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RECRUITED AUDIENCE SCREENING

UNITED KINGDOM

prepared for

F I R S T M O V I E S I N T E R N A T I O N A L

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OVERALL SUMMARY

‘ANNIE’ FRANCHISE:

Familiarity and fanship levels with the ‘Annie’ franchise were solid, particularly amongst 13+ audience: 61% of parents and 65% of teen girls considered themselves fans of ‘Annie’ story and characters. The main source of interaction with the ‘Annie’ franchise was the 1982 film (60%-68% amongst 13+ audience and 38% amongst kids). Claimed viewership of the West End Musical was by comparison significantly lower: 22%-23% amongst 13+ audience and negligible amongst kids (7%).

PLAYABILITY:

ANNIE played well to a family audience, with girls aged 7-12 and their parents emerging as the core audience for the film. Playability amongst teen girls aged 13-16 was very strong, suggesting a good potential to attract a wider audience beyond families:

Amongst the family audience, 70% of kids felt ANNIE ‘was great’, in line with the higher end of the kids UK locked norm (65%-70%), significantly driven by girls (79% vs. 42%)

Parental response was also on norm: 38% rated it excellent (vs. the 35%-40% parents UK locked norm) and the ‘total highly favourable score’ (‘excellent’ and ‘very good’ combined) sat at 81%, comfortably above the normative range (70%-75%).

A strong 50% of teen girls rated the film ‘excellent’ (more than double the 20% UK locked norm), with no significant differences by age:

o The ‘total highly favourable’ score stood at 90%, clearly surpassing the 55% norm, with scores reaching 100% amongst younger teen girls (vs. a still strong 80% of girls aged 15-16).

WORD-OF-MOUTH POTENTIAL:

Word of mouth potential was strongest amongst teen girls, whereas among parents and kids (despite on or above norm ratings) willingness to ‘definitely’ recommend was closer to average:

Teen girls emerged the most likely advocates of the film – 65% would ‘definitely’ recommend the film to their friends, outperforming the 40% norm

62% of parents would ‘definitely’ recommend the film to other parents (vs. the 60% norm), with 61% recommending it to friends (vs. 55% norm)

Playground worth of mouth from kids was slightly tempered – 62% would tell their friends to ‘see it straight away’, just shy of the 64% norm, significantly held back by 33% of boys (vs. a much stronger 71% of girls).

In line with solid recommendation scores, ANNIE was clearly seen as a theatrical property, the vast majority (91%) claiming that it should be seen either on its opening weekend (39% vs. 26% norm) or at some point at the cinema (52%). However, despite strong ratings and recommendations amongst teen girls, urgency to see the film as soon as it opens was softer, suggesting that without additional efforts in the marketing stage teen girls would be more likely to opt seeing the film at a later stage rather than on the opening weekend.


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In terms of value for money perceptions, 49% overall felt that they ‘definitely’ would have felt satisfied had they paid normal price at the cinema (a strong sixteen points above the 33% norm), with fans of musicals significantly more likely to be satisfied.

WHAT WORKED WELL:

The re-imagining of ‘Annie’: Playability and word of mouth potential amongst fans and non-fans of Annie was consistently solid, indicating the film’s potential to reach beyond fans:

o In line with this, there was a clear appreciation across all segments for the modern adaptation, offering a fresh and unique approach to a classic story and characters

o Additionally, both fans and non-fans enjoyed hearing the old songs with an updated twist, as well as hearing new songs that would quickly become favourites.

The cast were identified as the key drivers to attendance, with Cameron Diaz being the strongest motivating hook for 71%. The ‘well-acted’ performances formed one of the key impressions of the film and emerged as one of the key assets of ANNIE:

o Of individual cast members, Quevenzhane Wallis’ performance as Annie delivered for most, which was reflected in her 70% excellent rating, with an additional 79% of kids selecting her as their favourite.

o The character of Will Stacks was also well-received (64% rated him excellent and 69% of kids favoured him as a character). He was particularly resonant amongst teen girls and was seen as a driver of humour. Additionally the strength of the relationship between Will and Annie was also praised both quantitatively and qualitatively, providing cues to the film’s heartwarming nature.

o Supporting characters of Grace, Miss Hannigan and Guy also performed well above the 25% norm for supporting performances.

The story clearly resonated amongst this audience with 62% commending the film for having a ‘good story’. It was felt to be ‘entertaining’ and ‘heart-warming’ with feedback suggesting that the adaptation of the original story was warmly received and enjoyed by all. This was particularly important for parents as it provided a good message for their kids.

Overall, the musical numbers spontaneously emerged as the most enjoyed moments, with ‘Tomorrow’ and ‘Hard Knock Life’ standing out as the key musical pieces. Furthermore, the balance between acting and singing was felt to be just right and association with known musical artists, Will Smith and Jay-Z, was a strong theatrical driver for two thirds.

The comedy was felt to deliver, with 62% describing the film as ‘funny’ and as an element it performed in line with the norm (34%). Key comedic moments included Will’s wig and Annie cooking breakfast for Will with terrible results.


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MOVING FORWARD

Overall, results suggest that ANNIE has clear appeal for a family audience. Parents with girls were identified as the most likely demographic to drive theatrical attendance, although there is some potential to broaden appeal and pull in younger teen girls (aged 13-14) as a key secondary target.

As such, some of the following elements may help to maximise appeal and create a greater buzz for word of mouth:

The softer recommendation scores amongst kids suggests softer pester power so consider targeting parents as the key decision makers:

o Many parents are fans of the original 1982 film so where possible, capitalise on their sense of nostalgia and potential to suggest ‘shared experience’

o Drive message of the film being fun for the whole family through use of dynamic AV showing the favoured musical pieces and humorous moments – this would help to reassure parents of boys as well as girls

o Additionally, for parents of boys, emphasise the use of technological gadgets such as mobile phones and the advanced technology in Will’s penthouse to reassure there are elements in the film to keep them engaged.

Avoid positioning the film as a straight musical – it can limit appeal and recommendation, but reassure fans of Annie that is a considerate and sympathetic remake by showcasing the beloved musical pieces with a modern twist

The cast is both a key draw and takeout, and likely to form the backbone for any word of mouth. Whilst Annie and Will should be front and centre of the marketing campaign, thought should be given to ensuring the supporting cast are also showcased, since they were well liked by all groups and felt to be strong marketing hooks:

o This is particularly important in driving engagement / urgency to see for teens. Capitalising on the cast, especially Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx (whose looks and related humour in the film drives appeal amongst teen girls). He also adds musical weight and modernity

o Additionally, where possible clearly signpost the production team of Will Smith and Jay-Z. This will help to draw in fans and provide a cool factor for teens and boys to associate with the film.

