PLANNING: BBFC Certificate

 

The British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) is a non-governmental organisation founded by the film industry in 1912, which is responsible for the classification and censorship of films in the UK.

Classification is the ‘process of giving age ratings and content advice to films and other audio-visual content to help children and families choose what’s right for them and avoid what’s not’.

The BBFC produce and publish guidelines which influence all classification decisions. They are regularly updated, and the product of public consultation, research and experience, reflecting current views on regulation. The guidelines list features of films that determine the age category, for example a 12A rating.

I have researched these guidelines on the BBFC website and concluded, with my production team, that our film ‘Dodging a Bullet’ will fit into the 15-rating due to it including strong language and suggestions of violence. Our BBFC film certificate was produced using PowerPoint to edit our film name onto a template.

 

 

PLANNING: Risk Assessment

 I understand that when filming, it is important to produce a risk assessment entailing:

•          Hazard to health and safety
•           Risk posed and to whom
•           Risk level (high/medium/low)
•           Control measure used to reduce risk

 

Hazard to Health and Safety	Risk posed and to whom	Risk Level (H/M/L)	Control Measure to Reduce Risk
Transport	Moving traffic in the car park, risk when driving/travelling to filming locations.  Risk posed to cast members and filming crew.	Low – as we predominantly filmed at school there was little traffic and we didn’t need to leave the premises.	Be alert and careful of oncoming traffic, wear seatbelt when on the way to filming locations.
Weather	Rain causing the ground to become slippery.  Danger of getting clothing wet and becoming too cold. Possibility of damaging camera equipment. Risk posed to cast members and filming crew.	Medium	Walk tentatively over slippery surfaces. Wear appropriate, sensible clothing for all weathers. Do not use tripod and camera in the rain to avoid damaging the technology.
First Aid issues	Risk of tripping/falling in darkened rooms or when running and performing mild stunts (e.g. falling down stairs, jumping out of windows).	Medium	Carry a first aid kit, aim to have a first-aider on stand-by for stunt scenes. Be careful, cast members don’t do anything they are not trained in. Assess risk before performing tricks/running.
General Public	Risk of theft of assault when filming.	Low – filming on safe school premises.	Students to avoid causing incidences with members of public or the school community. Be considerate of surroundings and people who might be affected by noisy filming. Do not approach/provoke members of public. Do not film late at night in unsupervised conditions.
Major Public Incident	A terrorist attack. Risk posed to cast members and film crew.	Low/Not Applicable – minor chance of an attack in school.	In the unlikely case of one: Ensure a well-known assembly point and carry emergency contact cards. Be aware of national advice to run if possible and hide is not. Follow police/authority instruction.