MPAA rating

Limitedoffer said:
WOW i did not know that.
Thats crazy.
Wow good thing i asked.
So i have to make my own rating system?
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If you're not going to submit it to the MPAA and get an official rating, why bother with one at all? As far as marketing to exhibitors are concenerned, I doubt that any would pay attention to self-defined ratings. If it's not offically rated by the MPAA, it would be considered unrated anyway, so what's the point.
 
And while they say unrated films don't get into Blockbuster, that's not true. Most low budget distributors don't bother with a rating. It simple cost too much.

-Nate
 
Yea you should do that.
Well ok that cool Hey I think coming on here to learn small things like this.
Anyone have tips on Promos,and letting the press and or local newspaper review your film?
 
It's kind of funny in a way, I mean who really cares about the MPAA ratings? Nobody. Only some over-concerned parents care, and since a lot of those parents can pretty much tell from just seeing a trailer whether it's appropriate or not, it's borderline useless. It's only useful because theaters won't usually play movies rated above R, I guess, that's one thing. Besides that, who cares? I've never talked about what a film is rated to any one of my friends because nobody cares.

The ratings they think supposedly "help" them get a wider audience because they think they're more family friendly or whatever hurt just as much -- some people won't see a PG-13 action film, figuring screw this, it'll be diluted crap. Or they think PG automatically means kids film. So honestly the MPAA ratings are just a derelict of times past.
 
Plus there are very few theaters in America that will play an unrated film. And whether someone feels the rating system is valid or not, the fact remains that there are large, huge swaths of the population who do rely on the ratings system. Many/most parents of younger children, and certain religious groups, etc.
 
I don't know if I can agree with you on that Barry. I am a Parent, and try to keep an eye on what my kids watch. That said, the MPAA ratings just don't do much these days. PG used to be really clean, but they are really pushing the limits of what they can do in film and tv. Back when I was a kid, "Bastard" wasn't uttered on TV, until I think M.A.S.H. came along. Then it was "ass". Now... let's just say I am surprised at what will pass on Network programming.
 
IMHO, it's a tempest in a teapot. As far as I know, there is not a kid on the planet who has actually been traumatized by seeing someone male or female full-frontal naked in a film or hearing Gi-Joe mutter "Take that, you rat-bag bastards" as he tosses a grenade into the enemy machine gun nest. I'm so tired of the hung-up blue noses trying to force the intense parts out of life in order to "protect the children" from things that aren't harmful to them in the first place. Remember that Charles Keating, the famed crusader for decency that was founder and head of Citizens for Decent Literature, is the same Charles Keating that was one of the ring-leaders of the savings and loan scandal in the 80's that ripped off thousands of depositors of their life-savings, while in Ohio just last week the head of the state's Faith-Based Initiatives funding agency was arrested on charges that include facilitation of child prostitution. What activities are really the most harmful towards children here, broadcasting JJ's "wardrobe malfunction" during the Super Bowl, running ads for teenaged hookers on your website, or stealing the life saving of thousands of families? IMHO, the whole concern over protecting the children is just a manufactured diversionary tactic to draw the public attention away from the real nefarious activities going on. [Rant mode off]

That being said, the OP was apparently worried about the potential negative impact on his distribution of not having an MPAA rating associated with it. If this is a realistic issue, creating one's own rating system isn't going to help resolve the problem. I think most distributors (who care) would hold that if it ain't MPAA, it doesn't exist.
 
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JonathanLB said:
It's kind of funny in a way, I mean who really cares about the MPAA ratings? Nobody.
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parents do, man. Hence the term parental guidence.
Do some use this to their advantage in marketing? Sure. Arguably, nothing has sold more rap CDs than the parental advisory on the front lable.
I don't need TandA popping up in disney movies though.
While not official, this is why I do rate my DVDs. Some have some cussing in them, some don't All of them are considered family shows and I don't want to have any parents wishing they had not placed their family in front of my flicks.
We are in the fiend-making business so it's best not to tick anyone off.
 
In the way it works both ways for the audience your trying to grab.
Plus I think in terms of an independent film I dont think much is asked.
I went to hollywood the other day and found tons of films that are NOT RATED either they are trying to do the whole thing of this movie is crazy it's UNRATED or the fact of it being a low end film.NR
 
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