#58 Research: Studying A24 Through Hesmondhalgh’s Theory

    Hey everyone, today I’ll be talking about Hesmondhalgh’s Cultural Industries theory and how it connects to A24, the independent film company I’ve been researching. I chose A24 because it’s known for producing bold, creative films like Moonlight, Hereditary, and Everything Everywhere All at Once. Even though it’s not part of a massive conglomerate, it still works like a media company that wants to reduce risk while supporting artistic voices. That’s why I think it’s a great example for understanding Hesmondhalgh’s ideas.

My focus:

    I’m researching the ownership and control of A24 and applying Hesmondhalgh's Cultural Industries theory to understand how they balance creativity with risk.

    A24 is privately owned and not part of a big media group like Disney or Warner Bros. That gives it more freedom to take creative risks, but it still has to think about profit and audience reach. Hesmondhalgh’s theory says that cultural industries try to balance creativity with risk, and I can see how A24 does this by choosing films that feel original but still have emotional or visual appeal that can attract wider audiences. 

    Like I went over in my blog #55 A24 has a lot of luck because although it's not as big as Disney A24 has more ability to take risk and that's what makes some of these movies more popular than other movies.

Evidence:

Here’s what I found when breaking down A24’s structure and goals:

• Ownership: It’s privately held, founded by Daniel Katz, David Fenkel, and John Hodges

• Valuation: It was recently valued at $3.5 billion after investment from Thrive Capital

• Distribution: A24 handles its own releases and works with platforms like Apple TV and Showtime

• Marketing: They have their own team and a strong social media presence

• Goal: To support visionary filmmakers while still staying commercially successful

Even though A24 isn’t part of a huge conglomerate, it still uses vertical integration meaning they control production, distribution, and marketing. That helps reduce financial risk and keeps their brand strong.

My own reflection: 

Thinking about my own film project (Static), I’ve learned a lot from how A24 works.

    A24’s campaigns always look professional and stylish. Whether it’s The Front Room, Talk to Me, or Lady Bird, the posters, trailers, and social media post all match in tone and visuals. That’s part of how they manage risk by building a strong brand identity that audiences trust. If a film looks like “an A24 film,” people are more likely to watch it, even if the story is unusual or risky.

    For Static, I want to use similar strategies. I’ll focus on strong visual aesthetics, a clear genre (psychological thriller), and a serious tone that feels professional. But I also want to keep it creative maybe by using glitch effects, surreal lighting, or unexpected character choices. Hesmondhalgh’s theory reminds me that I don’t have to play it safe to succeed. I just need to make sure my trailer and poster feel polished and connected, so the audience knows what kind of experience they’re getting.

    All in all, A24 for me just worked and I felt like there films have many genres and that has helped me a lot because I'm using information from my case study to further my research for my own film with my teammates Ethan Sanchez and Madison Velasquez.