Glossary
On this page, you’ll find a glossary of terms that are frequently used on our website. To learn more about a term, choose from the following topics:
0-9
A
AAA
AACG
ACA
ACMA
adequate synopsis
Advertising
advertising of unclassified Films and Computer Games scheme
application
APS
ATSA
Authorised asessor
B
C
Category 1 restricted (classification)
Category 2 restricted (classification)
CCG
Censorship ministers
CF
Classifiable Time Worksheet
Classification Act
Classification Board
Classification Board member
Classification guidelines
Classification Liaison Scheme (CLS)
Classification Review Board
Classification Review Board member
Coarse language
COB
Code
Computer game
Consumer advice
Contentious material
Convenor
CTW
Customs
D
Depiction
Deputy Convenor
Deputy Director
Description
Detailed description of gameplay
Determined marking
Director
discreet
drug use
E
elements
enforcement
exempt computer game
exempt film
Exemptions to show an unclassified film at an event
F
G
G (classification)
game play
guidelines
H
I
impact
implied
Industry assessors
L
M
M (classification)
MA 15+ (classification)
marking
N
National Classification Code (the Code)
National Classification Scheme
nudity
O
offensive
Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC)
P
R
R 18+ (classification)
rating
RC
Reasonable adult
review
revocation
S
SCAG (Censorship)
Schedule 7
Senior Classifier
Serial classification declaration
sex
Standing Committee of Attorneys-General
submittable publication
synopsis
T
U
V
X
3D
Three Dimensional. A film or movie format that presents images in a three dimensional form or appearance.
AAA
Authorised Advertising Assessor
AACG
Authorised Assessor Computer Games
ACA
Additional Content Assessor
ACMA
Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). The Australian regulator for broadcasting, the internet, radiocommunications and telecommunications.
adequate synopsis
An adequate synopsis is a summary of the plot of the film from the beginning to the end, outlining all major events in the film. The synopsis should be supplied in English and clearly show the levels of any classifiable elements (violence, sex, nudity, coarse language and/or drug use) in the film. A publicity or marketing synopsis that might be used to promote the film in a program or media release is not suitable as it is used to entice an audience and is often exaggerated and incomplete, and missing the ending of the film.
Advertising
Is any form of advertising for a film, computer game or publication and includes any spoken words or images in a magazine, paper, poster, photograph, sketch, film, slide, program, advertising on a container or wrapping covering the film, game or publication, advertising on an item of clothing advertising the publication, film or game. There are exclusions to this definition and these can be found in the Classification Act.
advertising of Unclassified Films and Computer Games scheme
A scheme that allows for the advertising, under legal conditions, of certain films and computer games in advance of their classification.
application
A written request for a classification decision from the Classification Board. A written request for a review of a decision from the Classification Review Board. A written application will be accompanied by any applicable fees and media in order for it to be considered valid.
APS
Australian Public Service
ATSA
Authorised Television Series Assessor
Authorised assessor
A person trained by the Classification board to make assessments and/or recommendations about classifications for films and computer games. See Industry assessor.
BSA
Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (cth)
Category 1 restricted (classification)
A classification for publications - not available to persons under 18 years.
Category 2 restricted (classification)
A classification for publications - not available to persons under 18 years.
CCG
Core Computer Games module
Censorship ministers
Commonwealth, State and Territory ministers responsible for censorship matters; meetings are held in conjunction with SCAG.
CF
Core Film module
Classifiable Time Worksheet (CTW)
An excel spreadsheet used to calculate the amount of classifiable time for an application for classification of a film.
Classification Act
Classification (Publications, Films and Computer Games) Act 1995 (cth).
Classification Board
A statutory body established under the Classification Act. The Classification Board classifies computer games, films and certain publications.
Classification Board member
A statutory appointee to the Classification Board established under the Classification Act.
Classification guidelines
Guidelines on the application of the National Classification Code, approved by Censorship Ministers. Separate guidelines exist for the classification of films and computer games and publications.
