Renowned Mathematician and CinemaScore Creator Ed Mintz Passes Away at 83
Ed Mintz, the mastermind behind CinemaScore, a pioneering exit polling system for films, passed away on February 6 in Las Vegas at the age of 83. His innovative approach to gathering audience feedback on movies revolutionized the industry and paved the way for platforms like Rotten Tomatoes.
Mintz’s journey into the world of film criticism began in 1978 when he and his wife, Rona, were left disappointed by the movie “The Cheap Detective.” This experience led Mintz to question the reliance on critics’ opinions and sparked the idea for CinemaScore.
The concept was simple yet groundbreaking – ask moviegoers leaving theaters on opening nights to grade the films they had just seen. Mintz quickly developed the CinemaScore ballot card, which featured categories like grade, gender, age, and reasons for attending. The results were then processed to provide an overall rating for each film.
Over the years, CinemaScore became a valuable tool for studios to gauge audience reactions and guide their marketing strategies. Mintz’s meticulous approach to data analysis and his ability to accurately predict box office success made him a respected figure in the industry.
Despite his success, Mintz remained humble and open-minded about the films he graded. He acknowledged that personal preferences could sometimes differ from popular opinion, but he believed in the power of audience feedback as a true reflection of a film’s impact.
Mintz’s legacy lives on through CinemaScore, which continues to influence how movies are evaluated and marketed in the digital age. His innovative spirit and dedication to capturing the essence of audience sentiment will be remembered by film enthusiasts and industry professionals alike.
