VIDEO PRODUCTION SERVICE
Factual Entertainment & Documentary Production Edinburgh
Stories That Deserve to Be Told Properly
The best documentaries do not just inform. They pull you in, hold you there and leave you thinking differently about something you thought you already understood.
Factual entertainment is one of the most competitive spaces in television, but the appetite for it has never been stronger. True crime, history, nature, social issues, music, sport, human interest. Audiences are watching more long-form factual content than at any point in broadcasting history, across traditional TV, streaming platforms and digital channels.
At Flayr FX, we develop and produce factual entertainment content for broadcast and streaming. We bring together the creative instincts of independent filmmakers with the production discipline that broadcasters and commissioning editors expect.
What We Produce
True Crime Documentaries True crime remains the dominant genre in factual entertainment globally. We develop original true crime projects from the ground up, working with journalists, legal experts and contributors to build films and series that are rigorous, responsible and genuinely compelling. Access, research and storytelling structure are everything in this genre and we take all three seriously.
History and Archive Documentaries History told well finds new audiences in every generation. We work with archive material, expert contributors, reconstruction and contemporary interview to bring historical stories to life for modern viewers. We have experience sourcing and licensing archive footage and working within the creative and legal frameworks that archive-heavy production requires.
Music Documentaries Music documentaries work when the access is real and the filmmaking gets out of the way of the story. We have a genuine background in music documentary production and understand what makes an artist story connect with an audience beyond the existing fanbase.
Social Issues and Current Affairs Some of the most important factual films being made right now sit at the intersection of personal story and systemic issue. We develop projects that centre real people and real experiences while building the wider argument with care and rigour. These films take longer and require more trust-building with contributors, and we approach that with the patience it deserves.
Human Interest and Character Documentaries Not every documentary needs a crime or a controversy. Some of the most enduring factual films are built around a single extraordinary person, a community, a subculture or a way of life that most viewers have never encountered. We are drawn to these stories and we know how to find the drama inside everyday life.
Sport Documentaries Sport gives you built-in narrative structure: competition, pressure, failure, redemption. We produce sport documentaries that go beyond the result and into the lives, decisions and motivations of the people involved.
Nature and Environment Scotland’s landscape and wildlife offer remarkable material. We work on natural history and environment-led projects that combine visual ambition with a clear editorial point of view.
Development and Production
We work at every stage of the factual production process.
Development If you have a story, a subject or an idea, we work with you to develop it into a pitch that commissioning editors respond to. That means identifying the core narrative, finding the access, building the contributor relationships and packaging the project in a way that fits the broadcaster or platform you are targeting.
Production From pre-production planning through to shoot and post, we run the full production process with the rigour and organisation that broadcast requires. We work with experienced crews, contributors and fixers and we manage the editorial and logistical challenges that factual production regularly throws up.
Post Production Factual entertainment lives or dies in the edit. We handle offline and online editing, archive integration, motion graphics, music and sound design and colour grading to broadcast specification. We know how to build pace, tension and emotional payoff in a cut.
Broadcast and Platform Experience
We understand the requirements of different broadcasters and platforms, from traditional terrestrial and cable television to the major streaming services. That means delivering to technical specification, meeting editorial standards and working within the compliance frameworks that broadcast production demands.
Co-Production and Partnership
We are open to co-production arrangements with other independent production companies, broadcasters and international partners. If you have a project in development that needs a production partner, or if you are a broadcaster looking for an independent with the right skills and subject matter expertise, we want to hear from you.
Recent Events Work
THE BOXER FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE
The Boxer from Somewhere Else is a feature documentary 15 years in the making, chronicling the life and career of Ken Buchanan. The idea originated with Edinburgh-based filmmaker Jamie Steedman, who first heard Buchanan’s name through a story his father told about a friend who once boxed him in the 1950s.
The film was produced by Flayr FX Film and released in 2025.
Work With Us
If you are a commissioning editor, a broadcaster, a streaming platform or an independent producer with a project that needs the right production partner, get in touch.
If you have a story you think should be a documentary, tell us about it. We will give you an honest response.