Distribution : Will people pay for documentaries at a theatre? by Randall Scott White

I've been meaning to watch more documentaries, Randall Scott White, but I've been catching up on fiction movies and shows. I'll pay to watch a documentary if it's interesting. I haven't watched documentaries in theaters. I would.

Absolutely. Documentaries are fantastic at diving deep into a story and bringing out the most interesting and compelling facts about topics we sort of know about and others we don't know. Many series and movies are written in a documentary style with a sprinkle of drama. The doc is here to stay. I personally watch a lot of them.

I would love to say yes, Randall Scott White, because I genuinely love documentaries. But if I’m being honest, I’ve never actually gone to see one in theaters. My husband and I are huge fans and watch a ton of documentaries and docuseries across genres at home, but theatrical distribution feels like a different beast.

Right now, it seems like event viewing makes the biggest splash at the box office; something buzzy or urgent that feels like a must-see experience. So if documentaries are going to thrive in theaters, I think the key is marketing them in a way that elevates them into that category. It would have to be bold, creative, and unique enough to make it feel like an experience, not just a film. I’m not sure what that looks like yet, but I’d love to see it happen.

"if I’m being honest, I’ve never actually gone to see one in theaters." - There's the rub. Thinking made for networks only these days.

A better question is, do theatrical releasing agents work with documentaries? Releasing companies would be the ones to speak to.

My wife and I have been to a few at theaters to see documentaries like "Inconvenient truth" and "bowling for Columbine" and have 15 plus of our old and new documentaries now being seen on online platforms like Amazon Prime and FAST channels like Red Coral Universe and pay channels like Binge TV. Check them out on www.newunique.com