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& Independent Media

  • Documentary Power Research Institute
  • State of the Documentary Field
  • Documentary Representation
  • Reports

Participatory
& Civic Media

  • Story Movements
  • Civic Leadership
  • Reports

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& Popular Culture

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  • Yes, and Laughter Lab
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  • Reports

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  • Report Home
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  • Download 15 Key Findings
  • Download Full Report
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THE STATE OF THE
DOCUMENTARY FIELD

2020 STUDY OF GLOBAL AND U.S. DOCUMENTARY PROFESSIONALS

Read 15 Key Findings (U.S. Data) Download 15 Key Findings (U.S. Data) Download Full Report (Global Data) Download Data Graphs

Caty Borum Chattoo
William Harder


center for media
& social impact
school of communication
american university

July 2021

Table of Contents

  • ABOUT THE STATE OF THE DOCUMENTARY FIELD KEY FINDINGS
    • Who is in the State of the U.S. Documentary Field study?
  • EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
  • SURVEY FINDINGS
    • What proportion of annual income comes from documentary work?
    • What impact did COVID-19 have on documentary professionals’ finances?
    • What motivates U.S. documentary professionals?
    • What do U.S. documentary professionals see as the the greatest future opportunities in terms of format?
    • What do documentary professionals see as the greatest opportunities for documentary income streams?
    • In the multi-channel streaming age of storytelling, what are the dominant film lengths for contemporary nonfiction directors and producers?
    • Do documentary directors and producers see themselves as social issue advocates or pure entertainment storytellers?
    • How did documentary directors and producers distribute their most recent nonfiction films?
    • What are documentary makers’ film format plans for the future?
    • How are documentaries distributed outside the entertainment marketplace?
    • What are the main sources of funding for documentary films?
    • How much revenue do documentary makers generate from their nonfiction films?
    • What are main sources of documentary revenue for directors and producers?
    • How much of their expected salary do documentary directors and producers earn from their films?
    • How much personal income do documentary directors and producers earn from their films?

Challenge and Opportunity in Documentary Storytelling

Documentary has long enjoyed a vibrant space in the global media ecology, and the marketplace for creative nonfiction storytelling continues to broaden in the United States and around the world. Despite an expansive landscape for documentary filmmakers and audiences, particular challenges are persistent while opportunities emerge. As viewers continue to discover documentary storytelling across various platforms, and as new makers enter the craft, tracking industry professionals’ perspectives and lived experiences is a vital pursuit. This study stems from these ideas and imperatives.

About The Center for Media & Social Impact

The Center for Media & Social Impact (CMSI), based at American University’s School of Communication, is a creative innovation lab and research center that creates, studies, and showcases media for equity, social change, and social justice. Focusing on independent, documentary, and entertainment media, the Center bridges boundaries between scholars, producers and communication practitioners across media industries, social justice, public policy, and public engagement. The Center produces resources for the field and academic research; creates original media; convenes conferences and events; and works collaboratively to understand and design media that matter.

About The International Documentary Association

The International Documentary Association (IDA) supports the vital work of documentary storytellers and champions a thriving and inclusive documentary culture. IDA provides production funding and fiscal sponsorship to filmmakers, advocates for the rights of documentary makers around the world, publishes Documentary magazine, and produces year-round programming including Getting Real, the largest professional conference in the U.S. for documentary makers. documentary.org

Read The Report
The State of The Documentary Field: 2020 Study of U.S. Documentary Professionals

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ABOUT THE STATE OF THE DOCUMENTARY FIELD KEY FINDINGS

Table of Contents

  • ABOUT THE STATE OF THE DOCUMENTARY FIELD KEY FINDINGS
    • Who is in the State of the U.S. Documentary Field study?
  • EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
  • SURVEY FINDINGS
    • What proportion of annual income comes from documentary work?
    • What impact did COVID-19 have on documentary professionals’ finances?
    • What motivates U.S. documentary professionals?
    • What do U.S. documentary professionals see as the the greatest future opportunities in terms of format?
    • What do documentary professionals see as the greatest opportunities for documentary income streams?
    • In the multi-channel streaming age of storytelling, what are the dominant film lengths for contemporary nonfiction directors and producers?
    • Do documentary directors and producers see themselves as social issue advocates or pure entertainment storytellers?
    • How did documentary directors and producers distribute their most recent nonfiction films?
    • What are documentary makers’ film format plans for the future?
    • How are documentaries distributed outside the entertainment marketplace?
    • What are the main sources of funding for documentary films?
    • How much revenue do documentary makers generate from their nonfiction films?
    • What are main sources of documentary revenue for directors and producers?
    • How much of their expected salary do documentary directors and producers earn from their films?
    • How much personal income do documentary directors and producers earn from their films?
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