Today we’d like to introduce you to Alex Hall.
Hi Alex, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
As a kid in Toledo, Ohio, the summers were really only as good as you and your friends could make them, so around seven or so I guess I decided that I would start filming everything we did. From short films with my Star Wars action figures to reenacting our favorite scenes from “Jackass” with a local grocery store shopping cart, I captured a whole lot of nothing that at the time felt like everything. And while those videos didn’t necessarily help me get into film school, they did build the foundation for my true obsession with all things film and photography. I don’t think that I would still be here, living in LA, without this relentless curiosity for perfecting an art form that is impossible to perfect.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The road to success for me has been anything but smooth. I always think about how, just when I feel that I’m at the top of the mountain and the ball starts to get rolling for me, it’s really only rolling to the beginning of an even bigger mountain. Moving to a big city from a town where you basically lived in a bubble your whole life makes you very susceptible to experiencing things the hard way, and often. When I first got to LA, I was only freelance shooting part-time and working full-time as a tv producer. When covid hit, my show shut down and I was on my own work-wise. It forced me to hit the ground running but because of the circumstances, I was still very green and had little to no connections or experience with navigating the entertainment industry. Unfortunately, because of my, dare I say “innocence”, I put myself into situations that looking back on were very toxic and gave me a sort of chip on my shoulder for future endeavors. But with all of those struggles and failures that I had/still do experience, I understand that it’s all just part of this big machine and if you really want it bad enough, you won’t let these obstacles stop you from achieving your goals.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I work as a Director and a Photographer. As far as directing goes, I think that the most important thing to focus on is having a visual voice. The best directors in any field have the ability to express their thoughts and feelings visually without saying a word. Whether it be through the performance and blocking of the subjects or the lighting design and camera choices, I think the most important thing I can do as a director is create an environment that is visually interesting to look at and unique to me. Same goes with being a photographer, anyone can take a photo and really anyone can be a photographer, but are you able draw out emotion with a still image. I think what sets me apart from others in my field is that I never take myself too seriously (contrary to what it probably sounds like in my above ramblings) and I always, always! ALWAYS! Remember that I’m a student to the art and that because art is always evolving and changing, so am I. Staying humble, staying light, and staying honest are the keys to my inevitable success.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
People are pretty surprised by my culinary skills. Like at the risk of sounding vain, I’m incredibly skilled at cooking and I can usually nail it the first or second time I make a new dish. I just love the art of plating and cooking meats to the perfect temperature. It’s all very therapeutic for me and even when I’m under pressure in the kitchen, multitasking and improvising, I feel like I can sort of turn my brain off and just “do”. Also, people are surprised at how tall I am. I’m 6’3 so I’m no giant but I guess that doesn’t come across on my social media.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://alexhallideas.com/
- Instagram: @alexhallideas
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXQVVReVTkWE7SnWXtot1_ntXptg0JmOI
