Film & trailer testing
Now taking studiesTest the cut before the audience does.
A matched audience watches your rough cut, final cut or trailer variants in a controlled screening. We show you where the film holds them, where it loses them, and what that means for the edit and the campaign.
For · Producers, studios, distributors, trailer and marketing teams.
Request a film study proposalDecisions this informs
- Which cut or trailer communicates the premise most clearly.
- Which scenes hold attention and which lose it.
- What to emphasise, and what to hold back, in marketing.
When to test
- Rough cut
- Final cut
- Trailer variants
- Promo and teaser variants
Study approach
- We agree the decision first, then the audience: language, city and age band.
- Participants watch in a controlled session; structured questionnaires and discussion follow.
- Where the design calls for it, we add observation, facial expression, gaze or physiological measures.
- Methods are confirmed in your proposal.
A physiological or behavioural signal does not identify a person's internal emotion with certainty. Findings need context, participant feedback and human interpretation.
What you receive
- An annotated, moment-by-moment timeline of the cut
- Scenes worth keeping, and scenes worth revisiting
- Responses by audience segment (language, city, age band)
- Survey findings and participant verbatims
- Prioritised edit and marketing options
- A debrief session with your team
Promo reels and Shorts
Test the vertical cut-downs of your trailer for Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts in the same session. Viewers watch on their own phones in a simulated feed where they can scroll past, so we see which version makes them stop, where they swipe away and what they took from it.
Opening hook
What do viewers understand in the first seconds, and when do they scroll away?
Message
What do viewers think the video is saying?
Pacing
Which moments feel slow, confusing or rushed?
Recall
What title, star or brand do viewers remember without prompting?
Call to action
Is the next step (watch the trailer, book tickets, follow) clear?
Version comparison
How do alternative hooks, edits, captions or endings compare within the study?
We report what viewers did (stopped, kept watching, swiped away) separately from what they told us. Intent to share, follow or watch is reported as stated intent, not behaviour.
What this study cannot tell you
- — What the film will earn at the box office.
- — Causal proof that a change will improve results.
- — How audiences outside the study sample will respond.
Questions
What decision are you trying to make?
Producers, studios, distributors, trailer and marketing teams.
Request a film study proposal