Posted by Kevin at spider-wq054.proxy.aol.com on May 24, 2001 at 05:08:09:
Tonight, we had our test screening in San Diego.
To say it went incredibly well would be a vast understatement. I'll let
the scores speak for themselves.
I'm sure most of you are familiar with the testing process. Cards are
given out at the end of the screening, and data is compiled from a series
of boxes (Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, Poor) in regards to a variety
of topics (Characters, Pace, Music, Overall, etc). But when all's said and
done, there are only two categories that mean anything.
One is the "Top Two Boxes" - the combined score of which is the quoted
figure that's constantly refered back to ("We have to bring the scores up.
It only scored a thirty in the top two boxes.").
The other is the "Definitely Recommend". This is in the recommend category
in which the viewer is asked would they Definitely, Probably, Probably Not,
or Definitely Not recommend the movie to others.
In the Top Two Boxes, in which the average (or normal) acceptable score is
55%, 'Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back' scored 86%. 86% of the audience said
the film was Excellent or Very Good.
In the Definite Recommend category, in which the average (or normal)
acceptable score is 45%, 'Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back' received a 79%.
We have never... NEVER received scores like that. To wit, the highest
'Dogma' ever scored was a 60% or 65% in the Top Two Boxes, with a 35% to
40% definite recommend. 'Amy' was somewhere in that range as well.
The Dimension folks informed me that these were some of the highest numbers
not only in their history, but also Miramax's.
And in terms of who made up the audience, only 14% of the group had seen
all four of the prior flicks. So it wasn't like we screened to a group of
total fans; we were screening to fresh faces.
But let's put aside the numbers and just talk about the screening in
general.
It went like gangbusters. The audience was with the movie every step of
the way. I've never heard an audience laugh so much in any of our prior
flicks' screenings.
It was... amazing.
Many thanks to all in attendance. 341 of you came, and none of you walked
out (also a first for us; there's always been at least a 2% walk-out rate).
But most importantly, according to the numbers, virtually all of you
enjoyed yourselves (indeed, the "Fair" and "Poor" ratings were 3% and 1%
respectively).
I