EFM Spotlight: Artist View Entertainment’s Scott J. Jones

Having a sizable catalog has proven to be quite valuable in the strike-affected (and budget-conscious) market of the last year, which bodes well for Artist View Entertainment. Scott J. Jones, president, tells World Screen about his confidence in the company going into 2024, the leading dramedy and thrillers from its slate and more.

WS: What are some of the factors that have impacted Artist View Entertainment’s business over the last year?
JONES: 2023 was a very busy year for us. We were fortunate enough to do some nice business with our well-established clients and were also able to open a lot of new doors into the expanding digital world. Having a decent-sized catalog has proven to be an asset, as we placed a large number of older titles with digital distributors from around the world. Also, having a variety of titles that have language tracks proved to be another profitable way into the OTT world.

The market seems to have adjusted as the pandemic gets farther away in our rearview mirror. We feel very confident bringing a diverse slate of titles into the market this year. Our production partners are paying close attention to what the TV and VOD buyers are asking for, so it should be a busy year for us.

WS: Tell us about some of the new titles on the slate.
JONES: Scott and Sid, starring Tom Blyth (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, Billy the Kid), is one of our lead titles for 2024. This U.K. dramedy follows the lives of two highly ambitious friends who will stop at nothing to reach their goals. Cheat is our newest thriller that follows a young wife’s terrifying experience due to her need to look for love outside of her marriage. She Wants My Baby is our newest female-driven thriller that has recently been acquired by Lifetime’s LMN. This highly crafted story leads us down a trail of deception as a young mother deals with having a nanny move into her home.

Each one of these titles offers high production values, clever direction and high-level acting. The stories have an international flavor and resonate well with the majority of cultures around the world.

WS: What is Artist View’s positioning as 2024 gets underway?
JONES: As Artist View continues into its 33rd year of operations, we understand how important it is to pay attention to what our clients are asking for. The business continues to change quickly, and we feel it is important to keep our eyes and ears open to not only what is happening today but, more importantly, what’s next.