Documentary duration and cost per hour Australian documentaries (not including broadcaster-produced titles) (current* and 2015 dollars), 1997/98–2014/15 Next update March 2017 The average duration per title for single documentaries has remained around 0.96 commercial broadcast hours over the 18-year period from 1997/98 to 2014/15, while the average duration for series has increased incrementally over the same time, reflecting the trend of longer-running titles. For series, the cost per commercial broadcast hour (in 2015 dollars) averaged $309,234 in the five years to 2014/15, slightly above the 18-year average, of $291,629 (2015 dollars). For single titles, the cost per commercial broadcast hour (in 2015 dollars) has been rising: averaging $537,454 in the five years to 2014/15 compared to $442,121 over the 18-year period. In 2011/12, the average cost per hour for a single documentary title hit a record high of $705,891 (in 2015 dollars), up 51 per cent on 2010/11, boosted by a small number of titles with very high budgets. In 2014/15, the average duration per title and cost per hour for both single titles and series portrayed similar traits to the previous five years. Average cost per commercial broadcast hour (2015 dollars) Single titles Series SELECT THE DATE RANGE ARROW TO REVEAL DATA BY YEAR No. produced Duration (hrs)1 Average per title (hrs)2 Average cost per hour Current $3 2015 $4 SINGLE TITLES 1997/98–2001/02 1997/98 136 130 0.96 240,855 392,959 1998/99 123 112 0.91 265,685 430,858 1999/00 133 115 0.86 283,686 448,521 2000/01 125 109 0.87 286,539 434,979 2001/02 126 109 0.87 242,270 359,004 Annual average 129 115 0.89 263,807 413,264 2002/03–2006/07 2002/03 124 112 0.91 221,663 318,306 2003/04 112 97 0.86 251,564 348,479 2004/05 92 95 1.03 265,710 354,573 2005/06 81 80 0.99 412,021 522,040 2006/07 99 97 0.98 291,963 352,873 Annual average 102 96 0.96 288,584 379,254 2007/08–2011/12 2007/08 116 113 0.98 425,554 491,249 2008/09 79 77 0.98 372,300 408,963 2009/10 71 73 1.03 375,464 408,109 2010/11 55 53 0.96 456,524 467,404 2011/12 75 75 1.01 701,346 705,891 Annual average 79 78 0.99 466,238 496,323 2012/13–2014/15 2012/13 71 67 0.94 548,876 553,952 2013/14 75 79 1.05 446,907 444,266 2014/15 75 78 1.04 515,757 515,757 Annual av.1997/98–2014/15 98 93 0.96 366,927 442,121 SERIES 1997/98–2001/02 1997/98 14 52 3.72 110,173 179,749 1998/99 18 80 4.43 262,952 426,426 1999/00 30 146 4.85 172,602 272,892 2000/01 27 91 3.38 138,364 210,042 2001/02 18 68 3.80 205,341 304,281 Annual average 21 87 4.04 177,886 278,678 2002/03–2006/07 2002/03 31 109 3.53 225,704 324,109 2003/04 33 166 5.03 225,718 312,675 2004/05 34 162 4.77 196,554 262,289 2005/06 32 132 4.11 202,791 256,941 2006/07 51 228 4.46 249,247 301,245 Annual average 36 159 4.38 220,003 291,452 2007/08–2011/12 2007/08 67 290 4.32 227,030 262,077 2008/09 59 251 4.25 273,378 300,299 2009/10 44 229 5.21 266,913 290,120 2010/11 54 296 5.47 327,896 335,711 2011/12 60 251 4.19 320,375 322,451 Annual average 57 263 4.69 283,118 302,132 2012/13–2014/15 2012/13 66 333 5.04 286,711 289,363 2013/14 62 307 4.95 311,934 310,091 2014/15 73 323 4.43 288,554 288,554 Annual av.1997/98–2014/15 43 195 4.44 238,458 291,629 Source: Screen Australia. Notes: Includes Australian productions and productions with overseas partners where creative control is shared (ie with a mix of Australians in key creative positions). 1. Duration calculated on commercial broadcast running time of program in minutes. 2. Calculated by dividing total number of hours by the number of titles. 3. Current dollar value as per each year specified (ie not adjusted for inflation). Calculated by dividing total production budgets by the number of hours. Value as per each year specified (ie not adjusted for inflation. 4. Calculated by dividing total adjusted production budgets by the number of hours. 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.