Description
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Kevin’s analysis of my movies has been invaluable over the years. With a comedy, the number one objective is to find out, is it funny, and how do we make it funnier. Kevin is the best in the business.”—Sacha Baron Cohen, actor, writer, and producer
“It takes about two years for my brother Bobby and I to make a movie—from writing it, casting it, shooting it, editing it—then one day you have to show it to the world and find out whether you just wasted two years of your life. Kevin is always at that nerve-wracking first screening—front and center—and thank God he is, because he’s like a movie whisperer who somehow knows all the right questions to ask the audience, so by the end of the night we know what’s working, and we know what’s not, and, most importantly, we know how to make the movie better. That’s Kevin’s job in a nutshell—to make movies better. And he does.”—Peter Farrelly, director, writer, producer, and Academy Award winner
“Test screening a film is a terrifying experience but having Kevin in the room makes me break out in hives a lot less. The audience insight he has provided for our films has been vital, and it’s truly a sight to behold watching him work his magic. His ability to connect with and get inside the minds of an audience is unmatched.”—Charlize Theron, Academy Award winning actress and producer
“On almost every comedy I have worked on in the last 20 years, Kevin has taken the movie through the testing process. Watching a focus group of your movies is like being in a bathroom stall at high school and hearing kids talk about you. Having Kevin there is always reassuring because he always is championing the filmmakers. His ability to analyze and interpret audiences is coupled with a real sense of how story works. He’s at once a scientist interpreting data and a psychologist shepherding audiences to reveal the answers a filmmaker is looking for. He is THE guy when it comes to focus groups and audience testing. And his results are undeniable.” —Ben Stiller, actor, writer, and producer.
“The film media loves to gossip about who has “final cut” on a movie, but professionals know that what some contract says doesn’t matter much because in reality, the audience has final cut if you want a commercial hit. But getting an unbiased understanding of what the audience really thinks is not simple. Kevin Goetz is a master in aiding in this effort, as this book so entertainingly reveals.” —Tom Rothman, Chairman, Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group
“So much of what we do as filmmakers revolves around providing maximum impact and wish fulfillment for our target audience. From concept to completion, we are constantly making assumptions around what we think will give the viewer a positive and unforgettable experience. Kevin and his remarkable company serve as the last validator of those assumptions. Through his carefully crafted process of audience engagement, focus groups, and data mining, he has consistently been able to help find the line between what was intended and what actually worked. This critical work has, hands-down, been the determining factor in the success of my films. There is no version of me locking picture without first consulting Kevin and his company Screen Engine/ASI.“ —Nate Parker, actor, director, writer, and producer
“I remember it like it was yesterday – the day of our first preview. Bohemian Rhapsody took me nearly 10 years to make. To say I was a ball of nerves is an understatement. When the lights came on, all I remember was seeing Kevin’s heartwarming smile from ear to ear. He leaned over and said, ‘You’ve got a massive hit on your hands,’ and all my nerves disappeared. To watch him work and know that the film you put your blood, sweat, and tears into is in the best of hands, is one of the greatest experiences. Kevin is truly the best in the business.” – Graham King, Academy Award winning producer
“When I screen my movies, they are bad. Then Kevin asks the audience why they are bad. It is painful. Like re-breaking a leg so it heals right. Then somehow, with his help, we figure out what to do. Now that I think about it, he doesn’t get paid enough. But this book should make up the difference.” – Judd Apatow, director, writer, and producer
“Whether you sit behind the camera or in front of it, in film school or in an office on a studio lot, or just face a screen as a movie lover, Audience-ology sheds light on how moviegoer feedback holds a special place in the final stages of filmmaking. The explanation of how the test screening process works is illustrated with fascinating stories that are the lore of Hollywood. I only wish this book had existed when I first started out in the business.” – Amy Pascal, producer and former Chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group
About the Author
Kevin Goetz has been at the center of what Hollywood calls the movie research industry for more than thirty years. His firm, Screen Engine/ASI, conducts research for a majority of all movies that are widely released in America and around the world. With decades of experience, Goetz has worked alongside all of the major film studio chiefs, network and streaming platform executives, and production company decision-makers. Los Angeles Times Magazine counted him as one of the 100 most powerful and influential people in Southern California. He has also produced twelve movies and brings both a marketing and filmmaking perspective to the interpretation of his research findings. He is a member of The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and several other distinguished organizations: Producers Guild of America, Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, SAG/AFTRA, Actors’ Equity Association, the Qualitative Research Consultants Association, and the American Marketing Association. He currently sits on the boards of five charitable organizations as part of his philanthropic endeavors. Goetz resides in Beverly Hills with his husband, Neil, and their labradoodle, Kasha.
Darlene Hayman is a well-respected market research analyst specializing in the motion picture category. She is an expert in evaluating test audience data and uncovering insights to help filmmakers and studios understand moviegoers’ reactions to their films. She has earned a reputation for distilling the research into succinct conclusions that can be used to refine movies during final stages of postproduction. Darlene has collaborated with Kevin Goetz for the past fifteen years and joins him as coauthor of Audience-ology: How Moviegoers Shape the Films We Love. She continues her work with Mr. Goetz’s company, Screen Engine/ASI. Her research experience follows a two-decades career in the ad agency business. Born and raised in New Jersey, Darlene has spent her entire adult life in the Los Angeles area where she currently resides with her husband, Steve.
