The ultimate intent of the film is to counter the frustration that Americans often feel when faced with gun violence. Rather than viewing the violence passively, they have an opportunity to stop the video and “stop the violence.” If they choose to stop, they continue to a site where they can take action to help prevent similar scenes of violence in real life. If they play the film through, they hear a gunshot and are presented with a different message and another opportunity to act.

The Scenes from Everytown experience reminds viewers of their agency and ability to make change. Within hours of release, it had appeared on social newsfeeds all over the world and was tweeted by dozens of celebrities, from Whoopi Goldberg to Arianna Huffington. Within two days, the film has received more than two million views. A home page take-over of The New York Times that featured the film also resulted in a click-through rate three times higher than similar take-overs.