Our team is made up of directors, producers, and editors who have produced documentary series for Discovery Channel, VICE and other networks.
We’ve distilled edit length down to ten key factors — guidelines that serve as talking points when discussing post-production timelines with networks, clients, or freelance editors.
1. How Much Raw Footage Do You Have?
How many hours — or how many days — of shooting are we talking about? The more footage, the longer the edit.
2. Final Runtime & Versions
How long do you want the final film to be? In how many versions?
The longer the final film, the more time you need.
In recent years, networks frequently demand multiple versions:
- Different regions
- Different languages/dubs
- Different lengths
- Social media cutdowns
All of this adds time and should be discussed clearly upfront.
3. How Much Pre-Production Did You Do?
The more intentional your shots and interview questions are, the clearer your direction — and the faster the edit.
We deal with a lot of shoots where the plan seems to be just “follow this person around.”
Guess what? It takes a really long time to edit.
4. Is It a Graphic-Heavy Doc?
Docs that rely on motion graphics — maps, data visualizations, explainers (e.g., Vox-style) — take significantly longer to edit.
You may have a separate graphics team, but coordination still takes time.
5. Assistant Editor vs. Solo Editor
- Having an assistant editor? Shorter edit time.
- No assistant? Expect a much longer timeline.
6. Client & Network Approval Process
This one is hard to gauge at the start.
No one tells you from the start, “I’m the one who’s going to give you trouble.”
When working with a brand or a network, the post-production team can find itself helpless — because anyone (even an intern) from the client side can derail a feedback session.
More chefs in the kitchen = longer edit.
7. Language Barriers
Multi-language shows take longer to edit.
But even having foreigners on client side can slow you down. Every step — paper edits, rough cuts — must be translated and subtitled for them, adding weeks to the edit.
8. Has the Director, Editor & Producer Worked Together Before?
If it’s their first time collaborating, expect a learning curve as they adjust to each other’s storytelling logic.
9. Remote vs. In-Person Editing
In our experience, remote slows things down and adds communication costs.
What’s worse? The remote team often realizes that full remote doesn’t work — so they start flying in regularly to work in person.
Bigger budget. Longer edit time.
10. Type of Documentary
- Observation-based docs take longer — the editor must find and build intricate connections between the shots.
- Interview-based docs are faster — especially when teams work with transcripts and paper edits.
