Brief Examples Of Classification

Universal - means suitable for all ages. EG. Toy Story

PG (Parental Guidance) - general viewing but may be scenes that are unsuitable for young audiences. EG. Fame

12/12A - suitable for ages 12 and over the category '12' does not exist in cinema, and is only on video works. '12A' only exists in cinemas and no one younger than the age of 12 may see a 12 rated film unless they are accompanied by an adult.

15 - suitable for persons aged 15 or older. No one younger than 15 may see a 15 rated film at the cinema. 

18 - suitable only for adults. No one younger than 18 can see a film that is rated 18 at the cinema.

Film Classifications (BBFC)

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. (http://www.bbfc.co.uk/about/)

This link shows recent films and their classification, as well as giving reasons for that classification.
http://www.bbfc.co.uk/recent/films

Target Audience

A target audience or target group is the primary group a product, or in this case who the film is aimed at. For example a Disney film will be aimed at a young audience (Finding Nemo) All this leads into Film classifications

People who watch films.

There are different types of people who watch films.


Traditionalist - will only go to see films from their preferred genre, knowing that they can expect familiar conventions, For example Disney films.

Headonist - prefers to take risks with their fim choices, they do not stick to one genre/director, they would rather gain a wider perspective of the film world.

postmodernism - takes a concept that is modern and expands on the idea "The Compact Oxford English Dictionary refers to postmodernism as "a style and concept in the arts characterized by distrust of theories and ideologies and by the drawing of attention to conventions" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmodernism)