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Audience-ology
- How Moviegoers Shape the Films We Love
- Narrated by: Kevin Goetz
- Length: 8 hrs and 2 mins
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Publisher's summary
Discover the fascinating and secretive process of audience testing of Hollywood movies through these first-hand stories from famous filmmakers, studio heads, and stars.
Audience-ology takes you to one of the most unknown places in Hollywood - a place where famous directors are reduced to tears and multi-millionaire actors to fits of rage. A place where dreams are made and fortunes are lost. This book is the chronicle of how real people have written and rewritten America’s cinematic masterpieces by showing up, watching a rough cut of a new film, and giving their unfettered opinions so that directors and studios can salvage their blunders, or better yet, turn their movies into all-time classics.
Each chapter informs an aspect or two of the test-screening process and then, through behind-the-scenes stories, illustrates how that particular aspect was carried out. Nicknamed “the doctor of audience-ology”, Kevin Goetz shares how he helped filmmakers and movie execs confront the misses and how he recommended ways to fix the blockbusters, as well as first-hand accounts from Ron Howard, Cameron Crowe, Ed Zwick, Renny Harlin, Jason Blum, and other Hollywood luminaries who brought you such films as La La Land, Chicago, Titanic, Wedding Crashers, Jaws, and Forrest Gump.
Audience-ology explores one of the most important (and most underrated) steps in the filmmaking process with enough humor, drama, and surprise to entertain those with only a spectator’s interest in film, offering us a new look at movie history.
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An important subject, but hardly gripping
- By Scott T. Hards on 09-24-10
By: Michael Davis
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Top of the Rock
- Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV
- By: Warren Littlefield, T. R. Pearson
- Narrated by: Bob Balaban
- Length: 8 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Warren Littlefield was the NBC President of Entertainment who oversaw the Peacock Network’s rise from also-ran to a division that generated a billion dollars in profits. In this fast-paced and exceptionally entertaining oral history, Littlefield and NBC luminaries including Jerry Seinfeld, Jason Alexander, Kelsey Grammer, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow, Julianna Marguiles, Anthony Edwards, Noah Wylie, Debra Messing, Jack Welch, Jimmy Burrows, Helen Hunt, and Dick Wolf vividly recapture the incredible era of Must See TV.
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Nostalgic Look at NBC in the 90's
- By Jill on 10-10-12
By: Warren Littlefield, and others
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American Rebel
- The Life of Clint Eastwood
- By: Marc Eliot
- Narrated by: Marc Eliot
- Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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From the New York Times best-selling author Marc Eliot comes the definitive biography of one of the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful actors, producers, and directors in the history of American motion pictures. Marc Eliot examines the ever-exciting, often tumultuous arc of Eastwood's life and career, from his days as a disaffected college dropout, to his rise to fame as the archetypal loner, to his acceptance into the pantheon of the Academy as a multiple Oscar Award winner.
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I learned the hard way.
- By Ty Pritchard on 07-23-10
By: Marc Eliot
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Can I Go Now?
- The Life of Sue Mengers, Hollywood's First Superagent
- By: Brian Kellow
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 13 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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A lively and colorful biography of Hollywood's first superagent - one of the most outrageous showbiz characters of the 1960s and 1970s, whose clients included Barbra Streisand, Ryan O'Neal, Faye Dunaway, Michael Caine, and Candice Bergen. Before Sue Mengers hit the scene in the mid-1960s, talent agents remained quietly in the background. But staying in the background was not possible for Mengers.
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A little long.
- By Doris on 11-29-15
By: Brian Kellow
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You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried
- The Brat Pack, John Hughes, and Their Impact on a Generation
- By: Susannah Gora
- Narrated by: Kelli Tager
- Length: 15 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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The landscape that the Brat Pack memorialized is rich with cultural themes and significance, and has influenced an entire generation who still believe that life always turns out like an '80s movie. You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried takes us back to that era, through Susannah Gora's interviews with key players such as Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, Judd Nelson, Andrew McCarthy, and John Cusack, and mines all the material from the movies to the music to the way the films were made to show how they helped shape our visions for romance, friendship, society, and success.
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Brings me back to my teenage years! Fantastic Narration! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- By Amazmama on 06-24-22
By: Susannah Gora
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Orson Welles's Last Movie
- The Making of The Other Side of the Wind
- By: Josh Karp
- Narrated by: Keith Szarabajka
- Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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In the summer of 1970, legendary but self-destructive director Orson Welles returned to Hollywood from years of self-imposed exile in Europe and decided it was time to make a comeback movie. It was about a legendary self-destructive director who returns to Hollywood from years of self-imposed exile in Europe. Welles swore it wasn't autobiographical.
