Rapid Insights: Rick and Morty Returns to Build on Its Out-Of-This-Universe Success

Adult Swim’s mega-popular animated sci-fi comedy has delighted audiences since 2013 with laugh-out-loud sci-fi adventures of traveling the multiverse. With the series returning this week for its long-awaited sixth season, we’re looking back at season one to explore what made this show such a stand-out success. Here’s what you need to know about Rick and Morty:

Vault AI uses index scores to describe the impact a given story/theme/element will have on specific KPIs: 

≤79 Disappointing  80-89 Challenging  90-109 Average  110-119 Promising  120+ Outstanding

Who are the fans of this series?
A broad cross-section of men ages 18-54. The overall Rick and Morty audience leans slightly male (57%) and older (57% M35+), though 22% of viewers are ages 18-34.  The audience is very similar to South Park and Solar Opposites, while younger than Archer and more male-skewing than both Family Guy and American Dad!.

What has made Rick and Morty such a stand-out success?
Unpredictable sci-fi adventures, clever referential comedy, and relatable family themes. The show’s Pop Culture References (140) and zany Over-the-Top Humor (138) quickly established its comedic bona fides to engage adult animation fans.  Though the blending of relatable themes including Multigenerational (138) Family Relationships (130) and Disagreements (134) with unpredictable and creative Space Settings (131) is uniquely important for the series. These themes make the universe-hopping, time-traveling escapades of the titular pair amp up the show’s sense of Adventure (126) and keeps every episode feeling creatively fresh.

Why is the series so popular internationally?
The family dynamics. While the show’s culturally-relevant comedy is the big draw in the US, its American sense of humor is not as relatable to viewers overseas. Instead, international markets are attracted to the relatable relationships between Rick, his grandson Morty, and the rest of their quirky kin.

What does season six’s social tracking look like?
It’s right in line with season five’s June 2021 release. Currently, online activity falls in the ‘Promising’ range, leading up to an expected bump on premiere day and outperforming legacy animated comedy comp Archer’s latest season release. Season five saw sustained peaks throughout its 10-episode release, and it’s likely season six will boast the same pattern.

*Publicly released trailers for series are evaluated using Vault AI’s algorithms – utilizing our proprietary 120K+ story element database alongside ratings performance and other datasets – to identify unique combinations of stories, themes, characters, and genre elements that will drive success.

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About Vault AI

Based in Los Angeles and Israel, Vault AI is using a combination of machine learning and consumer insights experts to help the entertainment industry predict consumer response to content. Test your content faster and more accurately with Vault AI and get granular insights across the entire content life cycle today.

Rapid Insights: Selling the OC Will Once Again Make Real Estate Sexy

The Oppenheim Group, the high-end real estate agency featured in Netflix’s hit reality show Selling Sunset, has opened a brand new office in Orange County and has produced a brand new Netflix series to go with it. Just like its predecessor, this spin-off will revel in the addictive drama, romances, and betrayals among a group of employees as they compete to sell luxury homes in Southern California. Here’s what you need to know about Selling the OC:

Vault AI uses index scores to describe the impact a given story/theme/element will have on specific KPIs: 

≤79 Disappointing  80-89 Challenging  90-109 Average  110-119 Promising  120+ Outstanding

Will the same Selling-addicted audience be tuning in?
Definitely. Viewers of Selling the OC are predicted to be mostly female (59%) and lean older (54% aged 30+), almost identical to the audience for Selling Tampa, another entry in the franchise. Additionally, the overall Selling IP (129) is a top ratings driver.

What will get viewers invested in this newest crop of agents?
Their interpersonal dynamics. Moreso than the original, the palpable Romantic Tension (157) and fickle Co-Worker Relationships (147) (both platonic and non) between the Oppenheim employees will generate deliciously heightened drama, and their Difficult Workplace (131) rife with friction and backstabbing will encourage viewers to take sides.

What role will the real estate purchasing play in the show’s success?
It will help with longevity. The show’s core concept of House Hunting (152) offers a repeatable premise that audiences can follow in each episode and an evergreen source of new client stories that will help push it into a second season. However, viewership will depend more heavily on the drama between the Oppenheim employees.

