Test screening

A test screening is a preview screening of a movie conducted before its general release, in order to gauge audience reaction. Preview audiences are selected to obtain a cross-section of the population, and are usually asked to complete a questionnaire or provide feedback in some other form.

Feedback from a test screening may be used to improve, or at least alter, the movie before it is released. Cases exist of test screenings prompting filmmakers to completely change the ending of a movie (by having a character die who would have survived, or vice versa, for instance).

It has been suggested that the usual practice of testing the movie with an audience representing the general public may be counterproductive in some cases. If a film's appeal is only for a particular section of the population, comments from viewers outside the target audience may prompt filmmakers to make changes that alienate the target audience without significantly broadening the film's appeal. (The expression "dumbing down" often enters the conversation at this point.)