Where possible, emphasise the quality of the performances as this was key to engagement. It also suggests that this modern adaptation is more than just a musical and offers an entry point for non-fans of musicals

Consider highlighting more modern elements of the storyline. This may help deliver a sense of relatability which was enjoyed by all and offers a unique twist on a well-known storyline

Furthermore, where possible, highlight the humour and some comedic moments injected by Jamie Foxx in order to maximise appeal to a broader audience.


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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

I) PLAYABILITY

FILM RATINGS

ANNIE played well to the family audience (kids and parents) and also garnered a warm response amongst teen girls at this London screening. All demographics rated the film on or above norm, indicating its potential appeal to a wider audience:

Seven out of ten kids aged 7-12 (70%) responded to ANNIE by saying ‘It was great’, on par with the top end of the kids UK locked norm of 65%-70%:

o By gender, girls were significantly more engaged whilst boys held back scores (79% vs. 42%)

o By age, ANNIE was best received amongst 9-10 year olds (an above norm 79%), followed by 7-8s (on norm 71%), whilst 11-12s dipped below norm (59%)

o Overall, a further 24% of the kids rated the film ‘very good’ bringing the ‘total highly favourable’ response to 93%, three points clear of the 85%-90% kids UK locked norm:

At this level, girls emerged as the most enthusiastic, with 98% offering a top-two box rating (vs. a below norm 80% of boys)

9-10s were also more impressed (98%), especially in comparison with the older 10-12s (88%).

Parental response to the film was also solid, with 38% rating the film ‘excellent’, in line with the parents UK locked norm range (35%-40%), significantly driven by parents of girls (34% vs. 19% of parents of boys); please view as indicative only due to low base size:

o An additional 43% of parents rated the film ‘very good’, providing a total highly favourable response of 81%, comfortably clear of the parental norm range of 70%-75%.

Teen girls were the clear supporters of the film, providing an ‘excellent’ rating of 50% for ANNIE, more than double the UK locked norm of 20%, with no significant differences by age (13-14s and 15-16s):

o When combined with 40% who rated it ‘very good’, ANNIE received a total highly favourable score of 90%, strongly outperforming the 55% UK locked norm:

At this level, response was driven by the younger teen girls aged 13-14 (100%), whilst the older 15-16s were still robust (80%), although please view as indicative only due to low base size.


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RECOMMENDATIONS

Word of mouth support was strongest amongst teen girls, followed by parents, whilst commitment to ‘definitely’ recommend the film was more tempered amongst kids:

65% of teen girls would ‘definitely’ recommend the film to their friends, clearly surpassing the norm (40%)

o A further 22% would ‘probably’ recommend ANNIE to friends, resulting in a total of 87% who were likely to offer a recommendation.

Showing solid playability amongst parents, 62% of parents would ‘definitely’ recommend the film to other parents, two points above the norm (60%), and 61% claimed they would recommend it to their friends (vs. a 55% norm)

However, playground word of mouth amongst kids was slightly soft, with just over two thirds (62%) who would recommend that ANNIE be seen ‘straight away’, just shy of the UK kids locked norm of 64%:

o Girls were significantly more supportive (an above norm 71%), whilst boys held back scores (33%).

POST INTEREST – KIDS

The vast majority (93%) of kids claimed they wanted to see ANNIE again at the cinema when it is released (62% ‘a lot’; 31% ‘a little’):

o Urgency (‘a lot’) was significantly driven by girls (71% vs. 38%) and by 7-9s (71% vs. 54%).

Additionally, 60% also wanted to listen to the music again ‘a lot’, with girls and 7-9s notably more likely to do so (65% vs. 42%-51% of boys and 10-12s):

o A further 28% claimed they wanted to listen to the songs ‘a little’, led by 10-12s (39%).

RECOMMENDATIONS IN CONTEXT

Amongst teen girls and parents who would recommend ANNIE, the majority would recommend seeing the film theatrically (91%):

o Urgency to see the film ‘as soon as it opens’ was above norm overall (39% vs. a 26% norm), especially amongst parents (45%). Despite the strong rating and recommendation scores amongst teen girls, likelihood to see it on opening weekend was around average (29%)

o A further 52% of parents and teen girls recommended it should be seen in the cinema ‘sometime’.

Not many barriers to word of mouth emerged spontaneously - 14% felt they could not recommend ‘musicals’ as it would not appeal to everyone and a further 11% felt they were not the target audience, significantly led by teen girls (29% vs. 3% of parents).


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II) SATISFACTION AND EXPECTATIONS

SATISFACTION LEVELS

ANNIE has clearly delivered on value for money perceptions (49% vs. 33% norm), with parents particularly satisfied (51% vs. 45% of teen girls) as well as those who were fans of musicals (63% vs. 31% of non-fans).

PERFORMANCE AGAINST EXPECTATIONS

Prior to seeing the film, expectations were predominantly middling amongst teen girls and parents (44%), however a notable proportion arrived with ‘quite high’ expectations (31%):

o Perhaps unsurprisingly, fans of musicals and the ‘Annie’ story and characters drove ‘quite high’ expectations (40%-41% vs. 10%-11% of non-fans).

Encouragingly, expectations were exceeded across the board, with around two

thirds of teen girls and parents claiming that ANNIE was ‘better than expected’ (68%):

o Of note, 20% felt their expectations were met, significantly led by those who had seen the West End musical (40% vs. 14% of non-viewers).

III) FAMILIARITY & FANSHIP

Overall, familiarity was higher for the 1982 film than the West End stage musical:

o Two fifths of kids had seen the 1982 film (38%, led by 42% of girls), with a further 16% of kids aware of it – in contrast to just 7% who had seen the stage musical and 33% aware of it

o A more significant 68% of parents and 60% of teen girls had seen the 1982 film, whereas 22%-23% had seen the West End musical.

A significant proportion of this audience considered themselves fans of the ‘Annie story and characters’ – 65% of teen girls and 61% of parents claimed to be fans of the property:

o More generally, 62% of teen girls and 55% of parents claimed to be fans of musical films.

