Unit 26 Assignment 2 Notes - Film Studies

Negatives of the MPAA

Kimberley Pierce 'Boys don't Cry' - NC - 17 - 'the studio won't release it' 

Matt Stone 'Orgasmo' - received no notes on what to cut out (independent film) 
But when he created South Park with (Paramount) he got given notes "cut this, this treatment, it was a completely different experience" 

Kevin Smith "If you choose not to accept the rating, you can't market it" 

• Studios will not release a film if the rating is too high.

• They do not like sexual content in films and will rate them higher if there is a lot of sexual content and want the film makers to cut out the scenes.

• The rating on a film could mean making less money, less people will go and see it.

Jay Landers - each member has to sign an agreement, they are not allowed to talk about the MPAA.

• They sensor films, they deliberately hide and sensor things when they are just meant to rate films. 

• They are taking away the film makers ability to make a choice.  

• The MPAA have a consecrative ideology - they have current ideas of what is right and what is wrong.  
• They rate films high because they don't like sexual content, although they seem to justify violence. 
• They are homophobic, gay sex scenes get rated higher than straight sex scenes and they don't have any homosexual people on the board.
• They lie and say that raters have children aged 5-7 but it's not true as one rater has 'children' that are 23-25 and one doesn't even have a child.
• They have a scale of what should or shouldn't be in a film, but do not tell the film makers what this scale is. 
• They try and sensor us and think artists can have their freedom just as long as the like it
• They are manipulative and unfair. 
• Independent film makers have an unfair process and receive no notes and may be given an NC-17 although big studios releasing a film don't have any problems because they are business partners. 
• It's all men on the appeal board and a catholic priest so the ratings are based on religion and the rules from the bible. 
• They are a very powerful association and have friends with people in the government.
• If you make a film and they kill someone but do not show blood you get a PG-13 but if there is blood you can an R, we should switch it and show children what violence actually does.
• They are sexiest and do not like seeing women getting sexual pleasure although, women offensives like a women being beaten wouldn't get a higher rating. 

QUOTES

Jamie Babbit:

Made a film to kind of support people and give them like hope? But as it involves lesbians its rated NC-17, this makes them come across homophobic.

Kevin Smith:
If you don't accept your rating, you can't run TV spots. 

Matt Stone:
"They Just serve the studios, thats who pays their bills. They Just serve the studios." 

His Film called 'Orgasmo' (independant film) received no notes on what he could do to get rid of his NC-17 rating. When he released south park under Paramount studios he just got told to "cut this, this..." But he said treatment was a completely different experience.
this shows a major advantage of having your film produced by a studio, you get better treatment and independant films don't really have a chance.

Bingham Ray:
"The system is set up to serve the studios"

Kevin Smith:
"if you choose not to accept your rating, you can't market it"

POSITIVES- get from MPAA quotes from Jack Valenti