How Long Should a Documentary Film Be?
As short as you can possibly make it. That's the honest answer, and it's the one most people don't want to hear. The right length for a documentary is the shortest length that tells the story properly, and not a second longer.
I'm a documentary director who's made films for the BBC and Channel 5, and if there's one instinct I'd pass on, it's this one.
Start late, leave early
There's an old editing principle that applies to entire films as much as individual scenes: start the story as late as you possibly can, and get out as early as you can.
Come into the story at the last possible moment before it actually kicks off, and leave the instant the point has landed. Everything before the real beginning and after the real end is fat, and fat is what loses an audience. The discipline is in trusting the viewer to keep up rather than walking them gently in and out.
Leave them wanting more
The feeling you want at the end is not "that was thorough." It's "I wish there was more."
A film that stops while the audience is still leaning in is a film they'll remember and recommend. A film that outstays its welcome, that explains a little too much and lingers a little too long, deflates even when the story was strong. Always err on the side of too short. Nobody ever complained that a great film ended a few minutes early.
Length should serve the story, not a number
This doesn't mean every documentary should be the same size. Some stories genuinely need ninety minutes. Some are perfect at six.
The mistake is deciding the runtime first and then stretching or padding to hit it. Let the story dictate the length. Cut everything that doesn't earn its place, and whatever's left, however long or short, is the right size. The number is an outcome, not a target.
Cutting is where the film is made
Here's the uncomfortable part for any filmmaker. The material you're most reluctant to lose is often exactly what needs to go.
A scene can be beautifully shot, hard-won, and genuinely good, and still be wrong for the film because it slows the story down. Being willing to cut your favourite footage in service of the whole is one of the hardest and most important skills in the edit. The best documentaries aren't the ones that kept the most. They're the ones that cut the most ruthlessly.
Frequently asked questions
How long should a documentary be? As short as the story allows. The ideal length is the shortest runtime that tells the story properly, with everything that doesn't earn its place cut out.
What's the ideal documentary runtime? There isn't a fixed one. Some stories need ninety minutes, others six. Let the story set the length rather than padding to hit a target number.
Why is shorter usually better for documentaries? A tighter film holds attention and leaves the audience wanting more. Films that overstay their welcome lose viewers, even when the underlying story is strong.
Working on a film and wrestling with the cut? Get in touch.
Work with Lloyd Edgar
Lloyd Edgar is a Northern Ireland-based documentary director, shooting producer/director and editor. He shot, directed and edited Rhys McClenaghan: Chasing Gold — a half-hour BBC documentary that began on the True North strand and was selected for national broadcast on BBC One as part of Our Lives, establishing him as one of the youngest directors ever featured in the strand. His follow-up film, Principal Ballerina, following Royal Ballet Principal Melissa Hamilton, was broadcast for the same strands, and he directed a ten-part conservation series for Channel 5.
Alongside his work as a director, Lloyd works as an editor, camera operator, drone pilot and motion graphics designer for both television and commercial productions, with credits for production companies including Ronin Films, Fine Point, CleanSlate and Triplevision. He is, in short, a multi-skilled, broadcast-proven documentary director — a safe pair of hands.
Production companies and executive producers looking for a documentary director or shooting PD in Belfast and across Northern Ireland can get in touch.