Not surprisingly, we here at Pragmatic are advocates for having films and other visual content tested, but there are some things you should consider before deciding to test your film or not.
When NOT to test your film
You and everyone involved with the film are 100% happy with the final cut. If you feel the film captures your creative vision, that it is working really well and you have a clear idea who you think the target audiences are for it, then don't get it tested.
Feedback from a test audience might actually open a can of worms, raising questions and issues that a) you may not be able to do much about and b) may compromise or confuse your vision.
You want to get a general vibe of what audiences think. This is often code for "I want my ego stroked". This too can be dangerous. Perhaps you've already had some informal screenings with cast, crew and friends of the film. The feedback has been really positive. You're on a winner. You're confident that showing the film to a test audience will yield similar rave reviews.
Hint: it won't.
The fact is not everyone is going to love your film, no matter how brilliant it might be. Without having clear objectives about what you want to get out of an audience test (exploring plot comprehension, character engagement, pacing, audience appeal etc.), it is more likely your ego will be bruised than boosted.
You've run out of money. Fair enough. As post production comes to an end, budgets can be tight and prioritising where to spend your remaining dollars is important.
But audience testing is now far more cost-effective than it used to be. Depending on the specifications you can test your film in front of a full cinema (or the online equivalent) for less than $10,000 . Funding bodies can help to reduce this cost further.
When you SHOULD test your film
You have questions. Film audience testing is its most effective when filmmakers have clear objectives they need addressed and questions they need answered.
If you are uncertain about how a particular plot line is working or whether a certain character is sufficiently developed or whether the film's ending is packing the right emotional punch, then testing can really help. So too if you are unsure about who the target audiences are and what they find the most appealing and engaging about your film.
You can take your ego out of the process and take constructive feedback. Audience testing requires filmmakers to take a more dispassionate and egoless view of their film. Although it can be difficult, it's important you don't take audience feedback too personally.
It's easy to blame an audience for "just not getting it" if they react negatively to an aspect of your film. More constructive is to understand why this might be the case and what you can do to improve things. Can you handle the truth?
You can view feedback in context. Similarly, it is also easy to get excited about positive feedback. "We got 82% for the top two boxes!"
The ‘top 2 boxes’ score on an audience survey (excellent/very good) is an imperfect measure but an accepted industry standard. But remember, highly rated films have performed poorly at the box office and other more modestly-rated films have done well.
Your film’s score does not guarantee success. Always view your results in context with other information from the research. In our analysis we always present the detailed findings from the test but also broader summaries and interpretations based on our experience testing over 25 films.
You have the time and resources to make changes. All the feedback in the world is next to useless if you don't have the time and resources to do something with it.
Is there enough time before lock off to make edits? Can you revise your marketing strategies and budget based on the test results?
It is also important to factor in the time it will take to conduct an audience test. Luckily Pragmatic can turn around the whole test process (from recruitment to final report) within a week and sometimes shorter.
Contact us to find out more