Whats the diffrence.

[duranracing23]

I see a bunch of documentaries on tv that are great. They have a great feel to them and the production values are very high.

My question is what sets apart a feature length doc from a made for tv doc.

 

[SAujla]

I see that no one wants to jump on this one so i'll give it a try.

I think there are basically 3 types of documentary.

1. Short {2min. to 30 min.}These are like reading a poem. Usually very artistic and to the point.

2. Geared for TV{54min}These are like reading a short story. The story is compelling and the subject matter may be more main-stream. Many documentaries over one hour may be edited down for TV if the producers cannot find distribution in theaters.

3. Feature {+60 min.} The novel. Here the length is not so important as the story. It must be a great story that can sustain interest for the duration of the film. The subject matter may be to controversial for TV or it may appeal to a very narrow audience group.

My .02:beer:

 

[MikeGunter]

Hi,

Time.

News shows are budgeted to the available slot.
The hour show gives a bit more detail and more information, the longer documentary, fleshes out a fuller story.

It's just tough to compare the 3-minute story to the 90-minute documentary.