Considering the key talent, Cameron Diaz had strongest fanship, especially for

teen girls (70% vs. 54% of parents), with Jamie Foxx and Rose Byrne secondary:

o 50% of teen girls and 33% of parents claimed to be fans of Jamie Foxx

o 38% of teen girls and a significantly softer 19% of parents were fans of Rose Byrne.


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IV) GENERAL IMPRESSIONS

CHILDREN

When asked to describe ANNIE to their friends in their own words, the majority would describe the film in general positive terms (70% ‘amazing’, ‘good’, ‘loved it’)

A quarter (25%) would talk about the ‘music / songs’, commenting in general about the film being a musical or more specifically that they enjoyed the songs and liked the singing:

o Older kids aged 10-12 were significantly more likely to speak about the music (34% vs. 17%), indicating it would be an important element in word of mouth.

Furthermore, a fifth (19%) would tell their friends that it’s a ‘must-see film’, 15% thought it was ‘funny’ and an equal 15% compared it to the original 1982 ANNIE (led by 18% of girls vs. 4% of boys). Just over a tenth (13%-14%) noted some storyline elements and that it was ‘emotional / touching’.

TEEN GIRLS & PARENTS

When prompted with a list of descriptors, the key impression was that ANNIE was ‘entertaining’ (83%), with the entertainment value bolstered by the fact that it was ‘heartwarming’ (69%), ‘has a good story’ (62%) and was ‘funny’ (62%) in combination with standout performances from a recognised and respected cast (63% ‘well-acted’ and 62% ‘has a good cast’):

o Teen girls were significantly more likely to engage with the cast and commend the performances (75% vs. 55%-57% of parents), with the story also praised at a notably higher level (85% vs. 49% of parents):

However, indicating that the cast has more traction, a lower 38% overall felt it had ‘interesting characters’. This was driven by teen girls (60% vs. 25% of parents), suggesting a greater sense of engagement amongst this group.

o Albeit at lower levels, the ‘feel-good’ heartwarming nature of the film was spontaneously mentioned by 19% and a further 16% felt that it was ‘funny’.

At a spontaneous level, comparing the film to the original 1982 ANNIE would be top of mind for 35% when talking to their friends, with 29% specifically mentioning that it is a ‘modern Annie’:

o In line with this, a quarter (26%) would comment on the ‘music / songs’, and at a prompted level, 33% would describe it as a ‘brilliant musical’, driven by 48% of teen girls (vs. 25% of parents), with a more tempered 17% describing it as a ‘typical musical’ (peaking at 25% amongst those who had seen the 1982 ANNIE).

Overall, two fifths felt engaged with the film (42%), claiming ‘it held my

interest throughout’ and a similar number commended the quality of production, describing it as ‘visually appealing’ (41%) and ‘well-paced’ (41%), which is encouraging given the length of the film.


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At a slightly lower level, it was thought to be ‘cool’ (37%, led by 52% of teen girls), ‘different / original’ (28%) and ‘dramatic’ (19%) and, whilst 21% labelled it as ‘a must-see film’, a softer 17% felt it was a ‘big-event movie’

Encouragingly, negative impressions were noted at lower levels – 16%-17% felt it was ‘too corny / cheesy’ and ‘too predictable’, whilst a further 13% felt it was ‘too American’ and ‘too slow in parts’.

V) WHAT WORKS WELL

THE CAST / CHARACTERS

The performances and cast were central to engagement for this audience, with both forming key impressions of the film:

Amongst all segments, Annie emerged as the strongest character:

o The majority (79%) of kids selected her as their clear favourite, with girls significantly more likely to pick her (84% vs. 64%)

o Amongst teen girls and parents, 70% rated her ‘excellent’, double the 35% co-lead norm. Whilst there was no significant difference by segment, parents were slightly more likely to offer the top-box rating (74% vs. 62%)

“Quevenzhane’s performance as Annie was really well-acted. She was so sassy and cool.”

Temi, 16

A fifth (21%) spontaneously mentioned ‘Annie scenes’ in general as their favourite moments, with 22% specifically mentioning scenes in ‘Will’s penthouse’.

Jamie Foxx’s performance as Will Stacks was rated ‘excellent’ by 64% of teen girls and parents, outperforming the co-lead norm of 35%. Teen girls led scores (75% vs. 58% of parents), making him their clear favourite. Additionally, 69% of kids favoured him as a character:

“His character was quite funny. Like when he was going to cry, he passed it off like, ‘Oh, it’s just dust’. I think they showed all of his emotions from sad, to angry, to happy so it was really good”

Anna, 13

o The key theme of the relationship between Stacks and Annie garnered support across the whole audience, with 62% rating it ‘excellent’ (more than double the normative range of 20%-25%), with 17% highlighting scenes depicting their relationship as moments most enjoyed.

“I liked how they just clicked. You could tell they had a good bonding relationship together and the moments they shared were really sweet and heartwarming.”

Monica, 14

Amongst the supporting cast (marked against the supporting performance norm of 25%), Grace, Miss Hannigan and Guy were well received overall (56%, 49% and 39% ‘excellent’, respectively):


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o Teen girls tended to be more favourable towards Grace and Miss Hannigan than parents (65% vs. 51% and 58% vs. 43%, respectively)

“I liked that Miss Hannigan was similar to the old version the way she hated the girls, but then nearer the end she felt guilty and then tries to redeem herself.”

Amy, 14

o Amongst kids, Grace was favoured by 71% (led by 80% of girls vs. 47% of

boys) and Miss Hannigan 52%. Additionally, 65% of kids also liked Sandy:

Other supporting roles spontaneously mentioned by kids were the foster children (25%) and Nash, the driver (14%)

However, Miss Hannigan did polarise response amongst kids, disliked by 22%

at a prompted level and just over a tenth (12%) claimed they didn’t like scenes featuring the foster carer, no dobut owing to her role as the antagonist at the beginning of the film:

o Guy was also mentioned as a character they disliked at an unprompted level by 21% of kids.

THE STORY

The story clearly resonated amongst this audience, with 49% rating it ‘excellent’ as an element (more the double the 20% norm), notably driven by 62% of teen girls (vs. 41% of parents), suggesting stronger engagement for them overall:

o Feedback from focus groups also praised the new adaptation of the original story, with real issues that people can relate to:

“It was good that they highlighted young kids not being able to read. That’s something modern, every day issues that we deal with.”