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Engaging and human portrait of Welles
- By TrevorTrujillo on 06-20-20
By: Josh Karp
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The Simpsons
- An Uncensored, Unauthorized History
- By: John Ortved
- Narrated by: John Allen Nelson, Justine Eyre
- Length: 11 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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John Ortved's oral history is the first-ever look behind the scenes at the creation and day-to-day running of the television phenomenon known as The Simpsons, as told by many of the people who produce it.
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Great Content, Awful Reading
- By JH Easton on 03-13-11
By: John Ortved
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Homey Don't Play That!
- The Story of In Living Color and the Black Comedy Revolution
- By: David Peisner
- Narrated by: JD Jackson
- Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Few television shows revolutionized comedy as profoundly or have had such an enormous and continued impact on our culture as In Living Color. Inspired by Richard Pryor, Carol Burnett, and Eddie Murphy, Keenen Ivory Wayans created a television series unlike any that had come before it. In Living Color shaped American culture in ways both seen and unseen. Now, Homey Don't Play That! reveals the complete, captivating story of how In Living Color overcame enormous odds to become a major, zeitgeist-seizing hit.
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Wow, that sucked......
- By Just W on 10-11-18
By: David Peisner
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Steve McQueen
- A Biography
- By: Marc Eliot
- Narrated by: Marc Eliot
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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One of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and '70s with now-classics such as The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape, The Thomas Crown Affair, and Bullit, Steve McQueen is renowned as one of the most exciting actors ever to come out of Hollywood. Now, in Steve McQueen: A Biography, best-selling author Marc Eliot gives unique insight into McQueen's life, from his films to his three marriages, many affairs, and struggles with addictions.
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Snooze
- By Cill on 10-27-11
By: Marc Eliot
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The Speed of Sound
- Hollywood and the Talkie Revolution 1926 - 1930
- By: Scott Eyman
- Narrated by: Adams Morgan
- Length: 13 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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In this mixture of cultural and social history that is both scholarly and vastly entertaining, Eyman dispels the myths and gives us the missing chapter in the history of Hollywood, the ribbon of dreams by which America conquered the world.
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Better than nothing!
- By Colin Barton on 08-31-11
By: Scott Eyman
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Age of Cage
- Four Decades of Hollywood Through One Singular Career
- By: Keith Phipps
- Narrated by: Keith Sellon-Wright
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Nicolas Cage is many things, but love him, or laugh at him, there's no denying two things: You've seen one of his many films, and you certainly know his name. But who is he, really, and why has his career endured for over 40 years, with more than a hundred films, and birthed a million memes? Age of Cage is a smart, beguiling book about the films of Nicolas Cage and the actor himself, as well as a sharp-eyed examination of the changes that have taken place in Hollywood over the course of his career.
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Excellent filmography of a successful career
- By Pamela Plimpton on 04-04-22
By: Keith Phipps
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Caddyshack
- The Making of a Hollywood Cinderella Story
- By: Chris Nashawaty
- Narrated by: Peter Berkrot
- Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Caddyshack is one of the most beloved comedies of all time, a classic snobs vs. slobs story of working-class kids and the white-collar buffoons that make them haul their golf bags in the hot summer sun. It has sex, drugs, and one very memorable candy bar, but the movie we all know and love didn't start out that way, and everyone who made it certainly didn't have the word classic in mind as the cameras were rolling.
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Not Really About Caddyshack Until Hour 5
- By William M. on 07-01-18
By: Chris Nashawaty
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You Might Remember Me
- The Life and Times of Phil Hartman
- By: Mike Thomas
- Narrated by: Corey Snow
- Length: 9 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Both joyous tribute and serious biography, Mike Thomas' You Might Remember Me is a celebration of Phil Hartman's multi-faceted career and an exhaustively reported, warts-and-all examination of his often intriguing and sometimes complicated life - a powerful, humor-filled and disquieting portrait of a man who was loved by many, admired by millions and taken from them far too early.
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I Will Remember You Phil Hartman
- By Roxanna on 12-19-14
By: Mike Thomas
What listeners say about Audience-ology
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- fee services
- 02-22-23
How to fix a broken Movie
this book is really good but I'll tell you what I don't like in a little bit. first of all, the narration is really good. it's surprising that the author doesn't do voiceover work. very intelligent yet, compassionate and not over the top. The stories about how top Hollywood hits are fixed before they are released to the public is really fascinating, especially the details he gives, and I'm not really a movie buff either. now- here's what I don't like. The title should have been named," how broken movies are fixed", subtitle-" the power of the audience".
To me that gives a complete description of what you're going to read and it sounds a whole lot more interesting. also what I don't like is in most books I read is the story always has to begin when the author is five or six years old and visiting their aunt viola or whatever. I just wish the story would start where it's interesting. we don't really need the other story. it's kind of confusing and no matter how cleverly written it just doesn't add really to the story in my opinion. anyhow, I enjoyed it.
