Audience Quote by Thelma Schoonmaker
“One of our big tools is screening. We screen usually 12 times, which is much more than most filmmakers do, and we recut in between each one, because we really need to feel how the audience is reacting to the movie.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Film Editing Masterclass, 2015
Frequent screening and recutting help filmmakers gauge audience reaction and refine the story.
In simple terms: Screen often to improve film.
Key Takeaway
Use test screenings to shape editing decisions.
Themes
film editing
audience feedback
creative process
Mood
reflective
practical
Type
educational
process
When to use this quote
- indie film production
- studio test screenings
- director‑editor collaboration
Key Concepts
narrative pacing
emotional resonance
Questions to Reflect On
- When should you stop editing?
- How much weight should audience data have?
A Different Perspective
Audience responses may not predict broader market success.
![“When the film [Certified Copy] was in the Cannes Festival, I realized that the fact of having it shot in a different culture, in a different language, in a different setting, that wasn't mine and that I didn't belong to, gave me a totally different relationship to the film. When I was sitting in…” quote by Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/eb3/abbas-kiarostami-2631_audience_when-the-film-certified-copy-was-in-the_200718.jpg)
![“Cheryl [Hines] and I sat through two screenings at the Sundance Film Festival and during the second one, we said to each other: "You know, we don't have to get sad about this. Let's try to enjoy this. Let's just watch it. It's a happy movie [Waitress]."” quote by Keri Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/02f/keri-russell-8795_enjoy_cheryl-hines-and-i-sat-through-two-scree_166168.jpg)
![“It was a film that I knew, that I had seen, that I was familiar with, but I wasn't anxious about it at any point during the screening. I snoozed twice, and this is something I couldn't have imagined that I would feel detached, as I did with this film [Certified Copy].” quote by Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/533/abbas-kiarostami-2631_anxious_it-was-a-film-that-i-knew-that-i-had-see_155328.jpg)
