Everything you need to know before you hire a documentary production company

How long does documentary production take?

Feature documentaries take a year or more to produce. Short-form documentaries, on the other hand, can be done within 2 to 3 months. Here's how much each phase entails for these smaller productions:

• Pre-production: 4 to 6+ weeks
• Production: 1 to 2 weeks
• Post-production: 2 to 6+ weeks

How can these companies make my documentary accessible to broader audiences?

Globally, there is an increasing expectation that accessibility must be included in plans for all documentaries, not just projects relating to disability.

This means inclusion of items relating to accessibility for d/Deaf, hard-of-hearing (HOH), blind, and low-vision audiences.

To help make documentaries accessible to broader and diverse audiences, filming crews include the following post-production elements:

• Transcripts: Cover all audible and visual elements that support the work around closed captions and audio descriptions.
• Closed captions (CC): Similar to subtitles, these captions cover spoken dialogue, changes of speaker, descriptions of music, and key sound effects to make the film accessible without sound; mainly intended for deaf and hard-of-hearing viewers.
• Audio descriptions (AD): Audio tracks for blind and low-vision audiences that feature the full soundtrack but add verbal commentary on what is happening visually on-screen, to set the scene and describe other details.

In contemporary standards, these deliverables are a prerequisite for many film festivals, awards bodies, television networks, and streaming platforms.

Do I need a script before I approach a documentary production company?

In most cases, you don't need a prepared script.

Some businesses prefer to have a fully written script before commencing the interview process, while others begin scouting with just a rough idea of what they wish to portray in the documentary.

In that regard, a documentary production agency can help you translate your idea into a workable script as they know how to structure a story visually.

That said, having a basic outline in mind will help you convey your vision much more easily.

How do these production crews handle revisions during post-production?

Most documentary production companies include two to three revision rounds as part of the service package.

After the first version is finalized, you will need to review it and suggest changes.

When doing revisions, aim for consolidated feedback, i.e., collecting the remarks of all people involved in the review and sending them to the documentary production company all at once.

Consolidated feedback will keep the process efficient and will prevent you from being charged extra for going beyond the agreed number of revisions.

What kind of portfolio should a documentary production agency have?

A documentary film company should have a portfolio that highlights its strengths in producing various genres, industries, and market niches. Typically, it should contain the following:

• Client name and background
• Equipment (optional)
• Team composition and roles
• Budget and timeline
• Distribution platforms (e.g., social media, OOH)
• Film approach and rationale
• Scripts, screenplays, storyboards, or concept sketches
• Video link
• Business outcome

Sources

DesignRush sustains a directory of over 40,000 agencies categorized by service category, location, expertise, and reviews. We build our database in two ways:

• Our dedicated team of agency experts actively searches the web for top-performing companies. We then pull information from their websites, online presence, and client testimonials to verify their status and qualifications prior to listing.
• The agencies listed get notified of their profiles on the website and they can choose to claim it or not, which suggests their availability for more collaborations.

Agencies can also reach out to DesignRush and must go through the verification process prior to being listed.