Target Audience Results - Miss Miller

Target Audience Results

 

This blog is going to show the results that I have found from my questionnaire, I am also going to show my results in the form of pie charts, this is a good way to show my results as they show the options of each question and the answers that I was given. The reason behind the research was to find out what we should use as our starting sequence to our own thriller film. We will take the research and looking at the results, take what we have found and look to implement that into our opening sequence for our thriller film.

1. Looking at our results I can see that the majority of the people that were asked our questionnaire are over the age of 18 so therefore we can already tell that these people have experienced different types of thriller films, so they can give us better ideas as we look to create our own thriller.By having this better experience that are in our results I believe it will give us ideas that we did not think of and maybe develop these ideas and come up with some of our own.
2. Most of our answers were from males. Already this tells me that thrillers tend to be enjoyed more by males than females as these types of films tend to be scary or jumpy, so the results do not surprise m. This also gives me a better idea of our target audience so we know who to aim at with our own thriller.
3. By looking at our results I can tell that many people prefer to watch 18 rated films, this tells me that the films that they watch are films that contain many different techniques that would not be in other certificates, for example 15s or 12As. Seeing this result I can tell that the better films that are produced are those that are produced with certain techniques in them, these techniques are ones such as more in depth fighting scenes and killings.
4. The most interesting thing that was picked most in our results was the use of hidden identity in a thriller film. This shows my group and I that many people prefer to see the use of the hidden identity technique as it creates a sense of mystery and tension to the film, this already tells me and my group that we should use this technique to bring a twist to our film and create tension and suspense which is also a big technique in creating thriller films.
5. Looking at our results they show that many viewers expect to see a murder and a victim. Obviously these two characters are used in most if not every thriller film so obviously we are going to be using these two characters in our film. By using these two characters it allows the audience to try and figure out which characters are playing which role, I believe this brings another twist into the film as changing the way and the almost certain outcome of the film it creates more tension and suspense for the audience.
6. Many of the audience that were asked our questions believe that many films that are made are better with sequels to these films. Many people believe that films with sequels are better with sequels as these films normally pick up where the first film has left off and sometimes are better than the first film.
7. Many viewers believe that the use of tension building sound helps build tension as well as the scene itself. The use of tension building music plays a huge part in thriller films as obviously watching a film with no or little sound is not going to have the same affect as a film with this type of music.
8. The character that was most liked to be seen in a thriller film was a victim, I believe this is because the audience can sometimes relate to the victim as the audience, during the film, can feel the same sort of fear that the victim can feel this character is the one that the audience focus on the most as they are the victim or one of the victims.
9. Many viewers that answered the questionnaire believe that the actors whould be of similar ages to each other as this would make the film seem more realistic as you would not really see many people of different age groups unless they were related, which in this case they are not. I believe using actors of similar ages shows that the film is more realistic and that also the characters have that in common and that they can symbolise that as they are of similar age that they can and are friends in this film.
10. Many of the viewers said they would prefer to see a film that is set in a dark location as it helps to build tension and suspense during the film for the audience to feel whilst watching the film. By using this technique I can see that many thriller films use dark locations to film certain scenes in but this is a typical convention of a thriller film as it builds tension and creates suspense for the audience whilst watching.
11. Using our results it tells us that if we were going to use any sub genres that we should use the genre of horror. Both genres thriller and horror go together very well as killing scenes can be the use of horror. Horror and thriller like I have said go together very well as they compliment each other and create tension and suspense for the audience.
12. Most of the viewers of thriller films that answered our questionnaire said that they would prefer to see a happy ending to a thriller film. I believe this is because after seeing the characters go through certain scenes in films, for example losing their best friend or someone close to them, it allows the character and the audience to feel the same relief that the character is feeling when the film has ended. I believe this is a good way to end a thriller as many people, as I have just explained, like to see this type of ending to a thriller film unless their is going to be a sequel to this film then more than likely the film will end with a cliff hanger to build tension leading into the next film. 

