Film Watching → Strategy Used By A24®

Listen to the customer retention strategy used by A24®.

Founders. You’ve probably heard of A24, the independent filmmaking studio founded in New York in 2012. Listen to host André Brathwaite share the backstory of its founders, Daniel Katz, David Fenkel, and John Hodges, who turned their passion into a lasting brand that uses a customer retention strategy: Hobby-driven experiences, including a club (AAA24), locations (Cherry Lane Theatre), and activities.

Listening to this episode is just one of the many ways we at Forms of Recreation provide founders with the strategy to turn one-time buyers into repeat customers.

The opinions expressed are solely those of Forms of Recreation and do not necessarily reflect the views of any brand mentioned. We encourage you to check their corresponding websites for further information.

• Transcript

  Episode 33

  Film Watching → Strategy Used By A24®

  ____

  Most film studios think loyalty comes from volume.
  More releases.
  More franchises.
  More noise.

  A24 took the opposite approach.

  They slowed people down.

  Instead of treating films as content to binge,
  they treated watching as an intentional experience—
  something you spend time on
  because it sharpens taste.

  They didn’t reward people for watching more.
  They gave them reasons to watch differently.

  And that decision didn’t just build a fanbase.
  It built retention.

  Because if A24 had chased scale the way studios do,
  their films would’ve been consumed, forgotten, and replaced.

  Instead, they gave people something to return to:
  the act of watching itself.

  ____

  Picture a dark room.

  There are others around you, and a screen in front of the room.

  No apps.
  No scrolling.
  No blue light.

  A film with images and sounds that draws everybody in.

  The pace is slower than you’re used to.
  The silence lasts longer.
  The ending doesn’t explain itself.

  Nothing is optimized for comfort.

  Film watching, when treated intentionally,
  asks something from you.

  Attention.
  Emotion.
  Interpretation.

  You don’t just receive meaning.
  You participate in it.

  You notice framing.
  Sound design.
  And, what’s not being said.

  This isn’t passive entertainment.
  It’s a mental exercise.

  And once you train your eye this way,
  you can’t unsee it.

  You start seeking films
  that reward attention.

  You return—not for distraction,
  but for depth.

  That belief—
  that watching films is valued as art—
  is exactly how A24 was built.

  FOUNDER BACKSTORY — DANIEL KATZ, DAVID FENKEL & JOHN HODGES (4–5 minutes)

  A24 was founded in 2012 in New York City.

  It was founded by operators
  who understood distribution, risk, and taste.

  Daniel Katz had worked in film finance.
  David Fenkel came from distribution and production.
  John Hodges brought legal and structural discipline.

  They weren’t outsiders to the system.
  They knew it well enough to see its flaws.

  Studios were optimizing for scale.
  Algorithms were flattening taste.
  Films were being tested, trimmed, and diluted
  to offend no one.

  A24 launched
  not with a splash—
  but with a filter.

  They didn’t ask,
  “Will everyone like this?”

  They asked,
  “Will someone care deeply about this?”

  Early releases weren’t obvious hits.
  They were specific.
  Uncomfortable.
  Slow-burning.

  A24 treated distribution
  the way curators treat galleries.

  Not everything belongs.
  But what does belong
  deserves full attention.

  They trusted audiences
  to meet the work halfway.

  And that trust changed the relationship.

  Viewers didn’t just watch A24 films.
  They learned how to watch them.

  Taste became the product.

  Which sets up the retention strategy
  most studios still don’t see.

  ____

  A24 understood something early:

  If watching films is the hobby,
  you need places and rituals
  that support the practice.

  So they built them.

  First: AAA24.
  A club—not for points,
  but for participation.

  Members get:
  – Early access to screenings
  – editorial content
  – Podcasts
  – Product drops tied to films
  – Invitations to events

  AAA24 doesn’t reward consumption.
  It rewards engagement.

  Then came physical space.

  In 2023, A24 acquired the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York—
  the city’s oldest continuously operating off-Broadway theater.

  Not to turn it into a billboard.
  But to create a home for live performance, readings, screenings, and experimentation.

  A place where taste could be practiced in public.

  They also host:
  – Q&As
  – Director conversations
  – One-off activations

  None of this is optimized for scale.

  That’s the point.

  A24 doesn’t rely on constant releases
  to stay relevant.

  They stay relevant between releases
  by giving people reasons
  to keep watching closely.

  This ladies and gentlemen, is customer retention.

  ____

  A24 built a business
  That rightly assumes their audience wants to be challenged.

  They didn’t flatten taste to grow faster.
  They sharpened it to grow deeper.

  Most studios train viewers
  to expect comfort and closure.

  A24 trains viewers
  to expect participation.

  And once someone learns how to watch this way,
  they don’t drift easily.

  Because people don’t return to content.
  They return to identities and those they can identify with.

  You can chase attention.
  Or you can cultivate taste.

  One creates spikes.
  The other creates loyalty.

  If loyalty disappears when points expire,
  it was never loyalty.

  Give customers a reason to return:
  hobby-driven experiences.

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