Danielle Deculus –
I loved this book! I am not connected in any way to the movie industry. I’m not even that avid a movie-goer. Yet I was riveted from beginning to end. I really enjoyed learning about the film testing process and the stories of the filmmakers. I was especially interested in hearing about all the post-testing changes that were surprisingly made in the movies I love. Kevin Goetz artfully weaves his personal career journey with dozens of specific examples of how testing impacted individual films and the industry as a whole. He and co-author Darlene Hayman drew me in, educated me, made me laugh, and left me wanting more. Their vivid storytelling makes you feel like you were in the theater during those testings. One of the funniest vignettes was about choosing the audience for Driving Miss Daisy, one of my absolute favorite movies. I also really connected to the stories about how music changed the entire tone of some movies, like in Pretty Woman. I could go on and on…. The book should be read by every film student, every filmgoer, and everyone who just enjoys a good read. Put it on your holiday shopping list!
LATransplant –
Okay, I’ll level with you. Whenever I hear anything with the phrase “ology” attached to it, I fear I’m about to be transported back to school and forced to slog my way through a science text book. Happily, Audience-ology is anything but that. If you love watching movies, get this book. If you’re in the movie business, get this book. If you’re fascinated by the creative process, and how the intersection of art and science can come together to make a creation even better, then (you knew this was coming) get this book. Written in a fun, breezy style, and laced with anecdote after anecdote about some of Hollywood’s biggest names, Kevin Goetz and Darlene Hayman manage to thread the needle between teaching us about this previously unreported-on aspect of the film business, while making the content as involving and entertaining as the films they’re covering. For most of us, this is as close as we’ll get to the movie business. But thanks to Darlene and Kevin, we’re treated to front-row seats.
G.K. –
Having worked with Kevin as a colleague at screenings in the early days, I was mildly curious to read his book, but I was not prepared for my reaction. I was enthralled from the first page and read it cover to cover in one sitting. How beautifully he articulates the entire process of movie market research, painting a vivid picture of a world of multiple stake-holders and the high drama that unfolds when a movie is played for the first time to an audience ( a world unknown to most people, even ardent film buffs). He has found himself at the center of some very pivotal moments in moviemaking history, and in that sense the book is an important documentation of that. It is also the story of a young man coming to Hollywood to pursue a dream, and gives anyone interested in filmmaking or working in the industry an insider’s private tour: the egos, the machinations, the fear, the elation. How the sausage is made. What I enjoyed most was the self-reflection and nuance throughout, that elevates the story from mere “Hollywood gossip” to something with unexpected gravitas. A tale of creative humans collaborating to do amazing things. Definitely Recommend.
Alfred P. –
I have been a movie buff for my entire life and the fact that I spent 40 years in “the biz” only added to my excitement on finding this book. The stories are wonderful. They are told in a very readable manner. It is a “must read” for anyone connected with the movie business and for any movie buff.
Carrie –
I didn’t even know that this whole world of movie screenings existed until I read this book! What a crazy job it must be to tell a director that s/he should change a scene or the ending of a movie because people didn’t like it. Who knew that this whole world of test screening happens? This book has changed how I see movies and how I think about the moviemaking process. So interesting and well written–it’s hard to put down once you start it!
Amazon Customer –
I had no idea before reading this book, the power of an audience during a test screening! Every reaction from laughter to tears is factored into the final cut .Kevin Goetz takes us into this world,with fabulous stories, insights, and honesty. No matter how much time, love and labor goes into a movie ,I never knew that if the intended reaction isn’t elicited from the audience during a test screening ,it’s going to be changed. When Mr Goetz insightfully, and brilliantly conveys both the information and possible solution everyone listens . Because he knows what he’s talking about. His love of the movie industry and his passion for creativity is on every page of this book. A must read!
Lane A. –
This is a very fun and insightful book that every person who’s ever involved in filmmaking should read. It’s so important to get that outside perspective, and this man has created a phenomenal business of helping people make the right decisions for that final cut. I highly recommend it.
robert ackerman –
Being a diehard movie fan for many decades, I found Audience-ology to be truly fascinating. This book gives a behind-the-curtain glimpse of how focus groups provide feedback which can turn a mediocre movie into a huge hit as well as make a good film even better. The stories of some of my favorite movies and movie-makers were interesting and also took me down memory lane. A really fun read!
Cliente Amazon –
Utile anche per altre occasioni
Si, certo, il libro è scritto in inglese. Se non sei un fulmine nelle lingue straniere ricorda che se utilizzi un tablet, nell’applicazione Kindle puoi farti aiutare dal dizionario per scoprire il significato di una parola. E se proprio sei pigro puoi selezionare interi capoversi e farteli tradurre al volo! Una bella comodità. Ma veniamo al libro. Interessante. Svela ciò che precede il lancio di film importanti, ovvero la pratica dell’anteprima riservata ad un ristretto numero di persone: a seconda di come questo piccolo gruppo selezionato reagisce, produzione e regista cercano di correre ai ripari. Aggiungendo, tagliando o modificando parti del film finanche arrivando a cambiarne il finale. Mia personale considerazione: perché utile anche in altre occasioni? Perché una volta capito il concetto, la pratica dell’anteprima può funzionare anche in altri ambiti, con un po’ di inventiva (ad esempio, prima di pubblicare un libro si può far leggere il testo ad un gruppo ristretto di lettori, e decidere se apporre delle modifiche; prima di ristrutturare dei locali si può fare un test per vedere che tipo di locali servono in quella zona; e così via…)