days of summer, Avatar and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. We decided a 12 rating would be good for our film, as the scenes within the film are most likely to be distressing to any child under the age of 12, unless their parents thinks otherwise.

No one younger than 15 may see a 15 rated film in a cinema, or buy or rent a 15 rated film in shops. Examples of 15 rated films Limitless,  black swan and 127 hours. We felt that a 15 rating for our film would be too high, as although it does have some mature scenes, we feel that a child under 15 would be able to watch this film comfortably.

No one under 18 may see an 18 rated film. Examples of 18 rated films are Silence of the lambs, The texas chainsaw massacre and a clockwork orange. Most 18 rated films are horror and have graphic scenes that many people would find distressing. 18 is an unsuitable certificate for our film because we do not have a gruesome or disturbing theme that many 18 rated films often include.

After much deliberation we concluded that out trailer will be rated PG, however the main production would be rated 12 because of the upsetting scenes, but as will not be including these scenes in the trailer, we decided a 12 rating would be unnecessary.