Death by Focus Group — Do Test Screenings Ruin Movies?

Video Description

Movie Cinema Audience Test — We look at the controversial film industry mainstay: test screenings. Subscribe to StudioBinder Academy ►► https://bit.ly/sb-ad StudioBinder Blog ►► http://bit.ly/sb-bl ───────────────────── Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction to Film Test Screenings 00:44 - The History of Test Screenings 05:13 - Assessing Comedy 05:55 - Assessing Comedy 06:33 - Answers Questions 07:08 - Identify Problems 08:34 - Lowest Common Denominator 09:11 - Empowers Executives 10:12 - Forced Happy Ending 13:11 - Herd Mentality 13:57 - Can’t Change Everything 14:38 - Takeaways ───────────────────── TESTING MOVIES If you were to ask filmmakers what step of the movie process is the most painful, the lion's share of them would likely say test screenings. And yet, the practice of test screenings is deeply embedded into the film industry. Do test screenings really ruin movies? Or is there some use in the torturous process? We break down how test screenings work, and the pros and cons to the controversial technique. HOW DO TEST SCREENINGS WORK? So what actually goes on during a preview screening? Test screenings are a tool used by filmmakers and studios to gauge audience reactions to a film before its official release. Typically, these screenings involve presenting a rough cut of the movie to a selected audience. After the screening, viewers are often asked to complete surveys, participate in interviews, or join focus groups to provide feedback on various elements of the film. This feedback is then analyzed by producers, filmmakers, and marketing teams to determine whether changes should be made. ARE MOVIE TEST SCREENINGS GOOD? The most obvious benefit of test screenings is the opportunity to view the film through the eyes of an objective audience. Audience reactions can highlight issues that may not have been apparent during production. But there is also something about watching with an audience that makes a filmmaker themselves see the movie differently– they can feel what's working and what's not. Test screenings can also guide marketing strategies by identifying which characters, themes, or scenes resonate most strongly with viewers. ARE PREVIEW SCREENINGS BAD? Test screenings are not without drawbacks. There's a risk that creative decisions will be compromised in an attempt to please a broad audience, diluting the filmmaker’s original vision. Studios often overreact to negative feedback, pushing for changes that result in a more conventional or less daring final product. As a result, many filmmakers argue that test screenings can hinder rather than help the artistic integrity of a film. So there's far from a consensus on test screenings. So maybe the truth is somewhere in the middle. Don't blindly embrace them, but maybe don't totally discount them either. #FilmTheory #VideoEssay #Filmmaking ───────────────────── ♬ SONGS USED: “Holiday” - Turnstile “The Diaphragm Van” - Gregory James Jenkins “Opening Theme (Sunset Boulevard)” - Franz Waxman “So Was Red” - Thomas Newman “Quantum IV” - Makeup and Vanity Set “Burnin and Lootin’” - Bob Marley and the Wailers “M.I.B. Theme” - Danny Elfman “Fur Elise” - Andrew Wilde “Aegus” - Makeup and Vanity Set “Señor Avocado” - Justin Hurwitz “Lovin’ Machine” - The John Spencer Blues Explosion “The Journey Begins” - John Williams “Urban Legend” - Christopher Young “Heist” - Mark Isham “Tannhauser Gate” - Makeup and Vanity Set “Vapor Trail” - Yumi Arai “The Norville Suite” - Carter Burwell “Layla “- Derek and the Dominos “Monsters, INC.” - Randy Newman “Babylon” - Justin Hurwitz “M.I.B. Closing Theme” - Danny Elfman “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back Score Suite” - James L. Venable “Dead Can Dance” - Giona Ostinelli “Moke Mayhem” - Lorne Balfe “What is Fight Club?” - The Dust Brothers “Angora” - Danny Elfman Music by Artlist ► https://utm.io/umJx Music by Artgrid ► https://utm.io/umJy Music by Soundstripe ► http://bit.ly/2IXwomF Music by MusicBed ► http://bit.ly/2Fnz9Zq ───────────────────── SUBSCRIBE to StudioBinder’s YouTube channel! ►► http://bit.ly/2hksYO0 Looking for production management solution for your film? Try StudioBinder for FREE today: https://studiobinder.com/pricing — Join us on Social Media! — Instagram ►► https://www.instagram.com/studiobinder Facebook ►► https://www.facebook.com/studiobinderapp Twitter ►► https://www.twitter.com/studiobinder #FilmTheory #VideoEssay #Filmmaking