A labour of love: Fantrepreneurship in home video media distribution

Abstract

This chapter uses a cultural and economic approach to examine the activities of one specific home video distribution company, the American independent label Vinegar Syndrome, as a case study of a successful and innovative fan enterprise. Established in 2012, the label specialises in releasing exploitation films on DVD, Blu-Ray and video-on-demand. The company is run by fans of cult cinema and uses a business model uncommon in independent home video media distribution, which involves them recovering, digitally restoring and releasing titles that are part of their extensive personal archive of exploitation films. I draw on an organisational analysis of the company and interview material to illustrate how the practices involved in running Vinegar Syndrome can be understood as fantrepreneurship.