We conducted our first testing session in June with the upcoming animated miniseries Mold (Plíseň), directed by Philipp Kastner and produced by Karolína Davidová (13ka) and Tereza Havlová (BATCH film). Working with two age groups, we focused primarily on the project’s visual style, characters, titles, music, and a table read of the first episode. The moderated sessions were complemented by individual worksheets, allowing us to capture the reactions of individual children as well as the differences between the two groups.

The outcome was a production report summarizing key findings, questions worth further testing, and the limitations of the gathered data. The format can be adapted to the specific stage of a project and focused either on the overall concept or on specific areas, such as story clarity, character appeal, or age appropriateness.

"Meeting our future audience and seeing their spontaneous reactions to the world of Mold was immensely valuable for us. Thanks to the discussions and the children’s feedback, we gained a better understanding of how they perceive the story, which characters they find relatable, and what interests different age groups."

— T. Havlová, Producer BATCH film

We are now continuing to refine the methodology. We will present our initial findings and potential applications in November as part of the industry program at the BOO International Short Film Festival.

This event is part of Audiovisual Connect LAB (AC LAB), an international project aimed at enhancing film literacy among young people aged 15–19 and supporting the long-term development of audiences for European cinema by linking education, research, and advocacy.

Funded by the European Union. The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official position of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the EACEA is responsible for the views expressed.