What will drive the online conversation?
Extravagance and enmity. The excessively affluent, Wealthy Lifestyles (110) of the real estate agents–from lavish mansions to yacht parties to luxury clothing–and their resulting Rivalries (110) over sales and financial success are the top drivers for social buzz.

What could bring even more people into the conversation?
Humor. The fun playfulness baked into the show’s DNA, which StoryGuide reads as Comedy (112), stems directly from the tensions and personality clashes between agents, and these more ridiculously dramatic moments could be leveraged for greater online chatter.

 

*Publicly released trailers for series are evaluated using Vault AI’s algorithms – utilizing our proprietary 120K+ story element database alongside ratings performance and other datasets – to identify unique combinations of stories, themes, characters, and genre elements that will drive success.

Stay in the know

Subscribe to get Rapid Insights delivered to your inbox weekly.

Sign up for StoryGuide for more details and analysis.

 

About Vault AI

Based in Los Angeles and Israel, Vault AI is using a combination of machine learning and consumer insights experts to help the entertainment industry predict consumer response to content. Test your content faster and more accurately with Vault AI and get granular insights across the entire content life cycle today.

Vault AI Selects Whip Media’s Global Audience Engagement Data to Expand Its AI-Powered Consumer Insights for Entertainment Companies

Vault AI will leverage global audience engagement data from Whip Media’s TV Time app to provide AI-powered content and character insights for its clients globally   

LOS ANGELES, August 18, 2022 Whip Media, the leading enterprise software platform and data provider to the world’s largest entertainment organizations, has partnered with Vault AI, a predictive research company that delivers AI-powered consumer insights for leading streamers, TV networks and film studios, it was announced today by Vincent Muscarella, Vice President of Sales at Whip Media and David Stiff, CEO and co-founder of Vault AI.

Vault AI combines rich consumption datasets with content and story DNA from over 60,000 global titles across all platforms and genres to determine through machine learning how a title will perform in the market, who the audience will be and what marketing will drive them to watch. These actionable AI-powered consumer insights are delivered by an experienced team of consumer insights experts with the highest accuracy and fastest turnaround time.

Vault AI will be using user level data from TV Time, Whip Media’s popular TV show and movie tracking app with 22 million global registered users, to expand its global content data and add even more granularity to how content and characters impact audience demand, affinity and emotional response. TV Time’s data will shed light on audience behavior at the individual viewer level, conveying viewer’s engagement and sentiment reactions to a film or series and how characters drive engagement – allowing Vault AI’s entertainment clients to go beyond standard age and gender demographic data for decision making. Further, the size and footprint of TV Time’s user base will unlock insights in dozens of international markets for Vault AI, regardless of platform.

“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Vault AI, a trailblazing company that sits at the intersection of content and technology,” said Whip Media’s Vincent Muscarella, Vice President of Sales. “Our cross-platform TV Time viewer data is an ideal and wholly additive asset that complements Vault AI’s consumer behavior insights – a combination that will offer Vault AI’s clients new dimensions for worldwide content insights.”

“Our partnership with Whip Media addresses the evolving needs of entertainment companies that are searching for ways to get granular audience and character insights with the speed and global scale that only AI can unlock,” said David Stiff, CEO and co-founder of Vault AI. “Whip Media’s powerful TV Time app data expands our understanding of how consumers engage and emotionally resonate with content and characters globally, enriching our AI-powered insights.  Being able to now add deeper and richer character insights that go far beyond just ‘likeability’ is game-changing for our clients.”

This new partnership comes at a critical time for the entertainment industry; evolving data that offers first-person, real-time insights into what viewers are enjoying internationally, without platform data gaps in the modern streaming age, has never been more important. Vault AI, in partnership with Whip Media and TV Time, will continue to provide industry-leading consumer insights to the top entertainment executives in the U.S. and abroad.

