One of the biggest differences between feature films and documentaries is the purpose for creation. The main push behind feature films is to entertain their audiences, while documentaries seek to inform. While feature films also can strive to inform the public, the cinematic intention is to pull the viewer in and entertain him for about two hours. Documentaries sometime strive to reveal an injustice or educate the public about one and are social vehicles for informing the masses.
Documentaries tend to be less expensive to produce than feature films. Some documentaries can cost a few thousand dollars, while most feature films have multimillion dollar budgets. Costs escalate depending on how popular the featured actors are and their required salaries. Feature films also tend to spend more money on special effects and sometimes are shot in exotic, far-off locations. With documentaries, big-name actors may agree to be in a film for a greatly reduced fee, simply because he believes in the project.
Feature films spend an average of about two hours putting together a story line and introducing characters. The action generally follows a sequence of ups and downs. The story, plot, location and characters are neatly intertwined to capture the viewer's attention and portray a story with a beginning, middle, climax and end. In documentaries, directors sometimes use mobile cameras to follow the action as it unfolds, often not knowing what will happen next. The director can create a film that excludes him, one in which he takes part in the action, or one that details his opinion in an essay format.
Feature films are largely fictional, although they may be based on real events and/or people with "creative license" taken by the director and screenwriters. Genres range from comedy, action and western to romance, crime and horror, as well as a variety of others. Documentaries are nonfiction films that take little, if any, creative license with the content. These films may take on issues such as the dangers of fast food or uncovering political injustices and big-business corruption.
Feature films tend to have smoother transitions and steady camera action, while documentaries have rawer footage from cameras often carried on the filmmaker's shoulders. A documentary may see a cameraman chasing a subject on foot, resulting in bumpy footage, while a feature film would employ booms and lifts to change the angles and focus of scenes smoothly.