Classification Liaison Scheme (CLS)
A scheme that assists retailers and distributors of publications, films and computer games to comply with their legal obligations under the National Classification Scheme.
Classification Review Board
A statutory body established under the Classification Act. The Classification Review Board is a part-time statutory body convened, as required, to review decisions made by the Board.
Classification Review Board member
A statutory appointee to the Classification Review Board under the Classification Act.
Coarse language
Language that is offensive generally or to sections of the community; such as crude language, or 'swear' words.
COB (Classification Operations Branch)
The Classification Operations Branch of the Attorney-General's Department. COB officers provide administrative support to the Classification Board and Classification Review Board.
Code
The National Classification Code
Computer game
A computer program and any associated data capable of generating a display on a computer monitor, television screen, liquid crystal display or similar medium that allows the playing of an interactive game. A computer game is defined in Section 5A for the Classification Act.
Consumer advice
The Classification Board and Classification Review Board determine consumer advice for films, computer games and certain publications. Films classified PG, M, MA 15+, R 18+ and X 18+, and computer games classified PG, M and MA 15+ must be assigned consumer advice. Consumer advice gives the principal elements that contributed to the classification of the Product and indicates the intensity and/or frequency of those elements. The Classification Board and the Classification Review board may also provide consumer advice to films and computer games classified G, and publications classified Unrestricted.
Contentious material
Is material that would likely be classified M or higher in a film or computer game.
Convenor
Senior member of the Classification Review Board responsible for management of the Classification Review Board.
CTW
see Classifiable Time Worksheet
Customs
The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service.
Depiction
Are representations through image. Realistic depictions include photographs and illustrations which are close to real life; stylised depictions include cartoons and other unrealistic illustrations and images.
Deputy Convenor
Senior member of the Classification Review Board who acts as the Convenor in the Convenor's absence.
Deputy Director
Full-time senior member of the Classification Board who acts as the Director in the Director's absence.
Description
A statement or an account describing something; such as a written description or gameplay or an adequate synopsis are both examples of a description.
Detailed description of gameplay
Is a written description of what happens in a computer game. This written description should be detailed to describe and outline any elements in the game, such as the violence – weapons used by characters, blood detail, injuries to characters, amongst others.
Determined marking
Classification symbols used to graphically show the classification decision, and any consumer advice.
Director
Full-time senior member of the Classification Board responsible for management of the Classification Board.
discreet
With little or no detail and generally not prominent.
drug use
Is the use of proscribed drugs. Proscribed drugs are those specified in schedule 4 (referred to in Regulation 4A (1A) (e)) of the Customs (Prohibited Imports) Regulations.
elements
The classifiable elements include violence, sex, adult themes, coarse language, drug use, and nudity. The Classification Board assesses the impact of these when making classification decisions.
enforcement
Concerning the Police or Customs in a domestic or international setting; enforcement bodies can submit applications for classification or request advice from the Board in order to enforce the law.
exempt computer game
A computer game exempt from classification requirements as defined by section 5B of the Classification Act.
exempt film
A film exempt from classification requirements as defined by section 5B of the Classification Act.
Exemptions to show an unclassified film at an event
An organisation may apply to the Director of the Classification Board for exemption from State and Territory classification legislation to screen an unclassified film at an event. A person may also apply for an exemption.
Fee waiver
The waiving of Classification application fees by the Director in specific circumstances, as provided by the Classification Act.
festival
A film festival or festival where films are played as part of the activities of the event. For our purposes, these films are generally unclassified and require a film festival exemption before they can be screened.
film
Includes a cinematograph film, a slide, video tape and video disc and any other form of recording from which a visual image can be produced.
