Michele Hall
Role: IMAX filmmaker, underwater cinematographer, producer, photographer
First appearance: 2002 (Wetpixel coverage of Howard Hall at DEMA)
Affiliation: Howard Hall Productions
Biography
Michele Hall is an award-winning underwater filmmaker and producer who, together with her husband Howard Hall, has created some of the most celebrated underwater films in cinema history. As co-producer of multiple IMAX and IMAX 3D films, Michele has been instrumental in bringing the underwater world to millions of viewers in the largest film format available. She is also an accomplished underwater still photographer in her own right.
Michele is consistently credited alongside Howard in Wetpixel’s coverage of their productions, reflecting a true creative partnership rather than a supporting role. Bret Gilliam’s book Diving Pioneers and Innovators (2007) notably dedicated a separate chapter to Michele Hall, independent of Howard’s chapter, recognizing her as a diving pioneer in her own right. The book’s reviewer noted that “Michele Hall rates her own chapter, as does Howard” ([1]).
In 2011, Howard and Michele were jointly inducted into the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame (ISDHF) ([2]).
Contributions
IMAX Filmmaking
Michele co-produced Into the Deep 3D (1994), the first-ever IMAX 3D underwater film, which established the Halls as leaders in large-format underwater filmmaking. She then served as co-producer (alongside Toni Myers) of Deep Sea 3D (2006), directed by Howard and narrated by Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet, with an original score by Danny Elfman. The film was shot over more than a year in at least eight worldwide locations including the Bahamas, Sea of Cortez, Flower Gardens, British Columbia, Catalina Island, Monterey, North Carolina, and Kona, Hawaii ([3]). Steve Drogin, reviewing the film’s world premiere in Los Angeles on February 21, 2006, called it “their crowning achievement” and noted that “Howard is the director/cameraman and Michele is the co-producer” ([4]).
Alex Mustard attended a London preview screening and praised the film’s sensitivity to its IMAX medium, calling it “first class family entertainment” ([5]).
At the 2006 Boston Sea Rovers 52nd Clinic, Howard and Michele showed clips and behind-the-scenes footage from Deep Sea 3D as part of the evening film festival ([6]).
The Halls also co-produced Under the Sea 3D (released February 2009), filmed using the 1,200-pound IMAX camera in locations including Southern Australia ([7]). Both Deep Sea 3D and Under the Sea 3D were later re-converged for Blu-ray 3D release, as demonstrated at the 2010 BLUE Ocean Film Festival where Panasonic showed excerpts on a 50” 3D television ([8]).
In 2019, Howard Hall Productions teamed up with Jonathan Bird’s Blue World to create a new IMAX production with a working title of Secrets of the Sea, with a planned 2021 release. Footage was captured in California’s Channel Islands, Mexico, and the Philippines ([9]).
Television Films
Howard and Michele’s earlier television work includes Seasons of the Sea (PBS Nature episode, won Best of Show at Wildscreen 1990) and Shadows in a Desert Sea (PBS Nature episode, won Best Cinematography at Wildscreen 1992 and Grand Prize at Antibes 1992). Both films were later remastered and made available on Amazon Prime Video in 2017 ([10], [11]).