Group Narrative - Miss Georgiou

Group Narrative

A narrative is a story which is written in a constructive format. The purpose of a narrative is to add a theme to a movie, putting it into a specific genre. For example a narrative which involved killing or murder would be put into the thriller genre. 

My group and I discussed our individual ideas and what we would like to see and experience from a thriller film, for example suspense and tension. We also talked about the different things that would contribute to a thriller film, for example low key lighting, slow editing and the type of setting, for example a dark deserted location for the film. 

Group Member 1 -  Ellie Holt:

For my idea I wanted it to be based on a troubled young child, who believes he hears voices in his head but his family think his making it up, this then leads to the death of the child. But the murder is unsolved as it is not a suicide killing. So the family begin to research into the child things to resolve the murder, and see weather he did hear voices in his head or it was a ghost.

The advantages of this narrative is that it involves hidden identity, as the audience are unaware to what has killed the child. Also the narrative being based on a young child will cause the audience to engage as they could usually relate, also feel vulnerable for the child. The disadvantages of this narrative is that it is stereotypical for a child to hear voices, as this is what would usually be what happens in a film not an adult, meaning the audience will feel like they have seen it before.

Group Member 2 - James Craddock:
My narrative is going to consist of two completely different characters that end up in the same situation and have to find a way out of trouble. My idea is going to show how different peoples abilities can work together to save not just their own lives but those of others as well.

Some advantages of my narrative would be that it includes a hidden identity, this is going to create tension and suspense for the audience as the film progresses. The narrative is going to be based on the two known characters and the one mysterious character that the audience do not know. One disadvantage to the narrative is that the use of the hidden identity may be used in many other films as it is a key convention to a thriller film.

Group Member 3 - Blessing Dada:

My narrative is going to include a main character who is the mysterious character and other characters that are all very similar. The story is that the myterious girl turns up to a sleepover that she's not invited to. The other girls and apprehensive about letting her in, but in the end they are forced to accept her in.

At first they are having fun, everything is fine. Then it gets to the time when the girls have to sleep the lighting becomes dark (dark setting, low-key lighting) To create suspense. And music starts playing to create tension. Then things start to happen, and the uninvited guest is accused of doing all these strange things but It turns out not to actually be her. So a turn in the plot will be shocking and suprising to the audience.

Vladimir Propp:
Vladimir Propp was the russian critic that consisted the theory that the characters in the film had to perform functions, for example,  these films had to have a hero, villain, donor, dispatcher, false hero, helper, princess and the princesses father. The films that had these functions were obviously fairy tale films, for example, Shrek. Vladimir Propp used this theory as he believed it informed the audience of the narrative.

Tzvetan Todorov:
Tzvetan Todorov believed that there were five stages of the narrative, these were, all as it should be (equilibrium), the film should have a change of events, disorders then occur, then there is an attempt to fix this problem that has occured and after the problem has been resolved there is a new equilibrium. Todorov also believed that the film was all about the narrative and the equilibrium and disequilibrium involved.

Aristotle:
Aristotle believed that a film should include an inciting incident, a dramatic question, a goal set for a character, an antagonist/protagonist, stakes, resolution and either sympathy or empathy.

Opening Scene Analysis - Miss Geourgiou

Opening Scene Analysis

 

The first thing that alerted me that this film was a thriller film was that as the audience I could see that the use of handheld camera shots makes me feel that the two characters that are in the house are victims in this scene and that something bad may happen to them as they are being watched. The second affect that I also picked up on as well was the use of low key lighting to create tension and build suspense during the scene, this also allows me to feel that something bad is going to happen as this is a very highly used convention in thriller films to build suspense and scare the audience.

 

The third convention of this thriller film that I saw was used to create suspense and shock in the audience was the use of eerie music as the lights are turned off in the house that also creates tension for the audience as they expect something bad to happen now as the tension begins to build bigger and bigger which leads to a killing scene. The convention that was used there was the use of non-diegetic sound as the music was edited in to create suspense in this scene, the eerie music also carries on until the character is in the house and it also allows another beat to be played which is slower and builds tension as it resembles a similar beat to a heartbeat. By doing this it makes the audience feel that the pace is quickening and that the film is leading to something that could potentially be bad for someone in the film and the two victims that we have already seen.

