Number of
titles, hours and total production budgets (current dollars) for Australian
documentaries, 1996/97–2008/09
Next update February 2011
Documentary production in Australia peaked
in 2007/08. A total of 509 hours (239 titles) were produced, with budgets
totalling $138.6 million.
Average annual documentary production in Australia
is estimated at around 331 hours (364 broadcast hours), with a production
value of approximately $74 million (based on combined production
budgets). Although television broadcasters play a significant role in
Australian documentary production, most documentary activity occurs in
the independent sector. An average of 226 hours, totalling $61.3 million,
have been produced annually by production companies in the 13 years
from 1996/97 to 2008/09, compared to 105 hours, totalling nearly
$13 million, by broadcasters.
After a peak in 1990/00, boosted by titles made
for the Centenary of Federation, independent documentary activity fell
in both 2000/01 and 2001/02, but subsequently rose again to an 11-year
high in 2006/07, and higher again in 2007/08. That year saw the continuation
of many series including Mythbusters, RSPCA Animal Rescue and
Family Footsteps, as well as the introduction of several new titles
with high budgets and/or long running times to the production slate,
such as Two in the Top End, Find My Family, Outback Wildlife Rescue,
Voyage to the Planets and Snake Crusader.
The generally high levels of production since
2003/04 have been due to an increase in documentary series. Apart from
the peak in 2007/08, production of single documentaries (in titles and
hours) has remained at lower levels since 2003/04; however, there was
a strong increase in their total production value in 2005/06 due to several
high-budget titles made that year. Activity by broadcasters has remained
relatively steady over the surveyed period, with a peak in hours and
production value in 2006/07.
Hours made
Production budgets
Single
titles
Series
Total
No.
produced1
Hours
Production budgets ($m)
No.
produced
Hours
Production budgets ($m)
No.
produced
Hours
Production budgets ($m)
Activity by production companies
1996/97
134
110
26.6
17
55
13.4
151
165
40.0
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
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
50
177
50.8
149
265
79.2
2007/08
115
106
46.9
68
288
78.3
183
394
125.2
2008/09
79
69
26.6
61
254
67.1
140
323
93.7
Annual average
114
96
29.8
33
130
31.5
147
226
61.3
Total
1,479
1,245
387.4
433
1,688
408.9
1,912
2,934
796.3
Activity by broadcasters
1996/97
31
25
4.1
13
77
8.4
44
103
12.5
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
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
2007/08
39
23
2.6
17
93
10.7
56
115
13.3
2008/09
43
24
2.8
11
77
9.9
54
100
12.7
Annual average
43
27
3.0
14
78
9.9
58
105
12.9
Total
561
351
39.4
188
1,018
128.2
749
1,369
167.6
Total documentary production
1996/97
165
135
30.7
30
132
21.8
195
267
52.5
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
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
65
299
66.7
196
406
97.2
2007/08
154
128
49.5
85
381
89.0
239
509
138.6
2008/09
122
93
29.4
72
330
77.0
194
423
106.4
Annual average
157
123
32.8
48
208
41.3
205
331
74.2
Total
2,040
1,596
426.9
621
2,706
537.1
2,661
4,302
964
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 (i.e. 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.
1. Includes IMAX documentaries Africa’s Elephant Kingdom
in 1996/97, 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.
