Tony C. submitted a question wanting to know where I wasn’t allowed to film, the “forbidden places.”
Despite this photo, access was something I was granted pretty freely as it pertained to the President’s official duties. I wouldn’t barge into the Oval Office without seeing what was going on (usually from Brian Mosteller, Katie Johnson, or Reggie Love, in the Outer Oval Office), but in general I was around. That was not the case with the First Family’s Official residence, where I was very very seldom and filmed even less.
But the real issue with Presidential videography isn’t the access as much as releasing material. No footage I shot was ever released without someone in the comms or press shop looking at it first. It was important to me to get a process for releasing footage settled just as much as worrying about access.
Thanks for the question!
Follow up question to Tony C. I heard you say in an interview that everything you shot would become part of the Presidential archives. How does this differ from release? Will it all be viewable after his presidency, after a number of years, or with special clearances/permissions?
Thanks, and again, congrats on the book!