About Whip Media
Whip Media is a market leading enterprise software platform and data provider to the world’s largest entertainment organizations. Our solutions connect and scale data, processes and teams across licensing, content planning, and financial operations to improve decision making, drive efficiency, revenue, and growth. The company’s latest innovation, The Whip Media Exchange, is a first-of-its-kind content licensing and research platform for buyers and sellers of film and TV content, with real-time access to data and performance predictions to accelerate deal making. For more information, visit www.whipmedia.com

About Vault AI
Vault AI delivers AI-powered consumer insights for leading streamers, TV networks and film studios. The company enables clients to make confident content decisions across production, development and marketing, without needing a single survey or focus group. Their proprietary mix of performance datasets, machine learning and a team of consumer insight experts deliver powerful research and analysis with the highest accuracy and fastest turnaround time. Vault AI is based in LosAngeles and Israel.

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Rapid Insights: House of the Dragon Will Set Ratings Aflame

Will the House of the Dragon audience mirror that of Game of Thrones?
Indeed. Dragon is predicted to lean male (56%), with the linear HBO broadcast skewing heavily older (89% 35+) and HBOMax contributing a slightly younger audience (36% <30). This viewer profile mirrors Game of Thrones almost exactly (as well as fellow medieval fantasy dramas The Witcher and the upcoming Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power).

Are fans excited for this new spin-off?
Oh yeah. Social tracking maxed out our scale (of 160) with each trailer drop and has been heightened since the end of July as viewers anticipate this Sunday’s premiere.

How will Dragon differentiate itself from its predecessor?
By concentrating its scope. Instead of mirroring Game of Thrones’ wide-reaching Multiple Storylines (127) that followed characters and action across kingdoms, factions, and continents, Dragon will spotlight the heightenedFamily Conflict (136) within a single Extended Clan (129). This sharper focus will be its most crucial ratings driver as well as a key factor in its longevity.

What else will help boost the show’s ratings?
The titular dragons. Beyond the obviously Popular IP (114), Daenerys’ “children” were a highlight in Game of Thrones and the Myth & Fantasy (113) of her ancestors’ magical beasts will similarly be a draw for House of the Dragon, especially the intense Battle Action (112) sequences featuring fire-based destruction. The fact that the Targaryens can bend dragons to their will heightens the stakes in their intrafamilial war.

What type of story is Dragon going to tell?
An epic family saga. This series promises to be very Succession-esque, focusing on the Rivalry (114) between Targaryen heirs in their ruthless struggle for Power (147) and Social Status (113) and to impress the current King, desires that ultimately drive the story. Like Game of Thrones, Dragon also leans heavily into the War (134) and History (132) genres, giving it an expansive, legendary feel.

 

 

*Publicly released trailers for series are evaluated using Vault AI’s algorithms – utilizing our proprietary 120K+ story element database alongside ratings performance and other datasets – to identify unique combinations of stories, themes, characters, and genre elements that will drive success.

Vault AI uses index scores to describe the impact a given story/theme/element will have on specific KPIs:

Stay in the know

Subscribe to get Rapid Insights delivered to your inbox weekly.

Sign up for StoryGuide for more details and analysis.

 

About Vault AI

Based in Los Angeles and Israel, Vault AI is using a combination of machine learning and consumer insights experts to help the entertainment industry predict consumer response to content. Test your content faster and more accurately with Vault AI and get granular insights across the entire content life cycle today.

Rapid Insights: A League of Their Own Makes a Classic Tale Relevant

Who will be tuning in?
Older women. The audience is predicted to lean female (58%) as well as 30+ (58%), similar to other streaming series with primarily female ensemble casts (GlowOrange Is the New Black).

What crucial core essence will this series share with the movie?
Compelling team relationships against a backdrop of broader social change. As in the 1992 film, the trailer follows the formation and eventual success of the Rockford Peaches, and the Coach-Athlete Relationship (160) between the washed-up, cantankerous Coach Dove Porter and his players as well as the inviolable Female Friendships (160) forged between Peach teammates lie at its heart. At the same time, the story presents a strong narrative of Female Empowerment (160) within the context of professional Sports (158) as the women players defy the conservative, patriarchal society of 1940s America. All are top drivers of engagement for both movie and series.

What new elements does this remake bring to the story?
Explorations of the minority experience. The trailer both delves into an African-American POV (160) by following the Racial Tensions (121) encountered by a mega-talented Black player banned from the all-white league, and highlights LGBTQIA+ Themes (120) by showcasing the dynamics among several queer players as they discover a safe space within a hostile world. Although these viewpoints were left out of the original film, they are just as important in bringing audiences to the series.

