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A D J U S T I N G S C R E E N P L A Y S
	INDEX 1. Story Type 2. Hollywood Formula 3. Satisfaction Guide 4. Evaluation Form 5. It Had to Happen

Audiovisual Satisfaction Guide (A Needs-Oriented Theory)
By Paul Thurston

© 1992 Paul Thurston
All Rights Reserved.

The following is a theory. It has never been proven or disproved. It is illustrated and clarified only as a method to explain audience satisfaction.

Audiovisual Satisfaction is a mental state, characterized by feelings of happiness, security and good opinion towards an audiovisual piece. This production could be a play, an opera, a motion picture/movie production, a television program or something of like nature. Since Audiovisual Satisfaction is normally the result of what appears in the screen play, it's important for screenwriters to understand which factors motivate happiness, security and a good opinion.

Before we understand what factors affect Audiovisual Satisfaction, it's important to review how audiences normally react emotionally when they view an audiovisual piece. For our purposes here, I'll use as an example a group of people who have just watched a film.

Film audiences seem to have the following characteristics after seeing a movie.

Figure 1. Audience characteristics after viewing a film

(-)	Movie Dissatisfaction	Zero Level of Motivation	Movie Satisfaction	(+)

A	B			C
Not watch again Not recommend Leave		Don't care Ultra liberal or Ultra conservative attitude about story Parrots philosophy of story	Will watch again Will recommend Film used for personal growth

As illustrated in Figure 1, audiences tend to fall around the points termed "A," "B" or "C." The challenge of the screenwriter is to write a story that will cause the audience to end up in areas "B" or better yet, area "C."

As we will see, what motivates an audience to go from point "A" to point "B" is very different than what motivate from point "B" to "C."

Audiovisual Satisfaction

It is suggested there are two important factors or environments that have to be present in all stories (screenplays/films) to motivate audience satisfaction (point "C"). The first factor is termed KEY APPEALS FACTORS. These are appeals audiences usually look for in a movie. They prevent story dissatisfaction but have little effect on a positive attitude toward the story. The second factor is termed MOTIVATOR FACTORS. These are effective in motivating positive attitudes toward a story (point "C") but IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY OF THE KEY APPEALS, become irrelevant.

KEY APPEALS: context

These factors influence the level of dissatisfaction. Seem to promote a zero-level of motivation (around point "B".) Any deficiency of these in a movie, the person tends to end up dissatisfied. Caution is advised as audiences want to see real life examples of what these appeals can do, not necessarily clichés of them. The Key Appeals are:

Money: qualities that money brings, specially related to education and forms of thinking.
Affection: qualities that exist between those who love or respect each other.
Security: qualities that exist when a person has the experience or education to avert themselves from awful or dangerous events.
Status: treating the least common denominator type character(s) appropriately or treating right something the audience holds in high esteem.

The inclusion of the key appeals is essential for the success of any story. But caution is advised as audiences normally want to see true representation of these appeals, something that common sense indicates is a "borrowed from real life" example of the appeal. Audiences do not want to see invented representations of the appeals; something that common sense tells us is moved away from experience.

Invented qualities of the key appeals are termed "clichés." In many places this word means various things so I'll define it as follows. A cliché is an expression that has been repeated or used too many times. It's a stereotype, an overly general description of something. It's a common example, a symbol, something we all know what it means, but is moved from what we normally see in life. A cliché is the opposite of something that is an accurate description. The use of clichés to represent any key appeal demonstrates that the writer has no personal experience with the appeal.

A true to life example of the key appeals is one that is very specific. Specific appeals are inherently unique and cannot be used as a symbol. It represents how the appeal would be observed in real life. It's an exact representation of somebody's experience.

What follows are invented and true to life examples of the Key Appeals.

