Australian documentary production SUMMARY Number of titles, hours and total production budgets (current dollars*) for Australian documentaries, 1997/98–2014/15 Next update March 2017 * Dollar value as per each year specified (ie not adjusted for inflation) Australia has produced more than 6,500 hours of documentaries since 1997/98, an average of 364 hours per year – 72 per cent by independent production companies and the rest inhouse by broadcasters. Independent production companies have accounted for an average of 262 hours per year over the period. The five years to 2011/12 saw independent documentary production reach new highs, averaging 311 hours (136 titles) produced and $111 million in total budgets annually, compared to the previous five years (2002/03–2006/07), with 232 hours (138 titles) and $63 million in total budgets annually. The upward trend of 2012/13 and 2013/14 continued in 2014/15, with all indicators above the averages for the previous five years. This increase can be attributed to series production, which has risen from 145 hours per year (average 2002/03–2006/07) to 239 hours per year (average 2007/08–2011/12). The production of single documentaries has fallen, from 88 hours per year (average 2002/03–2006/07) to 71 hours (average 2007/08–2011/12). Series production in 2014/15 was up by 5 per cent on 2013/14. Australian commercial, public and subscription broadcasters have produced an annual average of 102 hours since 1997/98. Inhouse production levels have been largely static, averaging 105 hours (62 titles) and $14 million in total budgets per year between 2002/03 and 2006/07, and 106 hours (56 titles) and $13 million per year between 2007/08 and 2011/12. The 2012/13 slate produced similar results to averages of the previous five years. In 2014/15, inhouse production was significantly lower than previous years, with 36 titles generating 82 hours produced; however, budgets remained the same at $13 million. Hours made Production budgets * Peak production years Notes: 1997/98 to 2000/01: Budget total for single titles boosted each year by the production of an IMAX documentary: Solarmax in 1997/98, Sydney: A Story of a City in 1998/99, Horses: The Story of Equus in 1999/00 and Australia: Land Beyond Time in 2000/01. 1999/00: Boosted by titles made for the Centenary of Federation. Nine of the 12 documentary titles financed by the National Council for the Centenary of Federation were produced, as well as several major series, such as Australians at War (8 x 60 minutes), Journeys to the Ends of the Earth (13 x 60 minutes) and American Journey (13 x 60 minutes). 2003/04: Peak in hours due to an increase in production of series, with several new reality-style series launched such as Desperately Seeking Sheila. 2007/08: Included new series with high budgets and/or long running times such as Two in the Top End, Find My Family, Outback Wildlife Rescue, Voyage to the Planets and Snake Crusader, as well as the continuation of many series including Mythbusters, RSPCA Animal Rescue and Family Footsteps. This was also the year the Producer Offset came into effect, and the last year of operation for Screen Australia’s predecessor agencies, which boosted the number of titles in the slate with Federal Government funding (see Sources of finance and Federal Government funding for documentaries). 2010/11: Similar to 2007/08, there was a continuation of several long running series. There were some high-cost series produced, including In Their Footsteps, Wild Australia and The Family. 2011/12: Increase in production of high-cost single-episode documentaries, including those made for cinema release. 2013/14: Decrease in production largely attributable to fewer single-episode, inhouse documentaries produced by the ABC and NITV, and production of the Seven Network’s inhouse documentaries beginning outside the period of analysis. 