RED Camera Underwater Productions
Beginning around 2010, the Halls transitioned from IMAX film to digital cinema cameras, adopting the RED ONE and later RED Helium cameras housed by Gates Underwater. Michele and Howard traveled extensively to create short films and footage:
- Maldives (2010): An 18-day liveaboard trip aboard the M/V Manthiri, shooting with the Gates DEEP RED system. Howard chronicled the trip in detail and posted frame grabs. The resulting “Maldives in RED” 4-minute compilation generated dozens of comments and lively forum discussion ([12], [13])
- Cocos Island, Costa Rica (2010): A 14-day expedition where they made four dives aboard the Undersea Hunter submersible Deep See, producing a 3-minute video short ([14])
- The Blue Ocean in RED (2010): A compilation of the year’s filming projects in the Maldives, Alaska, California, Cocos Island, and Mexico, all shot with a RED ONE and Nikon lenses ([15])
- Raja Ampat (2012): Their first expedition to Raja Ampat, Indonesia, shot with a RED Digital Cinema camera with music by Shie Rozow ([16])
- Atlantis (2017): A short film shot during a trip to Atlantis Resorts in Puerto Galera and Dumaguete, Philippines, featuring the duo applying their skills to macro subjects ([17])
- Threshers (2018): Pelagic thresher sharks filmed at Malapascua Island, Philippines in 8K resolution with a RED 8K Digital Cinema camera ([18])
- Dreams of Atlantis (2018): Clips shot during two weeks at Atlantis resorts in Puerto Galera and Dumaguete, Philippines, captured in 8K on RED ([19])
- Wild Windows: Whales (2018): An hour-long film featuring humpback, sperm, and blue whales ([20])
- Forest of the Sea (2018): An hour-long film of kelp forest ecosystems along the U.S. West Coast, part of the “Wild Windows” series ([21])
- Whale Song (2018): A short film of humpback whale encounters in French Polynesia, shot in 8K on a RED Helium ([22])
- Shadows in a Desert Sea (2019): Remastered version of their 1992 film with many original shots replaced by recently acquired HD images ([23])
One World One Ocean IMAX Project
In 2011-2012, the Halls worked with the MacGillivray Freeman Films “One World One Ocean” campaign, shooting IMAX footage at Cocos Island using the submersible DeepSee ([24]). Howard spent over 8 weeks in Tonga in 2012 shooting both 5K digital cinema catalog footage and 70mm film for the MacGillivray Freeman IMAX feature Humpback Whales ([25]).
Ocean Stories PBS Series
In 2014, Howard and Michele supplied footage and on-camera support for a PBS series called Ocean Stories, produced by O’Malley Creadon Productions, featuring 100 ocean-related stories from 100 people ([26]).
Photography
Michele is an accomplished underwater still photographer. At the 2019 Atlantis ImageMakers event in the Philippines, she contributed photographs alongside other invited professionals. Her images included a saddleback anemonefish (Amphiprion polymnus) shot right on the WWL-1 wide-angle lens port, and an ornate goby (Lubricogobius exiguus) in a bottle ([27]).
In 2015, Michele was interviewed for Wetpixel’s “Ask the Pros: Backup Strategies” feature alongside Howard and other professionals including Stephen Frink, Alex Mustard, and Douglas Seifert ([28]).
Competition Judging
Howard and Michele served together as judges for the 2019 Our World Underwater International Photography and Video Competition, alongside David Doubilet, Erin Quigley, Lia Barrett, and Abi Mullen. They judged thousands of entries with $55,000 in prizes ([29]).
Film Festival Presentations
The Halls have been regular presenters at underwater film festivals:
- 2006: Boston Sea Rovers 52nd Clinic evening film festival ([30])
- 2012: Cayman Islands International Underwater Film Festival, showing their short film Raja ([31])
- 2013: Santa Barbara Underwater Film Festival tribute to Ernie Brooks, presenting “The World’s Best Diving” ([32])
- 2016: Beneath the Sea International Film Festival, 40th event ([33])
Oral Histories and Interviews
In January 2017, the Master Wildlife Filmmaking podcast featured Howard and Michele discussing their beginnings in the industry, filming their IMAX movies, how they work together, and the challenges facing the marine environment ([34]).
In April 2020, Eric Cheng filmed an interview with Michele, Howard, and Marty Snyderman during a celebration of Howard and Marty’s birthdays at Atlantis, Dumaguete. The interview covered “a combined 150 years of experience in the business,” ranging from filming sharks in the 1970s through Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom in the 1980s to their IMAX films ([35]).
DiveFilm HD Podcast
In June 2007, Howard and Michele’s “Ocean Requiem” was released as HD Episode 6 of the DiveFilm High Definition Podcast Video on iTunes. The film was described as “a tribute to the ocean world and its creatures” and “a reminder of the vulnerability of marine life.” The DiveFilm Podcast Video series was produced in association with Wetpixel.com. Apple featured the podcast on the iTunes Podcast home page ([36]).