Donna (Mother), 40

“I think kids now, they would understand it more than the old one. It’s more relatable to this day and age. I thought it was going to be quite hard to compare it to the old version, but it passed my expectations.”

Sabrina, 16

o Further indicating solid engagement with the story throughout, the pace was rated ‘excellent’ by 38% overall (vs. a 15% norm), with teen girls significantly more favourable towards the tempo of the film throughout (52% vs. 29% or parents)

“There’s nothing boring about it. I usually find myself drifting in films, but I was concentrating the whole time.”

Temi, 16

In keeping with the story, the beginning was given a 39% ‘excellent’ rating (vs. 20%-25% norm), with audience members describing it in positive terms, whilst a tenth (9%) were positively surprised at the modern take on the character and story:

“I liked the beginning because you had the ginger-haired girl and you didn’t know what to expect. My son took a while to realise who Annie was, but I thought it was a great twist.” Emma (mother), 42


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Almost half (48%) rated ‘the ending’ excellent, clearly surpassing the 25%

norm, playing at a significantly stronger level for teen girls (62% vs. 39% of parents):

o Spontaneously, the end emerged as one of the most favoured scenes for a third of teen girls and parents (32%), with the car chase specifically mentioned by 16% as a favourite scene

o Furthermore, when asked how they felt about the ending, 28% were generally positive (‘good’, ‘very good’) and a quarter (23%) noted the ‘feel-good factor’, which left the audience feeling buoyant after the film ended.

THE MUSICAL NUMBERS

The ‘songs / singing’ emerged a key strength of the film, with these moments emerging as the most enjoyed for almost two fifths of both the kids and adult audience (both 37%):

o Amongst kids, ‘Tomorrow’ was the clear standout number, mentioned by 58%, with girls driving this response (65% vs. 36% of boys), with ‘Hard Knock Life’ garnering support from 33%:

Songs with Annie singing lead were also mentioned by 26% and just over a tenth liked the final rendition of ‘Tomorrow’ (15%) and songs by Miss Hannigan (13%).

o Amongst teen girls and parents, the musical numbers were awarded the

top-box rating by 39%, comfortably above the 20%-25% norm, with ‘Tomorrow’ and ‘Hard Knock Life’ emerging as the strongest pieces (47% and 44%, respectively):

Additional songs that were enjoyed included the end song on the pier (18%); Annie’s ‘Opportunity’ song (17%); Stacks and Annie’s ‘New York’ song (13%) and Miss Hannigan’s ‘Little Girls’ (10%)

Of note, when considering their children, the ‘musical elements’ was the key aspect parents liked for their kids

For teen girls in the group, it was thought that the balance between the musical pieces and the acting was just right and the type of music was well-suited to the modern adaptation:

“I liked the songs and the fact that there was a good balance between the music and the acting. In other musicals, it’s just constantly songs which gets annoying, but this film had them spread out evenly.”

Priya, 16

“They kept parts of the old songs, but just updated it to a more modern version that kids now would understand and like more. It doesn’t have a ton of songs the make you lose interest.” Hannah, 14


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COMEDY

Overall, ‘the comedy’ performed on norm (34% vs. 35% norm) and played best amongst the teen audience (42% vs. 29% of parents), again indicating their clear engagement with the film. This was further supported in the focus group with teens appreciating the more tongue-in-cheek moments:

“There were some really funny moments with Will especially, like the whole wig thing and then when Annie made breakfast and he was just chucking it at the dog.”

Temi, 16

SOFTER IMPRESSIONS

Encouragingly, there were no major drawbacks amongst this audience. Very few (n=10) felt there were some inappropriate scenes which were primarily to do with sexual innuendos from Miss Hannigan

Additionally amongst teen girls and parents, a low 14% spontaneously mentioned ‘the beginning’ as a scene they didn’t connect with and, in line with barriers for recommendation, 12% didn’t like ‘the songs / singing’, claiming there was ‘too much’.

VI) MARKETING

HOOKS – TEEN GIRLS & PARENTS

As we found in the street recruit, the cast were clearly motivating in driving attendance to the screening:

o Of the individual cast members, Cameron Diaz was seen as the strongest hook for 71%, with Jamie Foxx and ‘the cast in general’ encouraging 61% and 50% respectively; Rose Byrne was motivating to lesser extent overall (33%), but was felt to pull in the teen girls significantly more than parents (48% vs. 25%)

“Cameron Diaz intrigued me, I was curious to see how well she’d sing.”

Prediya, 16

o Although not spontaneously mentioned during the recruit, when

prompted, two thirds (66%) felt the association of Will Smith and Jay-Z was a strong motivating influence, especially teen girls (82% vs 57% of parents)

“I think if people knew it was produced by Will Smith and Jay-Z, my kids would listen to soundtrack again and again.”

Tasha (Mother), 40

In line with spontaneous responses, the fact that ‘it’s a modern update of the original’ would be something promoted through word of mouth and was further felt to be a hook for 69%


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Indicative of its ability to engage, two thirds (65%) felt that the story was an aspect that would drive theatrical attendance (led by fans of Annie, 76% vs. 53%), more so than the fact that it’s a musical (50%):

“When you think of musicals, you just think everyone is going to be singing and it’s going to be really long, so it just wouldn’t make me want to jump to see it.”

Lillie, 15

VII) TARGET MARKET

There was a general consensus that ANNIE would appeal best to families with young kids:

o Two thirds (67%) of kids felt that ‘the whole family’ would enjoy watching ANNIE most, otherwise 30% felt it would appeal to ‘all kids’ in general. Beyond this, it was seen to appeal to 7-9s slightly more than 10-12s (28% vs. 20%)

o In line with this, 63% of teen girls and parents felt the core audience lay amongst children aged 10-12, closely followed by 7-9s (57%)

o Key secondary targets were thought to be families (40%) and younger teenagers aged 13-14 (39%), followed by kids under 7 (21%).

Parents liked that the film was ‘fun for the family’ (17%) and ‘fun for children’ (10%), which was further supported by feedback from the focus groups:

“Personally, I would only recommend it to parents. It’s definitely a family film, I just don’t think it would be for those without kids.”

Jackie (Mother), 38

By gender, there was agreement that Annie’s core target audience would lie amongst females – 60% of kids thought it was for girls more, whilst 74% of teen girls and parents claimed it would skew towards females:

o A lower 31% of kids and 17% of teen girls and parents thought it was have equal gender appeal.


