10 Documentaries Every Creative Must See

Whether you're an artist, designer, marketer or otherwise creative person, it's very useful to have a wide repertoire of inspiration to draw on.

I'm a huge documentary fan, but over the years some documentaries stood head and shoulders above the rest for their uniquely inspirational appeal. Here are my top ten must-see documentaries for creatives!

Secondhand Sureshots

In 2006, creative collective Dublab chronicled the creative process of four LA-based beat makers as they crawled the thrift stores for dusty old vinyl records to sample for new musical productions. As part of the rules, Daedelus, J-Rocc, Nobody and Ras G had only a couple of bucks each to spend on records. Also, their musical creations had to consist exclusively of samples from their finds. You don't have to be a hiphop fan to find the process utterly fascinating.

The whole film can be watched (legally) on Dublabs Vimeo page here:

Directors Label - The Work of Director Michel Gondry

Long before Instagram was filled with pictures of pictures, before Xzibit was putting cars in peoples cars, Michel Gondry was doing the "meta" thing. In fact, Gondry is best known for putting every sort of inverted mind fuck into moving pictures, in his uncompromisingly creative style, working with the likes of Daft Punk, Bjork, and many others. Perhaps the most inspiring thing about Gondry is his lo-fi approach to much of his work. He is the type that coule create a masterpiece with just a cellphone and a piece of cardboard. The "Director's Label" series compiles work from some of the most innovative names in music and advertising along with new material, unseen material and exclusive interviews. Alongside Michel Gondry, the series also features Spike Jonze and Chris Cunningham.

Helvetica

Could you watch a whole documentary about a font? A ubiquitous font that is loved and hated equally. You really should. It's mesmerising.

Exit Through the Gift Shop

Without giving too much away, Exit Through The Gift Shop documents the true story of how an oddball shop keeper turned documentary maker attempted to locate and befriend British street artist "Banksy", only to have the artist turn the camera back on its owner, with spectacular results. Exit Through The Gift Shop is not only side-splittingly funny, but it raises questions about the world of art, and unapologetically mocks it.

Objectified

A fascinating exploration of product design, featuring exclusive interviews with industry stalwarts like Johnny Ive, Andrew Blauvelt, Marc Newson, and Karim Rashid. Everyday objects suddenly become much more interesting.

Art & Copy

Advertising industry insiders chronicle the evolution of advertising and consumer culture from the 50s and 60s right up to today. An utterly mind opening watch. You will never look at an advert the same way again.

The September Issue

Chronicling Vogue Magazines editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's chaotic preparations for the 2007 fall-fashion issue. We get a fly on the wall view of the goings on behind the scene at one of the worlds biggest magazines.

The Yes Men Fix The World

"The Yes Men Fix The World" is a nutty true story that follows a couple of self described "gonzo political activists". Combining pranking, trolling, life hacking, and political stunts. The Yes Men are the ultimate 21st century hoaxers.

Indie Game: The Movie

INDIE GAME: THE MOVIE looks at the underdogs and unsung heroes of the video game industry, indie game developers. These uber nerds go to great lengths and sacrifice everything to realize their dreams of sharing their creative visions with the world. Following the making of the games SUPER MEAT BOY, FEZ and BRAID, we are there for the laughs, tears and fights. These people are overflowing with creative passion and dedication and you can't help but finish the movie feeling utterly inspired.

Life In A Day

The ultimate collaborative effort for the 21st Century. What happens when you send a request out to the world to chronicle, via video, a single day on Earth? You get 80,000 submissions and 4,500 hours of footage from 192 countries. Ridley Scott and Kevin Macdonald took this raw material — all shot on July 24, 2010, to produce one of the most beautiful pieces of documentary ever made. Moving, inspiring, life affirming.

Have you seen any of these documentaries? What did you think? Or do you have more suggestions? Maybe I should make a top 20! Comment below!