What Should My Documentary Series Be About?

What Should My Documentary Series Be About?

In order to help me choose what to do my photographic documentary series about, I decided to create a list of my ideas with pros and cons of each idea, in hope that I can see clearly what will work and what won't. Ideally, I would be shooting close to either Ipswich or home, which is 30 minutes from Ipswich. Whoever i'd be taking photos of would be always or very often doing what I would like the photos to show, and it wouldn't be too complicated to find somebody.

1. - Student

The idea behind this is would be to show others what it's like to live as a student; young people often here older people talk about how things were in their time, but I thought it would be interesting to show what it's like in the current time. Things have changed, and it seems that many people fail to understand this or think young people just feel good when complaining.

Pros

• It could do a typology of students, such as what they do at exactly the same time; it would show how different everybody is, and ultimately show what student life is like for particular people.
• I wouldn't have to travel far as I live all around students
• It's something I have an interest in

Cons

• It's very likely that shooting would clash with my own timetable; Ideally i'd like to take photos of students working, yet while they're working I should be too.
• It's not really putting myself out there, I feel that for this project to benefit me the most I should do something that perhaps i'm not super comfortable with and push myself. 

2. Restaurant Manager

If I were to choose this option I would focus on how busy things can get in their lives and what goes on behind the scenes of restaurants. Many people have worked in a food place, however even that doesn't allows them to know what it takes to manage it all, and so I thought it could be interesting to document how a restaurant is able to run so smoothly.

Pros 

• There's a huge variety and vast amount of restaurants in the area and so finding a place wouldn't be hard
• And because of that, it would be easy to get to with no hassle

Cons

• The times in which i'm available are also peak times for restaurants and so the person I wish to photograph is likely to want space at that time. Ideally, i'd be able to shoot in the mornings and early afternoons, however my schedule wouldn't make this easy
• I'd often be around customers who probably wouldn't want their photos taken, which restricts how creative I could be when shooting

3. Horse carer / rider

This option would allow me to take photos of something that I loved as a child, and it would be interesting for me to go back to it at the age I am now. I'd like to show how much work people put into their horses, and that it's far from just the glamorous side we usually see at shows and races, but instead hours of picking poo, washing, exercising and hoof cleaning. It again works on the behind the scenes of what we're used to seeing.

Pros

• People who own horses are usually with them for at least 3 hours a day, meaning it wouldn't be hard to fit around my schedule
• The area I live in at home has many horse riders and carers that I don't know, so it would allow me to get to know my community more and knowing the area will give me some confidence.
• If I managed to find somebody close to home, travel would be easy.
• There's so many different tasks that are done in order to look after horses that I wouldn't be shy of ideas of what to shoot

Cons

• I'd have to travel home often and I can't drive
• I'd have to be careful; horses can be unpredictable and there's a small possibility of getting kicked if I don't watch out

4. Alpaca Farmer

Suffolk is where I am from, and where I am studying, so it's only natural for me to feel a connection with the community around. As it happens, what we're perhaps known most for is farming. This idea goes one step ahead of traditional farming (i.e crops) but something a bit more unordinary. I chose this as an idea because it's something not many people will know much about, and I can imagine the animals to have some rather funny moments. If I were to choose this idea I'd focus on what it takes to keep the animals alive and healthy, and try to give an insight as to why alpacas are more than a novelty but a way of living for some people.

Pros 

• My dad knows an alpaca farmer, meaning that this idea isn't completely ludicrous and I could have access if I chose this idea.
• I've heard the person I have in mind is very often with the alpacas, meaning it should work with my timetable
• It's an interesting subject and something people aren't familiar with, it could be a tool to teach people about how others work.

Cons

• Alpacas can be dangerous, there are certain ways to hold them and care for them to avoid getting hurt, and it's likely I would want to have some close ups of the alpacas, which could become rather risky.
• It's close to home but not a walkable distance, meaning I could struggle to get there and back.
• Perhaps people wouldn't be able to relate their lives to the work of an alpaca farmer, and so wouldn't have much interest in it?