The horror of PIFs?
An article from The Guardian about gory PIFs. These types of films are often hard-hitting in order to have some kind of effect/impact on the viewer - it evokes some kind of repsonse so the message is gotten across effectively. They act as a fierce warning. However in this article, Peter Bradshaw asks are these films becoming too gory:
"Like many others, I am fascinated with the classic hard-hitter public information film (PIF) as an unacknowledged Brit horror genre of remarkable ingenuity and power. This is because of its official licence to shock and upset and to unleash one-off moments of horrible violence and inspired nastiness which in any other context would be condemned as gratuitous or even pornographic."
Video through link. PIF for 'Texting Whilst Driving' is just over four minutes long and is in fact part of a longer, 30-minute piece by producer-director Peter Watkins-Hughes.
"The classic PIF from the 70s punches out its message in about a minute, closing on a single, appalling image, and I was expecting this one to freeze after the first crash, but it carries on in real-time, ratcheting up the horror, leading to a second crash, and then there's an agonising aftermath, including a truly scalp-prickling close-up on the face of a baby which has apparently got into some sort of shock-induced catatonic state, or is perhaps dead. If it had appeared in a film, that close-up would count as an extreme certificate-18 moment, but because of the PIF context, it is considered entirely acceptable for all ages."
Usually A a PIF is over within a minute, this film looks at the aftermath of the situation and the effect it, whatever it is can cause. Its 'realer than real' and deeply shocking, and is effective in this respect.
But is this saying something about media today, and the saturation on today's audiences. A message can't be achieved simply, but as film etc taboos and boundaries are expanded and exceeded, we now need to be completely shocked, in order to receive a message of this manner, if in a film, as Bradshaw says, it would be an 18 certificate.
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A great list of types of PIFs.
A peculiarly good road safety animation for children. Brought to you by Texaco. Visitors to the accompanying website, www.hectorshome.com, will learn about the importance of bright, reflective clothing, bike lights and seat belts. They''ll also learn about road signs and how to cross the road safely.
Another great archive of PIF films. An another.
PIFs = Getting a message across, simply, quickly, effectively (film = reality = better response?)
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