Timeline
- 1994: Co-produced Into the Deep 3D, the first IMAX 3D underwater film, with Howard Hall
- 2002-10: Howard Hall book signing at DEMA with Brian Skerry for Successful Underwater Photography — first Wetpixel mention of Howard Hall Productions ([37])
- 2006-01: Deep Sea 3D announced for March 3 debut, co-produced by Michele and Toni Myers, directed by Howard ([38])
- 2006-02: Alex Mustard attends London preview screening of Deep Sea 3D ([39])
- 2006-03: Deep Sea 3D world premiere in Los Angeles; Steve Drogin calls it “their crowning achievement.” Howard and Michele present at the Boston Sea Rovers 52nd Clinic ([40], [41])
- 2007-06: Howard and Michele’s “Ocean Requiem” released as HD podcast on DiveFilm/iTunes, produced in association with Wetpixel ([42])
- 2007-12: Michele profiled with her own chapter in Bret Gilliam’s Diving Pioneers and Innovators ([43])
- 2009-02: Under the Sea 3D released to IMAX theaters ([44])
- 2009-12: Howard & Michele provide endorsement quote for Jim Abernethy’s book Sharks Up Close, identified as “IMAX filmmakers” ([45])
- 2010-02: Howard and Michele in the Maldives with Gates DEEP RED system aboard M/V Manthiri ([46])
- 2010-03: “Maldives in RED” compilation posted, generating community debate ([47])
- 2010-06: Cocos Island expedition and RED ONE footage released ([48])
- 2010-08: Deep Sea 3D and Under the Sea 3D shown in Blu-ray 3D at BLUE Ocean Film Festival ([49])
- 2010-11: “The Blue Ocean in RED” — 2010 compilation released on Vimeo ([50])
- 2011: Howard and Michele inducted into the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame (ISDHF) ([51])
- 2011-12: Working with One World One Ocean on IMAX footage at Cocos Island ([52])
- 2012-09: Raja screened at Cayman Islands International Underwater Film Festival ([53])
- 2013-09: Howard and Michele present “The World’s Best Diving” at Santa Barbara Underwater Film Festival tribute to Ernie Brooks ([54])
- 2014-01: Howard and Michele provide footage and on-camera support for PBS Ocean Stories series ([55])
- 2014-03: Howard profiled in The New Yorker by Brian Lam ([56])
- 2015-04: Michele interviewed for Wetpixel “Ask the Pros: Backup Strategies” ([57])
- 2016-02: Howard and Michele present at Beneath the Sea International Film Festival ([58])
- 2016-06: Bob Cranston, longtime crew member on the Halls’ IMAX films, passes away; Howard writes the memorial for Wetpixel ([59])
- 2017-01: Master Wildlife Filmmaking podcast features Howard and Michele ([60])
- 2017-05: Atlantis short film posted, shot in Philippines ([61])
- 2017-09: Seasons of the Sea and Shadows in a Desert Sea remastered and available on Amazon Prime ([62])
- 2018-05: Threshers — pelagic thresher shark footage from Malapascua in 8K ([63])
- 2018-06: Dreams of Atlantis released, shot in 8K on RED in the Philippines ([64])
- 2018-07: Wild Windows: Whales and Forest of the Sea released ([65], [66])
- 2018-12: Whale Song released — humpback whale footage from French Polynesia in 8K ([67])
- 2019-01: Remastered Shadows in a Desert Sea released on Vimeo and Amazon Prime ([68])
- 2019-02: Judges the Our World Underwater 2019 competition alongside Howard and David Doubilet ([69])
- 2019-07: Contributes photography to the Atlantis ImageMakers 2019 event ([70])
- 2019-08: Howard Hall Productions and Jonathan Bird announce Secrets of the Sea IMAX film ([71])
- 2020-04: Interviewed by Eric Cheng alongside Howard and Marty Snyderman at Atlantis Dumaguete ([72])
References
Sources
- Wetpixel article, Dec 29, 2007: Review Of Bret Gilliams Diving Pioneers And Innovators ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 28, 2012: Cayman Islands Film Festival Details Announced ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 31, 2006: Deep Sea 3d To Debut On March 3rd ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 1, 2006: Review Imax Deepsea 3d ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 22, 2006: Imax Deep Sea 3d ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 11, 2006: Boston Sea Rovers 52nd Clinic Report 2006 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Dec 4, 2010: Filming Under The Sea 3d On Vimeo ↩
