Unit 3 - M2: Legal and Ethical Issues

Legal

BBFC rating for EMDR

The short film will contain the inference of moderate violence but won't have any 'emphasis on injuries or blood' which allows it to film into the 12A rating. However, EMDR creates ideas of extreme psychological threat, creating an overall disturbing tone. Therefore, the short film would not fit into this rating. EMDR contains strong language in the second scene but is muffled and only heard in the background and 'very strong language may be permitted, depending on the manner it is used'. Similarly, there is a strong overall tone of threat which fits this short film into the 15 age rating. Overall, I believe EMDR would be rated a 15 by the BBFC  because it does not include any significant violence, discrimination, sex, threat or violence and only mild drug use and rare occasions of strong language.

To avoid breaching copyright law we made sure all content included in the film was produced ourselves so we own the copyright. 

We also had to consider our filming locations as there are restrictions on what can be filmed on public and private land. After conducting research via "The Film and Video Institute", we established that we did not require permission to film on public land as our work was non-commercial. Other filming locations are in the Ilkley Grammar School medical room in which the permission of its use was given in advance by talking to Laraine Dawson and organising the dates and times it would be used.


When filming the production, actors were asked to sign a talent consent form which can be seen: here


Also, a health and safety risk assessment was carried out.



Ethical
Representation is a key ethical issue. Representation refers to how reality eg people, places , objects, events and cultural identities are presented in the media product. In the film we have tried to avoid any ethical issues that may be brought up.
In EMDR, the representation of young females fits the stereotype, weak and vulnerable, whilst the antagonist is represented by an psychologically challenged, older man. Although it may seem unethical to push these characters into such strong stereotypes, the short film aims to send out a message to females about their vulnerability in hopes it will increase their awareness. Therefore, these stereotypes are essential in delivering such a strong and hard hitting message.

Morality issues have also been considered in the production of this film. This is a sense of right and wrong. All members of the production team and actors where treated with equal respect and the was no prejudice of any kind.