Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2012L02541:body:0:p2
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2012L02541
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 2838–5822

legal or scientific character;
     (d) the persons or class of persons to or amongst whom it is published or is intended or likely to be published.

The Code

Under the Code, classification decisions are to give effect, as far as possible, to the following principles:
     (a) adults should be able to read, hear, see and play what they want;
     (b) minors should be protected from material likely to harm or disturb them;
     (c) everyone should be protected from exposure to unsolicited material that they find offensive;
     (d) the need to take account of community concerns about:
       (i) depictions that condone or incite violence, particularly sexual violence; and
       (ii) the portrayal of persons in a demeaning manner.

Consumer advice

Except for G classifications, the Act requires the Classification Board to provide consumer advice about the content of films it classifies. (For G classifications, the Act gives the Board the option whether to provide consumer information.) This information helps consumers make informed choices.
The Guidelines

Using the Guidelines: Essential principles

Three essential principles underlie the use of the Guidelines:
    * the importance of context
    * assessing impact
    * the six classifiable elements

Except for the X 18+ category, each classification category takes a similar form. It begins with an "impact test" that determines the threshold for the category. It then lists the six classifiable elements, with a statement limiting the content of each element.

Importance of context

Context is crucial in determining whether a classifiable element is justified by the story‑line or themes. In particular, the way in which important social issues are dealt with may require a mature or adult perspective. This means that material that falls into a particular classification category in one context may fall outside it in another.

Assessing impact

The Guidelines use the following hierarchy of impact:
    * very mild   - G
    * mild   - PG
    * moderate   - M
    * strong  - MA 15+
    * high   - R 18+
    * very high   - RC

Assessing the impact of material requires considering not only the treatment of individual classifiable elements but also their cumulative effect. It also requires considering the purpose and tone of a sequence.

Impact may be higher where a scene:
       * contains greater detail, including the use of close‑ups and slow motion
       * uses accentuation techniques, such as lighting, perspective and resolution
       * uses special effects, such as lighting and sound, resolution, colour, size of image, characterisation and tone
       * is prolonged
       * is repeated frequently
       * is realistic, rather than stylised
       * encourages interactivity

Interactivity includes the use of incentives and rewards, technical features and competitive intensity. As a general rule:
       * except in material restricted to adults, nudity and sexual activity must