Jess Hall, ASC, BSC is a British cinematographer. His parents were Stuart Hall, the Jamaican-born Cultural Studies pioneer and former professor at the Open University, and Catherine Hall, Professor and leading historian at University College, London.
Life and career
editHall's first job as cinematographer took place on production of the film Stander, starring Thomas Jane. He acted as director of photography on several British productions, including the Edgar Wright crime comedy Hot Fuzz, the comedy Son of Rambow and the drama Brideshead Revisited, his work on which earned him a Satellite Award nomination. Hall began working on American productions starting with the 2010 comedy The Switch and followed by 30 Minutes or Less, The Spectacular Now and Transcendence.
He was the cinematographer for the Scarlett Johansson-starring adaptation of the Japanese anime Ghost in the Shell. He has stated that he sought out a digital camera that could replicate the style anime is shown in.[1]
Hall studied at New York University as well as St Martins College of Art & Design.[2]
Filmography
editFilm
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Stander | Bronwen Hughes | |
| 2007 | Hot Fuzz | Edgar Wright | |
| Son of Rambow | Garth Jennings | ||
| 2008 | Brideshead Revisited | Julian Jarrold | Nominated – Satellite Award for Best Cinematography |
| 2009 | Creation | Jon Amiel | |
| 2010 | The Switch | Will Speck Josh Gordon |
|
| 2011 | 30 Minutes or Less | Ruben Fleischer | |
| 2013 | The Spectacular Now | James Ponsoldt | |
| 2014 | Transcendence | Wally Pfister | |
| 2017 | Ghost in the Shell | Rupert Sanders | |
| 2019 | Serenity | Steven Knight | |
| 2022 | Chevalier | Stephen Williams | |
| 2025 | The Fantastic Four: First Steps † | Matt Shakman | Post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | WandaVision | Matt Shakman | Miniseries |
| 2023 | The Consultant | 1 episode | |
| Monarch: Legacy of Monsters | 2 episodes |