ABSTRACT
The factual segment combines factual TV and feature documentaries. Factual is not the media genre best suited to value generation, because productions are usually bespoke and therefore not often scaleable. But it has alternative value: to inform and improve society – through better understanding of politics and culture. Multiple sub genres include specialist factual, natural history, polemical/feature documentaries and music documentaries. The factual genre is looked at through the four stages of media value creation construct: Development, Production, Distribution and Monetisation. The development process sources ideas from journalism and the real world. Production budgets tend to be significantly lower than in Scripted, and therefore production volume is often higher. Distribution is cross platform – on TV, streaming, and social channels – with both local and globally syndicated titles. Feature documentaries can also have a limited cinema release. The change in the profile of distribution channels means that documentary film and factual TV can now be viewed as a single, multifaceted industry. Monetisation is principally via channels, streamers, foundations paying for content. The chapter finishes with an analysis of the Danish restaurant group Noma’s move into factual TV production. A note on categories: ‘factual’ is not the same thing as ‘unscripted,’ because the latter also includes entertainment programmes, by some definitions.
