Film screening

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A film screening is the displaying of a film, as part of its production and release cycle, before it is widely released to movie theaters. In general, "screening" applies to showing under special circumstances: either the environment or purpose will be different than that experienced by a mass market moviegoer. To show the film to best advantage, screenings can occur in plush, low seat-count theaters with very high quality (sometimes especially certified) projection and sound equipment, and can be accompanied by food and drink and spoken remarks by producers, writers, or actors. Screenings typically occur outside normal theatrical showing hours. The different types of screenings are presented here in rough chronological order of their use:

• Test screenings

• For early edits of a film, informal test screenings are shown to small target audiences to measure if a film will require editing, reshooting or rewriting. At this stage, the film can be incomplete, with missing or unfinished special effects shots or sound effects, or dialogue not yet rerecorded. Audience responses are usually recorded informally. Test audiences may be required not to discuss the film in its present form. A film may go through several test screenings.

• Focus groups are formal test screenings of an ostensibly complete film, with very detailed documentation of audience responses. Small groups of selected target audience members answer survey questionnaires, and are usually interviewed. Members may be recorded on video. Their realtime opinion may be recorded using a dialbox or pushbutton controls to indicate approval or disapproval. Their involuntary responses may be recorded using galvanic skin response, or EKG. Focus audiences may be required not to discuss the film. Such screenings can be expensive to run, due to the equipment required and large amount of data recorded, so are performed less frequently than informal test screenings. Permanent focus-group screening rooms, permanently equipped, simplify the process, but restrict the location of tests to major market areas.

• Critic screenings occur for national and major market critics well in advance of print and television production-cycle deadlines, and are usually by-invitation-only. When a studio anticipates negative critical reviews, this step is frequently skipped; the studio instead relies on advertising, in-theater previews, word-of-mouth, and established knowledge of the target audience for the success of the film.

• Private screenings are provided for investors, marketing and distribution representatives, and VIP media figures.

• Preview screenings are for the public, sometimes at boutique theaters (which may not be scheduled as a release theater). These may serve as final test screenings used to adjust marketing strategy (radio & TV junkets) or the film itself. Complimentary tickets (sometimes limited in number) are frequently provided to local media for contests or giveaways. No confidentiality requirement is imposed on the audience.

• A sneak preview is a film screening in advance of the broad release of a movie. The screening resembles that of a regular film, complete with the same admission charge. The apparent purpose of sneak previews is to gain additional buzz for the movie in question.