Filmography

Films by Howard Hall Productions

Howard and Michele Hall have produced and/or directed numerous films for television and for the IMAX giant screen. Howard has directed five IMAX features, four of which were produced by Michele. Howard and Michele have worked on many other IMAX features as underwater DP and production manger, respectively.

The Halls have been involved in over 100 television projects. Howard directed sixteen episodes of the Mutual of Omaha series, Wild Kingdom, four episodes of PBS Nature, and two National Geographic Specials. The Halls have won seven Emmy Awards for their television films. Following is a selection of films made by Howard and Michele.

IMAX FILMS

Into the Deep – 1994

Directed by Howard Hall

In 1994 Howard Hall directed the first underwater IMAX® 3D film ever made. Into the Deep opened the Sony IMAX® Theater on Broadway in New York City and has played widely in IMAX® 3D theaters throughout the world. It remains one of the five most profitable IMAX® 3D film ever made.

Photographed in the California kelp forests from the Mexican boarder to San Miguel Island, Into the Deep is a virtual reality experience of what it is like to dive within the majestic kelp forests of the sea.

Island of the Sharks – 1999

Directed by Howard Hall Produced by Michele Hall

Produced in 1999 by Michele Hall and directed by Howard Hall for WGBH/Nova and the New England Aquarium, Island of the Sharks is an ambitious wildlife behavior film about the marine life of Cocos Island, Costa Rica. The film has won numerous international awards including a special jury award at the 1999 Jackson Hole International Wildlife Film Festival and a 1999 Cine Golden Eagle.

Watch Island of the Sharks

Coral Reef Adventure – 2003

Starring Howard and Michele Hall

In 2000 and 2001 Howard Hall Productions collaborated with MacGillivray Freeman Films in making the IMAX feature, Coral Reef Adventure. The film was captured during five expeditions to the coral reefs of Fiji, French Polynesia, and the Great Barrier Reef.

Coral Reef Adventure was produced by Greg MacGillivray and Alec Lorimore, directed by Greg MacGillivray, and filmed by Greg MacGillivray, Howard Hall, Bob Cranston, and Brad Ohlund. Michele Hall was line producer and Howard was underwater sequence director. Howard and Michele also appear on-camera in the film as they explore and film Pacific coral reef wildlife.

Coral Reef Adventure was released in February 2003.

Deep Sea 3D – 2006

Directed by Howard Hall Produced by Michele Hall and Toni Meyers

Deep Sea 3D was a co-production between Imax Corporation, Warner Bros Pictures, and Howard Hall Productions. The film was produced by Toni Myers and Michele Hall, and written and directed by Howard Hall, with music by Danny Elfman and narration by Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet.

Deep Sea 3D won Best Film at the 2006 Giant Screen Cinema Association, Best Large Format Film at Wildscreen 2006, and Best Theatrical Film at the 2007 Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival.

Deep Sea 3D joins Into the Deep as one of the five highest grossing Imax Corp films ever made.

Under the Sea 3D – 2009

Directed by Howard Hall Produced by Michele Hall and Toni Meyers

After the overwhelming success of Deep Sea 3D, Imax Corporation and Warner Bros commissioned Under the Sea 3D as a sequel. The film was captured during five ambitious expeditions to Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, and Australia. The film was written and directed by Howard Hall, produced by Toni Myers and Michele Hall, and narrated by Jim Carey.

Under the Sea 3D won the 2009 Giant Screen Cinema Association award for Best Cinematography and Best Documentary at the International 3D Society Awards.

Secrets of the Sea – 2022

Produced by Michele Hall Directed by Howard Hall and Jonathan Bird

Our first digital Giant Screen Production, Secrets of the Sea 3D is a celebration of biodiversity in our oceans. The film features many marine species and animal behaviors never before seen on the giant screen. Secrets of the Sea 3D was co-produced by Howard Hall Productions and Oceanic Research. The Giant Screen Cinema Association awarded the film Best Giant Screen Film of 2023.