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AUDIENCE OBSERVATIONS

The following observations map the audible reactions to specific lines or scenes, indicating where there were moments of laughter, gasps and so on. Stronger laughter was noted in the following scenes or moments:

Annie: “If I move in with you, you will become president!”

“You’ve got to learn how to stop spitting, You’re not a camel”

Moderate laughter was noted in the following scenes or moments:

As he is serving at a homeless shelter, Stacks eats a mouthful of mashed potato and immediately spits it out over a patron

Grace to Guy: “Your under eye vein is bulging”

Hannigan groans to Grace

Annie: “Whoa my hair is gigantic”

Annie to Stacks: “Can we eat first, it was long drive”

Stacks is trying to take a picture, but Annie keeps switching positions

Lady at counter serves them and recognises Stacks: “You need form… sweet lord!”

Mrs Hannigan comes out to Stacks and he thinks she’s a prostitute, “I’m not looking for temporary companionship!” She responds “You gonna spray me?!”

“Stacks to I don’t like you in Harlem, why would I like you on Facebook”

Annie cooks them dinner, they both take a bite and immediately spit it out

Stacks at the movie premiere: “Attack! Attack!” The rest of the crowd tell him to shh

Annie sees Stacks bald head and wig

“Now it’s a dog & deer in a meadow, why is it so cute?!”

“I wouldn’t bank on the hair”

Stacks misunderstands that Sandy has to go toilet “Oh Sandy’s gotta go”

The auditions of Annie’s parents, they start singing

Mild laughter was noted at the following scenes or moments:

Miss Hannigan: “Aren’t I supposed to be married to George Clooney?”

Grace shows him mash potato parodies online

The lady at the counter takes Annie’s money and starts counting it with a disgusted look on her face

Grace: “Kids love candy”

Lou: “I’ve got my dance pants on”

Annie steps into Stacks’ apartment “Whoa…” Russian lady repeats, “Yeah, whoa”

“I think this starship enterprise checks that box”


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Moments throughout “I think I’m gonna like it here”

Guy almost slips on Ice

“I can’t keep a secret, I’ve got fish earrings”

“Not that you look like a churchbell”

Annie: “Made you breakfast” Stacks doesn’t like it so throws food to dog and mimes eating the food

“I threw up on the swings once”

“Your grandmother is hot”

“Annie makes a wig motion”

“I’ve never seen a bow this big”

“I just wanna punch Mr Stacks in the face. That’s it, just punch him”

Annie goes up to the stage with shrimp in her mouth

Hannigan realises Guy is making his way towards her so quickly sprays Febreze

Guy pushes Hannigan away when she goes in for kiss. “Oh we’re not doing that right now? YOLO”

“That is a very big pen”

Lou: “I don’t know anything about helicopters, it’s written right here!”

Random guy in bar: “With singing and dancing like that there was no way he was gonna be mayor”

Other reactions noted included:

Applause at end


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EVENT DETAILS

VENUE Odeon, Kingston

DATE Tuesday 27th May 2014

TIME 2.00pm for 2.30pm start

AUDIENCE SIZE 335 (minus client allocation)

- WALKOUTS -

COMPLETED QUESTIONNAIRES 287 178 Kids 69 Parents 40 Teen girls

REJECTED QUESTIONNAIRES 2 1 Parent 1 Teen For missing rating and / or recommendation scores


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RECRUITMENT DETAILS

RECRUITMENT METHOD: Face-to-face

RECRUITMENT CONTROLS: Cinema attendance at least once every 2 months, on average

No direct contact with the film industry and/or the field of journalism.

DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE: 80% of the audience to comprise children aged 7-12 years and their parents (Moms), with the following child demographics:

50% aged 7-9 years 50% aged 10-12 years

70% girls and 30% boys

20% to comprise general audience females aged 13-16 years

SYNOPSIS PROVIDED:

You and a guest are invited to a screening of ANNIE, a new movie inspired by the classic musical, starring Jamie Foxx (Best Actor Academy Award winner for RAY), Rose Byrne, Cameron Diaz, Bobby Cannavale, and Quvenzhane Wallis (Best Actress Academy Award nominee for BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD) as Annie.

RECRUITMENT IMAGE:


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RESPONDENT PROFILE

SAMPLE PROFILE (DEMOGRAPHICS):

Following the screening, audience members filled out self-completion questionnaires. To further explore and add flavour to this response, three focus groups were conducted with audience members, one with the family audience and one with teen girls. The table below details the rating scores offered by focus group members:

Family Teen girls

Kids Parents

Excellent 10 4 11

Very Good - 3 -

Good - - -

Fair - - -

Poor - - -

Note: when reporting on demographic analysis, a difference between responses is only reported as ‘significant’ where we are statistically confident (to a degree of 95%) that such a difference exists, taking into account sample sizes.

It should also be noted that ‘net’ figures quoted in the text might differ from the sum of those figures shown in the graphs, simply because of rounding.


