Censorship & Regulation: Mothers Against Guns

~ Image One: "The God Delusion"
From the point of MAG, they would have no problem with the text "The God Delusion". Their issue is not with religion, but the politics and morals of society that means that youths are getting involved with, and are being affected by gun crime in the UK.
~ Image Two: Sex Education
Again, MAG takes up no quarrel with the idea of sex education, or sexual equality. One thing they may have an issue with, is that sex education is provided in schools, yet there is little or no warning of the dangers of gun crime despite the alarming increase of gun-related murders in the UK in recent years.
~Image Three: 'Opium' Advert
It would be unlikely for MAG as an organisation to have any issue with the Yves St Lauren perfume advert, although as individuals they may have an issue with the explicit-ness of the image.
~ Image Four: "A Vulture Watches a Starving Child"
MAG wouldn't directly have a qualm against this famous photo, however, may use it as extreme advertising to show the way that guns and gun crime can escalate and the effects it can have.
~ Image Five: "Short Bus"
As the majority of the content of "Short Bus" is people 'connecting' in post-9/11 New York by having sex, I doubt there will be much MAG would have to say about the film itself. However, it again brings up the contextual topic of war and the extremes that gun crime can lead to, which Mothers Against Guns campaign against.
~ Image Six: HIV advert for the NHS
MAG would have no issue with this advert, as its focus is not on sex education (as with image two), but with gun crime and gun crime awareness.
~ Image Seven: The Hanging of Saddam Hussein
As with image four, this still from the video of the hanging of Saddam Hussein would in itself not be an issue for MAG, but the context behind it concerning the war in the Middle East, would encourage them to make a point about the dangers of being involved in gun crime.
~ Image Eight: "Myra Hindley" by Marcus Harvey
The story of Myra Hindley is another way of making points about crime in the UK, by giving extreme examples such as the 'Moors Murders' committed by Myra Hindley and her partner Ian Brady. they wouldn't have an issue with the image itself as it doesn't promote gun crime, it uses the empathy value of children's hand prints to evoke a feeling of hatred and disgust towards Myra Hindley.
~ Image Nine: "Bloody Shit House" by Gilbert and George
Despite the controversial and shocking artwork that Gilbert and George create, and perhaps even the morals/jokes they throw about ["They said they’d bought the empty house next door to theirs in Fournier Street, and when I asked what they were going to do with it, Gilbert said, 'Make it into a bordello.' And George said, 'A children’s bordello.' "], MAG would have no issue with Gilbert and George, or their "Bloody Shit House".
~ Image Ten: BB's Imogen's Sex Tape
It is very unlikely that MAG would have any issues with an Internet released scandalous sex tape of a z-list celebrity.
~ Image Eleven: "Manhunt 2"
The selected image in question is that of the Wii release of "Manhunt", which has been something of an issue with the BBFC. This is because of the overtly interactive nature that the Wii brings to this controversial and violent computer game. With the Wii remote, gamers literally have to make stabbing motions to kill their enemy: in this instance, inmates in an asylum. Weapons used in this game can be improvised such as plastic bags for suffocation, or shards of glass for stabbing. Firearms are also used in the game, which would cause a great deal of upheaval with Mothers Against Guns. Despite the fact the game hasn't been rated as of yet, it is certain that youths under the rated age will be playing the game, either at the fault of retailers or the lack of responsibility from parents. the interactive nature of computer games has raised the worry about the influence of digital media on children, or impressionable youths. Mothers Against Guns would be strongly against the release of this game because of the gun-related, and outright violence in the game.
~ Image Twelve: "Jerry Springer: The Musical"
Despite the controversial and volatile content of the Jerry Springer musical, there is rarely any reference to guns or gun crime. As with the Jeremy Kyle show, their focus seems to be domestic arguments about the paternity of children and drug abuse.

Thank you and Goodnight.

Censorship and Regulation

Mothers Against Guns

Since its formation in 2002, Mothers Against Guns has worked with local communities and the government to raise awareness about gun crime and gun related violence in the UK. Statistics have risen dramatically in the last 10 years; from est 12800 in 1996 to a staggering 22800 in 2006. They use incidents such as the murder of Anton Hyman in 2004, to make strong points about how more people have to join their cause to prevent deaths such as this from happening again. In May 2005 they held a march to campaign against gun crime and to plea for someone to come forward to find Anton's killer. His mother said: "I hope we may have saved somebody's life by marching today."
BBC News Online: "The March to Find Anton's Killers"

As well as organising marches, "MAG" work to provide information to teenagers about the gun crime. Aimed at children between 13 and 15, it works to encourage teens to think about the consequences and effects that their actions will have on other people. AGE (Anti Gun [and Violence] Education) carries the overall poignant message that one irrational thought can change your life forever.

Mothers Against Guns also encourages others to set up groups to try to prevent more teenagers from becoming victims or even perpetrators of gun crime int he UK. They promote themselves with high profile campaigns such as marches like the one for Anton, and get the support of celebrities and politicians such as David Cameron on their side. One of their more recent campaigns is fighting for the outright ban of replica gun sales in the UK.
London Against Gun and Knife Crime: Mothers Against Guns


Media content that MAG would find problematic, would most probably be video games. Games such as Grand Theft Auto which has been around for over 10 years now, contains mindless violence and promotes gang culture. The game characters age between 18 and the mid-twenties: a prime role model for young teenagers. The certificate that the game is sold at here in the UK is 18, however this doesn't seem to stop parents from buying games such as GTA for their younger children. Many academics have studies the effect that violent video games have on teenagers, and often prove that it "may be more harmful than violent television or film because of its interactive nature". American Physiological Association: Violent Video Games
Other media content that MAG would find problematic, would be films or even music videos, as they often glamorise gun crime; making it appear more attractive for teenagers. At the end of last year Watchdog complained about the nature of certain film posters, especially those for the film "Shoot 'Em Up" (released September 2007). These posters showed actors Clive Owen and Paul Giamatti seemingly pointing guns at the viewer. the "glamorous" side to gun crime can be seen to encourage young adults to take to violence in order to gain street credibility.
BBC News Online: Watchdog Criticises Gun Movie Ads

FeedBack.

Milk
I shared the production manager role with another girl, who said she wanted to prove herself to the group that she could be a good PM. So I said I'd be her assistant.
Again we were unorganised and left everything to the last minute. We didn't have enough actors or a location. A panic with trains and being stranded in Southampton meant I didn't even know if I'd be back in Bournemouth until the morning of the shoot.
The first day of shoot was messy and a bit of an embarrasment, but at the end of the day we all sat down together and reflected on everything. It was honest but we needed it, and did a lot of work for the next day's shoot which went really well.
It's looking really good in post, and I know it's going to look pretty fit.


Studio
We've got another studio piece coming up.
I'm working as director alongside Karl as Production Manager.
I'm looking forward to it.