U.K. Film Industry Braces for Brexit Backlash

Pressure on content creators to ensure their productions are suitable for international markets is exponentially increasing. It began in earnest with the release of blockbuster films in the late 70s and 80s, where meeting global demand meant little more than subtitling or language dubs for three or four languages. Very few major films received the complete treatment of multiple language translations that movies and TV shows currently receive because the distribution chain wasn't what it is today, and costs were prohibitively expensive.

Things changed with the advent of streaming and the creation of hundreds of distribution platforms and thousands of channels that provide access to millions of titles to billions of consumers. There is no limit to where a title gets distributed for the first time in history. Thanks to the internet, there are no actual geographical boundaries.

Are There Global Content Rating Standards?

There are no global industry ratings standards-no continental, regional, religious, cultural, or community standards applicable to all content. Content and age-rating criteria used by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) in the US can vary significantly compared to the British Board of Film Certification (BBFC), the Australian Classification Board (ACB), New Zealand's Te Mana Whakaatu Classification Office, or Canada's National Film Board (NFB). There may be similarities, but US-released titles are not necessarily assigned the same age rating within other English-speaking countries unedited.

It is common for films produced in one country to be banned there, even if those stories include well-known actors, a famous director, and a large production budget. Add to the equation a language, religion, culture, and political or social mores across borders, and the criteria for releasing a title in other markets gets complicated very quickly. If the content does not meet appropriate standards, it's either edited, assigned an unfavorable rating, or banned. One size does not fit all.

Content Analysis Around the Globe

It is easy for those responsible for releasing titles internationally to get confused about what is or is not acceptable content in targeted markets. There is no simple answer to "what are regulators looking for?" For example, a character in an animated film intended for family viewing mentioning they are in a gay relationship may not register in the US or France. Still, it's enough to get it banned in Muslim, Hindu, and countries with anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Likewise, a scene depicting intentional violence against police or government officers is enough to increase the rating to an adults-only level or even get it banned in dozens of countries.

The best way to avoid problems is to understand each country's criteria.

Simple Workflow Changes Eliminate Risk

Content owners and distributors have three opportunities to make culture and regulatory edits to a title: pre-production, post-production, and before distribution. The benefits of performing a content analysis at each stage vary, as does the cost.

1. Pre-production is the best time to review a title for cultural compliance. Dissecting the story, analyzing the script, and reviewing shots to identify culturally sensitive events that may impact age ratings in targeted markets can optimize the production process because content risks are identified and managed. Incorporating Spherex ratings ™ and Spherex greenlight ™ into the pre-production workflow will identify specific scenes and dialogue within the script so the director and writer(s) can address them appropriately and maintain story integrity.

2. Analysis of titles post-production using Spherex ratings ™ and Spherex greenlight ™ provides many of the same benefits as if done during pre-production. By providing specific event timestamps and explanations of the issue, localization teams can bleep, blur, or edit scenes to conform to local standards and guidelines. It adds the benefit of identifying specific non-compliant scenes within the completed title across 200+ countries and territories that warrant review.

3. Catalogs being prepared for broad distribution also benefit from using Spherex ratings ™ and Spherex greenlight ™. Prior understanding of edits needed for which country and platform reduces the number of prepared versions, the cost of preparing them, and the effort necessary to monitor them, making licensing distributable titles across markets worldwide a more manageable process.

While global content release may now be limited to only the most popular or well-funded titles, or those explicitly produced for international distribution, that is changing. The demand from consumers, governments, and platforms for more localized content will force content creators and distributors to deliver localized content soon. With the right tools and knowledge, getting ready is easy.

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Related Insights

Spherex Classification Tool Now Approved for Home Entertainment Content in Australia

Spherex

Regulation

Classification

The Albanese Government has updated the Spherex Classification Tool approval to include ratings for theatrical releases, home entertainment, and streaming content in Australia. Spherex was previously approved to classify online films.

