The Irish Film Classification Office (IFCO) has recently released new draft guidelines for film classification for public consultation. These guidelines reflect contemporary social values while balancing the need to protect children and young people from harmful content and upholding adults' freedom to choose what to view.

Ask the average consumer if there's any difference between film and TV ratings, and they'll probably say "No." However, there are significant differences, as the above image from the MPA and TV Parental Guideline Monitoring Board indicates. From a content creator and distribution standpoint, preparing a title for television can require as much, if not more, content analysis and work to ensure it complies with local regulations.

In early 2020, the COVID pandemic forced studios to rethink how and when to release major motion pictures. The pandemic cut available theaters and release times by more than half, and the industry and revenues worldwide suffered significantly. With the public no longer able to watch films in person, a new strategy for releasing theatrical films was necessary, and the "Cross-Platform Release" strategy was born.

In a 2022 government survey of 2,000 Australians, the Australian Classification Board (ACB) learned that consumers wanted more up-to-date classification information reflecting community standards and "specific warnings that content could be distressing to some people." Examples included scenes with "bullying, suicide or self-harm, as well as disturbing content related to horror, or blood and gore." Responding to the feedback, the ACB announced on 25 May 2023 that it would significantly expand consumer advice on all rated movies. The additional advice does not apply to TV shows or games.

Due to government-mandated regulations, exporting content to international markets poses a significant challenge for many in the Media and Entertainment (M&E) industry. These regulations can take different forms and are intended to guide the public on the age appropriateness of film or TV titles. From a creator and distributor perspective, keeping up with the changes and understanding their rationale requires skills and knowledge outside their core competency. Non-compliance can result in financial penalties and is complicated because regulations are subject to change, and no two countries implement rules similarly. This post explores three types of changing regulations globally: local content requirements, prohibitions on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) content, and revised age-rating criteria.

Hardly a day goes by without someone talking about Artificial Intelligence (AI), and apps like ChatGPT , DALL-E , Flawless , Midjourney , Google Bard , or other generative AI technologies are severe threats to original film and TV content creation. Every major news outlet has done stories on AI's potential detriment to the industry.

How local awareness can keep your content from being censoredHardly a week goes by when a film or TV title isn't criticized for offending someone somewhere. This week alone, two lead news stories focused on titles some audiences will find offensive. Each example provides insight into title content judged and interpreted differently by the show's producers, regulators, and audiences.

Spherex has been approved as the national classification tool and a new mechanism to regulate film content in Australia.

The Albanese Government, the federal executive government of Australia, announced it has approved the use of the Spherex Classification Tool as a new mechanism of safeguarding and regulating content in Australia under the Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995.