ABSTRACT
In order to gauge audience response, filmmakers and studios hold previews of soon-to-be released films and obtain quantitative feedback via response cards. Filmmakers are sharply divided on the utility of previews. Many feel the more important aspects of the filmmaker/audience relationship involve social responsibility. Hollywood lore is full of stories about how a studio, buoyed by data from preview performances, butchered a great film by changing the ending or injecting more sex or action into the final version. Predicting the responses of “the last collaborator” can be a very tricky process. In their attempts to bring classic films from script to screen, Hollywood’s most successful and distinguished filmmakers walk a fine line between keeping the audience in mind and pursuing their own unique vision. While their methods of accomplishing this may be diverse, the common theme uniting their efforts is a tremendous respect and affection for the audience.
