I’m Hannah West. I’m a filmmaker from Indianapolis, Indiana and my mission is to give people a voice.

I work with people to create video content that represents who they are. Whether it’s their brand, business, or we are making a documentary surrounding their story, I try to make sure every person’s individuality shines through. I’ve been lucky enough to have my films screened in festivals across the United States- through those experiences I have seen firsthand how effective a story can be.

Some Background

I received a B.S. of Media Arts and Science with an emphasis in video and audio production through Indiana University, Indianapolis in 2018. As a student, I worked as a Media Production Assistant for the School of Informatics and Computing. It was here I first started learning about creating promotional content and how to honor a brand.

IUPUI was also where I discovered my love for documentary film. In 2017, I was lucky enough to have my documentary film, Not In Vain, screened at the International Heartland Film Festival. The film centers around families affected by the opioid epidemic in Indiana. Not In Vain was also screened at the 2018 Hancock County Health Board dinner where I was featured as a keynote speaker to discuss what I had learned about the epidemic during the filmmaking process. Not In Vain was then later screened at the 2018 Indiana Public Health Conference in Indianapolis where I was again featured as a speaker to talk about what I had observed.

I was so touched by the reaction to Not In Vain. People were able to connect with something I made. Better yet, they were gaining an understanding of a terrible issue because of it. After seeing how a film could affect hearts and minds, I knew it was something I wanted to do again, and again… and again. Which is why in 2018 I finished my second documentary film, Reversal.

Reversal is a film that focuses on a local Indiana MMA fighter who uses martial arts to recover from his own struggles with addiction. I knew that many people would see themselves reflected in this film, so I was thrilled when this film found it’s audience. Reversal screened at Heartland’s International Indy Shorts Festival, the Orlando Film Festival, as well as the YoFi Festival. Ian, the lead of our film, was humanizing this issue. People were connecting with someone they, otherwise, may not have. On top of that, Ian seemed genuinely fulfilled that his story was doing something in the world. I only became that much more sure of my path, telling people’s stories was how I was going to contribute to the world and the people around me. This felt right.

Not long after my screenings of Reversal, I was offered a job at Complexly. Complexly is a company founded by John and Hank Green that creates free and accessible educational content for all ages. We make shows such as Crash Course, SciShow, Eons, Ours Poetica, among many others. I currently work there as a producer, director, and editor. In this position, I help create free and accessible educational content for all ages. I’m very proud of the work we do and the value we try to bring to the internet. You can see my work featured on the Ours Poetica channel.