Test screenings

[Philip64]

This is not strictly a writing question, but I'm hoping some people here will have experience of putting on test screenings....

Q: You have just slightly re-cut a movie after a first test screening. Now you are sending out invitations to a second. Should you invite back people from the first screening to see how they like the changes? Or should you seek an entirely new audience? Or both? The screening venue only seats about 40 people.

Advice appreciated.

[nielsty]

I would take new people. If you bring in the same crowd they will have an opinion up front, which you don't want them to have. They will only react on the things you have changed instead of on the entire film.