Impact of certification on film openings

Film certifications by the BBFC

Certification of films has a substantial impact on the opening sequences of films. This is for a number of reasons.
Firstly, the primary reason for having certification on films is to allocate a category for the film to be in. This is to restrict what the viewer can see dependent on age. For example, if a child aged 8 is hoping to view a film containing gore and scenes of a sexual nature, the certificate on the film will allow them, or their parents, what is included in this film. These certifications are set by the British Board of Film Classification, or the BBFC.

The Impact
The impact of these certifications has a large impact on the film openings as well as the film features themselves.
Firstly, the fact that the viewer will initially look at the certification will allow them to determine whether they will watch the film. This could be a problem. This is because if a viewer who is under the age of 18 is hoping to view a film at the cinema that is certificated at 18, they will not be able to legally watch the feature. This will initially result in a lack of profits for the production company. The impact this has on film openings means that the production will have to tailor the film opening precisely to their target audience, meaning that they gain as much profit from target audience views as possible.