The documentary genre has radically evolved in recent years and so it’s not a surprise that there may be some confusion about “what exactly is a documentary!”. A documentary is a broad term to describe a non-fiction movie that in some way “documents” or captures reality. Documentaries are often used to reveal an unusual, interesting or unknown angle. Topics are limited only by one’s imagination as you can see by this huge list of documentary ideas submitted by visitors to this site.
Documentaries can be funny, poignant, disturbing, ironic, absurd, inspirational, amusing, shocking or any combination. It is a genre of movie making that uses video & film scenes, photographs and/or sound of real people and real events which when edited together creates a particular story, viewpoint, message or experience. The key to financial success in this field often lies in understanding the various sources of income available to filmmakers. These sources can include being hired as a freelance filmmaker, direct earnings from film projects, payments from distribution deals, funding from investors, grants, and sometimes revenue from secondary markets like streaming platforms.