- Wetpixel article, Aug 31, 2010: Blue Ocean Film Festival 3d Wrap Up ↩
- Wetpixel article, Aug 26, 2019: Howard Hall And Jonathan Bird To Release Imax Film ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 16, 2017: Howard Hall Films Available On Amazon Video ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 10, 2019: Film Shadows In A Desert Sea By Howard Hall ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 13, 2010: Howard Hall In The Maldives With A Gates Deep Red System ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 31, 2010: Maldives In Red Howard Hall Productions ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jun 15, 2010: Howard Halls Cocos 2010 Video Short Shot On Red ↩
- Wetpixel article, Nov 1, 2010: Howard Hall The Blue Ocean In Red ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 28, 2012: Cayman Islands Film Festival Details Announced ↩
- Wetpixel article, May 1, 2017: Video Atlantis By Howard Hall Productions ↩
- Wetpixel article, May 21, 2018: Video Threshers By Howard And Michelle Hall ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jun 9, 2018: Film Dreams Of Atlantis By Howard Hall Productions ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jul 17, 2018: Video Wild Windows Whales By Howard Hall ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jul 27, 2018: Film Forest Of The Sea By Howard Hall ↩
- Wetpixel article, Dec 26, 2018: Video Whale Song By Howard And Michelle Hall ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 10, 2019: Film Shadows In A Desert Sea By Howard Hall ↩
- Wetpixel article, Dec 2, 2011: One World One Ocean Reports From Cocos ↩
- Wetpixel article, Dec 9, 2012: Leviathan By Howard Hall ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 11, 2014: Video Ocean Stories Trailer ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jul 19, 2019: Atlantis Imagemakers 2019 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Apr 19, 2015: Wetpixel Asks The Pros Backup Strategies ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 17, 2019: Results Our World Underwater 2019 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 11, 2006: Boston Sea Rovers 52nd Clinic Report 2006 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 28, 2012: Cayman Islands Film Festival Details Announced ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jun 12, 2013: Santa Barbara Film Festival Hosts A Tribute To Ernie Brooks ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 17, 2016: Beneath The Sea Announces Film Festival Line Up ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 29, 2017: Master Wildlife Filmmaking Podcast Features Howard And Michelle Hall ↩
- Wetpixel article, Apr 1, 2020: Interview Marty Snyderman With Howard And Michelle Hall By Eric Cheng ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jun 12, 2007: New Divefilm And Divefilmhd Podcast Videos ↩
- Wetpixel article, Oct 8, 2002: Gates Howard Hall And Brian Skerry At Dema ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 31, 2006: Deep Sea 3d To Debut On March 3rd ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 22, 2006: Imax Deep Sea 3d ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 1, 2006: Review Imax Deepsea 3d ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 11, 2006: Boston Sea Rovers 52nd Clinic Report 2006 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jun 12, 2007: New Divefilm And Divefilmhd Podcast Videos ↩
- Wetpixel article, Dec 29, 2007: Review Of Bret Gilliams Diving Pioneers And Innovators ↩
- Wetpixel article, Dec 4, 2010: Filming Under The Sea 3d On Vimeo ↩
- Wetpixel article, Dec 3, 2009: Announcing Jim Abernethys Book Sharks Up Close ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 13, 2010: Howard Hall In The Maldives With A Gates Deep Red System ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 31, 2010: Maldives In Red Howard Hall Productions ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jun 15, 2010: Howard Halls Cocos 2010 Video Short Shot On Red ↩
- Wetpixel article, Aug 31, 2010: Blue Ocean Film Festival 3d Wrap Up ↩