Key Appeal	Accurate example	Invented example (Cliché)
Expression of MONEY	Reasons in an educated way. Is careful about the local culture and speech.	Owns a fabulous mansion and car, yet reasons in a very simple and uneducated manner. It's clear the character doesn't know how to obtain or maintain wealth.
Expression of AFFECTION	Clearly shows loyalty towards friend and coworkers. Is careful not to offend religious acts of esteemed people. Lovingly participates in acts that satisfy the spouse character.	Demonstrates blind loyalty and does not reason if something is good or bad. Participates in hedonistic acts but never experiences the consequences of these acts.
Expression of SECURITY	Thanks to proper tools or procedures, the character is saved. Questions or reaffirms certain practices without fear of reprisal.	Clearly saves him or herself from harm, even though the character does not have the aptitude to do so. Does not question unjust acts perpetrated by peers.
Expression of STATUS	Hypocrites are perturbed because of their personality. The vocabulary used to explain something shows education. The bad character does not die, but does suffer the consequences of acts perpetrated.	Hypocritical characters are exalted and glorified. The vocabulary used, when explaining something, is vulgar even when vulgarity is not necessary. The bad character always dies.

In the simples form, a cliché is bad and an accurate expression of the Key Appeal is good. It's really important that a screenwriter understand the difference between these two extremes. The ability to fill a story with true to life expressions of the Key Appeals is what separates a good screenwriter from one that is excellent.

To sum up, first the more successful a film is in portraying these appeals throughout the story, the farther it gets from audience dissatisfaction. Think of these as a preventive environment. Second that audiences look for true to life qualities of the Key Appeals, not clichés of them.

MOTIVATOR FACTORS: content

These factors influence the level of satisfaction. Seem to promote a positive story attitude among audiences (past point "B" and into point "C".) These factors are:

Responsibility: main character(s) behave(s) in accordance to what the consequences of action will be.
Achievement: the story gives the character a sense of achievement. (Being able to see how much he/she has done, in a specific amount of time.) The story reminds the audience how much they have gone through in life by emphasizing the good aspects of life (during a measurable time span.)
Recognition: you praise or emphasize in a positive way the achievements of the character or emphasize in a positive way things the audience considers important.
Advancement: the story makes your audience to grow in expertise in a certain field. It makes your audience feel they are being kept up to date on new things that are happening in a field of work.
Literary technique: Is the story interesting? The screenplay should have any combination of the following:
- Intense super objective (the principal goal the main character is after.)
- Innovative action (where the characters try to do something or obtain a goal in an innovative way.)
- Great characters (which audiences can relate to.)
- Great emotional moments (comedy or extreme sadness are usually well remembered.)
- Great vistas (in theater, as in opera, as in film and television, situations that show us a great area of visual perspective or vastness.)
Motion Picture technique: (Of importance to Directors and Producers) the piece, once presented to the audience, should have any combination of the following:
- Great acting (believable acting)
- Great continuity
- Believable props
- Great camera movements and angles
- Great use of lighting (specially to show aerial perspective, to exemplify emotional states, to let the audience know where we are, to force the audience to look at a particular place on screen or to make something or someone look good or bad.)
- Great art direction
- Great special effects (not noticeable effects or effects never seen before.)
- Great editing
- Great sound mix (specially the surround sound mix)
- Great sound mix between voice and music+effects
- Music that inspires emotion or that moves people to think something

To sum up, the more successful a film is in portraying these appeals the closer it gets to motivating audience satisfaction. Think of these as a booster shot to your preventive environment. Remember that Motivator Factors are irrelevant if your story is not strong around the Key Appeals.

© 1992 Paul Thurston
All Rights Reserved.

Adapted from Frederick Herzberg's Dual Factor Theory and Key Appeals developed by the Emotional Response Index System Company (ERIS). The ERIS information based on Joseph R. Dominick, The Dynamics of Mass Communication, 3rd ed., (McGraw-Hill Publishing, New York), p.498. The Dual Factor Theory information based on Frederick Herzberg and Bernard Mausner, The motivation to work, 2nd ed., (Wiley, New York: 1959) and Frederick Herzberg, Work and the nature of man, (World Publishing Co., Cleveland: 1966)

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