Scenery, a joint venture with Banijay Benelux, today announces thought-provoking documentary 'You Need This', directed by Ryan Andrej Lough, produced by Academy Award-winner Adam McKay (Don’t Look Up) via Yellow Dot Studios, and Isidoor Roebers and Lea Fels producing with Scenery. The documentary has been acquired by ZDF Studios’ Off the Fence for worldwide rights across streaming, digital and broadcast platforms, for an anticipated 2025 premiere.

'You Need This' is an immersive saga exploring how consumerism and hyper-capitalism, born from the unbridled optimism of 1950s America, has evolved into a global system shaping our desires, identities, and behaviours. Conditioning the population to find meaning and status through endless consumption, this insatiable machine depletes our environment, strains our social bonds, and damages our well-being. Featuring insights from cultural figures and experts like best-selling writer Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, dream scientist Adam Haar-Horowitz, and lauded economist Juliet Schor, the film reveals the hidden forces manipulating our choices, and challenges us to break free, urging a shift toward more conscious and sustainable living.

Ryan Andrej Lough, director and producer at Hôtel Motion Pictures says: “I felt compelled to make this film after years of research on the topics within, disturbed by how consumer capitalism has reduced us to mere cogs in a system that causes more waste, division, and destruction than anything else in history. This 20th-century invention now dominates our lives, manipulating us without our awareness and profiting from the destruction of the planet and society.”

Adam McKay adds: "The film reveals that it's not cultural or political divisions that have turned our world upside down, but the relentless quest for corporate profit fuelling consumerism. Just as the film delves into the bleak impact of global consumption; it captures something remarkable: a growing awareness as people begin to wake up to the reality of the system we’ve been trapped in."

Isidoor Roebers and Lea Fels, Producer at Scenery say: “You Need This is a powerful wake-up call, offering a critical lens on the hyper-capitalist machine so deeply engrained in our culture, we barely notice its influence. The film pushes us to confront the real cost of our consumption and invites audiences to envision a future where the planet takes priority over profit. With Off the Fence’s backing, this documentary will ignite a global conversation about our shared economic and environmental future.”

'You Need This' is narrated by comedy writer and actor Serra Naiman. It is produced by Adam McKay with Yellow Dot Studios, Isidoor Roebers and Lea Fels with Scenery, and Tyler Owen and Cecilia Butler with Hôtel Motion Pictures. The film is Executive Produced by Yellow Dot’s Staci Roberts-Steele and Hôtel Motion Pictures’ Benjamin Rednour.

WE WON 🏆

We are thrilled to announce our award-winning feature documentary film Silverback won 'Best Natural History or Environmental Documentary' at last night's Grierson British Documentary Awards.

A huge congratulations to all the other winners, our fantastic Silverback team and partners Featuristic Group, BBC and France Télévisions.

To see the other winners visit Grierson Awards 2024

With access to the latest research from Tier One research institutions and Ivy League universities, Phenomena will investigate the science behind energy healing and other complementary therapies to uncover their transformative power for health and wellbeing.

Off The Fence (OTF) has announced an exciting new partnership with the not for profit Emerald Gate Charitable Trust to produce a four part series exploring the treatment of health conditions through the ancient practice of energy healing. 

Titled Phenomena, the series will investigate the latest scientific research behind interventions such as Healing Touch, Reiki, and Acupuncture. Each episode will feature Ivy League scientists, doctors, and healers who are at the forefront of the energy healing movement, all dedicated to enhancing health outcomes for individuals. 

OTF has secured behind-the-scenes access to groundbreaking experiments and studies at prestigious institutions, including Harvard, Stanford, and Columbia University. 

US-based Emerald Gate Charitable Trust is a research and development foundation focused on understanding the mechanisms of subtle energy and applying this understanding to benefit health and wellbeing. Phenomena is the foundation’s first investment in content production and visual storytelling. 

Jason Yotopoulos, Trustee of Emerald Gate Foundation, said: “In the Western world, the incidence of chronic pain and cancer are at an all-time high while the ability of healthcare systems to meet this growing crisis is at an all-time low. As a result, a huge range of alternative-healing practices have emerged, and these interventions deserve to be  given proper attention. Our purpose with Phenomena is to give viewers a better understanding of the mechanisms by which human consciousness interacts with various forms of  energy and biology to promote healing and well-being. When we embarked upon the project, our priority was to find a producer of integrity with whom we could build a relationship of absolute trust. OTF, with its strong track record in science and specialist factual, was the perfect candidate.”

Debbie Hinnigan, creative director of co-productions at OTF Studios, said: “As factual producers, our mission is to tell stories that help us better understand the world around us. That often involves creating partnerships with organisations with real purpose, such as Emerald Gate. Mainstream science is beginning to embrace energy medicine research, and we believe it’s time that viewers were given a rigorous, comprehensive, and balanced investigation into a subject that is not only fascinating but has the potential to change lives for the better.”

This approach to healthcare has the power to revolutionize the medical field, with certain therapies already integrated into the healthcare system. Phenomena will bring together
specialists from various scientific disciplines to explore the biological mechanisms at work during energy treatments. 

From elite healers being studied at Columbia University to hospital nurses delivering Healing Touch on Oncology wards, Phenomena will spotlight the results of paradigm-shifting experiments. This documentary will meld scientific rigour with powerful personal narratives, creating a compelling must-watch series that highlights the profound transformations energy healing can bring to all our lives.