Researcher ORCID Identifier
0000-0001-6462-6705
Graduation Year
2022
Document Type
Open Access Senior Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Media Studies
Reader 1
Elizabeth Affuso
Reader 2
Carlin Wing
Terms of Use & License Information
Rights Information
© 2021 Lucie Boulet-Gercourt
Abstract
This thesis explores the role of independent film distributor NEON as a leading tastemaker in the American indie sector. Founded in 2017, NEON has distinguished itself from competing studios and streaming services by maintaining a commitment to the theatrical experience and to genres that Hollywood has been historically hesitant to embrace. Using Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of the ‘cultural intermediary,’ I analyze how NEON has demonstrated its viability within the indie sector through its promotional strategies, chosen avenues of distribution, and specific film products. While media industry scholars have recently revisited Bourdieu’s theory in order to study producers of cultural value, film distributors have largely been overlooked as key producers of meaning through their dual role as gatekeeper and tastemaker. I propose that NEON has intentionally adopted a brand meant to connote expertise and ‘good taste’ as a means of both instilling trust in filmmakers and shaping the value of its films for audiences.
Recommended Citation
Boulet-Gercourt, Lucie, "Distributor as Tastemaker: NEON and the American Independent Film Sector" (2022). Scripps Senior Theses. 1909.
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/scripps_theses/1909
