AJ Giovannetti Joins Vault AI as Senior Vice President, Product Strategy

Posted on May 5, 2022June 14, 2022 by Luke

LOS ANGELES, May 5, 2022 – Vault AI, the trailblazing AI-powered consumer insights firm, today announced the joining of AJ Giovannetti as Senior Vice President, Product Strategy.

Giovannetti brings significant experience in entertainment research, having delivered creative insights that shape film and TV marketing campaigns for the past 15 years. He is a trusted research leader with a combination of agency-side and Hollywood studio experience from his time at National Research Group (NRG), Paramount Pictures and Penn Schoen Berland.

Giovannetti will be based in Vault AI’s Los Angeles office, where he’ll be developing new insights products that leverage Vault AI’s proprietary databases, machine learning technology and data science expertise.

“I truly believe Vault AI’s unique combination of algorithmic precision and creative insights professionals will change how the industry thinks about market research,” said Giovannetti. “I’m ecstatic to be helping the Vault AI team bring new insights technologies to market.”

“AJ is a fantastic addition to the Vault AI team,” said Abe Recio, Vault AI’s Chief Product Officer. “As a consumer insights maven and an innovative and rigorous methodologist, he will ensure that Vault AI’s growing suite of products continue to break new ground and lead the new wave of AI-powered consumer insights.”

With Giovannetti joining the team, Vault AI continues to deepen its bench of consumer insights talent, hot off the heels of its $8 million Series A funding round co-led by Hearst Ventures and PICO Venture Partners. Other participants in the Series A included existing Vault investors TV Azteca and Remagine Ventures.

About Vault AI
Vault AI, based in Los Angeles and Israel, is using machine learning to help the entertainment industry predict consumer response to content, identifying what elements will drive them to watch, stream or buy tickets. Vault AI’s fast and accurate AI-powered consumer insights platform provides actionable insights at any stage of the content lifecycle without needing a single survey or focus group.

Adopted by leading streamers, TV networks and film studios, Vault AI’s flexible machine intelligence was built by Israel’s leading minds in AI and is designed by consumer insights people for consumer insights people.

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Want to join the Vault AI team? We’re hiring – see the current job openings here.

Welcome to Rapid Insights: Film Edition!

Posted on May 5, 2022May 11, 2022 by Luke

Welcome to Rapid Insights – Film Edition!

Welcome to Vault AI’s very first Rapid Insights memo on the film industry! Just as you’ve been reading our insights covering the TV space, we’ll now also be checking-in from time to time describing the elements in upcoming movies we believe will drive audiences to theaters or streaming services. We’re kicking-off with a series of pieces looking at the wide variety of releases this summer, beginning today with a rundown of what will be driving audiences to a few of the most anticipated theatrical releases of the season. And we’ll be providing our points-of-view on all the animated, horror, and direct-to-streaming releases as well in the coming weeks.

What does the data tell us?
Taken together, we noticed an interesting recurring theme as we analyzed* the trailers of each film below. Alongside the appeal of big-name franchises, audiences will be seeking something beyond the familiar: stories with characters embarking on unique journeys, understanding their pasts, and overcoming unfamiliar challenges.

Audiences will get their first of two new Marvel Cinematic Universe installments this Friday in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, with Thor: Love and Thunder coming July 8th. The MCU brand, with all the character and story continuity it provides, is key to the success of both Doctor Strange (143) and Thor (146). No doubt audiences are eager to witness how these titular characters continue to operate in the larger MCU narrative. Doctor Strange does this by Exploring the Multiverse (113) and facing evil doppelgangers in universes cracked open in Spider-Man: No Way Home, while it’s Thor’s search for a New Path (121) after all he’s experienced that audiences want to explore in Love and Thunder.

The long-awaited Top Gun: Maverick finally lands Memorial Day weekend (May 27), and is sure to stoke the nostalgia of fans while simultaneously introducing “Maverick” to a new generation. Audiences are pumped-up to see the realistic, death-defying Air Combat (157) on the big screen, with Tom Cruise leading the formation. Though, whether you are a fan of the 1984 classic or not, the story of Maverick Facing His Past Demons (111) as he trains a new set of recruits for a high-stakes battle resonates in a relatable way.

