How much does it cost to make a 30 minute documentary?

As a general rule of thumb, producers assume an average cost of $1,000 per finished minute for a short film. So, if you're planning a documentary that is in the estimated length of 30 minutes, you can potentially anticipate an expense of $30K.

How much does it cost to create a documentary?

That said, those baseline estimates - $1,000 to $10,000 per finished video - will give you something approaching an idea of how much a documentary will cost to make. A public television documentary may cost several hundred thousand dollars, even upward of $1 million to make.

How much does it cost to produce a short documentary?

For documentary film-making at the lowest-budget level, '$1000 per finished minute' is the cheapest starting point for costing. We recommend using $2000 – $4000 per finished minute as a beginning point or ball park. And you should expect that even a 'simple film' may cost more.

How long does it take to edit a 30 min documentary?

However, as a general rule, ADE suggests that “for an average documentary, a good rough guideline for scheduling is: 1 month of editing per 10 minutes of finished content,” or six months for a 60-minute film and nine months for a 90-minute film.

How much do Netflix pay for documentaries?

How much will I get paid? Successful applicants will be awarded with a budget of between £20,000 and £40,000 each. Netflix says, “Within each film's budget, teams must ensure that filmmakers and everyone involved in the production are fairly paid.”

Can you make money making documentaries?

Of course documentaries can make money, but maybe not much

As a general rule, documentaries are not big money makers unless you're Michael Moore. Of course there are always exceptions, but depending on your subject, there usually is simply not the mass audience for documentaries like there is with fiction films.

How do I sell my documentary idea?

The normal process for selling a film is through an agent or aggregator. If you are unfamiliar with the process of selling documentaries, it's recommended that you contact an entertainment lawyer or a sales agent who can help shop around your film. They will know how much your film is worth and can negotiate for you.

Do you pay people to be in your documentary?

NEVER. If you are making a commercial release fiction film or entertainment this is a different issue. But a documentary takes us into the world of journalism, and journalism has certain rules and standards. One of these rules is, you never pay people to participate.

What is the average run time of a documentary?

Musicals and action movies are the longest, with an average of 107 minutes and 105 minutes respectively. The shortest are documentaries (86 minutes), animation (88 minutes) and horror (90 minutes).

How long does it take to make a Netflix documentary?

In a nutshell, it typically takes 2-3 months or more to make a documentary. This time is in three phases: Pre-production, Production, and Post-production.

How much is a producer paid for a short film?

Instead of charging a daily or weekly rate, some independent film producers charge around 2 to 5 percent of the budget of an independent film. The more experience he has, the higher his fee. This means that a $2 million film would make him anywhere from ​$40,000​ to ​$100,000​.

How much does it cost to make a BBC documentary?

A Range of Video Costs

BBC Planet Earth: 2.2 million dollars an episode. Close to 40K a finished minute.

What do I need to make a documentary?

Key Steps to Making Documentaries:

1. Tell a story you care about. Start with a subject that excites you. ...
2. Research. Learn everything you can about your documentary subject. ...
3. Make a Plan. Create an outline. ...
4. Create a Shot List. ...
5. Start Shooting. ...
6. Write a Script. ...
7. Begin Editing. ...
8. Check Legal and Copyright Issues.

What is the minimum length of a documentary?

That said, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and the Screen Actors Guild, have minimum length requirements of 40 and 75 minutes, respectively, for a documentary to be considered a 'feature film.

What is the best length for a documentary?

Feature-length documentaries range roughly between 45 minutes and numerous hours. The Academy Awards defines the line between a short and a feature-length film at 40 minutes, while the Sundance Film Festival places the cutoff at 50 minutes.

What's the average budget for a movie?

The average cost to produce a major studio movie has been around $65 million. But the production costs don't cover distribution and marketing, which adds another $35 million or so, on average, bringing the total cost to produce and market a major movie to right about $100 million.

Do documentaries use actors?

Actors -- In general, documentaries use real people in real life situations to tell a story, whereas a feature film uses actors. Of course documentaries sometime include "reenactments" using actors to recreate a scene and feature films can use "clips of real events".

How do you ask someone to be in your documentary?

If you're not yet asking for an interview and you just want to get to know the person -- make initial contact -- send them a friendly "short and sweet" email saying you're exploring the idea of a documentary, that you are fascinated with their life/job and would they have just 10 minutes to speak with you and give you ...

Why are ethical issues central to documentary filmmaking?

Ethical issues are central to documentary film making because documentary films can representing the values and beliefs of the subjects in the films and those representation should be fair to the subjects (Maccarone 2010).

How much do documentaries sell for?

A high-end documentary can cost anywhere from $100,000 to $2 million to produce, and the max amount a network will pay is in the high six figures to $1 million (although HBO is said to have paid much more for “The Jinx”). For an hour-long written TV drama, networks typically pay $1.9 million to $2.5 million.

How do you submit a documentary to Netflix?

Pitching an idea to Netflix

If you have an idea, game, script, screenplay, or production already in development that you'd like to pitch to Netflix, you must work through a licensed agent, producer, attorney, manager, or industry executive, as appropriate, who already has a relationship with Netflix.

Where can I pitch my documentary?

Cable television networks like the History Channel and National Geographic are always looking for new content, features, and series. If you can find a connection (it's not impossible, they're always looking for new pitches), these networks are great places to pitch documentary concepts and ideas.

What are the 6 types of documentaries?

In 1991, American film critic and theoretician Bill Nichols proposed that there were six different modes of documentary—poetic, expository, reflexive, observational, performative, and participatory—each containing its own specific characteristics.

What makes a successful documentary?

A good doc, in my opinion, must have the following: a subject anchored in a local story that is universal; a story arc comprising a seductive opening, a taut rising action, an unexpected but mind altering climax, a hopeful but not maudlin denouement; unforgettable characters who reveal everything and are “real”; a ...

How do you start a documentary project?

10 Steps on How to Make a Documentary

1. Conceptualize Your Topic and Finding the Story. ...
2. Select Essential Camera Equipment for Making Documentary. ...
3. Plan The Production and Story Structure. ...
4. Create a Budget. ...
5. Make a Shot List. ...
6. Secure Legal and Copyright Permits. ...
7. Schedule the Shoot. ...
8. Start Shooting.