Documentary Film Production
Documentaries with real people and real stakes, from a feature for Netflix to films commissioned by organisations with a story to tell.
Floating Harbour, a film production company in Bristol, makes documentary and factual films, working across the UK and internationally. The work ranges from feature documentaries for broadcasters and streamers to commissioned films for organisations dealing with complex subjects. We develop ideas, film them and finish them, with development, production and post-production under one roof.
Working with Floating Harbour
We work on commissions from broadcasters, streamers and organisations, and we develop documentary ideas from scratch with the people who hold the story. Our credits include Judo for the World, filmed on the Turkey-Syria border for the International Judo Federation; broadcast collaborations with major UK broadcasters; Last Breath, a feature documentary co-produced with MET Film, selected for Hot Docs, winner of four RTS West Awards including Best Documentary, released on Netflix and the BBC and since adapted as a drama; and Emission Impossible, made for Hot Docs' Roads to Regeneration.
We take projects from first conversation through filming to delivery, or join at the point where a project needs experienced hands. Either way we expect to contribute editorially, not simply supply a crew.
Documentary films for organisations
Documentary works particularly well for organisations dealing with complex subjects that need time, credibility and a human perspective.
We understand how to turn these subjects into clear, engaging stories that people will actually watch, understand and remember.
Broadcast and streaming documentary
We develop and produce documentary for broadcasters and streamers, from single films to longer-form projects that follow a subject over months or years.
Development matters as much as the shoot. We develop the idea, test the access and build a production plan that works creatively, practically and within budget.
Advocacy for Causes
We’re particularly interested in projects related to:
- Climate change and environmental protection.
- Conservation efforts.
- Conflict and geopolitics.
- Social justice and human rights.
More documentaries we have made. Impact: Too Close To Call, King's College London: Life After Death, Severfield.
How we work
Good documentary production depends on access, patience and judgement throughout the process. Those are strengths we bring from development and filming through to the edit.
Much of what makes a documentary work happens in the relationship with contributors: turning up properly, explaining what we are doing, and giving people the time and space to say something true rather than something rehearsed.
Editing, colour grading, audio and graphics can all stay with our own team, while we also bring in specialist talent when a project benefits from it.
We are comfortable with complex shoots, multi-location projects and long production timelines, and equally with a single day and one contributor.
Working with filmmakers and production companies
We do co-produce and collaborate, though it is not the main part of what we do and we are deliberately selective about it.
For filmmakers looking for a co-producer or development partner, we can bring creative, editorial and production experience, practical resources and a willingness to make a real contribution to the project.
We collaborate with production companies selectively, where the project is exceptional or there is a clear reason for Floating Harbour to be involved.
We also hear from individuals with documentary ideas. We are interested where the story is genuinely exceptional, or where the access is unique and already secured.
If you have a documentary commission, a funded project, or genuinely exceptional access to a story, get in touch and tell us about it.
Documentaries by Floating Harbour
Commissioned documentary for organisations. Lifeline. Judo for the World (International Judo Federation). Everest in the Alps (The Brain Tumour Charity). Up On A Limb. Arena.
Broadcast. Broadcast collaborations with major UK broadcasters.
Feature documentary. Last Breath. Emission Impossible.
Short documentary and portraits. Les Peintures. Impact. Bear Wood.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a documentary cost?
It depends on access, duration of filming, locations and the length of the edit far more than on the finished running time. A commissioned short documentary filmed over a few days is a different job from a feature filmed over years. Tell us about the story and we will tell you what it would take.
How long does a documentary take?
A commissioned short can be made in a couple of months. Broadcast and feature work is measured in seasons, because the story dictates the schedule.
Do you develop ideas as well as make commissions?
Yes, selectively. We develop documentary ideas from scratch with the people who hold the story, and we co-produce where the project is exceptional.
Documentary is one of the films we make. See also our work for broadcasters, sport, charities and climate and the environment.