Why Nobody Will Watch Your Film: Understanding Audience Expectations

Nobody will watch your movie....period. Pretty bold statement but it actually is true. If you don't give the audience what they want and expect, then they aren't going to watch your film. They will have it on, it will be playing, but as far as active watching, you have lost them. They will wonder about doing laundry, they will take a phone call, they will leave the room, all the while your movie is playing.

So what do they want? That depends on the audience. Every single film will have an audience, even if that audience is the cast and crew, who are watching it because they made it. Nobody else will watch it, or care to see it, or pay to see it, but that's not the point.

If you want someone to watch your film, the first thing you should do is ask them what movies they like to watch. If none of the films they list are like your film, they are not your audience. They will turn it on, let it play, but not actively watch it because it won't appeal to them. This is not about how good your film is, good is a judgement call. It's not about how well made it is, that again is a judgement call. The myriad of things that filmmakers care about in a film, the general audience doesn't. They don't even know how many stories are in the world (2), or how many genres (7) or how many dramatic situations (36). They could care less that the movie they are watching stars two actors that were each in films JUST LIKE THIS ONE two years ago. It doesn't matter. Because in the movie world, you have the cult of celebrity, it's not the role, it's who is playing it, who wrote it, who produced it. Want to test it? Ask someone you don't know to buy your film. See that blank look? Point made.

Nobody is going to watch your film. Cynical? Yes, of course. So you should stop trying to get them to watch your film and just make films, make each one better than the last. When you get to the point you can make a good film, THEN you can give the audience what they need. A film by someone they know. YOU! after all this time you will be the one they say "oh, i know that guy!"....throw in some actors that they vaguely know (Lorenzo Lamas is still out there!) and you got the cult of celebrity working for you, because if someone they know is in it, if you can afford them, it gives your film "social value" in the movie world. Social value is everything, it's the "everyone else is watching this, I should watch it."

So stop worrying about the fact nobody wants to race out and watch your film. It will happen. As soon as you give them what they want and expect, they will want to watch your films.

cheers

Q