Hall, Hope

Hope Hall worked as a cinematographer on the documentary By the People, which followed then senator Obama’s trajectory into candidacy, before joining the 2008 campaign’s new media team as a staff filmmaker, and then serving on the presidential transition team. In May 2011, she became President Obama’s principal videographer at the White House in the Office of Digital Strategy. Her personal work has taken her to artist residencies all around the world, has been shown in more than fifty film festivals and exhibitions worldwide, and has won numerous awards, including at Sundance.

Hope has been President Obama’s Videographer since May 2011, documenting his day-to-day work and releasing edited pieces in concert with the team, including weekly pieces like “West Wing Week” and the weekly address. She began working for President Obama during his 2008 campaign as part of the video road team in the New Media Department. Before that she was a freelance documentary director & cinematographer based in New York City, primarily for independent feature documentaries, but with a footing in music video work and in adjunct teaching. Her films and cinematography have earned her a range of awards and residencies, including at Sundance. She was born in Evanston, Illinois, and earned her bachelor’s from the University of California, Berkeley and her master’s from Stanford.