Tactics In Practice: The Impact Of Vegan Documentary And Video

Author: Björn Ólafsson | Published: August 20, 2025

Estimated Reading Time: 20 minutes

Many vegans note the importance of animal advocacy documentaries in their individual journeys, but the concrete data appears more mixed. This deep dive explores how to get the most impact from documentary films for animals.

Welcome to the fifth edition of our Tactics In Practice (TM) series, where we dive into the effectiveness and strategies of different animal advocacy interventions. Go ahead and sprinkle that nutritional yeast on your popcorn because today we’re going to analyze the impact of documentary, graphic footage, and other video-based interventions.

The Goals And Background Of Pro-Animal Documentaries

To begin, what even is a documentary? Some theorists have pointed out that the idea of a “documentary” is broadening as media itself changes. Yes, a factual movie screened in a festival counts as a documentary, but what about a short film distributed on YouTube or a two-minute TikTok video of an undercover investigation? For the purposes of this review, we take a broad view of documentary to involve any form of real-life footage designed to make people make pro-animal decisions, but we will focus most of our analysis on feature-length movies. (Since this overlaps with social media activism, we recommend reading our TIPs edition on social media).

While nearly every animal advocate can name several pro-animal documentaries easily, they might be surprised to learn that hundreds exist. As of 2020, the number of documentaries is increasing year over year, something many advocates can relate to anecdotally by thinking of the International Vegan Film Festival or scrolling through UnchainedTV. However, according to one count, while 217 pro-animal documentaries exist, only nine were on Netflix or Hulu in 2022 (and titles are rotated in and out constantly) — the vast majority of these films will never see a theatrical run, streaming release, or wide reception. Advocates we spoke to mentioned they unfortunately don’t think this will change anytime soon, as streaming platforms prefer other content like true crime over animal welfare, and most have policies which would preclude showing graphic depictions of animal death.

While making this resource we spoke to many vegan documentary filmmakers to learn their perspectives, and they shared that their biggest filmmaking goal (apart from artistic expression) is usually diet change. Other goals can include educating the public on animal issues, influencing social norms around human-animal relationships, legitimizing the animal protection movement, and making animal issues more salient in the media and political landscape.

Documentary’s Impact On Diet

It’s worthwhile to pause for a moment to differentiate between anecdotes and data. In our conversations, many vegans reported switching their diet overnight after watching a documentary like Earthlings or Dominion. You yourself might know some people who’ve made that switch. But in impact analysis, we need to remember that people who are already vegan are not representative of the overall audience of an animal documentary. This caveat is important to keep in mind while we review the numbers.

In retrospective analyses — in other words, when we ask existing vegans what changed their minds — documentaries appear to be quite effective. According to our 2020 study, 13% of animal advocates became advocates due to a documentary like Earthlings. A 2019 global survey found that 21.9% of vegans said that a documentary was the first thing to make them seriously consider a diet change. Many qualitative studies (like this one or this one) have found that vegans often rank documentaries as quite important in their vegan journey. Other surveys have found documentaries to have changed the minds or sparked reflection in significant portions of the vegan population.

Finally, in our famous study on the relative effectiveness of different intervention techniques, documentaries were found to have caused an estimated 12% of the total U.S. population to reduce their meat consumption somewhat, ranking ninth out of the 16 interventions we tested.

Great, you might be thinking, documentaries really work! Unfortunately, when we dig deeper, it starts to get a bit more complicated. In experimental studies, documentaries aren’t nearly as effective as they appear in retrospective surveys.

To help understand this point, we searched for experiments on the impact of a documentary on meat consumption change, including internal reports on specific documentaries’ impact. We noticed that researchers tended to track impact in one of three ways:

Intention to reduce meat consumption;
Self-reported meat consumption a few weeks or months after the study; and
Directly measured meat consumption (often by actually tracking the purchases of participants and analyzing how much meat they bought).

Note: You can also see these studies listed in this Google Sheet if you want to look through the data with a fine-toothed comb. Bear in mind that randomized controlled trials offer higher-quality evidence than internal surveys.

Here we see that the evidence is far more mixed. While documentaries are able to make people want to eat less meat, they aren’t consistently able to turn that intention into a reality. Importantly, the studies with the highest-quality evidence (the randomized controlled trials, especially those that mitigated bias) were more likely to show that documentaries didn’t have much of an impact.

