A corporate documentary is a calm, documentary style film that shows how your organisation works in the real world. Real people, real environments, real constraints, filmed in a way that feels credible rather than “salesy”.
It suits teams who need clarity and trust, often at the same time. Maybe you are recruiting, maybe you are explaining a service to stakeholders, maybe you are trying to show what actually changes for customers. A corporate documentary gives people something they can watch and understand quickly, without having to wade through pages of text.
If you’re still deciding what kind of documentary production you need, start here, documentary production.
WHAT IT IS, AND WHAT IT ISN’T
A corporate documentary usually sits between a case study and a short documentary film. It is not a scripted promo full of slogans, and it is not a feature length “let’s pitch this to a broadcaster” type of project either.
The point is to show evidence, not just make claims. That might be a process in action, a service being delivered, a team handling complexity, or a before and after you can genuinely stand behind. The style stays grounded, so the viewer feels, I can trust this.
WHAT IT’S FOR
A corporate documentary tends to work well for practical goals, for example,
- Recruitment and employer branding, showing the day to day reality of the work
- Stakeholder communications, helping non specialists grasp what you do and why it matters
- Client confidence, showing competence, systems, and the human side of delivery
- Change projects, helping staff understand the “why” and what’s actually happening
- Partner or compliance contexts, where proof beats persuasion
- Onboarding and internal training, when people simply do not read the documents
WHAT YOU ACTUALLY GET
You get a finished film, edited properly, colour corrected, and mixed so it sounds clean. You also get a version that works on your website, usually landscape, plus cut downs for social, sized for the platforms you actually use. Captions can be supplied as an .srt file, and we can also burn subtitles in if that’s more useful.
For corporate work, it’s common to include an internal version too, especially if parts of the story should stay inside the organisation. We keep the review process structured and calm, so it does not turn into endless “one more tweak” cycles.
HOW WE APPROACH IT
We start by getting clear on audience and outcome, who needs to watch, what they need to understand, and what you want them to do afterwards. Then we shape a simple spine for the film, what needs to be said, what needs to be shown, and what should be left out so it stays watchable.
Filming is planned around real schedules and access, plus any constraints like safety, privacy, or operational windows. On the day we keep the crew sensible and the setup calm, and we pay close attention to sound, because even a strong corporate documentary can feel amateur if the audio is distracting.
TYPICAL LENGTH AND STRUCTURE
Most corporate documentary films land well at 2 to 6 minutes for external use. That gives you time for context and proof, without asking too much attention from a busy viewer.
Internal films can be longer, sometimes 6 to 10 minutes, because the audience is already invested. If you need both, we normally recommend two edits rather than forcing one version to do everything.
STAKEHOLDERS AND APPROVALS, WITHOUT KILLING THE FILM
This is the corporate reality, there are often multiple stakeholders, sometimes with equal confidence and equal opinions. That is not a problem by itself, it just needs a clear method.
We usually ask for one decision maker, plus a small review group. We’ll give you a simple way to gather notes, and we’ll push for feedback that is specific and useful rather than taste based. That is how a corporate documentary stays coherent, and avoids the “committee edit” trap where the film gets sanded down until it says nothing.
COMMON PITFALLS, AND HOW WE AVOID THEM
- Too many people with equal veto power, we set a review structure early so the film stays coherent
- Turning it into a manifesto, we keep it rooted in what can be shown and evidenced
- Ignoring practical constraints like access, safety, and timing, we plan around reality
- Trying to make it “cool” rather than clear, we aim for believable and watchable
- Trying to say everything in one film, we help you pick one job, then build versions around it
If what you really need is a trust building homepage film, rather than a stakeholder focused corporate documentary, you may find our brand documentary page is a better fit.
FAQs
Most projects run 3 to 6 weeks from first call to final delivery. If you’ve got a deadline, we can often work backwards from it, but faster timelines need tighter planning and quicker approvals.
Ideally one decision maker for approvals, plus access to the key people who actually do the work. If you’ve got compliance, HR, or comms involved, it helps to include them early so nothing lands as a surprise at the end.
Yes, and it’s common. The public cut is usually simpler and more polished, the internal cut can go deeper on process, culture, training, or detail that doesn’t belong on a public website.
That’s normal in corporate environments. We set the non negotiables early, agree who signs off, then keep feedback structured so the film doesn’t turn into a committee edit where nothing gets finished.
We much prefer real work where possible. Sometimes we’ll lightly repeat an action for camera clarity, but we avoid fake moments because they’re usually the first thing viewers spot.
Next steps
If you’re thinking about a corporate documentary, send a message via the contact page and tell us what you need the film to do, and who needs to watch it. A rough outline is enough.
If you’re still weighing up formats, have a look at our documentary production approach, it’ll help you choose the right style without overthinking it.