 

By using the handheld camera angle it allows the character that is holding the camera to focus on things in front of them and when the knife has been picked up out of the drawer it focuses on this as it is a weapon and we now know that someone is going to be killed or injured in this scene. The use of the weapon in this scene is using another convention as it is using iconography by using a weapon. This is the fourth convention that I have picked up on that has been used by the film producers.

 

The use of the eerie music as the camera moves through the house also keeps the audience on edge as we all expect something to happen and as we wait for it to happen the tension carries on building until the killing scene has taken place. The fifth conventional feature used in the film was the use of slow editing, this is used as the potential killer moves through the house slowly also building towards the tension as the mystery also builds by doing this. As the boyfriend leaves the house it makes the audience automatically feel that the girl is the victim in this scene as she is alone and unaware of what is about to take place and maybe if her boyfriend was still there the next scene where she was killed may have been stopped or maybe panned out another way.

 

The setting for the film is also another conventional feature used in this film as the house is very dark and secluded as there are not many other houses around this house so there is hardly any light which also builds tension in this scene and creates a nervous feeling for the audience watching. A mask is then picked up by the character with the camera which hides the identity of this character so he is not noticed in the killing scene. Just before the killing scene it allows the victim to turn around and see the killer, the killer then attacks and the music and pace to the film both change creating a sense of fear for the audience and a sense of sympathy for them towards the victim as she was basically defenseless against the killer.

 

The next convention that is used in the film is the use of diegetic sound and also off screen sound, the diegetic sound is the victim screaming and the audience can also hear the knife being plunged into the victim. This is off screen sound as the special effects would not have been available for it to look like the victim had actually been killed so the camera has been slightly turned away from her being stabbed. The pace then quickens as the killer and also the audience sense adrenaline after the killing scene has taken place.

 

The camera angle then changes to show the killer and then eventually the audience can see the killer and that it is the younger brother, which to the audience, would have been unexpected. This almost makes the audience feel that the younger brother is maybe possessed by something which made him commit the murder. The camera angle that it has been changed to is the mid shot, this focuses on the killer as he is obviously now the main focus as we now know who it is. The camera continues to move back and then focuses on the weapon that was used to kill the victim.

 

The eerie music also continues as the camera also moves back and looks down on the three characters in the scene to show that the three characters may now be victims as they are made to look smaller and inferior. This is the final convention used in the opening sequence which is used to end the build of suspense and then calm the audience down for the next chapter of the film.

Research into the sound used in thrillers - Miss Miller

Research into the sound used in thrilllers

 

The clip that I have decided to use for my research into sound blog is Scream 3. The scene that I have chosen to use, I believe, is very good in terms as it uses many different uses of sound techniques.

 

The first sound technique that I have picked up on and have chosen to analyse is the use of parallel sound. In the clip that I am analysing I can see that the film producer has used parallel sound as they have showed the scene in the film with the type of music that the audience would expect for this type of scene. In the scene that I am talking about it shows two ladies who are scared of what is going to happen to them but also one of their friends (0:00-0:09). The music complements the scene very well as it helps set the scene and it also helps the audience feel what the characters can feel as well as feeling worried themselves, this sound technique helps create the tension and suspense for the audience as it keeps them enticed in the film and worried about the characters as if it was them in that situation.

 

The second sound technique that I realised that was used in the film was the use of non-diegetic sound. I can tell the sound has been added/edited in after the scene was filmed as the sound is not on sound is not on screen so this shows me that it was added on after (0:14-0:20). The use of non-diegetic sound and it also not being on screen sound leads me on to my third technique that I realised the film producers decided to use was the use of off screen sound. The use of off screen sound shows to me and the audience that it makes the sense of the film more dynamic and create and build more suspense and tension for the audience to feel as it leads to a bigger and more scarier scene.

