'Reflecting Abesence' Official Trailer

Evaluation

Ancillary Text

For my ancillary texts I have created a poster for my trailer and the front cover of a film magazine. It took me a long time to come to a final decision about my film poster, originally I wanted the World Trade Centre at the foreground of the poster with the couple in the middle of the towers, but I felt that this obscured the image and despite informing audiences that the film was regarding 9/11, but I felt that the image of the twin towers took away the real message of the film; which is a couple torn apart by an event that shocked the world and how two people come to terms with their new lives. 


With my magazine cover I looked at a series of different 'EMPIRE' magazine covers and took sections of them and incorporated it into my own magazine cover, I noticed that use one bright colour and the rest of the colour is muted therefore I decided to use blue as it stood out. A lot of the information is in capitals this is used to attract audiences which is aided through the use of a bright colour which I have used in my magazine cover. 

Library Footage

Majoirty of my library footage is news reports and footage from the day of September 11th. The reason why I decided to use these clips is because I felt that they would not only remind people of what they were witnessing live on TV on tuesday September 11th 2001 but for them to remember what they were feeling when they saw the planes crash into the twin towers the feeling of "this can't be happening" and then that feeling of disbelief when they realised how many people had lost their lives, that whilst they were going about their normal days four planes were being hijacked.

The audience first hear an audio clip from Fox News which reported that "A plane has crashed into the World Trade Center". I used live footage because it captures the news reporters reactions to seeing the towers on fire and witnessing the second plane hit the south tower, again this highlights peoples disbelief that this happening especially as the audience see that initially news reporters believed it was a small commuter plane and that it was a freak accident. 

'Reflecting Absence' Rating

I have decided to classify 'Reflecting Absence' as a PG13 rating film. I feel that some audiences below the age of 13 may find the events of 9/11 disturbing as there are scenes of the planes colliding into the World Trade Centre and the towers collapsing. There is moderate language used in the film for example 'Pissed' and 'Shit' but these words and similar words are used infrequently and are used to express emotion rather than directed towards a person.
Bellow are the following reasons for chosing this classification:

• There is parcial nudity but this is for a few minutes of the film and is then not seen again. Any sexual references or contexts are brief and discreet.

• There are no crude references in the film, and there one scene in which the two protagonists engage in sexual activity but this is brief and discreet, it is used to portray their love and connection for one another rather than glamourising it. There is no sexual references in the film.

• The theme of the film is mature but as it is not the main focus, the film does not go heavily into the details of 9/11 or show anybody physically dying, this is only presumed by watching the planes crash into the World Trade Centre and the towers collapsing, the audience do not witness anybody trapped or in physical pain.

• Once again the violence of the attacks on the World Trade Centre are used to set the plot of the film rather than being constant theme of the film. The film does not dwell on heavy detail of 9/11, the audience will see a man with a bomb attached to him this is to set the scene leading up to the plane crashing into the World Trade Centre. There is no emphasis on injuries or blood but there are scenes which imply this (i.e. news reports). There is no sexual violence in the film.

Legal Constraints when making a film.

Among the rights established under the Human rights act there are the right of respect for private and family life, and the right to freedom of expression. When classifying works, the BBFC will have regard to the impact of any decision on the rights of any relevant person. The Act permits such restrictions on freedom of expression as are prescribed by law and are necessary in a democratic society,in the interests of national security, territorial integrity or public safety, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, for the protection of the reputation or rights of others, for preventing the disclosure of information received in confidence, or for maintaining the authority and impartiality of the judiciary.

Cinemas require a licence from the local authority in which they operate. The licence must include a condition requiring the admission of children (under 18) to any film to be restricted in accordance with the recommendations of the BBFC or the licensing authority.

The objectives of the Licensing Act are:

• the prevention of crime and disorder
• public safety
• the prevention of public nuisance
• the protection of children from harm.

Video works (including films, TV programmes and video games) which are supplied on a disc, tape or any other device capable of storing data electronically must be classified by the BBFC unless they fall within the definition of an exempted work.

