For a while now, the difference between documentary and YouTube video has been bugging me. I watch a lot of YouTube videos. Derek from Veritasium, Michael Stevens from Vsauce, Tom Scott, James Hoffmann and many others. People who follow topics they are passionate about and talk about them through engaging stories. Sometimes rivalling, or even surpassing, many of the documentaries I might have seen on National Geographic.

Which makes me wonder, what is the difference between a documentary and a YouTube video such as those? Is there even a difference anymore?

I do not have a clear answer. What follows are some early thoughts on the differences between documentaries and YouTube videos.

Production Approach

When thinking about the difference between documentary and YouTube video, the production approach is one of the first things that comes to mind.

  • YouTube videos often embrace a kind of ugliness, something put together quickly by a small team or maybe even a lone creator. There usually is one enthusiastic creator on screen, talking about something they are interested in, signalling something like, “Hey, I am just like you.” Whereas documentaries tend to aim for polish. There is almost always more than one person talking. The person most interested in the topic, the director, never even comes on screen. Professional documentaries have a larger team for production, animation, and design, leading to more polish and a sense of completeness. As if to say, “We have done the work, so you do not have to.”

Watercolour illustration showing the difference between documentary and YouTube video production tools. On the left, a large camera on a tripod with a boom microphone and a hand adjusting it. On the right, a compact camera on a small tripod placed on stacked books.

  • YouTube videos usually rely on shorter research cycles. I mean, if someone has to churn out one video a month, then they are not left with a lot of time to do research. Nor do they usually have the resources to outsource the research. Except for larger, established creator-run YouTube channels like Johnny Harris, Veritasium and so on, who have built brand recognition over time to demand longer, and deeper digging into a topic.

Structural Difference Between Documentary and Youtube Video

Another angle to the difference between documentary and YouTube video lies in how their stories unfold.

  • YouTube almost has to open with a quick hook and a clear call to action. It is part of how the platform trains both creator and audience. Not just YouTube, but anything online. Even this blog needs to do the same. Whereas documentaries can afford slower openings, deeper exploration and more nuanced, layered storytelling. I get a lot more leeway with my stories and films.
  • YouTube often serves up easy-to-consume information. Whereas documentaries can dive deeper, or at least try to.

I do not know yet where I land with all this. Sometimes the difference between documentary and YouTube video feels clear. Other times, I cannot quite tell where one form ends and the other begins. But this is where my head is at right now.

I would love to hear your thoughts. Especially if you see things I am missing, or if you think these lines blur more than I have sketched here.