TELEVISON FILMS

Seasons in the Sea – 1990

Produced and Directed by Howard Hall

Seasons of the Sea was Howard’s first major film. Seasons was produced, written, directed, and photographed by Howard Hall and aired as an episode of the PBS series Nature and as a BBC Special in 1990. The film won numerous international awards including a Golden Panda for Best Picture at Wildscreen90 and the Festival Choice Award at the 1991 Jackson Hole International Wildlife Film Festival.

Watch: Seasons of the Sea

Shadows in a Desert Sea – 1992

Produced and Directed by Howard Hall

Shadows in a Desert Sea is a one-hour film about the marine life of the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California). Shadows in a Desert Sea was produced in 1992 for the PBS series Nature and the BBC. The film won many international awards including Best Cinematography at the Japan International Wildlife Film Festival and a Golden Panda Award for Best Cinematography at the 1992 Wildscreen Film Festival.

Watch: Shadows in a Desert Sea

Jewels of the Caribbean Sea – 1994

Directed by Howard Hall Produced by Michele Hall

Jewels of the Caribbean Sea is a one-hour film about the marine life of the Caribbean Sea. The film was released as a National Geographic Special in 1994. In addition to many other top awards, Jewels of the Caribbean Sea won two night-time Emmy Awards for Best Cinematography and Best Music in the News and Documentary Category.

Secrets of the Ocean Realm – 1997

Produced by Michele Hall

Written, Directed, Edited, and Photographed by Howard Hall

Secrets of the Ocean Realm is a series of films about marine life produced for PBS. Originally intended as ten half-hour shows, PBS elected to pair the programs and air the series as five one-hour specials.

Howard and Michele also authored a companion coffee table book, also titled Secrets of the Ocean Realm. The book is hard bound and illustrated with over 140 color images. The text covers many of the Hall’s experiences in diving during the last thirty years.

Shark Mountain – 2004

Produced by Michele Hall Directed by Howard Hall

Shark Mountain was produced in 2003 and 2004 during eight expeditions to Cocos Island, Costa Rica. The movie aired in 2004 as an episode of PBS Nature. The film is about the marine life of Cocos Island. Unlike our IMAX feature Island of the Sharks, Shark Mountain is a behind the scenes look at our film crew in action. The movie was photographed entirely in 1080 24p high definition video and was broadcast in high definition from many PBS affiliates.

Soul of the Ocean – 2023

Produced by Michele Hall Directed by Howard Hall

Soul of the Ocean is a 78-minute natural history film that explores the complexity of ocean ecosystems. Spectacular underwater cinematography reveals communities of interdependent marine species and highlights the critical role biodiversity plays in maintaining a healthy ocean. Every species has a part to play. And today, as humans become increasingly intimate with the ocean, we discover that we have a part to play as well.

Soul of the Ocean won numerous awards at film festivals around the world including Best Animal Behavior at the Jackson Wild Summit in 2022. Versions of the film were featured on the PBS Series Nature and are being distributed worldwide by Terra Mater Studios.

VIDEO ON DEMAND

**Moving Art: Underwater & Whales and Dolphins – 2016**

Produced by Moving Art Studio and Michele Hall Directed and Edited by Howard Hall

Underwater and Whales and Dolphins were produced in 2016 as part of Louie Schwartzberg‘s Moving Art series for Netflix. The film was captured in 4K digital and features the original music of Alan Williams.

Watch Moving Art and other films by Louie Schwartzberg and Howard Hall on Louie Schwartzberg’s The Louie Channel

Wild Window – 2017

Produced by Howard Hall Productions

Wild Window is a series of hour-long music videos featuring the best 4k, 5k, and 8k motion picture images of Howard Hall Productions edited to all original music scores by Alan Williams. Originally produced for Sony Electronics, Wild Window is now available to view free at WildWindow.com and on The Louie Channel.