We provide industry leading market research managed by experienced Hollywood professionals. We help interpret, simulate, and anticipate the needs and responses of entertainment enthusiasts around the world. We offer a wide spectrum of research services covering all aspects of a film’s lifecycle – from pre-production through theatrical release and beyond. With an experienced staff and a holistic approach to the movie consumer, we provide a suite of products both domestically and internationally.
We assess market potential and interpret market trends. We develop and build brands, help clients build long-term relationships with their customers, test advertising and study audience responses to various media, and measure public opinion around the globe.
Additionally we offer expertise in advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, and public affairs research, as well as forecasting, and modeling. We have a full line of custom, syndicated, omnibus, panel, and online research products and services, guided by industry experts and bolstered by advanced analytics and methodologies.
SCRIPT EVALUATION
We recently launched the highly anticipated Script Evaluation to assess the potential playability and marketability of films at the script stage. This service, designed to inform key decisions at the most nascent stages of a movie, benefits from the group’s extensive background in screenings, creative testing and tracking, as well as access to the largest sample of nationally representative moviegoers available and the proprietary normative data culled from it.
The new service will evaluate a script’s potential for success by implementing a multistage review and analysis including Evaluation, Playability, Marketability, and Quantitative Validation.
During the Evaluation process, a genre and/or sub-genre is identified for a film’s script, historical elements from successful films within the genre are noted, demographic target audiences are assessed, and a box-office range for comparable films is provided. Importantly, this stage is adaptable to any client’s particular need by delivering the best analysis and recommendations within the context of their goals.
The script is then analyzed for its Playability, where elements contained within it are compared to those in similar-genre films with the team drawing on their unparalleled experience at evaluating an audience’s reaction. Recommendations are made to address any contradictions and confusion, and an appraisal is given for the potential impact that specific scenes and subplots will have on the core audience. For example, a Science Fiction film containing elements of Romance and Horror may cause genre confusion, alienate the target audiences for each rather than broadening its appeal, and negatively impact the movie’s potential playability.
In the Marketability stage, the team will hone in on the assets and liabilities of the script, including the themes the core audience historically responds to within the selected genre. Strategies to effectively position and communicate the film’s message are provided as well as any missing elements critical to implementing a successful campaign for that type of film.
The final stage is Quantitative Validation where the script is summarized to the equivalent of a “pitch” and tested among 1,000 nationally representative moviegoers to gauge their interest in it being released theatrically. This stage is critically important because the results of the concept test are then compared to normative data that is comprised of hundreds of concept tests conducted each year providing marketplace context to the information.
PROJECT GREENLIGHT EVALUATION
This information is extremely useful in not only helping to choose which film to make, but also for avoiding the ones you shouldn’t make. One of the most important questions this multistage process answers is `Should We Make This Movie?’ Over the years we have been asked to evaluate scripts from a large number of theatrical clients and our resulting track record convinced me to finally centralize this service for the industry.”
We provide a service to filmmakers that gives them access to information directly from audiences, that’s a valuable tool. Anytime a client can receive direct feedback from potential moviegoers about what they like and how best to reach them, it’s good for the studio.
Ultimately, a detailed report outlining the Ford Script Evaluation analytics and recommendations is generated answering key questions early in the process about a script’s potential reception from moviegoers from both a marketing and production perspective.
There is a difference between a film that one wants to make at a price, financed through foreign sales and planned for a platform release that involves very little risk versus a movie that would need a strong P&A commitment to recoup its negative cost. We understand this and take the context of the request into account with each project.
Our market research specialization is built to reach, engage and more effectively understand today’s digitally-driven consumer in the fast moving media, content and technology space. By integrating new technologies and immersive techniques with extensive traditional research experience, our market leading research solutions help clients better understand media and technology consumption, evaluate content, monitor the value of brands and provide guidance for successful innovation.
We approach results in deeper and more profound consumer insights that allow companies and filmmakers to maximize their return on investment.