The Jurassic World trilogy comes to a triumphant close June 1 with Jurassic World Dominion. With the original Jurassic Park cast reprising their roles, audiences are most energized to see this Franchise Reunion (147) as Jeff Goldblum, Sam Neill, and Laura Dern work together alongside Christ Pratt and Bryce Dallas Howard. The mission: to fight back against those responsible for Capturing the Dinos (116) out of the wild, which is sure to supply the intense Dino Action and Scares (116) the franchise is known for.

While not strictly a film franchise, Elvis (July 24) will nonetheless be buoyed by the lasting popularity of one of the biggest pop stars of all time. Though it’s the Racial Tension (142) and debates around Elvis’ relationship to black artists that will stand out as a piece of his history audiences may not know, providing a unique backdrop to the King’s Origin Story (119) to becoming a charismatic, hit-singing showman.

Bullet Train (July 29th) starring Brad Pitt will excite audiences with its fresh Comedic Interpretation (121) of highly choreographed, non-stop Stylized Combat (108) on a speeding train. To that end, Pitt playing the role of a One Man Army (123) that also supplies genuine laugh-out-loud humor epitomizes what audiences will be looking to experience in theaters.

*Publicly released trailers for each film were evaluated using Vault AI’s algorithms – utilizing our proprietary 120K+ story element database alongside historical box office performance and other datasets – to identify unique combinations of stories, themes, characters, and genre elements that will drive opening weekend success.

Vault AI uses index scores to describe the impact a given story/theme will have on opening weekend success:

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Rapid Insights: The Quest Merges Fantasy and Reality

Posted on May 4, 2022May 4, 2022 by Luke

Rapid Insights: The Quest Merges Fantasy and Reality

Disney+’s buzzy new reality competition series drops eight real-life teens into a fully immersive, 360o fantasy adventure story complete with realistically scripted characters and interactive visual effects. An aged-down revival of a 2014 ABC show, it’s a teenaged The Amazing Race meets Lord of the Rings (and hails from the producers of both). Using the trailer as our stimulus, here’s what you need to know about The Quest:

Who is The Quest most likely to appeal to?
A fairly broad range. The official trailer, given the teen contestants, manages to draw eyeballs for a broad audience, with 42% aged 30+ (and 55% male); its epic fantasy genre is likely expanding its appeal. The Legend of Vox Machina, an animated series with a similar quest premise but adult characters and themes, lands only a bit older (47% 30+) but much more heavily male (68%).

What’s the single most important element of the show?
The Competition. The contestants’ assigned mission to become the one true hero of the fictitious Everealm–and the creative challenges and suspenseful eliminations that accompany it–is the most impactful driver for every measured category: ratings, bingeability, longevity, and social buzz.

How important is the fantasy realm setting?
Very. Though the competition aspect is the biggest viewership driver, it’s the show’s Distinctly Realized World (119), Human vs. Monster (120) battles, and heartwarming displays of Heroism (116) that truly make it unique within the reality genre.

What’s most notable about this remake as compared to the 2014 version?
Its Teen Friendships (118). Featuring younger contestants and spotlighting the Teamwork (129) and bonds they’ll forge during the course of their adventures has introduced a strong new driver for the 2021 edition’s likely longevity.

What emotional tone will drive ratings?
A sense of foreboding. Darker emotions like Vigilance (110), Aggressiveness (110), and Rage (110) are predicted to be crucial draws, reflecting viewers’ interest not only in the contestants’ more competitive natures, but also in the story’s warnings of an approaching monster and a mysterious curse.

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Rapid Insights: The True Crime Takeover

Posted on March 31, 2022March 31, 2022 by Luke

Rapid Insights: The True Crime Takeover

True crime fans have been spoiled in recent weeks by the spate of ‘ripped from the headlines’ dramas about high-profile female scam artists and criminals. Netflix’s Inventing Anna, Hulu’s The Dropout and The Girl from Plainville, and NBC’s The Thing about Pam offer compelling takes on both the psychological underpinnings of their antiheroes and the societal milieu that allowed them to flourish, all combined with the draw of top-notch actresses in the lead roles. Here’s what you need to know about these series:

What type of audience is drawn to this genre?
Adult women. All four series skew older (with roughly two-thirds of viewers aged 30+), and three are mostly female (54-62%). The exception is The Dropout, a cautionary tale of greed and power in the startup world, whose viewership leans male (56%).