 

The fourth technique that I realised the film producers used was the use of diegetic sound (0:43-0:58). This sound technique is used as it goes with the natural sound that we as the audience would expect to hear in a certain scene. For example in this scene we can hear the knife being stebbed into the victim which we would expect to hear, what we would also expect to hear is her screaming and this is what we hear immediately after her being stabbed the use of diegetic sound is useful as it makes the audience feel her pain and suffering in this scene.

 

Technique number five that I found was used in the film was sound bridge. The use of sound bridge allows the camera to show something going on then go back to the other characters and what they are doing after seeing the victim die (0:59-1:05). The use of sound bridge also creates tension for the audience as it allows the other characters to watch their friend be killed and dragged away from them and then they react after the sound has filled the gap between them seeing her dead body being dragged away and them reacting. I believe this is a good technique to use as it helps build suspense for the audience going into the next set of events/scene.

Research into the history of thriller films - Introduction Miss Georgiou

Research into the history of thriller films

1950s:
In the 1950s Alfred Hitchcock continued to produce thriller films adding to his collection already was 'technicolor'. In 1951 he produced a thriller called 'Strangers On A Train', this was about two strangers on a train who are both staged a battle of wits and traded muredrs with each other. Another was 'Dial M for Murder' in 1954 this was about a husband who attempted to murder his wife, another film was 'Rear Window' yet another film produced in 1954 which was about a man who was convinced his neighbour was a killer. Another movie by Hitchcock in this period was 'To Catch A Thief' in 1955 and 'Vertigo' in 1958. Other films that were made in the 50s were movies such as 'Niagara' in 1953 by Henry Hathaway this film starred the famous Marilyn Monroe, she played a character who plots to kill her husband. Other films were Robert Aldrich's 'Kiss Me Deadly' in 1955 and Charles Laughton's 'The Night of The Hunter' also in 1955 which was about a preacher who victimised two young children with a secret, finally Orson Welles' unique crime thriller 'Touch Of Evil' in 1958.
1960s:
In the 1960s Michael Powell produced 'Peeping Tom' in 1960, which was about a psychopathic cameraman, the film was released prior to Hitchcock's 'psycho' also in 1960 which was about a loner and a mother. J.Lee Thompson released a production called 'Cape Fear' in 1962 which featured a menacing character seeking revenge. Stanley Donens stylish thriller of 1963 called 'Charade' which had numerous plots and twists, it showed a pair of characters on the search for hidden loot which takes them to Paris. Roman Polanski in 1965 released his first film in England which was the frightening and surrealistic 'Repulsion' which featured a young woman who goes increasingly mad. Terrance Young's 'Wait Until Dark' of 1967 was a famous thriller of its release date which was about a victimised blind woman in her Manhattan apartment and an evil con man in search for drugs. Films such as 'Harry Palmer spy trilogy' were inspired by James Bond films.Other spy films soon emerged, these were 'The Spy Who Came In From The Cold' of 1965, 'The Deadly Affair' in 1967 and 'The Triple Cross' also in 1967.
1970s - 1980S:
There was a violent wave of thriller films that were produced in this period, such as 'Frenzy' in 1972, this was Hitchcock's first British film for almost 20 years and it was given an 'R' rating for its explicit content. Steven Spielberg's early TV movie 'Duel' in 1971. In this period it brought the first film about an individual being disturbingly obsessed with their idol, this came in Clint Eastwood's 'Play Misty For Me' in 1971. John Boormans 'Deliverance' followed in 1972. In 1973 director Nicholas Roegs produced 'Dont Look Now' this film contained a tale of despair in Venice as a couple grieving the death of their daughter. Other 1970s thrillers include Francis Fords Coppola's tense thriller, 'The Conversation' in 1974, Irvin Kershner produced 'The Eyes of Laura Mars' in 1978 and Brian De Palma's psycho-thriller 'Sisters' in 1973. The 1980s produced 'Dressed to Kill' in 1980, the assassination thriller 'Blow Out' and 'Body Double' in 1981.
1990s - Present:
The 1990s started with Rob Reiner's 'Misery' in 1990 which was based on a book by Stephen King, then in 1991 came 'Sleeping With The Enemy'. Cutis Hanson produced 'The Hand That Rocks The Cradle' in 1992, the plot was of a nanny who was seeking revenge against her dead husbands patient. Jonathan Demme's produced 'The Silence Of The Lambs' also in 1991 where a young FBI agent is in a psychological war against a cannibalistic psychiatrist named Hannibal Lector, David Fincher brought us 'Se7en' in 1995 which was about a search for a serial killer who conducted seven deadly sins. Films produced today may contain Eden Lake in 2008, Unknown in 2011, Hostage in 2005 and Firewall in 2006. Some other films that have been produced in the last decade may contain Saw in 2004 and Insidious in 2010.

