Scorpion TV Fills Factual Gaps

David Cornwall, the managing director at Scorpion TV, talks to TV Real about topics attracting buyers’ attention in the factual world and how the company’s offering of third-party titles brings something new to the table.

London-based Scorpion TV represents a library of content that falls under the categories of current affairs, music and pop culture, history and human-interest stories, among others. Touting the catchphrase “TV with bite!,” the company focuses on “culturally diverse, thought-provoking, intellectual documentaries and series,” says David Cornwall, managing director.

***Image***All of Scorpion’s content comes from third parties, and that has been its modus operandi from the beginning. According to Cornwall, “producers appreciate this because there’s no competition between our own content and theirs.” Scorpion works largely with independent film and television companies, though it also represents films from the BBC and Channel 4.

The company’s remit includes raising funds for projects that require backing. “If someone has an idea that needs financing, then we can go to the international marketplace and try to raise [funds] and match projects to relevant broadcasters,” Cornwall explains. “We can do that through presales or co-productions, and that’s something that we hope to focus on more in the coming months.”

Top sellers for Scorpion are primarily in the human-interest vein and include movies such as A Goat for a Vote, about school elections in Kenya, and How to Be a Billionaire, which examines the world of the ultra rich. So-called “proven” films are also popular fare, according to Cornwall, who notes, “Films that have already aired in the U.K. tend to sell better in general.”

While he acknowledges that “all buyers are different and each has different needs,” Cornwall has noticed some trends in terms of what buyers in the international marketplace are looking for. He has found that history content with a mysterious element sells well, especially titles about ancient civilizations such as Scorpion’s Mayan Revelations. These types of programs “seem to be evergreen—people are always interested in those kinds of subjects,” says Cornwall.

Another specific topic buyers are interested in is World War II, though Cornwall explains that the key in this instance is to offer a concept that hasn’t been done before. “Buyers are looking for a different treatment now,” ***Image***he says. The executive believes the film There Is Many Like Us fills this gap. Created by Josh Webber, the docudrama tells the true story of his grandfather, who was reunited with the woman he fell in love with in a World War II prison camp 30 years after they were separated.

Additionally, Scorpion TV is riding the “wave of transsexual content” with the documentary film Transsexual Stories from the BBC, which follows five transgender women in various stages of transition from male to female.

Another type of programming currently generating buzz is 4K content. Cornwall reports that buyers in Asia are particularly interested in this type of content. While Scorpion TV does not have any 4K titles on offer at the moment and has no immediate plans to acquire any, Cornwall says that if a title has been shot in 4K, it’s “definitely a bonus.” Yet he adds: “We’re going to tread the proven ground for now.”

Scorpion TV is dedicated to offering content that buyers are searching for, which is why Cornwall and his team keep their eyes open to help inform the company’s strategy. “A buyer said something interesting: ‘Documentaries are things that people say they watch, but they actually don’t watch them in reality,’” the executive explains. “So, we need to appeal to [both] buyers’ public service and commercial responsibility. That’s why we’re looking for these quirky, interesting films [with] unusual subject matter that can attract an audience.”

Looking ahead, Cornwall notes: “Our priority is to get the best quality documentaries we can that bridge the gap between compelling commercial titles while also being intellectual. We’re trying to walk that line.

“We’ll also be looking to do more in the area of co-productions and presales, and we’ll start looking at festival sales as well. That’s an area that we’re just starting to investigate and we’ll likely be doing more of that in the coming months.”