Deciding my documentary topic

When set with the task of producing a short documentary about anything in the world, it can feel very daunting. I felt swamped with infinite options yet void of all creative ideas.

My brain immediately went to whats easy - a documentary on student life in Leeds. However I quickly realised that it would be hard to get any real depth in such a short documentary. This fact along side the realisation that the process would almost definitely become a collection of my drunk friend acting up for a camera, I decided to think of another idea.

I then thought about the types of documentaries that I love the most, animal documentaries. Although I would have loved to research about different english animals, I decided chasing squirrels in the park with a camera wasn't worth the time or the funny looks.

After probably a bit too long thinking about it, I came up with the perfect idea. Sticking with the nature topic, I wanted to base my documentary on a specific type of flower and had the most perfect one in mind.

I come from a small town on the edge of Essex called Saffron Walden. It gets its name from famously harvesting and selling saffron in the 1300s which comes from the crocus flower - which is also the emblem of the town.

This idea was perfect, a nature theme which I love, in a place that I care about, with an interesting history.

As many people know, the crocus flower along with saffron harvesting is native to the middle east, definitely not Essex, and I often get questioned on the name of my town, so I feel that this short documentary is the perfect opportunity to research and inform others about the history of the saffron of Saffron Walden, as well as an opportunity to show off the beautiful town that I grew up in.

So now the hard work begins...