This tension between intention and behavior maps onto other social movements as well. For example, in a literature review of climate documentaries, we can see similar effects: a higher intention to be sustainable, small short-term behavior changes, but very little long-term change. One survey of 1,500 Europeans found that while 97% had been affected by watching a documentary and 70% had learned something from documentaries, only 19% had made a lifestyle change as a result. (Notably, the documentaries most effective in creating lifestyle changes were environmental or animal-related.)

To understand this seemingly contradictory explanation — how vegans often cite documentaries as super important in their journey, but documentaries fail to show an impact in experiments — we can suggest a few possibilities.

Firstly, intention and behavior aren’t always intertwined. Consider the vote-buy gap, a phenomenon in which people would vote to ban caged eggs but still purchase those products. People often want to enact something but may not actually change their behavior to align with that want.
Secondly, people are often pretty bad at understanding their past motivations. As we’ve explored in previous TIPs, changing one’s lifestyle involves many factors built up over time: motivations, habits, social norms, preferences, and more. In a survey, vegans might just default to the most salient moment of their journey, something like a documentary or a book, and ignore other subtle factors, like how their supermarket happens to have many vegan items conveniently located or how they had a community of vegans nearby to learn from.
Thirdly, there might be psychological differences between existing vegans and non-vegans that sets our motivations apart — perhaps current vegans are more motivated by information and ethical appeals while non-vegans are more motivated by norms or institutions.

Regardless of the reason, it unfortunately isn’t likely that documentaries alone are effective at changing diets.

This doesn’t mean the animal protection movement should relinquish their cameras and boom mics en masse — perhaps documentaries are most effective for new vegans rather than pre-vegans. In our study on veg*n motivations, we found that 42% and 36% of new veg*ns who had watched graphic footage or a documentary respectively in the month before transitioning to a veg*n diet were more likely to stay veg*n after six months. This maps onto research of the “vegan pipeline” (in research lingo, the transtheoretical model of diet change): maybe documentaries are most effective for people who are already aware of the problem (conscious consumers), contemplating making a change (vegan-curious), or maintaining the change (new vegans), as opposed to full omnivores.

Something else that came up in our conversations with documentary filmmakers: anecdotally, people don’t usually stumble across a movie like Dominion or Earthlings; they’re usually shown it. People who may go vegan overnight after watching a pro-animal film might be more likely to already have a support network of vegans (something we at Faunalytics believe to be very important). This is anecdotal, but can suggest that documentaries are best used strategically to target certain communities that already have ties to vegans or veganism, as it will be easier for them to make changes after watching the film.

Another possibility: maybe documentaries are only effective if they exist immediately before another intervention to capitalize on the momentum. For example, imagine showing your community a screening of Earthlings on December 29th and then encourage them to sign up to Veganuary right after. The combination of the two interventions may be more successful than the film alone.

To summarize, we as a movement need to be thinking more critically about the impact of documentaries, perhaps more often pairing the documentary with other interventions or by targeting audiences and communities most open to diet change.

Which Documentaries Are Most Effective?

We aren’t aware of any experimental evidence that measured the effect of different long-form documentaries together, but we can examine some surveys to find out which documentaries are often deemed as particularly helpful. Keep in mind: a documentary’s impact depends on its quality, messaging, and reach — so some films on this list may have a higher reach but less developed narrative, and some excellent films may not be on this list due to a lack of viewing options. Take the following lists with a grain of salt when considering which documentaries you should be streaming or promoting.

In a 2019 survey of 2,808 vegans who mentioned a documentary as their primary entrypoint to veganism, 26.2% noted What The Health, 24.6% noted Cowspiracy, 22.2% noted Earthlings, 12.5% noted Forks Over Knives, and the rest said another documentary. According to a 2019 survey, 1 to 5% of U.S. Americans have watched a vegan documentary and they were, in order from most-watched to least: Forks Over Knives, What The Health, Cowspiracy, The Ghosts In Our Machine, Death On A Factory Farm, Eating Animals, Vegucated, Meat The Truth, Earthlings, and Speciesism: The Movie.

