Did the audience like the film? Or what precisely did they like in the film? Every director, producer, actor and technician is plagued by these questions. Some watch the films in theatres with the audience while others rely on feedback from family, friends and distributors. But is that enough to judge what a regular moviegoer feels about the project?
Actor Chaitanya Krishna tried all these methods and more. He accepted many friend requests on Facebook (numbering over 5000) and threw open the platform to analyse new releases. “From the few hundred responses I got, I tried to find a pattern. I hoped this would help me choose better scripts,” says the actor. Still, it wasn’t enough to know what the wider audience felt. He felt a dedicated ‘review app’ with a series of simple questions would do the trick. With the help of Incresol, he conceptualised a review app for Chandamama Kathalu .
“As an actor I always wanted to know what works for a film and what doesn't. Soon after the release of my previous films, I used to call up and talk to distributors and each one would have a different point of view. Some would say the dialogues were good but the film needed more action, others would vaguely hint at the need for a better screenplay and direction. Confusing data is what I received. Likewise, when I read reviews, there were varied opinions and at times I wondered how much a reviewer knew about the complexity of the screenplay,” says Chaitanya.
For instance, when Kaalicharan released, a few reviews stated that his voice was feeble for an action-oriented character. “Initially I had this doubt and discussed it with the director. He explained to me that my role is of a college student turning into a rowdy; the voice will not change overnight. Now, how do I go about explaining this to everyone?”
All his made him realise the need to connect directly with viewers. “The app is simple to use and people will be able to give their feedback within 15-20 seconds, and the director gets to read all of it and gauge the response,” says Chaitanya. He plays a 19-year-old student in this film and had to let go of the bulky, muscular frame he had for Kaalicharan and look lean and young like a student. Chaitanya’s next release is Ladies and Gentlemen , produced by Madhura Sreedhar.
The >Chandamama Kathalu review app is available for android platforms.