When considering whether to award a classification certificate to a work, or whether to classify a work at a particular category, the BBFC is required by the Act to have special regard (among the other relevant factors) to the likelihood of works being viewed in the home, and to any harm that may be caused to potential viewers or, through their behaviour, to society by the manner in which the work deals with:

• criminal behaviour
• illegal drugs
• violent behaviour or incidents
• horrific behaviour or incidents
• human sexual activity.

In considering these issues the BBFC has in mind the possible effect not only on children but also on other vulnerable people.

It is illegal to publish a work which is obscene. A work is obscene if, taken as a whole, it has a tendency to deprave and corrupt (ie, make morally bad) a significant proportion of those likely to see it. However, no offence is committed if publication is justified as being for the public good on the grounds that it is in the interests of science, art, literature or learning or other objects of general concern.

• It is illegal to be in possession of an extreme pornographic image. An extreme pornographic image is one which is pornographic and grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise of an obscene character, which features an apparently real person, and which portrays, in an explicit and realistic way, an act which: threatens a person’s life; results, or is likely to result, in serious injury to a person’s anus, breasts or genitals; involves sexual interference with a human corpse; or involves bestiality. Works classified by the BBFC under the Video Recordings Act are excluded from the scope of the offence.
• It is illegal to make, distribute, show or possess indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of a child. It is also illegal to make, distribute, show or possess indecent images of children which have been derived from a photograph or pseudo- photograph (for example, by tracing). A child is defined as a person under the age of 18.
• It is illegal to expose oneself with intent to cause alarm or distress – this offence augments the common law misdemeanour of indecent exposure. The Act also prohibits a person recording the private act of another, where the intention of the recording is for the sexual gratification of himself or a third party and where the recorded party has not consented to so being filmed.
• It is illegal to distribute, show or play to the public a recording of visual images or sounds which are threatening, abusive or insulting if the intention is to stir up racial hatred or hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation, or if racial hatred or hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation is likely to be stirred up. It is also illegal to distribute, show or play to the public a recording of visual images or sounds which are threatening if the intention is to stir up religious hatred.
• It is illegal to show any scene ‘organised or directed’ for the purposes of the film that involves actual cruelty to animals. This Act applies to the exhibition of films in public cinemas but the BBFC also applies the same test to video works. For the purposes of this legislation and
• The Animal Welfare Act 2006, only vertebrates which are domesticated or otherwise under the control of man are defined as ‘animals’.
• It is illegal to supply, publish or show or possess with intent to supply a video recording of an ‘animal fight’ that has taken place within Great Britain since 6 April 2007.
• It is illegal, in the course of a business, to publish a tobacco advertisement.
• In carrying out its responsibilities, the BBFC will have regard to whether the material itself appears to be unlawful in the United Kingdom, or has arisen from the commission of an unlawful act.

BBFC - R18 Rating

To be shown only in specially licensed cinemas, or supplied only in licensed sex shops, and to adults of not less than 18 years

The ‘R18’ category is a special and legally restricted classification primarily for explicit works of consenting sex or strong fetish material involving adults. Films may only be shown to adults in specially licensed cinemas, and video works may be supplied to adults only in licensed sex shops. ‘R18’ video works may not be supplied by mail order. The following content is not acceptable:

 For a film to be rated R18 it must comply with the following guidelines:

• any material which is in breach of the criminal law, including material judged to be obscene under the current interpretation of the Obscene Publications Act 1959
• material (including dialogue) likely to encourage an interest in sexually abusive activity (for example, paedophilia, incest or rape) which may include adults role-playing as non-adults
• the portrayal of any sexual activity which involves lack of consent (whether real or simulated). Any form of physical restraint which prevents participants from indicating a withdrawal of consent
• the infliction of pain or acts which may cause lasting physical harm, whether real or (in a sexual context) simulated. Some allowance may be made for moderate, non-abusive, consensual activity
• penetration by any object associated with violence or likely to cause physical harm
• any sexual threats, humiliation or abuse which does not form part of a clearly consenting role-playing game. Strong physical or verbal abuse, even if consensual, is unlikely to be acceptable.