We all know the hard work that filmmakers and actors put in the film to provide us with entertainment, but it seems that even regular moviegoers like us have a big impact on how a movie turns out too.
For decades, film studios have used so-called test screenings to get feedback from members of the public before a movie comes out.
While test audience members are usually asked to fill in a questionnaire after a screening, telling the film studio what they liked and didn't like, media giant Disney has come up with a more high-tech solution.
According to a paper published this summer by the company's researchers, Disney is measuring the test audience's reactions by using special cameras placed inside cinemas.
Pairing the cameras with custom(定制的) software, the company can track what each audience member is feeling at any point in the movie, from anger to joy.
This works by mapping 68 different points on each audience member's face. The cameras can see in the dark, and the software can figure out a person's mood based on the slightest facial expressions.
It's hoped that this new method will allow more detailed feedback from the test audience. Rather than relying on audience members to recall their feelings after the movie's over,it can accurately read their reactions in real-time.
Test screenings are highly valued in the movie industry, and several well-known movies have been greatly altered(改变)following feedback.
Viewers of
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial would have left the cinema feeling a whole lot of difference if it had not been for its test audience's feedback.
"In one
cut of the film that was tested,E.T. died instead of going home in his spaceship. You won't be surprised to hear that the test audience in question. didn't warm to this ending at all," wrote media website Den of Geek.
But for those who are concerned about privacy, the cameras won't be installed in public cinemas.
After all, unless you're part of the test audience,being in front of the camera is best left to the movie stars.
【小题1】How do the test audience influence a movie before it comes out?
A.They get involved in the shooting of a movie. |
B.They help promote it after test screenings. |
C.They give advice on how a movie should end. |
D.Their views on the movie may help change it. |
【小题2】What is the main advantage the cameras Disney researchers are using have over questionnaires?
A.They protect the audience's privacy better. |
B.They allow the audience to recall their feelings more easily. |
C.They are able to record the audience's moods accurately on the spot. |
D.They can help audience members adjust their moods with custom software. |
【小题3】With the example of
A.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the author intends to ______. |
B.illustrate the significance of test screenings |
C.emphasize the importance of altering a movie |
D.show what kind of endings are better received by viewers |
E.explain what kind of feedback could be accepted in test screenings |
【小题4】The underlined word "cut"in the third-to-last paragraph probably means ______.A.a particular version of a movie |
B.a part that is removed from a movie |
C.a part of something that is shared among people |
D.a reduction in the number or amount of something |