19

APPENDIX

FIGURE #1 RATING SCORES

CHILDREN

TEENS & PARENTS


20

FIGURE #2A RECOMMENDATIONS TO FRIENDS

CHILDREN

TEENS & PARENTS


21

FIGURE #2B RECOMMENDATIONS TO OTHER PARENTS

PARENTS

FIGURE #2C RECOMMENDATIONS IN CONTEXT

TEENS & PARENTS


22

FIGURE #2D REASONS FOR NOT ‘DEFINITELY’ RECOMMENDING

TEENS & PARENTS

FIGURE #3A PRE EXISTING EXPECTATIONS

TEENS & PARENTS

Total Teens Parents

Total 44 14* 30*

MUSICALS - TOTAL MENTIONS 14% 21% 10%

Not all people like musicals 9% 21% 3%

NOT THE TARGET AUDIENCE - TOTAL MENTIONS 11% 29% 3%

Bit young for age group 7% 14% 3%

PACE / LENGTH - TOTAL MENTIONS 9% 7% 10%

Too long 7% 0% 10%

PREDICTABLE / FORMULAIC - TOTAL MENTIONS 7% 0% 10%

CAST / CHARACTERS - TOTAL MENTIONS 5% 7% 3%

Preferred original 5% 7% 3%

NO ANSWER 59% 43% 67%

*Caution: low base size

AUDIENCE TYPE


23

FIGURE #3B POST VIEWING EXPECTATIONS

TEENS & PARENTS

FIGURE #4 SATISFACTION LEVELS

TEENS & PARENTS


24

FIGURE #5 GENERAL SCENES / MOMENTS LIKED

CHILDREN

Total Boys Girls 7 to 9 10 to 12

Total 178 45 133 89 89

THE MUSICAL NUMBERS - TOTAL MENTIONS 37% 33% 38% 35% 38%

Songs/singing 20% 18% 21% 20% 20%

Tomorrow song 4% 0% 6% 2% 7%

Opportunity song 4% 0% 5% 2% 6%

Hard knock life 3% 9% 1% 2% 3%

AT WILL'S HOUSE - TOTAL MENTIONS 30% 27% 31% 22% 37%

Annie seeing/arriving at Stacks house 21% 16% 23% 16% 26%

The house 3% 4% 3% 0% 7%

End 30% 11% 36% 25% 35%

THE FAKE PARENTS - TOTAL MENTIONS 13% 24% 10% 12% 15%

The chase 11% 18% 8% 8% 13%

THE BEGINNING - TOTAL MENTIONS 13% 13% 13% 13% 12%

Beginning 10% 11% 10% 11% 9%

All 11% 13% 10% 13% 8%

When she got the dog 9% 2% 11% 10% 8%

WILL STACKS SCENES - TOTAL MENTIONS 7% 13% 5% 6% 9%

Meeting Stacks 3% 2% 3% 1% 4%

When Stacks saved her 3% 4% 2% 2% 3%

AT THE FOSTER HOME - TOTAL MENTIONS 7% 4% 8% 3% 10%

Cleaning 4% 2% 5% 1% 7%

WHEN ANNIE IS TAKEN IN - TOTAL MENTIONS 7% 4% 8% 8% 6%

When she gets taken away 4% 2% 5% 6% 3%

Helicopter 6% 9% 5% 3% 9%

Movie premiere 3% 0% 5% 4% 2%

Punch the guy in the face 3% 4% 2% 2% 3%

NO ANSWER 2% 4% 1% 2% 1%

GENDER AGE


25

FIGURE #5 GENERAL SCENES / MOMENTS LIKED

TEENS & PARENTS

Total Teens Parents

Total 109 40 69

THE SONGS / SINGING - TOTAL MENTIONS 37% 25% 43%

Song 'its a hard knock life' 9% 8% 10%

Cleaning scene song 8% 5% 10%

Song scenes 6% 2% 9%

Shrimp party - Annie's song 6% 2% 9%

The new songs 5% 5% 4%

Song 'I think I am going to like it' 3% 5% 1%

Song 'tomorrow' 3% 2% 3%

End 32% 48% 23%

WILL'S PENTHOUSE - TOTAL MENTIONS 22% 30% 17%

First went into penthouse 17% 25% 13%

First photos at lunch 3% 0% 4%

ANNIE / QUENVENZHANE SCENES - TOTAL MENTIONS 21% 15% 25%

Annie in the helicopter 8% 10% 7%

Sitting outside the restaurant 6% 2% 7%

Beginning in classroom 5% 0% 7%

When Annie got her dog 4% 5% 3%

WILL AND ANNIE RELATIONSHIP - TOTAL MENTIONS 17% 18% 17%

When she met Mr Stacks and he saves her 6% 0% 9%

When Mr Stack admits he loves Annie 3% 8% 0%

Day out in Queens 3% 5% 1%

AT HANNIGAN'S FOSTER HOME - TOTAL MENTIONS 16% 20% 13%

Beginning in foster home 6% 8% 6%

The foster girls 4% 0% 6%

Hannigans auditions 3% 5% 1%

CAR CHASE - TOTAL MENTIONS 16% 22% 12%

Car chase 14% 20% 10%

HANNIGAN / DIAZ SCENES - TOTAL MENTIONS 10% 12% 9%

Cameron Diaz 5% 0% 7%

Hannigan guilty scene 4% 10% 0%

WILL STACKS / JAMIE FOXX SCENES - TOTAL MENTIONS 6% 8% 6%

Mashed potato bit 4% 2% 4%

When they are at the premiere 6% 8% 6%

BENEFIT PARTY SCENE - TOTAL MENTIONS 6% 5% 6%

After party scene 3% 2% 3%

First scene 6% 5% 6%

Beginning 4% 8% 1%

All of it 3% 0% 4%

NO ANSWER 5% 2% 6%

AUDIENCE TYPE


26

FIGURE #6 PARENTAL LIKES

PARENT

Total Teens Parents

Total 69 0 69

MUSICAL ELEMENTS - TOTAL MENTIONS 17% 0% 17%

Songs good 9% 0% 9%

Singing and dancing 7% 0% 7%

FAMILY FILM / FUN FOR FAMILY - TOTAL MENTIONS 17% 0% 17%

Suitable for all the family 6% 0% 6%

Good for a wide age range 4% 0% 4%

Family film 3% 0% 3%

Good for adults too 3% 0% 3%

POSITIVE MESSAGES / THEMES - TOTAL MENTIONS 12% 0% 12%

Moral 7% 0% 7%

FUN FOR CHILDREN - TOTAL MENTIONS 10% 0% 10%

Fun 7% 0% 7%

CHILD CHARACTRERS / PROTAGONISTS - TOTAL MENTIONS 10% 0% 10%

Relatable 4% 0% 4%

