Documentary filmmakers seem to level up their game against TV production studios that create non-fiction content. With that having said, on-demand series production of real-life stories is evidently and exceptionally gaining popularity within the past few decades. Aside from films and “docuseries,” this genre transitioned into documentary-style videos to get into the flow of the digitally-transformed generation.
So, how did it happen?
Quick Lookback
Robert Flaherty’s “Nanook of the North” is the first-ever documentary film released in 1922. Through the rest of the 20th century, only a few other documentaries had the people talking. During this time, the general public was not particularly interested in this genre. It was only until the 21st century arrived when the people became appealed with the topics released in TV and film documentaries.
Two Forms of Documentary Series Production
Feature-Length “Docuseries”
From documentary movies, this genre of entertainment first transformed into a TV-based feature-length docuseries. The documentary-style episodes focus on real-life stories and featuring a wide range of topics about scandals, crime, and disasters traced back in the history of humankind. These subjects are generally out of the common issues, unlike prime time TV shows. The makers of on-demand documentaries use controversies to make the viewers obsessed with shocking knowledge and come back for more juice. Business documentaries are great examples of this genre.
Short-Form “Docustyle”
The short-form documentary is a docu-style production of clips and videos about on-demand content. These are usually found on popular social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube actively shared and viewed by users from all over the world. Docustyle content targets audiences from social media who are always on their mobile phones or devices. This form is a non-traditional norm compared to the original lengthy TV series production we have gotten used to ever since the documentaries existed.
The Success Behind Modern-Day Documentaries
The transition of on-demand documentary series production slowly led to its success, and here are the most remarkable reasons on how the change happened:
- The heightened popularity of factual content ignites the demand for documentary-style content.
- Newer documentary series focuses on people involved in popular historical events instead of solely fixating on the issues and the happenings. The human appeal strongly engages with people and draws out attention from the targeted audience.
- Improved relevance of subjects featured on these documentary pieces reveals the importance of these matters, making the approach sufficient for a successful production.
- The release of short-form, docu-style videos enriched the awareness of a wider audience about the significance of documentaries.
- The audience range becomes wider when discussing issues that haven’t been raised in the past, providing awareness to the minority.
On-Demand Documentaries: For Entertainment or Information?
Recently, the most controversial and character-driven documentaries are climbing through the headlines. As Kevin Iwashina had said, an agent in Endeavor Content, “One can no longer focus on just an ‘issue.’” Knowing this, the primary objective of documentaries, which is providing information, has not been defeated. However, as much as we want to be adequately informational, we also try to catch the hearts of the public. By focusing on a human subject, this presents a compelling factor that stirs the minds of the viewers, opens discussions, and thus growing the influence. It isn’t purely about entertaining the audience. It’s about making them want to be informed.
Today, advertising the modern-day, on-demand documentary content includes a touch of entertainment— that is, by responding to real people involved in the documentaries. It’s basically the propulsive aspect that steers this genre towards success.