The first film that I am going to look at and describe why the film has enticed more figures in terms of audience figures than others. The first film I am going to look at is Hannibal. Hannibal has received the most amount of money from lifetime gross and openings, through seeing this we can see that Hannibal is one of the most viewed films. Hannibal's narrative shows that one man, named Hannibal Lecter, is a serial killer, the film is a psychological thriller. I believe the film has become well known as it was a different type of thriller, I believe this enticed more people to view the film. They also used a serial killer as a main character, to show what is going through his mind throughout the film, I believe this shows that by having a main character like this it helps to create a sense of tension and suspense throughout the film from the audiences point of view. The target audience for this film would be those who enjoy thriller films.
The second film that I am looking at and describe is the film Seven. Seven is about the seven dealy sins that are being relived throughout the film. The film Seven is the fourth film that has produced the most lifetime gross and the opening money that has been collected, we can also see that the film Seven has produced one of the most viewed films and has collected a lot of money through making this film. The narative of the film was to show the seven deadly sins being reinacted at the expense of innocent people. I believe many would watch this film as it shows the police on a chase to catch the killer. This thriller film shows many different aspects of thriller films, this is why, I believe, many have wached this film because it has many different twists and turns.
The third and final film that I am going to look at is Natural Born Killers. Natural Born Killers is about a couple who have been labelled as killers. Natural Born Killers starts off with an introduction and then gets straight into the action. The characters are shown as natural killers throughout the film, this is a very enticing film as it shows many killings occuring. The target audience would be people that enjoy murders occuring and films that have many different aspects of thriller techniques.

Research into conventions into the thriller genre - Miss Miller

 

Research into conventions of the thriller genre

Conventions in thriller films are the things that make the film what it is. Many different conventions go into making thriller films and the use of certain conventions separate one thriller film from another. Some conventions used could be the use of low key lighting, violence, timing of shots, how certain scenes are edited and many other conventions. Some of the conventions I have listed I have seen in the clip that I have looked at and analysed.

 

The first convention that I saw and noticed was the use of low key lighting. The use of low key lighting is to make the area that the victim or main character is in, this allows the audience to notice that they may be in some danger or something bad is going to happen to them in this scene. In the scene that I watched, which was called Grave Encounters, low key lighting was used quite often in certain scenes as it was set in a dark and mysterious place with low lighting in this place. Low key lighting creates tension for the audience and as I said before it allows them to imagine what might happen to the character in this scene which is more than likely going to be associated with danger. The audience also feel on edge when low key lighting is used as, obviously you cannot see your surroundings and where your going or whats going on around you, the audience instantly feel scared for the character and automatically want to help them before something bad happens.

 

The second convention that I saw the film had used which links to the first convention that I had noticed was the use of timing of shots. The use of this convention allows the director to build up tension and suspense for the audience to feel and just when they don't expect something to happen it does happen and scares them with full effect. In the clip that I analysed I can see that the film is filled with using this convention as the film/clip makes you jump when you least expect it, this allows the tension to build up within the audience and then make them jump as the do not expect something to jump out at them when it does. As I said this convention also links to the first one as low key lighting can build the tension and as the film resumes the timing of the shot that is going to make the audience jump with fear is just after they would expect it. There was a certain clip where the film had used low key lighting and then the lights appeared again and just after they did the jump scene appeared when the audience least expected it to and it had full effect of scaring the audience with this scene.

