Alex Hall

"My passion for film and photography began in Brooklyn in 2008. Believe it or not, the catalyst was a broken phone.

Most of the time we view our phone breaking as a minor (or major) inconvenience. But it ended up opening a door to a new world, one without the constant distractions of a cell phone. For a short time, I was forced to observe the world around me, to be more present in the moment.

A few weeks later, when I’d bought another phone, this new found habit of observing didn’t fade away but became a need to document - capturing the world around me through images and short clips. It was nothing fancy at this stage, just my baby steps in the world of cinematography.

My breakthrough moment came during the 2011 Occupy Wall Street protests in New York - I was able to document what was happening from inside the movement. Still mostly on a phone, but my first experience of video journalism.

Several months later, I upgraded my gear (with a $300 Canon EOS 30D without video functions...) and hobby turned to career opportunity as my friends and their friends started offering me work. Fast forward several years and I’ve worked with a huge range of exciting clients, everything from corporate adverts to more artsy projects like a documentary about Budapest and a music video with the Albanian songwriter KOKA.

I sometimes think back to what it was like just starting out and remember all the things I wish I’d learnt sooner. I’ve decided to pass on all this knowledge and wisdom, bound up in my belief that anyone who has a story should be able to tell it in a creative and cinematic way, whatever their equipment or experience. After all, I know what you can achieve with a simple phone camera...