Documentary & OTT production
project based
- Remote
- Varies
- Qualification
- Typically BA Journalism / Mass Communication or Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA).
- Read
- 1 min
What the work involves
Day to day
Making long-form factual content - research and access, filming over extended periods, and shaping months of material into a coherent film or series in the edit. Much of the work is finding the story and persuading people to let you tell it.
Who this suits
Fit
Patient people with genuine curiosity about the world and the persistence to build trust with contributors. Streaming platforms have created a market for Indian documentary that essentially did not exist before, including in regional languages.
The honest reality
Read this one
Work is project-based with long unpaid gaps between commissions, and funding a film before anyone has agreed to buy it is normal. Platform commissioning is concentrated in very few buyers, so a handful of people decide what gets made. Subject matter that is politically sensitive can face pressure, certification difficulty or quiet non-release. Shoots involve long periods away and contributors withdraw consent after you have filmed. Editing is where the film is actually made and it takes far longer than anyone budgets for.
How you get there
Step by step
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2 years Step 1Finish school
Class 12 in any stream
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3 years Step 2Qualify
Complete BA Journalism and Mass Communication.
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Step 3Enter the field
Typical first position: Documentary & OTT production.
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Step 4Build and specialise Optional
Move into editing, commissioning or independent practice.
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You are hereDocumentary & OTT production
Everything above leads here. The steps marked optional can be skipped or taken later — they change how fast you arrive, not whether you can.
Courses that lead here
How to qualify
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