How does the social buzz look for these series?
Very strong. All three titles that have already released maxed out our measurement of online activity (160) with the drop of their series premiere (Inventing Anna has seen a particularly sustained trend), and The Girl from Plainville (releasing today) looks to be repeating the pattern.

Is it important to viewers that the shows are based on real-life cases?
Yes, but it’s not everything. The fact that these series are based on true stories is a definite contributor to their ratings and bingeability, but other, more dramatic aspects about their subjects’ personal lives rise to the top in driving tune-in.

What’s the main impetus to watch?
A glimpse into their motivations. As the outcomes of each tale are already known–the women hit their downfall and end up on trial–the shows’ deep dives into their mentalities are the seasoning that adds the extra flavor. Anna Delvey’s desperation for status within high society, Elizabeth Holmes’ emotional roller coaster and struggle to navigate tough decisions, Michelle Carter’s unstable, broken family and disordered eating (Personal Backstory), and Pam’s Hupp’s toxic family conflicts all provide insight into why they did what they did.

Is it a selling point that these criminals are women?
Definitely. The central female protagonists and their specific perspectives and experiences are very important for social buzz, ratings, and bingeability.

Do their specific crimes matter?
Not really. These series encompass transgressions as varied as fraud, theft, psychological manipulation, and murder, but the resulting criminal investigations and public scandals remain top viewership drivers in every case.

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New Capabilities: Black, Latinx & Family Audience Insights

Posted on March 8, 2022March 8, 2022 by Luke

Get insight into ALL your audiences

Now available across all Vault AI reports! Journey beyond the standard demographic quadrants and truly understand what’s working for your diverse audience groups (Black, Latinx) across theatrical, streaming, and linear platforms.

Black and Latinx splits

Get granular insight into diverse demographics

Any good research approach should consider the full audience spectrum, but conventional methods often stumble with harder-to-survey populations. Go one step further and uncover quick, granular insights using actual engagement data from these diverse audiences that would otherwise require a pricey survey oversample. Understand your diverse viewers today at a fraction of the cost!

COMING SOON: Understand kids <12 and their parents

Get quick, accurate intelligence on a tough-to-sample segment

We all know the limitations of the traditional method: surveying kids and parents is slow, unreliable, prone to bias, and expensive. That’s why we’re working on releasing an integration of new kids’ and parents’ data into the profiles of thousands of movies and series. Predict that latest animated hit or pre-teen drama in record time!

Stay tuned for this update!

New Vault AI capabilities

80 new subgenres, like Dark Fantasy, Adventure, Reality, Unscripted, Workplace Comedy, have been added for enhanced genre landscapes
SVOD fit for international markets (previously just US)
Enhanced insights for Mexico, UK, Australia (demos, channel fit + more)
Improved Freshness analysis reveals what key drivers make content uniquely appealing
Predict how fans of IP and previous iterations will respond to upcoming sequel

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Rapid Insights: Squid Game

Posted on October 20, 2021February 15, 2022 by Luke

In September 2021, Netflix released Squid Game, a South Korean survival drama about cash-strapped players participating in deadly and twisted children’s games. Since then, it has grown into Netflix’s most popular series of all time.

Here’s what you need to know about Squid Game:

What makes Squid Game’s audience unique?
Unlike traditional thrillers, Squid Game’s wide appeal skews younger (60% male, 60% Viewers 30+) as compared to other suspense-driven shows like Ozark, Mindhunter, and The Handmaid’s Tale.

Was Squid Game highly anticipated by consumers?
No. Like the French language hit Lupin, Squid Game’s pre-release social tracking was nothing special. But, once it launched, it spread like wildfire globally.

What makes the violent game show so bingeable?
Because it’s a twisted spectacle in which players have to win. Winning is the only chance that these desperate and morally corrupt players (111) can fix their train wrecked lives.

What is working internationally?
Like the US, focusing on the personal backstories and family dysfunction of the players resonates in Latin America (Mexico and Brazil). But in South Korea, viewers will be talking about the secret organization in control of the game.

What can Vault tell us about what will work in future seasons?
That it is OK to raise the stakes even further. The elimination game (110) and players that are embroiled in intensely personal, family dysfunction (143) will continue to connect with audiences into future seasons.

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