How to Score in Hollywood Secrets to Success in the Movie Business

How to Score in Hollywood reveals the secrets to a movie’s success and profitability. Entertainment research expert Kevin Goetz shares how smart, data-driven decisions—from development to release—help filmmakers minimize risks and maximize returns.

How to Score in Hollywood reveals the secrets to a movie’s success and profitability. Entertainment research expert Kevin Goetz, founder and CEO of Screen Engine, draws on almost four decades of experience to show how strategic decisions—from development to release—help minimize risks and maximize returns. Armed with audience insights and data-driven strategies, Goetz demonstrates how every film should make money when made and marketed for the right price.

Key insights include:

- Recognizing what constitutes a big idea and developing it thoughtfully to set the foundation for success.
- Identifying the reason why a movie should exist and what it uniquely brings to the marketplace that will inspire interest and excitement to see it.
- Crafting films with a specific audience in mind and aligning production and marketing budgets to fit the size of its potential.
- Understanding how digital entertainment has reshaped audience behavior and perceptions of what makes a movie “theater-worthy.”
- Elevating both the concept and execution to ensure a film stands out in a crowded and competitive marketplace.
- Understand and embrace the challenges of genre-blending films, or “feathered fish,” with a clear-eyed approach, tackling complexities head-on instead of avoiding them.
- Using test audience feedback to guide the film’s development all the way through postproduction, identifying danger signs along the way, and increasing the chances of success.

And much more!

For industry executives, filmmakers, film students, and film enthusiasts, How to Score in Hollywood offers a unique behind-the-scenes look at the important processes that shape what consumers are offered to watch. From the initial greenlight to the final cut, Goetz explores the critical balance between creativity and commerce in filmmaking, highlighting the vital role of research at every stage to create films that resonate with audiences while also turning a profit.

Filled with entertaining personal experiences, industry stories, and actionable advice, Goetz illustrates how research, budget, and marketability influence a film’s financial outcome. Whether discussing low-budget indie hits or big-budget blockbusters, How to Score in Hollywood is an invaluable resource for those seeking to understand the art, science, and business of how movies are made, marketed, and released.

Kevin Goetz is the founder and CEO of Screen Engine/ASI, a global leader in entertainment research and strategy, serving all the major film studios, television networks, and streaming services. Throughout his career, he has been at the forefront of Hollywood, having personally tested over five thousand film titles, and his work significantly impacts how movies are made, marketed, and released. In 2024, Kevin received American Cinematheque’s prestigious Power of Cinema Award for his contributions to the film industry. He is the author of the bestselling Audience-ology and How to Score in Hollywood, which explores the secrets to success in the movie business. Kevin hosts the popular Don’t Kill the Messenger podcast and continues educating the filmmaking community through keynote speeches and global presentations. He has produced twelve TV movies, including the Emmy Award–winning Wild Iris, and the documentary Children in the Fire. A member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the Television Academy, and the Producers Guild of America, Kevin also serves on the boards of six nonprofit organizations. He currently resides in Beverly Hills with his husband, Neil, and their labradoodle, Kasha.

Bob Levin is a legendary movie marketing executive, having for over two decades holding the position of president in worldwide marketing at first Disney, then Sony and MGM. As well as being a key member of each studio’s greenlight committee, he led the advertising, publicity, promotion, and research programs that helped launch hundreds of films, breaking numerous box office records throughout his career. Bob came out of semi-retirement when Kevin Goetz invited him to join Screen Engine/ASI as president and chief operating officer, where he has played a pivotal role in the company’s continued success. His first book, How to Score in Hollywood, cowritten with Kevin, reveals the secrets to a movie’s success and profitability, exploring how smart, data-driven decisions—from development to release—help filmmakers minimize risks and maximize returns. Bob lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Hilda Wynn.