Another survey of Veggly (a veg dating app) users asked which documentaries they thought were best to encourage veganism: respondents mentioned Cowspiracy (21.8%), Earthlings (17.6%), What The Health (12.3%), Game Changers (10.1%), Dominion (8.7%), and Forks Over Knives (5.3%), with Seaspiracy, Eating Animals, Live And Let Live, Before The Flood, and Glass Walls all receiving less than 5%. Remember, these are the documentaries that current vegans regard as being most impactful for their journeys, not necessarily the most effective films for non-vegans or agenda-framing.

How To Navigate Graphic Footage

Footage of animal suffering taken in factory farms, slaughterhouses, or other contexts is undoubtedly controversial — but is it effective?

On an organizational level, it’s likely that specific undercover investigations will lead to institutional change at least some of the time. We weren’t able to find a study measuring this, but anecdotal evidence from past campaigns shows that multiple food brands have changed their practices as a result of undercover footage being made public, and the corresponding backlash.

Big Ag seems to agree that images of animal farming benefit animal advocacy. A 2017 paper found that showing participants images of pig containment facilities led people to view the animal industry more negatively. The authors — who published the paper in an agricultural journal — go on to advise animal farmers not to use webcams to increase transparency.

Our experimental research also found that showing meat eaters graphic footage can change their attitudes and beliefs about farmed animals, but stops short of changing their diet. Unsurprisingly, undercover footage makes people feel anger and sadness, but it also leads people to donate more to animal NGOs, according to a 2024 experiment. Most people also generally support undercover investigations and don’t want to punish investigators. In these ways, graphic footage certainly has benefits.

Graphic footage relies on moral shock — the mix of anger, bewilderment, and disgust that can arise when one sees something amoral (like cruelty, bigotry, suffering, or injustice). Importantly, moral shock isn’t the same as surprise; you can actually experience moral shock even if you expect it to happen. For example, if you know that a certain politician is prone to tweeting certain bigoted statements, you may still experience moral shock if you see a new vile statement that harms your worldview.

The same is true for animal suffering: even if you already believe animal farming is morally wrong, undercover footage can still give you a sense of moral shock. As advocates, it is important to avoid the overuse of moral shock because it can often delay other important emotions like anger that cause action. Therefore, it is recommended to pair unpleasant undercover footage with other messages to mitigate moral shock, like hope, directionality, individuality, and more.

How To Improve Documentary Effectiveness

Use Graphic Footage Strategically

Graphic footage can paradoxically shut people down from taking action if they experience a profound moral shock. To mitigate this, balance graphic footage with other themes and stories, like positive portrayals of animals, calls to action, messages of hope, or general optimism. Animal Think Tank has called this balancing the ‘nightmare’ and the ‘dream.’ Slaughterhouse footage isn’t enough to make a documentary compelling to the viewer; it needs to have optimism as well.

It’s also ideal to make sure viewers know that graphic footage is coming to help them prepare mentally. This can be done with an explicit content warning or a smooth transition with an explanation of what’s to come.

Make Sure Viewers Are Empowered

According to a survey about the impact of Food Inc. (a film about agribusiness that also examines farmed animal welfare), viewers who felt “overwhelmed or immobilized” did not see a clear path for action and felt helpless. However, people who felt empowered by the film were more likely to understand how their collective purchasing power could change the industry.

Documentary filmmakers should then ensure that viewers feel like they have a path forward. Consider inserting calls to action, explorations of movements or organizations that are helping to solve the central problem, or theories of change that can mitigate harm. People should walk out of the theater (or get off the couch) feeling ready to tackle problems when they arise.

Again, this is easier said than done. For some tips on creating a message that empowers viewers, read over the studies included in our resource on media.

Use Documentary To Spread Awareness Of Niche Animal Issues

Since documentary can unambiguously educate audiences even while the evidence is more mixed on changing their actions, the movement could use documentary to educate about issues that have low salience in the public. For example, consider if there are specific animal issues that have a low knowledge level, like in-ovo sexing, blood mares, or shrimp sentience. Or consider if you can highlight an intersectional issue, such as ag-gag laws, indigenous farming practices, or environmental racism. By focusing on spreading awareness, documentaries may be laying the groundwork for future behavior change.