 

The third convention that I had noticed and picked up on was how some scenes had been edited so they were slower than other scenes, this allows the audience to focus on the things that are surrounding the characters and notice any danger around them. The use of this convention is to slow the scene down and also build suspense for the audience building to the scene where the victim is going to be attacked or killed. The clip that I had used to find these conventions only used this convention a few times in the clip, but used it well as it built the tension towards the victim being taken or killed. Slow editing can also be linked in with timing of shots, I noticed that the clip used slow editing just before some scenes where they had used timing of shots to also scare the audience. Slow editing just before a fast paced scene allows the audience to almost recognise that something bad is going to happen to the victim, when the fast paced scene links into the end of the slow editing scene it is obviously more rushed and builds more tension and suspense for the audience as they begin to fear for the victim.

 

The fourth convention that I saw that the clip had used was the use of violent scenes. The clip uses violent scenes as this is what a thriller film is about and is filled with. All of the conventions that I have listed above lead to violent scenes, most if not all thriller films have viiolent scenes included in them, this is obviously what makes them thrillers or one of the main contributers. Violent scenes occur after the scene has built up to this happening with the victim looking vulnerable to something bad happening to them and leading to them dying or being injured. Violent scenes are usually either short and take immediate effect on the audience or they are prolonged and make the most of what has happened to the victim. Violent scenes allow the audience to feel the victims pain and fear of being hurt or killed. Violent scenes usually scare the audience the most as they either kill the good guy in the film that the audience may feel that they are attached to in some way from watching the film.

 

Research into Age Certificates - Miss Georgiou

Research into Age Certificates

BBFC - British Bard of Film Classification

The BBFC are a company that view films in order to place them with a certificate as to what age can view the film down to what the film contains, for example, sexual and violent scenes. the different age ratings that the BBFC use are U, PG, 12, 12A, 15 and 18.

U Classification:
The U symbol stands for Universal. The U symbol means that the film is suitable for an audience that is aged four and over. Even though it is impossible to predict what will upset a particular child, especially as this is a lower end range of category. For children that are younger than the age of four the BBFC use a certain insight to view certain films such as Chuggington, Teletubbies or In the Night Garden which the BBFC certify as films that are suitable for viewers under the age of four. They review these films to see whether they contain any content that may include issues such as discrimination, drugs, horror, language, nudity or sex etc. Another main point that the BBFC focus on when judging whether a film is a U rated film is the reference to sexual activity or behaviour, for example, you may see characters kissing and cuddling, this would be as far as they would allow in a U rated film there would be no focus on sexual behaviour, language or innuendo. A U film may contain certain scenes where some characters could be placed in positions of danger, however moments where characters have been placed in emotional stress or threat will be quickly resolved and met with a reassuring outcome. In some films they may contain some scary scenes where the characters are placed in danger. As with violence, however these scenes will be balanced with reassuring elements, such as comic interludes or music.

PG Classification:
PG simply stands for Parental Guidance. PG means that the film is for general viewing, but some scenes may be unsuitable for younger viewers. Some PG films may contain certain scenes that may contain content that could upset young and sensitive children. Some PG films are not aimed towards younger audiences, a film that was released recently passed for a PG but was watched mostly by grown ups was The Artist. However, the certificate means that any issues in the work are appropriate for the majority of this group and nothing in the film should upset children of the age of eight or over. No theme is prohibited at PG, as long as it is treated in a manner appropriate to the category. PG works can explore challenging issues such as domestic violence, bereavement and racism. Smoking and drinking will not be promoted or glamourised and if child characters are seen smoking or drinking, there should be a clear message that this is wrong. If drugs are mentioned or seen, a PG work should promote that they are harmful. There may be mild language in PG films such as, 'shit' and 'son of a bitch', but the context and delivery are important, for example if the delivery is aggressive or there is too much bad language, a work may be passed as the next category.