The update underscores the Australian Classification Board’s confidence in Spherex as a tool to help Australian viewers make informed choices about the content they consume. This means Australians can now access a range of new films sooner than they might across all formats and windows.

Spherex has a longstanding relationship with the Australian Classification Board. Since 2020, Spherex has collaborated closely with the Australian Government to ensure its technology reliably generates classification decisions that meet Australian standards and viewers' expectations.

As the world’s only commercial provider of local age ratings, Spherex has successfully produced classification decisions for high volumes of online content in over 100 countries. Since 2018, Spherex has issued over one million age ratings for digital content, including films, TV shows, and trailers, distributed by its clients worldwide.

Spherex customers, including Umbrella Entertainment, Madman Entertainment, and Sugoi Co., rely on its AI-based platform to obtain local age ratings in Australia and significantly improve efficiency, cost reduction, and market reach.

Discover how Spherex's cutting-edge AI-based platform can streamline your content classification process and enhance your market reach while reducing costs.

Visit spherex.com today and see how we can support your content distribution needs.

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nScreenNoise - Interview Spherex: Avoiding the cultural dead zone

Spherex

Culture

One of the conundrums of streaming is that although a service can deliver content globally, it is not guaranteed to be acceptable in a particular local market. Netflix found this out when it announced global availability in 2016 at CES and was quickly banned in markets like Indonesia, where some of the content was deemed too violent or sexual. In 2016, without boots on the ground in a local market, it wasn’t easy to assess whether a show or movie would be culturally acceptable.

Today, global media companies are acutely aware of the importance of their content’s cultural fit. Moreover, they have a company like Spherex to help them prepare their content to ensure it fits with any country of interest. I interviewed Teresa Phillips, the Co-Founder and CEO of Spherex, at the recent OTT.X Summit in Los Angeles. She explained how the company is leveraging AI and its massive cultural profiling database to help companies prepare content for target markets. She also explained how, in the near future, AI would aid the company in measuring a movie or show’s cultural distance from a regional market and help it avoid falling into the failure zone between cultural fit and novelty interest.

Listen to the full interview here.

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Spherex Featured in the DPP's IBC 2024: Demand versus Supply Report

Spherex

Industry

Spherex was featured in the DPP’s IBC 2024: Demand versus Supply Report, a comprehensive look at how the M&E industry is meeting key customer demands. The report focuses on the topics of empowering creators, understanding audiences, engaging users, and innovating the newsroom. It also highlights many of the technical innovations seen at the recent IBC Show.

An article by Spherex’s CEO Teresa Phillips titled "Navigating Cultural Resonance in Global Media: The Art and Science of Culture Mixing" was featured in the report, exploring how Spherex is pioneering the future of culturally informed content.

Teresa shares how cultural mixing has become a critical strategy for creating content that appeals to diverse audiences in today's global media landscape. This phenomenon involves blending elements from different cultures to craft films and television shows that resonate globally while adhering to local regulations.

However, the process of culture mixing is fraught with risks. Superficial or stereotypical representations can lead to accusations of cultural appropriation or insensitivity, alienating audiences and damaging a company's reputation. For example, imposing Western concepts on Eastern content without proper context can feel inauthentic and jarring to local viewers. These missteps highlight the need for a nuanced understanding of cultural elements to ensure that content is respectful and engaging.

To address these challenges, M&E companies are increasingly turning to data-driven solutions. Platforms like SpherexAI utilize artificial intelligence to analyze visual, audio, and textual elements, providing insights into how well content aligns with cultural and regulatory standards across over 200 countries and territories. This approach helps media companies understand the "cultural distance" between a title's origin and its target market, enabling them to make informed decisions about global distribution.

By leveraging these advanced tools, M&E companies can go beyond traditional content localization. They can create media that actively engages and resonates with diverse audiences. As the industry continues to evolve, those companies that embrace culturally informed, data-driven approaches will be better positioned to succeed, fostering cross-cultural understanding and trust while delivering globally appealing content.

Download the report here.

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