G (classification)
A film and computer game classification - general
gameplay footage
Is a recording of typical examples of the scenes, action, etc in a game to give the Board a reasonable idea of what elements the game contains, and their impact.
guidelines
Guidelines on the application of the National Classification Code, approved by Censorship Ministers. Separate guidelines exist for the classification of films and computer games and publications.
historical context
In relation to a bona fide work of art, includes a documentary or biography.
impact
The strength of the effect on the reader or viewer.
implied
Depiction(s) of a subject in which an act or thing is inferred or indicated without actually being seen.
Industry assessors
Persons authorised by the Director to make recommendations to the Classification Board on the classification and consumer advice of computer games that are likely to be classified G, PG or M or of additional content accompanying previously classified or exempt film/s on DVD. Advertising Assessors can also make assessments of likely classification for films and computer games.
language
See Coarse Language
M (classification)
A film and computer game classification - recommended for mature audiences
MA 15+ (classification)
A film and computer game classification - not suitable for people under 15. Under 15s must be accompanied by a parent or adult guardian.
marking
A marking is the artwork representing the Classification decision. See Determined Marking.
National Classification Code (the Code)
A code that sets out how films, computer games and certain publications are to be classified.
National Classification Scheme
A cooperative Commonwealth, State and Territory regulatory scheme for classification of films, computer games and certain publications.
nudity
Nudity can consist of frontal or rear below waist visuals, full frontal or full rear visuals for both sexes, or breast nudity for females. The amount of detail is determined not only by the context of the nudity shown, but by other factors including closeness and size of visuals, realism and clarity.
offensive
Material that causes outrage or extreme disgust. The Guidelines distinguish between material that may offend some sections of the adult community, and material which offends against generally accepted standards, and is therefore likely to offend most people.
Office of Film and Literature Classification (OFLC)
Former Commonwealth agency in the Attorney-General's portfolio that included the Classification Board, the Classification Review Board and staff providing administrative support to those Boards.
PG (classification)
A film and computer game classification - parental guidance recommended
R 18+ (classification)
A film classification - restricted to 18 and over. This classification does not apply to computer games.
rating
see Classification
RC
Refused Classification
Reasonable adult
Is possessing common sense and an open mind, and able to balance personal opinion with generally accepted community standards.
review
The process that the Classification Review Board goes through to make a decision about a product that has already been granted a classification decision by the Classification Board. This may also be referred to as an appeal.
revocation
Is the cancellation or repeal of a classification decision. The grounds for this are defined in the Classification Act.
SCAG (Censorship)
A committee comprising Commonwealth, State and Territory Ministers responsible for censorship. In most jurisdictions this is the Attorney-General. The Commonwealth Censorship Minister is the Minister for Home Affairs.
Schedule 7
The part of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 that regulates the content for commercial content service providers, including mobile phone content. Schedule 7 refers to the classification types in the National Classification Code.
Senior Classifier
Full-time senior member of the Classification Board.
Serial classification declaration
A declaration issued by the Classification Board on the classification and any condition that applies to issues of a publication for a specified period.
sex
The classifiable element that includes sexual activity and sexual references, as depictions of sex can be via an image, verbally or through the written word.
Standing Committee of Attorneys-General
A committee comprising the Attorneys-General of the Commonwealth, States and Territories.
submittable publication
An unclassified publication that, having regard to Section 9A or to the Code and the Classification guidelines to the extent that they relate to publications, contain depictions or descriptions that:
(a) are likely to cause the publication to be classified RC; or
(b) are likely to cause offence to a reasonable adult to the extent that the publication should not be sold or displayed as an unrestricted publication; or
(c) are unsuitable for a minor to see or read.
synopsis
A synopsis is a summary of the plot of the film from the beginning to the end, outlining all major events in the film.
themes
Are social issues such as crime, suicide, drug and alcohol dependency, death, serious illness, family breakdown and racism.
unrestricted (classification)
A classification for publications - unrestricted
violence
Includes not only acts of violence, but also the obvious threat of violence or its result.
X 18+ (classification)
A film classification - restricted to 18 and over. This classification does not apply to computer games.