FEEL GOOD FACTOR - TOTAL MENTIONS 9% 0% 9%

Feel good 6% 0% 6%

REFERENCES TO THE ORIGINAL - TOTAL MENTIONS 7% 0% 7%

Modern 4% 0% 4%

Entertaining 4% 0% 4%

Everything 3% 0% 3%

Funny 3% 0% 3%

Technology 3% 0% 3%

NO ANSWER 20% 0% 20%

AUDIENCE TYPE


27

FIGURE #7 GENERAL SCENES / MOMENTS DISLIKED

CHILDREN

TEENS & PARENT


Total 178 45 133 89 89

None 30% 22% 33% 27% 34%

MISS HANNIGAN SCENES - TOTAL MENTIONS 12% 11% 13% 4% 20%

Dancing in the bar 6% 7% 5% 2% 9%

Hannigan shouting at girls 4% 4% 4% 2% 6%

SCHOOL SCENE - TOTAL MENTIONS 7% 2% 8% 2% 11%

School scene 6% 2% 8% 2% 10%

Kissing 6% 9% 5% 10% 1%

Annie trapped in the car 4% 4% 5% 8% 1%

THE FAKE PARENTS - TOTAL MENTIONS 4% 2% 5% 3% 4%

Auditions 3% 0% 4% 2% 3%

ANNIE AND WILL SCENES - TOTAL MENTIONS 3% 2% 4% 4% 2%

Musical parts 3% 9% 2% 2% 4%

When she was taken and shouted at 3% 4% 3% 6% 1%

THE ORPHANAGE / FOSTER HOUSE - TOTAL MENTIONS 3% 0% 4% 1% 4%

When she couldnt read 3% 0% 4% 3% 2%

NO ANSWER 29% 33% 28% 35% 24%

GENDER AGE

Total Teens Parents

Total 109 40 69

THE BEGINNING - TOTAL MENTIONS 14% 20% 10%

Beginning 6% 8% 6%

The school 5% 12% 0%

None 13% 12% 13%

THE SONGS / SINGING - TOTAL MENTIONS 12% 8% 14%

Too much singing 5% 5% 4%

HANNIGAN / DIAZ SCENES - TOTAL MENTIONS 7% 2% 10%

Cameron Diaz parts 4% 0% 6%

First scene with Miss Hannigan 3% 2% 3%

Editing 5% 2% 6%

End scene 5% 5% 4%

PREMIERE PARTY - TOTAL MENTIONS 4% 5% 3%

Helicopter car chase 3% 0% 4%

Spitting out mashed potato 3% 0% 4%

Bar scene 3% 2% 3%

NO ANSWER 39% 52% 32%

AUDIENCE TYPE


28

FIGURE #8A PARENTS – INAPPROPRIATE SCENES FOR CHILDREN

FIGURE #8B PARENTS – INAPPROPRIATE SCENES FOR CHILDREN

PARENT

Total Teens Parents

Total 10* 0 10*

Hannigan's attempts at seduction 20% 0% 20%

Food spitting with hobo 10% 0% 10%

Annie riding without a helmet 10% 0% 10%

Letting Annie go so easily 10% 0% 10%

Silly sex related jokes 10% 0% 10%

Hannigan's comments 10% 0% 10%

Language - use of word, `suck` 10% 0% 10%

NO ANSWER 20% 0% 20%


AUDIENCE TYPE


29

FIGURE #9 MUSICAL LIKES

CHILDREN

TEENS & PARENT


Total 178 45 133 89 89

Tomorrow 58% 36% 65% 57% 58%

It's a hard knock life 33% 29% 35% 27% 39%

ANNIE'S SONGS - TOTAL MENTIONS 26% 9% 32% 22% 30%

Think I'm going to like it here 15% 7% 17% 12% 17%

Opportunities song (museum) 10% 2% 12% 7% 12%

Opening number 4% 4% 5% 6% 3%

Final number 15% 4% 18% 12% 17%

HANNIGAN'S SONGS - TOTAL MENTIONS 13% 0% 17% 13% 12%

Little girls 7% 0% 9% 4% 9%

Hannigan's song 4% 0% 5% 4% 3%

All of them 12% 18% 11% 11% 13%

None 4% 16% 0% 4% 3%

NO ANSWER 7% 11% 5% 9% 4%

GENDER AGE

Total Teens Parents

Total 109 40 69

Tomorrow 47% 35% 54%

Hard knock life 44% 50% 41%

End song 18% 25% 14%

Opportunity (Annie solo at party) 17% 15% 17%

Song on Helicopter/NY song 13% 20% 9%

Little Girls 10% 18% 6%

Penthouse - I think I'm going to like it 9% 12% 7%

All 7% 2% 10%

Who Am I? 6% 8% 4%

Easy Street 3% 8% 0%

All songs with foster girls 3% 2% 3%

Traditional songs 3% 2% 3%

NO ANSWER 7% 10% 6%

AUDIENCE TYPE


30

FIGURE #10 MUSICAL DISLIKES

CHILDREN

TEENS & PARENT


Total 178 45 133 89 89

None 28% 22% 30% 25% 31%

Hannigan & Guy number 6% 4% 6% 1% 10%

Tomorrow 4% 7% 4% 3% 6%

Hannigan's first song 4% 4% 4% 3% 4%

Annie, Stacks, Hannigan number / Who am I? 3% 2% 4% 3% 3%

NO ANSWER 47% 58% 43% 53% 40%

GENDER AGE

Total Teens Parents

Total 109 40 69

HANNIGAN'S SONGS - TOTAL MENTIONS 7% 2% 10%

Ms Hannigan's song about when she was famous 3% 0% 4%

Final number 6% 5% 7%

Helicopter songs 6% 8% 4%

None 4% 5% 3%

When three of them sang (Diaz, Foxx, Annie) 3% 0% 4%

NO ANSWER 66% 65% 67%

AUDIENCE TYPE


31

FIGURE #11A CHARACTER RATINGS - LIKES

CHILDREN

CHILDREN – OTHER LIKES


Total 72 17* 55 33* 39*

THE FOSTER KIDS - TOTAL MENTIONS 25% 6% 31% 24% 26%

Foster kids/the girls 21% 6% 25% 15% 26%

Pepper 4% 0% 5% 9% 0%

The driver 14% 0% 18% 6% 21%

Russian Lady 4% 6% 4% 6% 3%

Lou 3% 6% 2% 3% 3%

NO ANSWER 60% 82% 53% 58% 62%


GENDER AGE


32

FIGURE #11B CHARACTER RATINGS - DISLIKES

CHILDREN

CHILDREN – OTHER DISLIKES


Total 57 16* 41 27* 30*

Guy 21% 12% 24% 22% 20%

False parents 9% 6% 10% 11% 7%

Lou 4% 6% 2% 0% 7%

