Audience-ology

How Moviegoers Shape the Films We Love

By: Kevin Goetz, Darlene Hayman

Narrated by: Kevin Goetz

Discover the fascinating and secretive process of audience testing of Hollywood movies through these first-hand stories from famous filmmakers, studio heads, and stars.

Audience-ology takes you to one of the most unknown places in Hollywood - a place where famous directors are reduced to tears and multi-millionaire actors to fits of rage. A place where dreams are made and fortunes are lost. This book is the chronicle of how real people have written and rewritten America’s cinematic masterpieces by showing up, watching a rough cut of a new film, and giving their unfettered opinions so that directors and studios can salvage their blunders, or better yet, turn their movies into all-time classics.

Each chapter informs an aspect or two of the test-screening process and then, through behind-the-scenes stories, illustrates how that particular aspect was carried out. Nicknamed “the doctor of audience-ology”, Kevin Goetz shares how he helped filmmakers and movie execs confront the misses and how he recommended ways to fix the blockbusters, as well as first-hand accounts from Ron Howard, Cameron Crowe, Ed Zwick, Renny Harlin, Jason Blum, and other Hollywood luminaries who brought you such films as La La Land, Chicago, Titanic, Wedding Crashers, Jaws, and Forrest Gump.

Audience-ology explores one of the most important (and most underrated) steps in the filmmaking process with enough humor, drama, and surprise to entertain those with only a spectator’s interest in film, offering us a new look at movie history.

©2021 Kevin Goetz. All rights reserved. (P)2021 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.

How to fix a broken Movie

this book is really good but I'll tell you what I don't like in a little bit. first of all, the narration is really good. it's surprising that the author doesn't do voiceover work. very intelligent yet, compassionate and not over the top. The stories about how top Hollywood hits are fixed before they are released to the public is really fascinating, especially the details he gives, and I'm not really a movie buff either. now- here's what I don't like. The title should have been named," how broken movies are fixed", subtitle-" the power of the audience".
To me that gives a complete description of what you're going to read and it sounds a whole lot more interesting. also what I don't like is in most books I read is the story always has to begin when the author is five or six years old and visiting their aunt viola or whatever. I just wish the story would start where it's interesting. we don't really need the other story. it's kind of confusing and no matter how cleverly written it just doesn't add really to the story in my opinion. anyhow, I enjoyed it.

A Must Read for Movie Lovers!

A thoroughly enjoyable ‘behind the scenes’ look at how audiences shape the outcome of a movie.
I felt like I was experiencing my favorite films all over again with greater insight.
Brilliantly written in a way that will thrill movie lovers to their core.

Really fascinating!

What a great idea for a book. It gives you a peek into the production process that is almost never discussed and as you'd expect, the behind the scenes stories of stars, directors, producers and execs make for a really interesting read.

I kept wondering though if audience feedback is much different nowadays than it used to be. Considering how mainstream media savvy has become, I would imagine a lot of the feedback to sound like studio feedback - "Really great protag intro but the first act turning point doesn't feel decisive enough. The beat is a little blurry."

I'd love a continuation of this kind of thing. it doesn't even have to be so narratively cohesive either. just something that's nothing but a list of movies and anecdotes about how the screenings for them went.

Fascinating and entertaining!

I’m a data scientist by day and filmmaking enthusiast by night, so the Audience-ology intersection of art and science was right up my alley. I particularly loved the growth mindset way the deeply insider anecdotes are all framed as lessons. What a wonderful job Goetz has!

A must read for film lovers

I loved hearing all the behind the scenes stories of so many of my favorite movies. The author is a terrific reader and makes you feel like you are there.

Kevin is the Michael Jordan of Movie Research

I have had the pleasure of spending many hours in a dark theatre with Kevin over the years. Almost every director I worked with asked for him by name. He truly is one of a kind. I am glad that he found his way to the place and the person he became. This book is for those that are interested in what goes on when the lights go down and the audience sees something for the first time. Kevin's reading of his book is fantastic. I'd recommend this to anyone that is interested in marketing research and how movies are truly made.

Psychology and storytelling

What happens after cut? A whole lot it turns out. A movie which plays terribly at home, can kill in a theater. A script which is thrown to the floor in a Hollywood board room, ends up making a fortune. Why is that? The answer is, ultimately, it depends; which is why Mr. Goetz’s profession is a critical part of the process of film making.

His style of narration, is storytelling by anecdote, which works perfectly to bring color to what easily could’ve been titled “Psychology and storytelling”. He conducts focus groups for Hollywood Films and so much more, and he guides us from the beginning of the process to the to end in an entertaining manner. You’ll recognize the names of the films , actors, actresses, etc … Much of than book I found myself saying “huh I never really thought about how that was don3”….I know that’s generic but isn’t the fun in the read?


If you’re interested in Hollywood; both if you enjoy the creative, or the business end of things, you will love this. Actually, any involved whose business process involving story telling, I’m an attorney, and I found some valuable tips for my job in here. Already I’ve incorporated some of his strategies into my mock juries in order to get more honest answers. (While lawyers are great at asking the right questions, they know the answers they want).

When I’m preparing for trial I need to hear the truth, sometimes that truth is going to hurt me; a simple trick I picked up with no longer starting with a straw poll, I start by asking what people liked about my case. As you can imagine, (or I wouldn’t be taking the time to write this) they became far more critical, and pointed in their criticisms of me or my case. Having them ease into the bad parts, what was before a trickle, became a torrent. Prior, I was subconsciously making them say “are you with me or against me?”. That doesn’t do anyone any good.

I need to know what they see that I don’t. We are often hard to separate ourselves from our trials, projects, or films. You need third parties, and you need them to tell you the truth.

I highly recommend this book.

P.S. I definitely misheard your first name when I met you: so I apologize for calling you the wrong name during all of back to the future.

Fabulous

Hollywood with a new perspective. wise fun and full of surprises and insights. Bravo Kevin

If you love movies you'll LOVE this book!

Having a great love of movies I found this to be a great insight into the behind-the-scenes of making movies and a topic not often discussed. The backstories of how audiences shape some of our favorite movies was fascinating. I especially loved the story behind Moonstruck. If I were a filmmaker I would plop myself down and listed to what Kevin Goetz has to say. If you are interested in how movies are made this is a terrific book.

Required reading?

This should be required reading for anyone in marketing that is trying to reach an audience. Especially those in media/film/entertainment. Kevin’s detail and candor on these subjects both affirms and challenges long-held practices. Well done!