A.

3 CODES OF PRACTICE
AND REGULATIONS
LEARNING AIM A: UNDERSTANDING THE REQUIREMENTS OF
PRE-PRODUCTION OF A DIGITAL MEDIA PRODUCT.
REGULATIONS: OFCOM

OFCOM IS THE UK’S BROADCAST REGULATOR. OFCOM REGULATES THE TV, RADIO AND VIDEO-ON-DEMAND SECTORS, FIXED-LINE TELECOMS,
MOBILES AND POSTAL SERVICE AND THE AIRWAVES OVER WHICH WIRELESS DEVICES OPERATE.
OFCOM MAKES SURE THAT THE UK POPULATION GETS THE BEST FROM THEIR COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES AND ARE PROTECTED FROM SCAMS.
OFCOM IS FINANCED BY FEES FROM, THE INDUSTRY FOR REGULATING BROADCASTING AND COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS AS WELL AS GRANT-
IN-AID FROM THE GOVERNMENT, FUNDED BY TV LICENSE.
OFCOM USES WATERSHED IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THE VIEWERS MAKING SURE THAT THE SUBJECT MATTER IS APPROPRIATE AND BEST FITS THE
VIEWER’S INTERESTS. FOR A NARRATIVE MUSIC VIDEO OFCOM HAS A STATUTORY DUTY TO TO ENSURE THAT UNDER 18S ARE PROTECTED FOR
ANY POTENTIALLY HARMFUL CONTENT. WATERSHED IS A RULE IN WHICH OFCOM MUST ENSURE THAT THEY PROVIDE APPROPRIATE PROTECTION
FOR UNDER 18S FROM BROADCAST CONTENT THAT IS NOT SUITABLE FOR THEM. WATERSHED IS FROM 9PM-5:30AM.
AN EXAMPLE OF THIS WOULD BE “ICE PICK PIERCED HAND | DAVID BLAINE”
THIS VIDEO RECEIVED A LARGE AMOUNT OF NEGATIVE BACKLASH BECAUSE THE VIDEO WAS AIRED BEFORE THE WATERSHED MEANING THAT
CHILDREN WERE ABLE TO ACCESS THE GRAPHIC VIDEO WHERE DAVID BLAINE PIECES HIS HAND WITH AN ICE PICK.
IN ORDER FOR OFCOM TO ACCEPT A VIDEO IT MUST NOT CONTAIN ABUSIVE OR HARMFUL CONTENT TOWARDS PEOPLE, IT SHOULD ALSO NOT
FEATURE ANY GRAPHIC CONTENT AS THIS WILL RESULT IN OFCOM BANNING THE VIDEO IN ORDER TO KEEP UNDER 18S SAFE.
REGULATIONS: BBFC

BBFC STANDS FOR ‘BRITISH BOARD OF FILM CLASSIFICATION’.

THE BBFC IS AN INDEPENDENT , NON GOVERNMENTAL BODY WHICH HAS CLASSIFYING CINEMA FILMS SINCE IT’S FOUNDATION IN 1912 AS WELL
AS DVDS/VIDEOS SINCE THE VIDEO RECORDING ACT WAS PASSED IN 1984. 

THE BRITISH BOARD OF FILM CLASSIFICATION IS MADE UP BY PEOPLE WHO WATCH NEW FILMS AND VIDEOS AND THEN DECIDE WHICH AGE
RATING WOULD BE MOST APPROPRIATE. IF THEY BELIEVE THAT THE FILM/VIDEO WOULD NOT BE SUITABLE FOR SCREENING THEN IT WILL
RECEIVE A BAN FROM BEING SHOWN IN CINEMAS. AN EXAMPLE OF THIS WOULD BE THE MOVIE ‘WOMEN IN CELL BLOCK 9’.  

THIS FILM WAS REJECTED OVER SEXUAL VIOLENCE BEING EROTICIZED AND IMAGES OF SUSAN HEMINGWAY, WHO WAS 16 AT THE TIME OF
FILMING, WHICH IS WERE CONSIDERED POTENTIALLY INDECENT (IN ENGLAND AND WALES, INDECENT IMAGES OF MINORS ARE ILLEGAL; THE
RELEVANT AGE WAS RAISED FROM 16 TO 18 BY THE 2003 SEXUAL OFFENCES ACT, WHICH HAD BEEN PASSED BY PARLIAMENT TO TAKE EFFECT
MAY 1, 2004 SHORTLY AFTER THIS SUBMISSION TO THE BBFC). IT IS CURRENTLY STILL BANNED IN THE UK. 

IN PLANNING MY VIDEO I WILL CONSIDER NOT SHOWING ANY ”SEXUAL VIOLENCE BEING SEXUALISED” OF A MINOR, THIS WILL MEAN THAT MY
VIDEO WILL BE ABLE TO BE SHOWN IN THE CINEMA AND WILL ONLY HAVE AN AGE CERTIFICATE ON IT. 
REGULATIONS: UKCCS

UKCCS OFFERS AN INDEPENDENT, RELIABLE, FAST AND SECURE METHOD TO PROTECT YOUR WORK INFRINGEMENT AND/OR MISUSE, THIS IS
ACHIEVED BY ENSURING YOU ALWAYS HAVE THE BEST EVIDENCE OF OWNERSHIP IN ORDER TO PROTECT YOUR WORK AND RIGHTS.