Use Unique Frames And Perspectives To Appeal To Specific Audiences

Remember, people have many motivations for going vegan — there is no one silver bullet argument — so your use of frames should reflect that. Consider using novel framing devices, point-of-view characters, and unique arguments to make your documentary stand out. Check out this chart on the most common ways that documentaries frame their protagonists:

Researchers also have some ideas about underutilized documentary frames. One researcher notes that three frames are missing from most pro-vegan documentaries and recommends their further usage: a clear representation of the animal-industrial complex, explanations of all forms of violence animals suffer, and a subjective perspective of animals showing their inherent worth as individuals. Other researchers recommend profiling how an issue harms animals and humans (like how Blackfish explored the death of an orca trainer as well as animal abuse) to allow more ways for audiences to become hooked, regardless of anthropocentrism.

Using novel frames will help the film resonate with different audiences, since the perspectives of advocates are often critical for allowing viewers to engage with the themes. Intersectional angles are also likely to garner more media attention, as journalists and activists will be able to relate the film to other issues that may be more mainstream. Researchers also note that the idea of an “advocate made in real time” can be another persuasive frame — for example, profiling an animal farmer who becomes vegan over the course of the film.

Regardless of your frame, make sure you have a clear target audience in mind and consider how your specific documentary will make them feel, act, and grow.

Consider Using Documentary To Frame Policy

While documentary has some potential to help individual diet change, some researchers and theorists point out it may have more potential to affect policy decisions through agenda-building. Think of it this way: the existence of a splashy new documentary is inherently newsworthy, prompting journalists to cover it, and possibly leading politicians or decision-makers to respond to the issue. A well-made film can also lend credibility to later campaigns or protests. This process can be seen in the splash made by Blackfish, a film so powerful it altered mainstream public sentiment on marine parks.

Not every documentary is going to be able to sway policymakers of course, but documentarians would be wise to consider leaning into political or corporate actions as potential outcomes. There is potential for documentaries to help lobbyists and campaigners to work together on a years-long strategy in enacting specific policies at a state or national level.

In Distribution, Target New Vegans

The impact of film doesn’t stop when the end credits roll — that is when it begins. In our conversations with advocates, many of them stressed the importance of taking the distribution of the film seriously because that can be where the real magic happens. As one advocate put it, it can sometimes require as much creativity as the film itself.

It doesn’t look likely that documentaries can change diets alone, but perhaps they can help new vegans maintain their diets. Perhaps screen the film at vegan food fairs or advertise it to people who are currently participating in Veganuary. For people who work on screening documentaries, you can follow up screenings with social media campaigns, community outreach, or other ways of extending the conversation past the end credits. You can also target specific communities most likely to go vegan, especially those who are already contemplating a diet switch.

This advice can be helpful for anyone working in diet change work: think of documentaries as a tool for vegan retention, not creation.

In Distribution, Coordinate With Other Groups And Tactics

Of course, changing policy can’t be done alone, so it’s important to team up with others.

In an analysis of the impact of cetacean documentaries like Blackfish, researchers note that documentaries with a longer shelf life often involved other tactics like protests or lawsuits. Not only does this make the issue more salient, but the existence of the documentary allows journalists to give more credibility to the cause.

Activists who release a documentary on a lesser-known issue (say, foie gras, gestation crates, environmental racism, or animal testing) should then coordinate with other groups to keep the issue in the limelight. Consider launching a social media campaign against a harmful company, public demonstrations, lawsuits, or ballot measures.

Documentarians looking to change diet should also consider collaborating with other diet change tactics or organizations. Consider a microcosm of this idea, We The Free’s 3 Minute Movie challenge, in which a short documentary is played for a passerby. After the film, the individual has a conversation with an activist “coach” and receives more information about veganism, including diet change resources and links to videos and books. Pairing interventions together like this is a great strategy and more documentarians could experiment with a variety of forms of outreach. Collaboration remains one of the building blocks of impactful activism.

Faunalytics is deeply appreciative of the thoughtful contributions, insights, and resources shared by the following advocates: Austin Meyer (Austin Meyer Films), Zoe Novic (Center for Animal Protection and Education), Jane Velez-Mitchell (UnchainedTV), John Corry (producer of Forks Over Knives), Alessio Schiazza (We Are All Animals), Richard Pryde Hughes, and an anonymous independent documentarian.