Having raised $12,100, Mr Lyne was able to submit 10 hours worth of footage to the censorship board – a single, unbroken shot of white paint drying on a brick wall. “It contains no material likely to offend or harm” and “should be suitable for audiences aged 4 years and over”, said the British Board of Film Classification.
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However, British censors are required to screen every minute of each film, which is why he crowd-sourced “Paint Drying” in crisp 4K digital video.
In a question-and-answer session on Reddit, he said: “About a year ago, I went to a filmmaker open day held by the BBFC at their offices in Soho”.
A Kickstarter campaign was started by Charlie Lyne, who wanted to protest against censorship of some films.
He also admitted he hadn’t seen the entire film himself. All films must carry a BBFC certificate in order to be released in theaters unless a local authority permits otherwise, which, Lyne contends, places considerable financial and creative limitations on filmmakers. At roughly £1000 ($1,425)for a feature-length film, that’s a steep price for independent filmmakers whose work could end up censored or banned at the end of the process. “For many independent filmmakers, such a large upfront can prove prohibitively expensive”, Lyne wrote on the Kickstarter.
Especially one movie by filmmaker Charlie Lyne.
The British Board of Film Classification (previously known as the British Board of Film Censors) was established in 1912 to ensure films remained free of “indecorous dancing”, “references to controversial politics” and “men and women in bed together”, amongst other perceived indiscretions.
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“Please help me make paint drying as long as it can be”. The cost of that classification: more than $6,000. If we raise £526.90, it’ll be an hour long.
