What Is a Documentary Film Budget Template?
A documentary film budget template is a financial planning tool that organizes all production costs specific to non-fiction filmmaking, from development and field production through post-production and distribution. Documentary budgets differ structurally from narrative film budgets because they often involve extended production periods, multiple shoot locations across many months, and an undefined amount of archival research and licensing.
Having a proper documentary budget template in place from the start gives producers a clear picture of true costs, helps with grant applications, and keeps the project financially viable through the long arc of documentary production.
Key Line Items in a Documentary Budget
Development and pre-production costs include research trips, preliminary interviews, archive research fees, treatment writing, and pitch materials. These costs are easy to underestimate in documentaries because development can stretch over a year or more.
Field production is typically the largest variable. Plan for a small crew (director, DP, sound), equipment package, travel, accommodation, and local fixers or translators. Documentary shoots are often opportunistic, requiring multiple return visits to subjects, so budget extra shooting days as contingency.
Archival licensing is a line item unique to documentaries. News footage, historical photographs, music recordings, and third-party film clips all require clearance fees. Rough estimates range from $500 to $5,000+ per clip depending on source and usage. Include a line item for archive research time as well.
Interviews and talent in documentaries are often unpaid, but transportation, accommodation, and appearance fees for high-profile interview subjects should be accounted for.
Post-production for documentaries is often longer than for narrative films because editing is where the story is found. Budget for an extended edit period, rough cuts, and multiple feedback rounds, plus color, sound design, and music.
Documentary Budget Ranges
Short-form documentaries under 30 minutes can be produced for $5,000 to $30,000. Feature documentaries for film festivals typically run $50,000 to $500,000. Broadcast documentaries for major networks often exceed $500,000, and prestige streaming documentaries can reach multi-million dollar budgets. Grant-funded documentaries often target the $100,000 to $300,000 range where production value meets story depth.
Tips for Accurate Documentary Budgeting
Build in more contingency than you would for a narrative film, typically 15 to 20 percent. Documentaries involve more unknowns: subjects become unavailable, archive footage is denied, stories evolve mid-production. A well-padded contingency line is not a sign of poor planning; it's a sign of documentary experience.
Track actuals in real time using a tool like Saturation so you know exactly how much budget remains as your shoot extends. Read our film budgeting guide for more on building and managing production budgets from scratch.
Ready to get started? Explore Saturation's film budgeting software to manage actuals alongside this template, or read our guide to creating a film budget for a step-by-step walkthrough. Saturation cardholders also unlock exclusive production perks on software and services used every day on set.
