You may be familiar with seeing a large 'PG' or 'R' flash on your screen before a movie begins. Most have a general idea of what these age ratings mean and how they indicate the appropriateness of a film's content. However, they may not understand the process or the criteria for how movies are classified. Today, most movies are released on multiple online platforms and movie theaters simultaneously. As a result, worldwide audiences have more access to internationally produced content than ever before, so understanding age ratings for films is more important than ever. This post discusses US film ratings are determined, explains the different movie classifications, and how they are essential in international distribution.
Over the past few months, this blog has examined changes in ratings criteria in India , Australia and reactions to specific titles, such as “ Family Guy ” and “ The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.” The purpose has been to look at regulation from a cultural perspective and the practical impacts on content creators. In this post, we’re going to take a different perspective: that of the viewing public and their reaction to regulatory changes. In particular we will look at the recently published language guide by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) and public reaction to changes impacting U-rated titles.
Remember when your parents required you to do your homework before you could watch TV? I clearly recall working to quickly solve my math equations or finish my English essay so I could kick my parents out of the living room, change the channel away from those droning Bob Vila informercials and watch something truly entertaining—like “Family Guy.”
Worldwide Content Classification -- What Happens When You Get It Wrong
In our previous blog post, “ Worldwide Content Classification – How Hard Can It Be? ” we examined how the exponential growth of the OTT and VOD markets, along with the annual release of hundreds of thousands of new titles, places pressure on content regulators and platforms to obtain in-country age-ratings before release. In this post, we’ll explore what happens when content providers attempt to short-cut the process.
The explosion of direct streaming and OTT services worldwide on a wide range of platforms e.g., online, mobile, and Connected TV (CTV)means content creator’s products have global potential. That means films, TV shows, documentaries, and live events can reach new markets and generate additional revenue for everyone in the production chain. The only challenge is it isn’t a simple process. The good news is Spherex offers a solution to assist creators in reaching those markets quickly, properly, and cost-effectively.
Tom Holland is Spiderman. Thanks to the Russo Brothers, it is rather difficult to imagine Holland playing any character who isn’t wearing tights or swinging from a web with Mary Jane. His iconic role as Peter Parker has propelled his popularity among Marvel fans to monolithic proportions. After the release of “Spiderman: Far from Home,” Holland devotees will flock to just about anything he is involved in. Apple TV+ gives audiences a rare opportunity to see Holland expand his acting range for this rather dark role in “Cherry” which received an R-rating. Moviegoers be warned. This is not your friendly neighborhood web slinging feature for the kids. It is far from that.
India's government has established new rules for digital news organizations, social media intermediaries and OTT platforms under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, released by the Electronics & Information Technology Ministry and the Information & Broadcasting Ministry on Feb. 25 2021.
The Mouse Empire is on roll, churning out quality content for its lucrative Disney+ which currently has 95 million subscribers. Mickey has developed a devout following that consumes whatever the Disney overlords produce. So, to further its ambition to win the streaming wars, Mickey and friends are giving the fans what they want-more violence.