”UK COPYWRITE SERVICE IS A WELL ESTABLISHED SPECIALIST IN THE AREA OF COPYRIGHT REGISTRATION AND PROTECTS THOUSANDS OF
WORKS MADE BY INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES ACROSS THE GLOBE” 

UKCCS WORKS CLOSELY WITH YOUTUBE TO MAKE SURE THAT NO CONTENT IS COPYWRITTEN, TO JOIN THE SERVICE A REGISTRATION FORM
MUST BE FILLED OUT ALONG WITH A PAY FEE OF STANDARD ONLINE REGISTRATIONS BEING £42.50 FOR 5 YEARS AND £72.50 FOR 10 YEARS.
FOR POSTAL APPLICATIONS CHARGES ARE £52.50 FOR 5 YEARS AND £82.50 FOR 10 YEARS. 

IT IS ESSENTIAL TO REGISTER BECAUSE ”REGISTRATION CAN MAKE IT EASIER TO PROVE A CLAIM, SPEED UP DECISIONS AND REDUCE LEGAL
COSTS IN FUTURE PLAGIARISM OR INFRINGEMENT DISPUTES.”

UKCCS SHOULD BE CHOSEN BY CREATORS BECAUSE THEY ARE MARKET LEADERS, WHO ARE TRUSTED BY INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES
ACROSS THE WORLD WHO ARE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE STANDARDS OF UKCCS ENSURE THE STRONGEST EVIDENCE AND POSSIBLE
SERVICE. 
ADVERTISING STANDARDS: ASA

THE ADVERTISING STANDARDS AUTHORITY (ASA) IS THE UK’S INDEPENDENT REGULATOR OF ADVERTISING ACROSS ALL MEDIA. THE COMPANY
MAKES SURE THAT ALL ADVERTISEMENTS ARE APPROPRIATE FOR ALL AUDIENCES. 

AREAS OF COMPLAINT INSIDE THE ASA’S REMIT ARE: PRESS AD, RADIO AND TV ADS (INCLUDING TELESHOPPING PRESENTATIONS),  ADS ON THE
INTERNET, SMARTPHONES AND TABLETS, AD CLAIMS ON COMPANIES’ OWN WEBSITE, COMMERCIAL EMAIL AND TEXT MESSAGES,
POSTERS/BILLBOARDS, LEAFLETS AND BROCHURES, ADS AT THE CINEMA, DIRECT MAIL, WHETHER ADDRESSED PERSONALLY OR NOT.

THEY RESPOND TO CONCERNS AND COMPLAINTS FROM CONSUMERS AND COMPANIES AND TAKE ACTION AGAINST TO BAN ADVERTISEMENTS
WHICH ARE MISLEADING, HARMFUL, OFFENSIVE OR IRRESPONSIBLE. ADS ARE ALSO MONITORED TO CHECK THAT THEY'RE FOLLOWING ASA’S
GUIDELINES. 

AN EXAMPLE OF A FILM THAT WAS BANNED BY ASA WOULD BE THE KFC AD “THE WHOLE CHICKEN”. IN THIS AD CHICKENS ARE SHOWN TO BE
DANCING TO A RAP SONG. THIS AD RECEIVED 755 COMPLAINTS STATING THAT THE VIDEO WAS “DISRESPECTFUL TO CHICKENS” AND
“DISTRESSING FOR VEGETARIANS, VEGANS AND CHILDREN” AS IT DEPICTS A CHICKEN WHO IS HEADED FOR SLAUGHTER. THE ADVERT WAS
RULED UNLIKELY TO CAUSE DISTRESS OR SERIOUS OR WIDESPREAD OFFENCE DUE TO THERE BEING NO EXPLICIT REFERENCE TO ANIMAL
SLAUGHTER. 
TRADE UNION: BECTU

BROADCASTING ENTERTAINMENT CINEMATOGRAPH AND THEATRE UNION (BETCU) IS THE UK’S MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT UNION. BECTU COVERS MANY
SECTORS INCLUDING BROADCASTING, FILM, INDEPENDENT PRODUCTION, THEATRE AND THE ARTS, IT AND TELECOMS, LIVE EVENTS, LEISURE AND DIGITAL
MEDIA.
THE MAIN AIMS OF THE UNION ARE:
• PROTECT JOBS
• INCREASE MEMBERSHIPS
• WIN NEW RECOGNITION AGREEMENTS
• IMPROVE PAY AND CONDITIONS OF SERVICES, INCLUDING PENSIONS.

THE BETCU IS A SELF-GOVERNING ORGANISATION RUN BY ITS REPRESENTATIVES THAT ARE ELECTED FROM ITS MEMBERS. MEMBERS GROUP TOGETHER TO
FORM LOCAL BRANCHES, THESES BRANCHES SEND REPRESENTATIVES TO THE POLICY MAKING ANNUAL CONFERENCE.
AN EXAMPLE OF BECTU CAUSING AN ADJUSTMENT TO THE WORKPLACE WOULD BE THAT “IT IS VITAL THAT TESTS FOR SUITABILITY FOR APPOINTMENTS,
PROMOTION OR JOB CHANGES AND SO ON SHOULD BE DESIGNED NOT TO DISADVANTAGE NEURODIVERGENT PEOPLE. FOR EXAMPLE, TESTS SHOULD NOT
DEPEND ON LISTENING TO LONG LISTS OF INSTRUCTIONS OR READING OR WRITING LARGE AMOUNTS OF MATERIAL IN A SHORT TIME. THIS WAS DONE”. THIS
WAS DONE IN ORDER TO MAKE THE CRITERIA FOR A JOB PLACEMENT MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR A NEURODIVERGENT PERSON AS TESTS THAT CONSIST OF
LISTENING TO LONG LISTS OF INSTRUCTIONS OR READING OR WRITING LARGE AMOUNTS OF MATERIAL IN A SHORT TIME PUTS THEM AT A DISADVANTAGE.