The Cultural Algorithm

Age ratings are coming to a platform you most likely use -- from TikTok rolling out content with a maturity rating system to prevent young audiences from seeing inappropriate videos to content regulators worldwide who have increased the extent to which they examine content for age and cultural appropriateness. We've previously discussed regulators' increased focus on violence , LGTBQIA+ , and cultural issues in film and television. As demonstrated by three announcements this past week, age ratings are making their way onto all types of media platforms.

The media is currently reporting and hypothesizing how a recession could impact the M&E industry. Will it reduce subscriber numbers, jobs, stock prices, and revenues? Who stands to win or lose? These are essential industry questions, but only one deals with the core product the industry creates: content.

Four of the Top 10 Q2 in-quarter film releases (three were in the Top 5) were banned in major film markets for culturally objectionable content, yet still broke revenue records . As we'll show, it doesn't take much to run afoul of regulators in today's top global markets.

As Covid-19 concerns persist and stay-at-home/social distancing continues, it's difficult to find a single industry unchanged. Even streaming companies, most of whom just gained a bevy of new subscribers, have changed their services. In early April Netflix dropped streaming quality in order to ease overworked broadband servers as people increasingly plopped down in front of the TV to escape the current state of things. In addition, the streaming company announced that they will alter specific elements of the parental control features. Among the changes-in addition to rating-is a new capability to filter based on titles . Though the broadband restrictions are easing as the pandemic limitations ease, the filter settings are the new standard.

With the unprecedented increase in the number of platforms available to consume content and the seemingly ever-increasing number of titles, parents are rightfully concerned about the type of stories their children can watch. One way parents or family members can determine whether a specific title is appropriate is an “age rating.” We’ve discussed in previous posts what age ratings are, how they differ between film and TV, and how they vary across countries. In this post, we examine the content regulators that assign ratings and how they perceive their role in ensuring safe and quality entertainment content is available for families in theaters and online.

Preparing a title for a global release is complex. Many components must be in place prior to starting a deliberate and complicated process. You’ll need a final cut, an accurate final script, trailers, posters, targeted markets, a release schedule, and an understanding of how cultural, regulatory, and political factors impact age ratings. These are critical components to the process, and missing even one of them can threaten the success of the entire localization project.

Following the latest VOD and OTT company M&E earnings, subscriber reports, and layoffs, one of the observations is that content acquisition budgets will shrink worldwide. There are several reasons for this: increased competition, increased production costs due to global price inflation, resulting pressure on studios to reduce costs to maintain profitability, and the concern that Netflix's subscriber loss will spread to other parts of the industry.

Pressure on content creators to ensure their productions are suitable for international markets is exponentially increasing. It began in earnest with the release of blockbuster films in the late 70s and 80s, where meeting global demand meant little more than subtitling or language dubs for three or four languages. Very few major films received the complete treatment of multiple language translations that movies and TV shows currently receive because the distribution chain wasn’t what it is today, and costs were prohibitively expensive.    Things changed with the advent of streaming and the creation of hundreds of distribution platforms and thousands of channels that provide access to millions of titles to billions of consumers. There is no limit to where a title gets distributed for the first time in history. Thanks to the internet, there are no actual geographical boundaries.    Are There Global Content Rating Standards? There are no global industry ratings standards-no continental, regional, religious, cultural, or community standards applicable to all content. Content and age-rating criteria used by the Motion Picture Association ( MPA ) in the US can vary significantly compared to the British Board of Film Certification ( BBFC ), the Australian Classification Board ( ACB ), New Zealand’s Te Mana Whakaatu Classification Office , or Canada’s National Film Board ( NFB ). There may be similarities, but US-released titles are not necessarily assigned the same age rating within other English-speaking countries unedited.    It is common for films produced in one country to be banned there, even if those stories include well-known actors, a famous director, and a large production budget. Add to the equation a language, religion, culture, and political or social mores across borders, and the criteria for releasing a title in other markets gets complicated very quickly. If the content does not meet appropriate standards, it’s either edited, assigned an unfavorable rating, or banned. One size does not fit all.    Content Analysis Around the Globe It is easy for those responsible for releasing titles internationally to get confused about what is or is not acceptable content in targeted markets. There is no simple answer to “what are regulators looking for?” For example, a character in an animated film intended for family viewing mentioning they are in a gay relationship may not register in the US or France. Still, it’s enough to get it banned in Muslim, Hindu, and countries with anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Likewise, a scene depicting intentional violence against police or government officers is enough to increase the rating to an adults-only level or even get it banned in dozens of countries.    The best way to avoid problems is to understand each country’s criteria.    Simple Workflow Changes Eliminate Risk  Content owners and distributors have three opportunities to make culture and regulatory edits to a title: pre-production, post-production, and before distribution. The benefits of performing a content analysis at each stage vary, as does the cost.    Pre-production is the best time to review a title for cultural compliance. Dissecting the story, analyzing the script, and reviewing shots to identify culturally sensitive events that may impact age ratings in targeted markets can optimize the production process because content risks are identified and managed. Incorporating Spherex ratings ™ and Spherex greenlight ™ into the pre-production workflow will identify specific scenes and dialogue within the script so the director and writer(s) can address them appropriately and maintain story integrity.  Analysis of titles post-production using Spherex ratings ™ and Spherex greenlight ™ provides many of the same benefits as if done during pre-production. By providing specific event timestamps and explanations of the issue, localization teams can bleep, blur, or edit scenes to conform to local standards and guidelines. It adds the benefit of identifying specific non-compliant scenes within the completed title across 200+ countries and territories that warrant review.  Catalogs being prepared for broad distribution also benefit from using Spherex ratings ™ and Spherex greenlight ™. Prior understanding of edits needed for which country and platform reduces the number of prepared versions, the cost of preparing them, and the effort necessary to monitor them, making licensing distributable titles across markets worldwide a more manageable process.    While global content release may now be limited to only the most popular or well-funded titles, or those explicitly produced for international distribution, that is changing. The demand from consumers, governments, and platforms for more localized content will force content creators and distributors to deliver localized content soon. With the right tools and knowledge, getting ready is easy.