- Wetpixel article, Nov 1, 2010: Howard Hall The Blue Ocean In Red ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 28, 2012: Cayman Islands Film Festival Details Announced ↩
- Wetpixel article, Dec 2, 2011: One World One Ocean Reports From Cocos ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 28, 2012: Cayman Islands Film Festival Details Announced ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jun 12, 2013: Santa Barbara Film Festival Hosts A Tribute To Ernie Brooks ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 11, 2014: Video Ocean Stories Trailer ↩
- Wetpixel article, Mar 24, 2014: Howard Hall Profiled In New Yorker ↩
- Wetpixel article, Apr 19, 2015: Wetpixel Asks The Pros Backup Strategies ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 17, 2016: Beneath The Sea Announces Film Festival Line Up ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jun 9, 2016: In Memoriam Bob Cranston Underwater Cameraman ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 29, 2017: Master Wildlife Filmmaking Podcast Features Howard And Michelle Hall ↩
- Wetpixel article, May 1, 2017: Video Atlantis By Howard Hall Productions ↩
- Wetpixel article, Sep 16, 2017: Howard Hall Films Available On Amazon Video ↩
- Wetpixel article, May 21, 2018: Video Threshers By Howard And Michelle Hall ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jun 9, 2018: Film Dreams Of Atlantis By Howard Hall Productions ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jul 17, 2018: Video Wild Windows Whales By Howard Hall ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jul 27, 2018: Film Forest Of The Sea By Howard Hall ↩
- Wetpixel article, Dec 26, 2018: Video Whale Song By Howard And Michelle Hall ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jan 10, 2019: Film Shadows In A Desert Sea By Howard Hall ↩
- Wetpixel article, Feb 17, 2019: Results Our World Underwater 2019 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Jul 19, 2019: Atlantis Imagemakers 2019 ↩
- Wetpixel article, Aug 26, 2019: Howard Hall And Jonathan Bird To Release Imax Film ↩
- Wetpixel article, Apr 1, 2020: Interview Marty Snyderman With Howard And Michelle Hall By Eric Cheng ↩
- Gates, Howard Hall and Brian Skerry at DEMA (article) ↩
- Deep Sea 3D debut announcement (article) ↩
- Review: IMAX Deep Sea 3D (Mustard) (article) ↩
- Review: IMAX DeepSea 3D (Drogin) (article) ↩
- Boston Sea Rovers 52nd Clinic Report, 2006 (article) ↩
- New DiveFilm and DiveFilmHD Podcast Videos (article) ↩
- Review of Bret Gilliam’s “Diving Pioneers and Innovators” (article) ↩
- Jim Abernethy’s Sharks Up Close (article) ↩
- Howard Hall in the Maldives with a Gates DEEP RED system (article) ↩
- Maldives in RED, Howard Hall Productions (article) ↩
- Howard Hall’s Cocos 2010 video short (article) ↩
- BLUE Ocean Film Festival 3D wrap-up (article) ↩
- Howard Hall: The Blue Ocean in RED (article) ↩
- Filming Under the Sea 3D on Vimeo (article) ↩
- One World One Ocean reports from Cocos (article) ↩
- Leviathan by Howard Hall (article) ↩
- Cayman Islands Film Festival details announced (article) ↩
- Santa Barbara Film Festival tribute to Ernie Brooks (article) ↩
- Video: Ocean Stories trailer (article) ↩
- Howard Hall profiled in New Yorker (article) ↩
- Wetpixel asks the Pros: Backup strategies (article) ↩
- Beneath the Sea announces film festival line up (article) ↩
- In Memoriam: Bob Cranston (article) ↩
- Master Wildlife Filmmaking podcast features Howard and Michele Hall (article) ↩
- Video: Atlantis by Howard Hall Productions (article) ↩
- Howard Hall films available on Amazon Video (article) ↩
- Video: Threshers by Howard and Michele Hall (article) ↩
- Film: Dreams of Atlantis (article) ↩
- Video: Wild Windows - Whales (article) ↩
- Film: Forest of the Sea (article) ↩
- Video: Whale Song (article) ↩
- Film: Shadows in a Desert Sea (article) ↩
- Results: Our World Underwater 2019 (article) ↩
- Atlantis ImageMakers 2019 (article) ↩
- Howard Hall and Jonathan Bird to release IMAX film (article) ↩
- Interview: Marty Snyderman with Howard and Michele Hall (article) ↩
- Deep Sea IMAX 3D (forum) ↩
- Howard Hall’s Cocos 2010 (forum) ↩
- The Maldives in RED (forum) ↩
- Howard Hall’s Ocean Requiem (forum) ↩