Summary

The goal of this guide is to standardize the crediting landscape for documentary films. The DPA’s intention is that these crediting standards will clarify the criteria for various producer roles—serving film investors, donors, supporters, and filmmakers alike in credit discussions and negotiations—and that they will be adopted widely. Importantly, the recommendations in this guide are crafted as best practices rather than rules, recognizing that some situations may warrant filmmakers and their partners to deviate from them. In such circumstances, we encourage filmmakers and their partners to use these standards as a starting point, with the specificities of a project dictating where, when, and how exceptions are applied.