introduction
For my junior documentary project, I took on the challenge of portraying a famous home bakery and the unseen of aspects of young entrepreneurship through a thirty-five page documentary book. Behind the scenes was an extensive process involving research, gathering and coordinating interviews, photo sessions, establishing a perspective concerning the significance of my topic, using programs such as Adobe Illustrator to create graphic design elements and color schemes, writing the content of my book, and using InDesign to bring all of these elements together. This process has been one full of learning experiences and firsts, resulting in an informative, engaging book and magazine article on the firsthand experience of running a business in Silicon Valley. Furthermore, each element of my final product left me with a unique set of tools and experience. For example, the research-based paper which emphasized narrative-style journalism and familiarized me with this style of communication. Similarly, assembling the book itself gave me profound familiarity with InDesign and how effectively apply the principles of design in an eye-catching way. Given that the process for creating a documentary typically involves a whole team of people, one of the things I am most proud of is that I took on every single part of this process individually.
documentary trailer
After capturing and editing the footage I needed to bring this narrative to life, I put together a trailer to give viewers a snapshot of my documentary book, which highlights the Chaudry sibling’s journey to culinary stardom.
interviewees
Naiel chaudry
Naiel Chaudry is a thirteen year old baker from Silicon Valley who specializes in bringing the flavors of Pakistan to the world through his famous fusion deserts. In 2021, at the young age of eleven, Naiel started home business Lá Jawab treats with his sister Punhal as a way to serve others during the pandemic. Being the winner of Food Network’s Kids Baking Championship, Chaudry has been featured on SharkTank, Open Silicon Valley, PTV world, and several other renowned media outlets.
punhal chaudry
Punhal Chaudry is an eleven year old baker from the Silicon Valley who runs famous fusion dessert business Lá Jawab Treats with Naiel Chaudry (above). When not fulfilling customer’s orders, Punhal and her brother cater for a number restaurants, weddings, and events, including popular Pakistani restaurant Zareen’s in Palo Alto. Now with her own cookbook, Chaudry is famous for her rich Tiramisu’s and flavorful cake fillings. She hopes to one day open a bakery in Downtown Los Altos where she can share even more of her culinary creations with the world.
Aifra Ahmed is the mother of young entrepreneurs Naiel and Punhal Chaudry. She offers a unique perspective on being the parent of two successful young entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley, as well as facilitating balance, seeking opportunities, and channeling creativity. Her take on the story of Lá Jawab treats gives us a further glimpse on what it takes to support a family business.
Mozzam Chadury is the father of bakers Nail and Punhal Chaudry, and founders of Asian American business Lá Jawab Treats. He has a strong influence in the business’ philanthropic efforts and offers a unique perspective about upholding values through fame, interacting with customers, and overcoming challenges. His experience of being both a father and contributor to the business provides us with with many valuable takeaways.
research paper
After deciding on the topic of my documentary, I honed in on a distinct perspective to share and dived into a research process to facilitate my final research paper. I decided to not only tell the story of how baking business Lá Jawab Treats came to be, but also write about the experience of being a young entrepreneur in Silicon Valley, challenges faced behind the scenes, skills learned and applied by business owners Nail and Punhal Chaudry, and valuable lessons that we can all take away from their narrative. Aside from standard research, this project required the gathering of additional resources to gain insight on the bigger picture behind these topics. I also conducted multiple interviews with primary and secondary sources to aid in the telling of my story. My research paper outcome is attached here.
Click Thumbnail (Right) To View Research Paper
book design
In my elective class, I worked to present the story of Lá Jawab Treats to my audience in a colorful, engaging way through a physical documentary book. This project took roughly two months to complete and consisted of: drawing graphic design elements in Adobe Illustrator, capturing photos of my subjects, editing the best of these photos in Photoshop, creating a color scheme and visual theme for my book, using InDesign to experiment with captivating, organized layouts, designing a book cover and spine, and more. Once I had finalized the digital copy, I had a physical hardcover copy of my book printed (pictured below).
photo gallery
documentary book
Click Thumbnail (Left) To View Full Digital Book
progress shots
Take a peek into the creation process behind my documentary book, which ultimately involved use of the following applications: Adobe InDesign, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop.
magazine article
Click Thumbnail (Right) To View Full Magazine Article
reflection
The documentary project was challenging, fulfilling, fun, and tiring all at once. It definitely forced me to step out of my comfort zone, especially when it came to facilitating interviews, managing my time, and figuring out new programs Overall, I am very proud of my documentary book. I valued getting to combine each creative endeavor from English, Digital Media, and Design into one final product that I can share with the world. If you have a story to tell, just go out there do it. There is nothing stopping you. The importance of taking the leap is one of my biggest takeaways from this project, and I will surely implement this as I continue to create in the future.