What emotional experience will most entice audiences?
Upbeat idealism. The trailer foregrounds feelings of Awe (129)Amazement (129), and Joy (126) as the various players live, love, laugh, and have fun with their newfound senses of freedom and opportunity in the league. These positive emotions are a crucial factor in driving ratings.

How will the series’ sense of humor factor into its success?
It will make the central relationships more dynamic. The core players–already portrayed by a critically-acclaimed comedic cast–engage in witty one-liners and physical jokes that feed directly into the their Friendships (146), camaraderie, and Empowerment (143).

 

 

*Publicly released trailers for series are evaluated using Vault AI’s algorithms – utilizing our proprietary 120K+ story element database alongside ratings performance and other datasets – to identify unique combinations of stories, themes, characters, and genre elements that will drive success.

Vault AI uses index scores to describe the impact a given story/theme/element will have on specific KPIs:

Stay in the know

Subscribe to get Rapid Insights delivered to your inbox weekly.

Sign up for StoryGuide for more details and analysis.

 

About Vault AI

Based in Los Angeles and Israel, Vault AI is using a combination of machine learning and consumer insights experts to help the entertainment industry predict consumer response to content. Test your content faster and more accurately with Vault AI and get granular insights across the entire content life cycle today.

Rapid Insights: The Sandman Brings Gaiman’s Nightmare to Life

Who’s the target audience for this new adaptation?
Older men. Viewers are predicted to lean male (54%) and skew mostly toward 30+ (62%). Compared to previous Gaiman-adjacent adaptations, however, The Sandman will likely be the most gender-balanced; both American Gods and Good Omens appealed even more solidly to men (57-59%), while the audience for Lucifer–loosely based on a secondary character from The Sandman comics–was heavily female thanks to its crime-solving focus.

Which element of the story will most bring in viewers?
Morpheus’s crusade to regain control of his realm. Audiences will be drawn to the hardened character’s chaotic New Beginning (160) after a century’s imprisonment and his long-held but Unlikely Friendship (160) with loyal ally Lucienne, the compassionate Librarian who ran the kingdom in his absence. Establishing the pair’s supportive dynamic early on will be important.

What type of emotional experience will keep audiences tuned in?
A dark one. The driving forces behind the show’s bingeability are the twin desires of Power (139) and Vengeance (121), emanating not only from Morpheus but also his twisted rogue creation: a sentient nightmare known as The Corinthian. The ongoing ‘good vs. evil’ Rivalry (136) between the two helps establish a menacing intensity that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.

How important is comic author Neil Gaiman to the series’ likely success?
Indispensable. The fact that this show is Based on a Book (160) is an extremely powerful viewership driver, much more so than we typically see for other adaptations. Gaiman’s overall popularity and prestige will be a major source of Sandman buzz, and his 75-issue comics and the Magic (139) they contain will provide endless material to make the series extremely bingeworthy.

Besides the author himself, which storyline will get people talking?
Morpheus’s descent into Hell. Upon his return, the character must embark On a Mission (113) into the underworld, and his encounter with the impossibly powerful Lucifer (played by Game of Thrones’ Gwendoline Christie) as well as other surprising elements of her fiery realm will help drive online chatter.

Did the show’s recent Comic-Con panel help stoke fan anticipation?
Definitely. The series saw a huge spike in social tracking (up to 149, out of a possible 160) with last week’s release of its Comic-Con exclusive trailer, and quotes from author Gaiman captured during the Hall H Q&A have been picked up in the entertainment media.

 

 

*Publicly released trailers for series are evaluated using Vault AI’s algorithms – utilizing our proprietary 120K+ story element database alongside ratings performance and other datasets – to identify unique combinations of stories, themes, characters, and genre elements that will drive success.

Vault AI uses index scores to describe the impact a given story/theme/element will have on specific KPIs:

Stay in the know

Subscribe to get Rapid Insights delivered to your inbox weekly.

Sign up for StoryGuide for more details and analysis.

 

About Vault AI

Based in Los Angeles and Israel, Vault AI is using a combination of machine learning and consumer insights experts to help the entertainment industry predict consumer response to content. Test your content faster and more accurately with Vault AI and get granular insights across the entire content life cycle today.

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