12 and 12A Classification:
12A means that anyone aged 12 or over can see this film unaccompanied but anyone under the age of 12 will need an adult to be with them so they can view the film. The person that is accompanying the child that is under the age of 12 has to be 18 or over themselves so the child can see the film. the 12 rating is only used for DVDs and Blu-rays, where as 12A is used in cinemas only. The BBFC have made films rated 12A because the film may contain certain scenes where parnets of children that are younger than the age of 12 may be upset by what they see or their parents may feel that the film contains certain things that they dont want their children seeing. The BBFC provide a system called the BBFCinsight which allows adults to judge whether they feel the film is suitable for their children to see. The overall tone of the film also affects the classification of the film, for example the film may have an unsettling tone to it which could make it feel unsuitable for children younger than 12. The BBFC's guidelines state that there may be strong language, for example f***. The context of the strong language is important, aggressive uses of strong language may result in the film being placed in the 15 category, there is also some allowance for puns on strong language at this category. There may be some moderate language, for example such uses of terms such as 'bitch' and 'twat' at 12 or 12A. There will be no discriminatory language used in a 12 or 12A. Sex may be briefly and discreetly portrayed at 12 or 12A, verbal sex referances should not go beyond what is suitable for young teenagers. Comedy may lower the impact of some moderate sex referneces or innuendo but crude sex references are unlikely to be accepted. Dangerous behaviour such as hanging and suicide etc. may be present in a 12 or 12A.

15 Classification:
No one under the age of 15 is allowed to watch, rent or buy a 15 rated film. No theme is prohibited, as long as the treatment is appropriate for 15 year olds. A 15 age rated film may include things such as, strong violence, frequent language, portrayals of sexual activity, strong verbal references to sex, sexual nudity, brief scenes of sexual violence or verbal references to sexual violence, discriminatory language or behaviour and drug taking. There could potentially be a great deal of strong language in a 15 rated film. At 15there is no upper limit on the number of uses of strong language, occasionally there may be uses of the strongest terms, for example c***, although continued or aggressive use will not be passed at a 15. There may be uses of racist, homophobic or discriminatory language used but it must not endorse discriminatory language or behaviour. At 15 sexual activity can be portrayed, as long as there is no strong or graphical detail. Some sex scenes can be quite long and may involve some nudity and movement. There can be strong references to sex and sexual behaviour, but especially strong or crude references are unlikely to be acceptable unless they are justified by context. Violence may also be strong in a 15, it should not however focus on the infliction of pain or injury, the strongest gory images are unlikely to feature. Many horror films are rated 15. At 15 there can be strong threat and menace, as long as it is not sadistic or sexualised. At 15 drug taking may feature but the work as a whole must not promote or encourage drug misuse. Certain scenes that may be shown in such works rated 15, for example suicide must not be dwelled on as they may leave an impression on young and vulnerable teenagers.

18 Classification:
18 rated films are for those that are aged 18 or over, those under the age of 18 cannot watch, buy or rent films that are rated 18. No theme is prohibited in an 18 rated film as the adult is free to pick and choose their own entertainment within the law, so it is possible some themes tackled at 18 may be offensive to some adult viewers. 18 works are for adults and can contain strong issues such as, very strong violence, frequent strong language or very strong language, strong portrayals of sexual activity, scenes of sexual violence, strong horror, strong blood and gore, real sex (in some circumstances) and discriminatory language and behaviour. There is no limit to the number of times strong or very strong language is used, in an 18 rated film it also does not matter whether the use of the word is aggressive and whether it is backed up with violence because it is an 18 rated film. As well as being aggressive the language can also be directed. There may be racist, homophobic or discriminatory language at 18. Though the work must not be in breach of any relevant legislation, it is possible for discriminatory language of themes to be in the main works, and for main characters to engage in discriminatory behaviour. There can be strong and detailed portrayals of sex at 18, including full nudity. Very strong, crude and explicit sex references are permitted at 18. Some very strong horror works pass as 18 as they obviously exceed the boundaries for a 15 rated film. Drug taking may be shown, but just like 15 rated films it must not promote or encourage any misuse of drug taking.