Anthropology and AI combined:
A new approach to audience
research and filmmaking.

We provide filmmakers with artistic originality and data-based target group research in one solution. Audience insights turned into creative script enrichment.
Get a demonstration for your production company, film institute or fund.

Supported by the Creative Europe MEDIA Programme and developed with insights from an analysis of the Danish film industry commissioned by the Danish Film Institute.

WE HELP CREATE

Treatment-Emotion-Connection

PUBLIKUM help film projects create a deeper connection to a broader audience in both home and export markets by researching audience reaction to a treatment or early-stage script: Treatment-Emotion-Connection. We combine anthropological research with AI-analysis to provide filmmakers with audience awareness in the shape of deep, human insights developed with precision.
 
We believe that most European filmmakers find audience research more interesting when the audience is seen as human, with feelings and emotions, rather than a potential number of tickets sold.
 
Based on this belief, we built a first-of-its-kind service that helps filmmakers explore the feelings their stories trigger in their future audience through the lens of both anthropology and AI analysis. From early writing and development to launch and positioning, we provide new, creative inspiration derived from the deepest audience emotions to support the process with the aid of technology. We give no hard conclusions, but present our insights as structured reflections. This soft-meets-hard approach, co-developed by anthropologists and data scientists, is designed to balance artistic integrity and audience ambitions.

PUBLIKUM is built for tight deadlines and busy work life.

Film people are busy dealing with an endless series of deadlines during the long process of making a movie. Working with PUBLIKUM brings no extra work to film creators, since the three-step process is fully facilitated by us and delivered within just weeks. A few well-planned meetings and presentations, along with an applied insight report, ensures a smooth introduction to the inner life of the audience and their interest in the film in question. Here’s how it works.

  • reel
    Step 1

    Identifying the themes of the story

    Input

    Script or story

    arrow
    Output

    Main themes

    In a collaboration with filmmakers and anthropologists, the main themes of the story are identified. The most interesting themes the filmmaker wishes to explore with the audience are taken to the next step – the AI-part (theme examples: “Dedication”, “Independence” and “Betrayal”).

  • ai-dots
    Step 2

    Connecting themes with future audience’s emotions

    Input

    Main themes

    arrow
    Output

    Related emotions

    With the help of AI analysis, a huge amount of data from social- and news media are structured to create an overview of the most important ways audience relate and connect to the chosen main themes in the treatment/script. This replaces gut feelings with actual audience behaviour to help define what the audience can most strongly identify with, as well as what is most valuable for the story to further explore in the anthropological phase. The analysis can be compared across segments and markets.

  • dots
    Step 3

    Exploring themes, emotions, and story

    Input

    Related emotions

    arrow
    Output

    Audience insights

    Based on the related emotions found associated with the themes, the emotions and interest mapped in the AI analysis provides a scope for conducting the video-based Mobile Anthropology. The filmmaker works with a consultant to compose an interview guide and conduct a week-long qualitative study, leading to a structured and inspiring anthropological analysis. Themes, emotions, characters, dilemmas, scenes, narrative techniques, effects, pitches, positionings etc. can be included in the analysis. Around 130 videos are collected from the respondents in the carefully chosen target groups. Since user participation is purely video-based, this part of the analysis can also include target groups across segments and markets.

rulle4

STEP 1

Identifying the themes of the story

INPUT

Script or story

arrow

OUTPUT

Main themes

In a collaboration with filmmakers and anthropologists, the main themes of the story are identified. The most interesting themes the filmmaker wishes to explore with the audience are taken to the next step – the AI-part (theme examples: “Dedication”, “Independence” and “Betrayal”).

ai_dots4

STEP 2

Connecting themes with future audience’s emotions

INPUT

Main themes

arrow

OUTPUT

Related emotions

With the help of AI analysis, a huge amount of data from social- and news media are structured to create an overview of the most important ways audience relate and connect to the chosen main themes in the treatment/script. This replaces gut feelings with actual audience behaviour to help define what the audience can most strongly identify with, as well as what is most valuable for the story to further explore in the anthropological phase. The analysis can be compared across segments and markets.

3dots2

STEP 3

Exploring themes, emotions, and story

INPUT

Related emotions

arrow

OUTPUT

Audience insights

Based on the related emotions found associated with the themes, the emotions and interest mapped in the AI analysis provides a scope for conducting the video-based Mobile Anthropology. The filmmaker works with a consultant to compose an interview guide and conduct a week-long qualitative study, leading to a structured and inspiring anthropological analysis. Themes, emotions, characters, dilemmas, scenes, narrative techniques, effects, pitches, positionings etc. can be included in the analysis. Around 130 videos are collected from the respondents in the carefully chosen target groups. Since user participation is purely video-based, this part of the analysis can also include target groups across segments and markets.

PEOPLE BEFORE COMPUTERS – WE ARE NOT A TECH COMPANY

PUBLIKUM uses AI to support anthropology – not the other way around.

In recent years, AI has gained a foothold in the international film industry. However, where most AI platforms today are occupied with predictions and automated estimations of how successful a development-stage film eventually will be, Will & Agency uses AI technology differently. Having listened intensively to the European film industry, we do not believe that the filmmakers see database predictions as an interesting input in the development phase. AI at the PUBLIKUM platform is therefore used, not to predict a potential sale of a film, but to identify which areas of a certain theme are most important to the audience and, as such most valuable to explore further through the anthropological lens. In this regard, PUBLIKUM can be seen as AI-powered anthropology, since we’ve discovered that anthropology and filmmaking work very well together.

RECENT CASES

smagenafsult_poster

Smagen Af Sult
Zentropa

pagten_poster

Pagten
SF Studios

flee_poster

Flee
Final Cut for Real

solutions_poster

Solutions
Danish Documentary

SUPPPORTED BY

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Working on a project, a film fund or an institute? 

To see a demonstration of PUBLIKUM and learn more about the value, output, and pricing please fill out the form below.

publikumwillandagency2

+45 2213 8754
info@publikum.io

Gammel Kongevej 3E, 1. floor, 1610 Copenhagen V, Denmark
VAT no.: DK39391791


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