2014/15: The production of inhouse singles fell even further, with one broadcaster producing significantly less titles than in previous years. Production of single titles in the independent sector remained static, while series production was significantly up on 2013/14 largely due to a higher than usual number of series returns. SELECT THE DATE RANGE ARROW TO REVEAL DATA BY YEAR Single titles Series Total No. produced Hours Production budgets ($m)* No. produced Hours Production budgets ($m)* No. produced Hours Production budgets ($m)* Activity by production companies 1997/98–2001/02 1997/98 136 118 31.3 14 47 5.7 150 166 37.0 1998/99 123 102 29.8 18 73 21.0 141 175 50.8 1999/00 133 105 32.6 30 132 25.1 163 237 57.8 2000/01 125 99 31.1 27 83 12.6 152 182 43.8 2001/02 126 99 26.5 18 62 14.0 144 161 40.5 Annual average 129 105 30.3 21 79 15.7 150 184 46.0 2002/03–2006/07 2002/03 124 102 24.9 31 99 24.7 155 202 49.6 2003/04 112 88 24.3 33 151 37.5 145 239 61.8 2004/05 92 86 25.2 34 147 31.9 126 234 57.0 2005/06 81 73 33.2 32 120 26.7 113 193 59.9 2006/07 99 88 28.4 51 207 56.8 150 295 85.2 Annual average 102 88 27.2 36 145 35.5 138 232 62.7 2007/08–2011/12 2007/08 116 103 48.3 67 263 65.8 183 366 114.0 2008/09 79 70 28.8 59 228 68.6 138 298 97.4 2009/10 71 67 27.6 44 209 61.2 115 275 88.8 2010/11 55 48 24.0 54 269 96.9 109 317 120.9 2011/12 75 69 52.9 60 228 80.5 135 297 133.5 Annual average 79 71 36.3 57 239 74.6 136 311 110.9 2012/13–2014/15 2012/13 71 61 36.7 66 303 95.4 137 363 132.1 2013/14 75 71 35.1 62 279 95.7 137 350 130.8 2014/15 75 71 40.4 73 294 93.3 148 365 133.8 Annual av. 1997/98–2014/15 98 84 32.3 43 177.5 50.6 141 262 83.0 Total 1,768 1,520 581.2 773 3,195 913.5 2,541 4,715 1,494.7 Activity by broadcasters 1997/98–2001/02 1997/98 49 35 3.7 14 71 9.3 63 106 12.9 1998/99 37 30 2.8 18 88 10.4 55 118 13.1 1999/00 40 29 2.3 21 99 8.5 61 127 10.8 2000/01 30 17 1.7 18 81 9.9 48 98 11.6 2001/02 48 26 3.0 11 53 6.7 59 78 9.7 Annual average 41 27 2.7 16 78 9.0 57 106 11.6 2002/03–2006/07 2002/03 54 32 3.3 12 56 9.3 66 88 12.7 2003/04 60 32 3.4 13 74 9.2 73 105 12.6 2004/05 56 34 3.8 11 64 10.4 67 97 14.2 2005/06 42 27 3.9 14 65 9.6 56 92 13.5 2006/07 32 19 2.1 15 122 16.0 47 141 18.0 Annual average 49 29 3.3 13 76 10.9 62 105 14.2 2007/08–2011/12 2007/08 39 23 2.6 17 95 10.7 56 117 13.3 2008/09 43 23 2.8 12 75 10.0 55 98 12.7 2009/10 45 35 3.9 12 72 8.6 57 107 12.4 2010/11 49 31 4.2 13 83 10.3 62 115 14.4 2011/12 38 25 3.4 14 67 8.4 52 92 11.8 Annual average 43 27 3.4 14 78 9.6 56 106 13.0 2012/13–2014/15 2012/13 51 33 5.0 13 69 10.3 64 103 15.3 2013/14 30 23 3.8 13 54 9.4 43 77 13.1 2014/15 22 15 2.6 14 66 10.5 36 82 13.1 Annual av. 1997/98–2014/15 43 27 3.2 14 75 9.9 57 102 13.1 Total 765 488 58.2 255 1,353 177.3 1,020 1,841 235.4 Total documentary production 1997/98–2001/02 1997/98 185 154 35.0 28 118 15.0 213 272 50.0 1998/99 160 132 32.6 36 161 31.3 196 292 63.9 1999/00 173 133 34.9 51 231 33.7 224 364 68.6 2000/01 155 116 32.8 45 164 22.5 200 280 55.3 2001/02 174 125 29.4 29 115 20.7 203 240 50.2 Annual average 169 132 33.0 38 158 24.6 207 290 57.6 2002/03–2006/07 2002/03 178 134 28.2 43 155 34.0 221 289 62.3 2003/04 172 120 27.8 46 225 46.7 218 344 74.4 2004/05 148 120 28.9 45 211 42.3 193 331 71.3 2005/06 123 100 37.1 46 185 36.3 169 285 73.4 2006/07 131 107 30.5 66 329 72.7 197 436 103.2 Annual average 150 116 30.5 49 221 46.4 200 337 76.9 2007/08–2011/12 2007/08 155 126 50.9 84 358 76.5 239 483 127.4 2008/09 122 93 31.5 71 303 78.6 193 396 110.1 2009/10 116 101 31.4 56 281 69.8 172 382 101.2 2010/11 104 79 28.2 67 352 107.2 171 431 135.4 2011/12 113 94 56.4 74 295 88.9 187 389 145.3 Annual average 122 99 39.7 70 318 84.2 192 416 123.9 2012/13–2013/14 2012/13 122 94 41.8 79 372 105.7 201 466 147.4 2013/14 105 95 38.9 75 333 105.1 180 428 144.0 2014/15 97 87 43.0 87 360 103.9 184 447 146.9 Annual av. 1997/98–2014/15 141 112 35.5 57 253 60.6 198 364 96.1 Total 2,533 2,009 639.3 1,028 4,547 1,090.8 3,561 6,556 1,730.3 Source: Screen Australia. Notes: Figures may not total correctly due to rounding. Duration calculated on actual running time of program in minutes rather than broadcast hours. Figures are based on year when principal photography commenced; this also applies to series, even though series are often shot over more than one financial year. Activity by broadcasters refers to productions where television broadcasters are the only production companies involved. Includes free-to-air and subscription broadcasters. Does not include subscription television channel content providers; these are included with production companies. Includes Australian productions and productions with overseas partners where creative control is shared (ie with a mix of Australians in key creative positions). Excludes magazine-format documentaries, current affairs, news, information programs, online documentaries, and corporate and training films/programs. Figures for number of titles, hours and budgets include some estimates. * Dollar value as per each year specified (ie not adjusted for inflation).