Average production
cost per title for Australian documentaries (not including broadcaster-produced
titles) in various budget ranges (2009 dollars), 1996/97–2008/09
Next update February 2011
For single documentaries, the average
cost per title has remained reasonably stable over the past 11 years,
except in the over $1 million category, where it has ranged from
a high of $5,204,461 in 1996/97 to a low of $1,180,027 in 2004/05. It
dropped from over $3 million to $1,274,779 in 2001/02, with no million-plus
title made in 2002/03. Since then, the average cost for the category
has remained around $2 million or below. (No local IMAX title has been
made since 2001/02.)
For series, the greatest variations have been
in the $500,000–$1 million category, ranging from $636,701 in 2001/02
to $893,811 in 1998/99, and in the over $1 million category, ranging
from $1,356,730 in 1997/98 to $2,462,199 in 2003/04.
Average
cost per title1 ($) by budget range
All titles
Under $200k
$200k–$500k
$500k–$1m
$1m+
Single
titles
1996/97
113,602
324,253
643,120
5,204,461
293,215
1997/98
117,570
351,454
670,537
3,494,859
337,378
1998/99
108,124
331,564
676,057
4,205,054
354,894
1999/00
119,233
356,958
638,283
4,004,683
351,707
2000/01
104,596
325,027
684,400
3,089,656
342,756
2001/02
98,536
313,026
696,697
1,274,779
280,284
2002/03
112,090
342,071
647,123
–
260,048
2003/04
105,495
328,054
682,559
2,064,846
270,567
2004/05
116,883
332,087
643,255
1,180,027
331,124
2005/06
103,531
319,174
690,683
2,128,276
490,283
2006/07
113,765
344,764
700,910
1,226,952
316,507
2007/08
104,397
352,199
717,669
1,842,785
430,006
2008/09
100,628
321,685
654,789
1,252,600
336,616
Series
1996/97
98,885
359,852
745,811
2,083,694
1,175,188
1997/98
149,066
385,514
647,129
1,356,730
602,602
1998/99
182,967
336,660
893,811
2,263,125
1,705,290
1999/00
124,213
275,179
652,215
2,155,300
1,200,480
2000/01
120,046
367,607
705,435
1,818,341
642,609
2001/02
161,025
317,353
636,701
1,696,195
1,045,678
2002/03
77,160
285,256
705,586
2,199,686
1,038,538
2003/04
175,199
373,341
687,685
2,462,199
1,421,599
2004/05
114,489
327,804
694,340
2,221,682
1,130,136
2005/06
139,405
303,091
728,498
1,619,555
959,356
2006/07
94,423
409,044
779,655
2,358,766
1,118,884
2007/08
81,648
361,568
717,839
2,282,526
1,213,744
2008/09
75,000
333,545
733,243
2,041,674
1,100,687
Source: Screen Australia.
Notes:
Includes Australian productions and productions with overseas partners
where creative control is shared (i.e. with a mix of Australians in key
creative positions).
1. Calculated by dividing total adjusted production budgets in each range
by the number of titles. Current dollar figures have been adjusted for
inflation using the Non-farm GDP Deflator. This index was used in preference
to the Consumer Price Index as it more accurately reflects cost increases
experienced by the film industry.