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- Lynn Griffith
- 11-30-21
A Must Read for Movie Lovers!
A thoroughly enjoyable ‘behind the scenes’ look at how audiences shape the outcome of a movie.
I felt like I was experiencing my favorite films all over again with greater insight.
Brilliantly written in a way that will thrill movie lovers to their core.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Jin Choung
- 07-17-22
Really fascinating!
What a great idea for a book. It gives you a peek into the production process that is almost never discussed and as you'd expect, the behind the scenes stories of stars, directors, producers and execs make for a really interesting read.
I kept wondering though if audience feedback is much different nowadays than it used to be. Considering how mainstream media savvy has become, I would imagine a lot of the feedback to sound like studio feedback - "Really great protag intro but the first act turning point doesn't feel decisive enough. The beat is a little blurry."
I'd love a continuation of this kind of thing. it doesn't even have to be so narratively cohesive either. just something that's nothing but a list of movies and anecdotes about how the screenings for them went.
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- Mom of 2
- 12-22-21
Fascinating and entertaining!
I’m a data scientist by day and filmmaking enthusiast by night, so the Audience-ology intersection of art and science was right up my alley. I particularly loved the growth mindset way the deeply insider anecdotes are all framed as lessons. What a wonderful job Goetz has!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Leilani
- 12-23-21
A must read for film lovers
I loved hearing all the behind the scenes stories of so many of my favorite movies. The author is a terrific reader and makes you feel like you are there.
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1 person found this helpful
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- JV
- 12-29-22
Kevin is the Michael Jordan of Movie Research
I have had the pleasure of spending many hours in a dark theatre with Kevin over the years. Almost every director I worked with asked for him by name. He truly is one of a kind. I am glad that he found his way to the place and the person he became. This book is for those that are interested in what goes on when the lights go down and the audience sees something for the first time. Kevin's reading of his book is fantastic. I'd recommend this to anyone that is interested in marketing research and how movies are truly made.
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- Frank Cirillo
- 10-27-23
Psychology and storytelling
What happens after cut? A whole lot it turns out. A movie which plays terribly at home, can kill in a theater. A script which is thrown to the floor in a Hollywood board room, ends up making a fortune. Why is that? The answer is, ultimately, it depends; which is why Mr. Goetz’s profession is a critical part of the process of film making.
His style of narration, is storytelling by anecdote, which works perfectly to bring color to what easily could’ve been titled “Psychology and storytelling”. He conducts focus groups for Hollywood Films and so much more, and he guides us from the beginning of the process to the to end in an entertaining manner. You’ll recognize the names of the films , actors, actresses, etc … Much of than book I found myself saying “huh I never really thought about how that was don3”….I know that’s generic but isn’t the fun in the read?
If you’re interested in Hollywood; both if you enjoy the creative, or the business end of things, you will love this. Actually, any involved whose business process involving story telling, I’m an attorney, and I found some valuable tips for my job in here. Already I’ve incorporated some of his strategies into my mock juries in order to get more honest answers. (While lawyers are great at asking the right questions, they know the answers they want).
When I’m preparing for trial I need to hear the truth, sometimes that truth is going to hurt me; a simple trick I picked up with no longer starting with a straw poll, I start by asking what people liked about my case. As you can imagine, (or I wouldn’t be taking the time to write this) they became far more critical, and pointed in their criticisms of me or my case. Having them ease into the bad parts, what was before a trickle, became a torrent. Prior, I was subconsciously making them say “are you with me or against me?”. That doesn’t do anyone any good.
I need to know what they see that I don’t. We are often hard to separate ourselves from our trials, projects, or films. You need third parties, and you need them to tell you the truth.
I highly recommend this book.
P.S. I definitely misheard your first name when I met you: so I apologize for calling you the wrong name during all of back to the future.
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- SANTIAGO POZO
- 01-17-22
Fabulous
Hollywood with a new perspective. wise fun and full of surprises and insights. Bravo Kevin
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1 person found this helpful
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- Suzanne H.
- 02-02-22
If you love movies you'll LOVE this book!
Having a great love of movies I found this to be a great insight into the behind-the-scenes of making movies and a topic not often discussed. The backstories of how audiences shape some of our favorite movies was fascinating. I especially loved the story behind Moonstruck. If I were a filmmaker I would plop myself down and listed to what Kevin Goetz has to say. If you are interested in how movies are made this is a terrific book.
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- Jeremy Carlson
- 02-07-22
Required reading?
This should be required reading for anyone in marketing that is trying to reach an audience. Especially those in media/film/entertainment. Kevin’s detail and candor on these subjects both affirms and challenges long-held practices. Well done!
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