NO ANSWER 61% 69% 59% 56% 67%


GENDER AGE


33

FIGURE #11C CHARACTER RATINGS

TEENS & PARENT

FIGURE #12 ELEMENT RATINGS

TEENS & PARENT


34

FIGURE #13 BEGINNING

TEENS & PARENT

Total Teens Parents

Total 109 40 69

GENERAL POSITIVES - TOTAL MENTIONS 17% 15% 17%

Good 6% 2% 9%

Interesting 4% 5% 3%

Great 3% 2% 3%

SURPRISED AT MODERN TAKE - TOTAL MENTIONS 9% 0% 14%

Good new twist 5% 0% 7%

CONFUSED - TOTAL MENTIONS 10% 15% 7%

Confused 6% 12% 1%

TOO SLOW / DRAGGED - TOTAL MENTIONS 7% 8% 7%

Slow 6% 8% 6%

EXCITED - TOTAL MENTIONS 6% 15% 1%

Exciting 6% 12% 1%

GENERAL NEGATIVES - TOTAL MENTIONS 6% 8% 4%

Clever 6% 12% 1%

POSITIVELY SURPRISED - TOTAL MENTIONS 5% 10% 1%

FEEL GOOD / HEARTWARMING - TOTAL MENTIONS 5% 8% 3%

CONCERN FOR CHILD SAFETY - TOTAL MENTIONS 3% 0% 4%

Average 3% 5% 1%

NO ANSWER 20% 12% 25%

AUDIENCE TYPE


35

FIGURE #14 ENDING

TEENS & PARENT

Total Teens Parents

Total 109 40 69


Good 15% 15% 14%

Very good 9% 12% 7%

Wanted more 3% 0% 4%

FEEL-GOOD FACTOR - TOTAL MENTIONS 23% 28% 20%

Happy 10% 15% 7%

Nice ending 4% 0% 6%

Feel good 3% 0% 4%

FORMULAIC - TOTAL MENTIONS 16% 8% 20%

Cheesy 12% 2% 17%

Predictable 4% 5% 3%

SUPERLATIVES - TOTAL MENTIONS 15% 20% 12%

Great 6% 12% 3%

EMOTIONAL - TOTAL MENTIONS 8% 12% 6%

Emotional 7% 10% 6%

NO ANSWER 17% 12% 20%

AUDIENCE TYPE


36

FIGURE #15A SPONTANEOUS DESCRIPTORS

CHILDREN


Total 178 45 133 89 89

GENERAL POSITIVES - TOTAL MENTIONS 70% 67% 71% 74% 65%

Amazing 49% 38% 53% 51% 47%

Good 13% 20% 11% 13% 12%

One of the best films Ive seen 7% 2% 8% 8% 6%

Loved it all 6% 4% 6% 7% 4%

Enjoyable 3% 2% 4% 4% 2%

THE MUSIC / SONGS - TOTAL MENTIONS 25% 22% 26% 17% 34%

Musical 11% 11% 11% 4% 18%

Good songs 9% 4% 11% 7% 11%

Liked the singing 4% 0% 5% 3% 4%

A MUST SEE FILM - TOTAL MENTIONS 19% 16% 20% 18% 20%

See it as soon as possible 16% 11% 18% 13% 19%

Watch it again and again 3% 4% 2% 4% 1%

COMPARISON TO ORIGINAL - TOTAL MENTIONS 15% 4% 18% 11% 18%

Better than old one 8% 2% 10% 8% 8%

Good take on old story 3% 0% 4% 2% 3%

Different to old version 3% 2% 4% 1% 6%

Modern 3% 2% 4% 2% 4%

Funny 15% 16% 15% 13% 17%

EMOTIONAL / TOUCHING - TOTAL MENTIONS 14% 2% 18% 12% 16%

Happy 6% 2% 8% 8% 4%

Bit sad 4% 0% 5% 4% 3%

Emotional 4% 0% 6% 6% 3%

Heartwarming 3% 0% 5% 1% 6%

STORYLINE ELEMENTS - TOTAL MENTIONS 13% 7% 15% 12% 13%

Interesting plot 11% 7% 12% 10% 11%

THE CAST / CHARACTERS - TOTAL MENTIONS 9% 4% 11% 4% 13%

Good actors 7% 2% 8% 3% 10%

FOR TARGET AUDIENCE - TOTAL MENTIONS 6% 4% 6% 1% 10%

For all ages 4% 2% 5% 0% 8%

Well thought out 3% 7% 2% 3% 2%

Unique 3% 4% 2% 1% 4%

Fun 3% 2% 3% 1% 4%

NO ANSWER 3% 7% 2% 7% 0%

GENDER AGE


37

FIGURE #15A SPONTANEOUS DESCRIPTORS

TEENS & PARENT

Total Teens Parents

Total 109 40 69

COMPARISON TO ORIGINAL - TOTAL MENTIONS 35% 30% 38%

Modern Annie 29% 30% 29%

Updated soundtrack to original 3% 0% 4%

MUSICAL / SONGS - TOTAL MENTIONS 26% 30% 23%

Musical 15% 18% 13%

Songs good 7% 8% 7%

Singing 4% 0% 6%


Entertaining 11% 10% 12%

Great 9% 5% 12%

FEEL GOOD / INSPIRATIONAL - TOTAL MENTIONS 19% 12% 23%

Uplifting/Feel good 8% 2% 12%

Warm hearted 7% 12% 4%

Funny 16% 22% 12%

TARGET AUDIENCE - TOTAL MENTIONS 6% 8% 6%

Family movie 4% 5% 3%

For girls 3% 2% 3%

Cast good 6% 10% 3%

EMOTIONAL / MOVING - TOTAL MENTIONS 5% 2% 6%

Moving 4% 0% 6%

STORYLINE ELEMENTS - TOTAL MENTIONS 5% 2% 6%

Good story about foster kids 3% 2% 3%

Fun 5% 0% 7%

Easy to watch 4% 0% 6%

Happy 4% 0% 6%

Cheesy 3% 0% 4%

Different 3% 8% 0%

Sweet 3% 2% 3%

NO ANSWER 7% 10% 6%

AUDIENCE TYPE


38

FIGURE #15B PROMPTED DESCRIPTORS

TEENS & PARENTS


39

FIGURE #16 POST INTEREST - KIDS

FIGURE #17 MARKETING HOOKS

TEENS & PARENTS


40

FIGURE #18A PERCEIVED MARKET

CHILDREN

thought the film was for

boys more

thought it was for

girls more

%2 6 0 %3 1 %

thought it was for both equally


41

FIGURE #18B PERCEIVED MARKET

PARENTS & TEENS

thought the film was for

males more

thought it was for

females more

%2 7 4 %1 7 %

thought it was for both equally

united kingdom - wikileaks i l... · annie played well to a family audience, with girls aged 7-12...

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